Big things are happening in Computer Science

Lake Washington School District celebrates CTE Month!

Our Computer Science programs continue to evolve as the demands of the modern workplace rapidly change. While we remain committed to teaching foundational programming skills, we are expanding our curriculum to help students understand the broader implications of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, cybersecurity, data literacy and advanced computing concepts. 

New course coming next year
We are excited to introduce AI Foundations at Juanita High School next year, giving students an opportunity to explore AI concepts, ethical considerations and real-world applications. 

AP courses get an upgrade
Both AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A will incorporate new units on AI, machine learning, cybersecurity or additional emerging technologies to better prepare students for future tech careers.

Innovation in the classroom
Educators across our district are creating dynamic learning environments where students design, problem-solve and showcase their creativity.

At Redmond High School, Brooke Weber’s AP Computer Science students recently completed a Hackathon challenge in which they designed and built multi-screen apps using real datasets from Code.org. Working individually or in pairs, students created functional apps that use filtering, sorting and list traversal (going through each item in a list one at a time) to deliver a user experience based on their own interests or a topic relevant to their audience.

The challenge reinforces core computer science concepts, including loops, lists, functions and procedural and data abstractions, with an emphasis on creativity and functionality. It also prepares students for the required AP Performance Task they will submit to the College Board in April. 

A few student-designed examples included:

• New Music Finder – Recommends new artists and tracks based on the user’s genre preferences and age range.
• Element Explorer – An interactive periodic table that enables users to search and filter elements by properties like atomic mass or category.
• NFL Team Finder – Inspired by enthusiasm for the Seahawks’ playoff run, this quiz-based app matches users to their “ideal” NFL team using data from all 32 franchises.
• Draw a Bird App – Users recreate an image of a bird by drawing directly in the app.
• Nobel Peace Prize by Year – Users enter any year between 1901 and 2016 to instantly see the prize winner, complete with photo, name and category.

Preparing students for tomorrow
By combining strong coding foundations with opportunities to explore how technology shapes society, innovation and industry, our Computer Science programs are preparing students not just to use today’s tools, but to lead in tomorrow’s digital world.