Thankfully, the 2021-2022 academic year has seen much more of a return to normalcy in the computer labs. It has been exciting to see students engage with the technology and each other in a more open and collaborative environment. It is already evident how much these opportunities were missed by students and teachers alike, and how enriching they can be for our charges.
One sign that things are returning to normal in the department is the flurry of hands-on work that can be seen in the classroom. In the Grade 11 Computer Science class (ICS3U), students are building personal projects of their own design, dubbed the “Choose Your Own Adventure” (CYOA) project. Many students are taking advantage of the eased restrictions to explore electrical engineering; working with Arduino microprocessors to produce some exciting and creative gadgets. In addition, the Grade 10 Communication Technology classes (TGJ2O) have been making great use of the green screen cyclorama in the Swan Studio to create photo and video projects, and in Grade 11 Communication Technology (TGJ3M) students are back to using our lighting equipment, backdrops, cameras and tripods for their photography work. In our co-curricular activities, the Robotics Club has replaced the online robotics environment with the Lego Mindstorms kits that were so popular pre-pandemic. All this hands-on work has helped to create a more meaningful and engaging environment for students to learn and grow as budding computer scientists and multimedia gurus!
Upcoming additions to room 901 will further help with the collaborative process. The TCS Parents' Guild has graciously donated funds to purchase multi-purpose foldable tables that will allow for group work in the Swan Studio, but can be easily stored so that students can take better advantage of the space for video work and music. It should be a game changer for the room, making the space an even more attractive option for classes and groups.
Another by-product of being largely in-person this year has been the increased time to pursue the more enriching work in our classes that we’ve missed these last two years. Summative and comprehensive assignments are taking place in all our courses currently, and serve as a wonderful way to solidify student understanding of the course material. Our courses have had the time to pursue these projects more fully this year, and the found time is already paying dividends, as the students are producing work of the highest calibre.
In TGJ2O, students are producing documentaries; in TGJ3M, they are putting their final touches on their graphic design video productions; and in TGJ4M (Grade 12 Live Communications), students are creating professional-grade video summatives. In ICS2O (Grade 10 Introduction to Computer Science), students are building interactive apps; in ICS3U, they are pursuing their passions with the aforementioned CYOA, building video games alongside the Arduino projects, and in ICS4U-AP (Grade 12 Computer Science), students are building Artificial Intelligence code that programs a personal robot to do battle against their peers’ robots.
It's an exciting time to be in the computer science department. There is a buzz in the air as students enjoy this hands-on work. In the coming weeks, as these fantastic projects come to a close, it is our hope to share their work with the wider school community to show off the ingenuity and creativity of our students!
- By Sasha Vojnov, head of computer studies
