Welcome!
This is the site for information about Principles of Computer Technology, a class taught to all sophomores at the Academy of Allied Health and Science in Neptune, NJ. This class exists because technology affects everyone, not just engineers, and I believe that it's extremely important for any citizen to have some minimal understanding of how it all works. Computer technology in particular is changing the economy and balance of power in the world in many ways, and for better or worse, the trend is only going to accelerate. Your life will be easier if you speak the language at least a little.
The most important thing is to ask good questions. If you aren't questioning the things that you're seeing and hearing and reading about, you aren't thinking enough. If you aren't curious about the amazing stuff that's all around you, it's time to open your eyes and look around. Here is an assignment to get you going.
The world of computer technology is constantly changing in astonishing ways, but you have to be paying attention to realize that. This class has a current event assignment to encourage you to notice what's going on. Other students have found that things in the news that seemed dull and irrelevant to a teenager's life are actually surprisingly interesting once you've learned a bit about the stuff.
Some of the questions that you need to ask and problems that you need to solve are going to be difficult. That's a good thing, but it can also be frustrating if you are impatient – that is, if you are human. Most people want to solve problems right away, but sometimes that just isn't possible. M. Scott Peck has some wonderful advice about that in The Road Less Travelled. If you can internalize this attitude and remember it when everything around you seems to be falling apart, you can do amazing things, in school and in life.
You are encouraged to think less about grades and more about actual learning, but I know that just about everybody in this school cares about grades the way Gollum cares about the Ring of Power, so here's the grading policy.
The classroom has some rules that you need to understand and follow. Sorry, that's just the way it is.
