Question Hardware resources for modern high school computer science classroom

nonag

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May 11, 2020
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Hi

I'm considering teaching computer science at the high school level. The typical subjects I may be involved in are
  1. Computer Science Principles - I think Python is used, 9th grade student
  2. AP Computer Science A - I think Java is used, 10th / 11th / 12th graders.

When I had a semester of high school computer science in the early 90s, the classroom had those IBM 286 / 386 machines (or similar) running MS-DOS on them and we programmed in Pascal. That was the typical set up back then I guess. So my question is what is the typical set up for today in the above two classes?
What hardware resources are typically found in modern computer science classroom? I think right now they have Chrome books in their existing class rooms. If they're going to be programming with Python and Java, would the hand-on lab experience with Chromebooks be enough?

Thanks!
 

nonag

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May 11, 2020
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Wouldn't you still need regular PC with a main stream operating system (ex. Win 10) ?

To learn Python / Java they would have to code and practice. Would the Chromebooks be enough for that? Chromebooks are all web based.
There are several online web-based IDE platforms that support the languages.

Also can the Raspberry PIs be programmed via Chromebook?

Not sure how possible it is to put Win 10 / Linux on a Chromebook.

I would do Raspberry PIs. You get some hands on assembling them, and those languages are fully supported.
 

kanewolf

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Wouldn't you still need regular PC with a main stream operating system (ex. Win 10) ?

To learn Python / Java they would have to code and practice. Would the Chromebooks be enough for that? Chromebooks are all web based.
There are several online web-based IDE platforms that support the languages.

Also can the Raspberry PIs be programmed via Chromebook?

Not sure how possible it is to put Win 10 / Linux on a Chromebook.
A Raspberry PI can have monitor, keyboard and mouse. You add those ingredients. OR there are browser access environments available. Windows would not be required. Getting some hands on with a Linux environment would be good experience.
Since the OS is on an SD card, it is real easy to start over for each class.
Get a NAS for per-student storage. That way they can save their work to a location that is easy for the instructor to access.
Here is a PDF that the Raspberry PI foundation created for education -- https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2018/08/Raspberry-Pi-Computers-in-Schools-2018.pdf
This is also relevant -- https://www.carondeleths.org/live/news/73-coding-and-creating-with-raspberry-pi
Python is on of the primary languages used on Raspberry PI.