Computer Arts & Sciences
The Computer Arts and Sciences Courses Pathway Plan
(2017 Look Inside Promo PPT
2017 Program Flier)
offer a well-rounded computer technology education program for Columbine students. The following courses are great for students who show an interest in 
art, pattern recognition, logic problems, solving puzzles, tinkering, inventions and Maker or Hacker Contests, filmmaking, 2D & 3D drawing, and math. It is suggested (but not mandatory) that students have a fundamental understanding of how computers work, a working knowledge of graphic manipulation, and the internet prior to beginning this pathway. CHS offers several classes and a Maker Club that meets in our library, as well as the following computer-related arts, programming, development & design courses:
- Animation NEW Fall 2018 course using Adobe Illustrator, Animate, After Affects & iMovie to create motion graphics and animated shorts. Course includes discussion of Industry Trends in Computer Graphics, anime, short film animation, production team management, practice with industry roles, visual story development, and online company brand recognition, entrepreneurship, promotion and advertising
- CS Programming offers an introduction to computing, programming patterns, breakdown of computing information, web code, block-coding, an introduction to gaming, geometric design programming, number pattern recognition, introduction to security, technology ethics, etc. Students in this class work with a number of coding languages such as: Python or Java, HTML or CSS or JavaScript, Arduino, EarSketch, etc. in a variety of IDEs. Students may also choose to work in other supportive technologies including SketchUp, Blender, C#, Raspberry Pi, App Inventor, Greenfoot, XCode, Machine Code, Google Code, etc. Course includes option for with available ACC concurrent enrollment college credit with Arapahoe Community College for students who earn a B or better and complete all aspects of registration.
- AP CS Principles builds on prerequisite CS Programming. This course is designed to be a first-semester introductory computer science college course. Students will develop computational thinking skills vital for success across all disciplines, such as analyzing & studying data, working with large data sets, infographics, and trending. Creative problem solving and effective communication and collaboration are essential for the project management skills practiced in class. Special emphasis placed on individual student project in preparation for the APCSP Examination. Languages may include: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, Java, Arduino, etc. Earning a 3 or higher in the exam will yield college credit. As of 2018, students may use any IDE for their creative project using: Alice, MIT App Inventor, MIT's drag-and-drop Scratch program, Code.org’s App Lab, Georgia Tech’s EarSketch, Greenfoot, Java, JavaScript, Python, UC Berkeley’s Snap!, or Apple’s Swift XCode (Mac students must provide their own OS development device.
- Digital Electronics course includes Resistors & Capacitors, Building Circuits, Digital Systems, Logic Gates, Logic Simplification, and Microcontroller Building, Programming & Communicating
- Digital Music - Digital Music Media Recording & Production is a semester-long elective introducing students to multi-track recording & sequencing, audio capturing, live sound production, composition & songwriting, Music Industry Standards, Ethical Responsibility of Music Production, FCC & Radio vs Online Streaming, etc. Grades 10 or older. May be repeated
- Film & Video that produces RNN, our school's daily intranetwork student news show. Offers ACC concurrent enrollment college credit
- Graphic Design 1, 2, 3 offers 3 semesters of Computer-Based Design with available ACC concurrent enrollment college credit and instruction in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop & InDesign
IT Essentials I & II - IT Essentials I - This is a hybrid course where students learn to install, manage, and secure computer hardware in home and corporate OS environments. This course combines hands-on construction and deconstruction of hardware components with online content using TestOut courseware and virtual lab simulations. Students will be preparing for industry certification while being challenged with real world scenarios. IT Essentials 2 - This is a continuation of IT Essentials I. Students utilize TestOut PC Pro courseware to prepare for industry certification combined with real world scenarios.
- Web Design course focuses on the design aspect of web design in Adobe Dreamweaver IDE including prototyping, project management, and is supported by HTML, CSS & JavaScript coding learned in Computer Programming, a suggested prerequisite for this Spring course. ACC concurrent enrollment college credit available.
- Photography 1, 2 and AP Photo: These photo classes combine the knowledge gained in beginning photography by translating their skills to digital photography. They use Adobe Lightroom to edit their photos as well as using Adobe Bridge and Adobe Photoshop to hone in on photography skills such as organization, labeling, manipulating, and generating all new imagery.
- Newspaper: this class works primarily with Adobe InDesign and Photoshop. Students are allowed to choose their own topics, and they use professional designs to inspire their own work. Students who like graphic design are able to fuel their passion, and they are able to publish their work throughout the year. Each student is required to create a flyer every two weeks, but students are allowed to create more. Newspaper publishes the flyers around the school (the ones in bathroom stalls, above hand dryers, and within the cement banks throughout the halls). We also publish work on the TV screens and to the Rebel Instagram page. Newspaper also creates the program for Theater's shows.
- Yearbook: This class is a true hands on job. The idea of project based course is fulfilled in this class day in and day out. The students are given a really world opportunity to produce a yearbook that gets printed and published by a printing company. Students use Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Lightroom on a daily basis. Students are taught how to build a spread from scratch, how to edit photos properly, and how to use masking, color range, selection tools, and all adjustments in Photoshop. The yearbook staff attends many different educational conferences throughout the year including a week long camp over the summer and a Journalism day put on at Colorado State University.
Related Student Involvements:
- Code Quest Contest: begins meeting in January. 2 student teams selected for Lockheed Martin's annual Spring Competition. Sponsors: Hansen & Hanson
- Digital Music Club: Meets Tuesdays after school in the Mac Lab to encourage electronic student music production, recording & composition. Open to all students regardless of experience or genre. Sponsor: Hansen
- Maker Club: Meets __________ in the Library. Sponsor: Ms Thomas
- Science Club: Sponsor: Ms Gallagher
- Traditional Art Club (non-computer): Sponsors: Berve, Brownlow & Kling. Meets Monthly
- eSports Club is meeting Monday. Sponsor: Varney
Robotics??? Future?
- CO CS Standards