Anna:
Taking this class, it’s really just been, diving in head first into the computer science world.
Sean:
You have a lot of freedom to explore what you want to do.
My project is a story app.
Sean:
We made a game and an app to help the environment.
Makena:
So, my app is called Sud Buds.
Jeremy:
An escape game.
Sarah:
I like to call it my zen app.
Yaya:
All I wanted to do was just create a website.
Anna:
Putting your own twist on it, making it yours.
Stacey Reynolds:
Star City is located in the South East corner of the state of Arkansas. We’re in the west coast delta plane. It’s a farming community.
ANDREW:
Star City is a great place to live, it’s family oriented. Community is really big. It’s a great place to grow up.
Paige:
We decided we were gonna design our own website.
Alyssa:
Mission Choices is a non-profit organization that helps people in their time of need.
Our website helps because they can email Mission Choices, that way it stays anonymous.
Paige:
This is going to keep growing and growing, and it’s going to help more people eventually.
Alyssa:
I’m most proud of the fact that we went from a blank screen to where we are now.
Stacey Reynolds:
I have 33 students in this class and 28 had never taken an AP class before.
Brandon:
When I took this class, I was like, “Wow this is for me”. It kind of changed my whole perspective of my academics.
Stacey Reynolds:
It’s not just about them learning computer science. I think it opens doors for them. It shows them there are different things outside of Star City, Arkansas.
Ocean:
I live in New York City. My school is in the Bronx, it’s a really small school.
Donald Saint-Germain:
It really represents a diverse community, students from different cultural background.
Ocean:
Just being in New York alone, New York is very busy, New York is always moving, New York is always on-the-go.
Donald Saint-Germain:
That does represent some of the issues that they are dealing with in New York City, coming from low economic statuses,
So one of the real cool field trips that’s in place this year is when students attended a Hackathon event
where they were challenged to create an app and invite guests to come and visit the Intrepid Air and Space Museum.
Ocean:
I wanted to set up little bar codes that the kids scan and its shows into a little game that they can play so they can learn.
Mariama:
I actually wanted to quit this class at one point. Like, my teacher Saint-Germain also motivated me to be like, “You’re not quitting. You’re gonna do this.”
It made me feel good that I created such a beautiful app, because now I could show people what I did.
Yaya:
We didn’t think we were gonna be champions, because we saw a whole bunch of people and they looked like they were more advanced than us.
So, Mr. Saint-Germain was like, “Just take your time and plan what you want to do”.
Ocean:
Oh, and I ended up winning the competition.
Sean:
I go to George Whittell High School, which is in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Lake Tahoe is a beautiful place.
Susan Van Doren:
My favorite projects that the students create are projects that solve real problems that they see in the lives of people around them.
Sean:
Our project, it’s a weekly challenge to help keep Lake Tahoe blue.
Anna:
We’re trying to bring out the competitive nature of people in a way that can help our environment. If you’re walking your dog, how many pieces of trash can you pick up?
Sean:
Although it’s not impacting the world, it is helping our community. And, by doing that, bit by bit, that will help the environment.
Sean:
What I like most about the class is that it explores more creative aspects of computer science.
Susan Van Doren:
The best thing about teaching AP CSP is watching students grow in their self confidence and in their problem solving abilities.
Andrew:
Me and computers really didn’t get along before I started taking this class.
Dylan:
I kind of underestimated what I could do before this class.
Stacey Reynolds:
The students in my class this year have told me, “I didn’t think we could do this”. And, we’re doing it.
If I could do this, what else could I do?
Delaney:
Most people think, “A.P., hard class”, but to me it feels like a different way of looking at something.
Brandon:
CSP changed me, it allowed me to see what I’m capable of.
Sarah:
But, taking this class as a girl is actually really nice and helps me with confidence a lot.
Anna:
You should be able to pursue your dreams, no matter what your gender is.
Jeremy:
The fun part of it is when you see your program get to work, and showing everybody, you made this, I made this.
Yaya:
It’s just the way of the future, it’s the way of how the world is.
Brandon:
I proved my critics wrong, saying “I can do this”.
