The purpose of this workshop is to prepare high school computer science teachers to teach data structures using the Java programming language and its standard collection classes. This workshop will be particularly relevant to AP computer science teachers, but is not restricted to them. The workshop will cover teaching classic data structures, such as lists, stacks, queues, trees, sets, maps, and hash tables. It will also cover Java language constructs that are useful in the data structures course, such as interfaces and the standard Java collection classes. The Marine Biology Simulation case study, the first Java case study for the AP Computer Science program, will be covered and will serve as an example for many of the concepts discussed. The workshop will include time for discussions of teaching methods and hands-on laboratory time.
Participants should have reasonable familiarity with either Java or the classic data structures curriculum. Some teachers may wish to take the companion workshop on Teaching Programming Using Java first.
Alyce Brady is an associate professor of computer science at Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She has been involved with the College Board's Advanced Placement program since 1997 as a member of the development committee (1997 - 2000), a presenter of teacher training workshops, and a reader for the grading of the free response section of the APCS exam. She has taught introductory programming courses in Java since 2000 and has, in collaboration with various colleagues, developed numerous materials for teaching computer science at the high school and college levels. She is the author of the Java-based Marine Biology Simulation case study.
Pamela Cutter is an assistant professor of computer science at Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She has taught introductory programming courses in Java since 2001 using materials that will be presented in these workshops, including the Java-based Marine Biology Simulation case study.
Kelly Schultz has been a visiting and adjunct professor of computer science at Kalamazoo College since 1997. She has taught Introduction to Programming in Java using the materials that will be presented in these workshops, including the Java-based Marine Biology Simulation case study.
The course will utilize the laboratory facilities of Kalamazoo College. Most of the lab machines are Pentium PCs running Windows, but we also have machines running Linux and OS X. We will have CodeWarrior, TestPad, and BlueJ installed on the lab machines; teachers may also bring their own laptop if they prefer.
We are applying for approval from the Michigan State Department of Education to offer Continuing Education Units. We expect this to be approved, as it was last year. We will also provide certificates showing the number of contact hours for all participants. The contact hours for the basic workshop will be 30 hours (3 CEUs); teachers who participate in the additional evening lab times will earn 40 hours (4 CEUs).
Resident (on-campus): $600 for each workshop (includes single occupancy
dorm room, three meals/day; does not include transportation)
Commuter: $475 for each workshop (includes lunch and snacks)
Send a letter with a brief description of your background in teaching computer science and your email address to the address below by May 15. E-mail is acceptable. Please indicate (1) whether you plan to stay on-campus at Kalamazoo College or commute, and (2) whether you plan to bring your own computer (this is not required). Applicants will be notified by June 1, at which time a $100 deposit will be due. Late applications will be considered on a space-available basis.
e-mail: abrady@kzoo.edu
Alyce Brady (Note: Summer Workshop)
Math/CS Department
Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo, MI 49006