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General Suggestions for the AP CS Classroom
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Some of our AP colleagues are faced with unique situations in their classrooms. Others are searching for new approaches for daily activities. Maybe you will be interested in trying some of these activities in your classroom!
Proofreading
Contributed Anonymously
This "proofreading" method has worked with students who are finished with assignments before the rest of the class, with students who lack confidence, and with students who are having a bad day and cannot focus their attention: See if the student may be interested in proofreading other students' programs to look for errors or to find solutions to error messages. This allows the student to discuss programming with the instructor and other students and to gain some confidence in creating a program through understanding how to read a program.
FAQ Manual
Contributed Anonymously
A student or small group of students is placed in charge of creating a manual of frequently asked questions pertaining to work in their computer science class. The manual is created with the understanding that it is being prepared for their class and for future computer science classes.
Some of the topics that might be included in the FAQ manual include:
- Samples of errors and solutions for the errors or methods to solve the problem
- Directions on how to organize files used in building workspaces or projects
- Directions on how to generate javadoc comments
- Where to find certain course materials
- What Web sites are helpful
- How to navigate the API
Although the manual may not be completed in the first year, the students contributing have regular, informal discussions with their classmates while formulating the FAQs and responses. The manual is kept online for all to view.
Company Rules
Contributed Anonymously
Students need to understand exactly what is expected of them. This includes behavior in the classroom, care and maintenance of equipment, and programming expectations when submitting assignments. We keep a white board (or flip chart) with "Company Rules" posted. This is very similar to a company having rules that employees are expected to follow. If the employee fails to follow the rules or fails to meet the requirements, the employee is fired. In the computer science classroom, if a student fails to follow the Company Rules having to do with programming assignments, there is a grade deduction.
Some of our company rules appear below.
- Begin/end braces -- { } -- are each on a separate line.
- Indentation is important.
- Indent 3 spaces.
- Indent body of if-else statements.
- Indent body of loops.
- Include javadoc comments before each method.
- Variable names begin with lowercase letters. If the variable name is two or more words, capitalize the first letter of the second, third, etc.,words.
- A class name should be a noun and should begin with a capital letter.
- Method names are verbs and the names follow the same rules that variable names follow.
- Include the program execution at the end of the .java file in a comment when you submit your assignment.
- Include your name, period, date, and brief description of the program in a comment at the beginning of your test program.
Rules can (and should) be added to this list as the year goes on. In this way, grading programs is easier because everyone is following the same formatting style. Students know what is expected.
CS A and AB in the Same Room at the Same Time
Contributed Anonymously
If you have AP Computer Science A and AB students in the same classroom, inform the AB students that they are required to "help and/or guide" the A students. This will help ease the teacher's burden of being in several places at the same time. Each A student has an AB "buddy" who they should ask for help before asking the teacher.
The method works well for the A students because the AB buddy is there to answer questions much quicker that the teacher will be able to get to the student. The AB students benefit from this procedure because they are constantly reinforcing their knowledge.
The pairs may be changed several times during the year. In this way, students that are not well matched will have an opportunity to experience several different partners.
Student-Generated Quizzes
Contributed by Denise Hamlin
Irvington High School
Irvington, New York
For a particular exam or quiz, I have students work in pairs and develop one multiple-choice question and one free-response question for the particular chapter or topic. Each question is submitted on a separate sheet of paper with the solution. This can be done during the class period or assigned as homework. I also develop questions. I then choose questions from those submitted and create the final form of the quiz or exam.
The students really like this because they feel they are participating in their own test development. With this method, all tests and quizzes contain both multiple-choice and free-response questions so the students become familiar with the AP Exam format.
Questions that are not included on the quiz can be used for review before the AP Exam or for the course final exam.
Contribute
If you would like to contribute other general suggestions for the classroom, please submit your ideas.
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