Programming Club
TIME COMMITMENT: MONTHLY MEETINGS
When describing what a regular Programming Club meeting looks like, one of the Co-heads, Lucas McCarty, says, "The way the programming club is set up is it’s basically a space for programmers from all different skill levels to meet up, collaborate, and make some neat projects. During meetings, Garren and I will teach some sort of a lesson, how to program something, or some trick. Then members go off on their own and use their new skills to make something cool."
So what exactly are the skills you can learn and projects you can make in Programming Club? In the previous year, members used the inspect element tool and HTML to modify websites and come up with creative pages. As a team, they also created a number guessing game, messed around with some spheros, and programmed some robots. They also host extracurricular events such as Hour of Code and help staff during the Lower School Programming Night.
During the 2020-2021 school year, the Programming Club will also be focusing on machine learning and possibly computer hardware. Lucas plans to bring in an old PC of his for members to dismantle and learn from. In addition, Lucas says, "We want to make sure that everyone has the skills and resources necessary to be successful programmers. For this reason, over the summer I created a website which we hope to promote next year:
masteringprogramming.weebly.com. It has example code, projects, and tutorials which will teach any beginner the fundamental skills of python or java. I focused on these languages in particular since these are the ones taught at MICDS in 9th and 11th grade. The site can not only get new learners up to speed, but also help those struggling with programming for classes." Be sure to check the website out if you're interested!
On the topic of his favorite aspect of Programming Club, Lucas says the best part is teaching others about something he both enjoys and is passionate about:
"Throughout my time in the upper school, programming has been a really important part of my education and I have come to understand how powerful of a tool it is. Sharing that knowledge and seeing others come to gain the same appreciation for programming that I have is my favorite part of the club."
Lastly, due to the infrequent meetings and low time commitment, Lucas and Garren expect all members to show up to each meeting (once a month). If you have to miss out, be sure to let the Co-heads know.
If you'd like to join Programming Club, or have any questions, you can contact the Co-heads, Lucas McCarty and Garren Engle at lmccarty@micds.org and gengle@micds.org, or the faculty sponsor, Ms. Purdy at jpurdy@micds.org.