This year, our 8th grade introductory computer science class, Computer Science Zero, reflects the very ethos of Dalton’s educational innovation. For the first trimester, students are diving into the captivating intersection between computer programming and human intelligence. The journey started with a hands-on exploration of a computer’s central processing unit (CPU), revealing the inner architecture behind its operations. The conversation then shifted to the architecture of the human brain, where students examined 3d models and images of the brain. In a moment of shared discovery, students recognized that while the brain and the computer act as “processors” for tasks like image recognition, their “hardware” approaches the tasks in strikingly different ways. 

As the year unfolds, the curriculum will continue to evolve alongside student learning. From visual programming with the P5 library to building websites by the year’s end, the course encourages students to dive deeper into programming while exploring the ever-growing relationship between technology and the world around them.