Computer Science

Mrs. Taricco teaches Computer Science. The reason this website exists is because of this class. We learn HTML, CSS, and Java in many different ways. Even if you have little experience, the course is structured to help guide you in learning such complicated programs in a fun way. The HTML and CSS aspects are covered when building your website from scratch. I love the way Java is taught. We first learn topics and new units in the AP CSA course and then are provided with many coding prompts to complete. This is fun as you can work with your table members and try to tackle complex problems.

Bulgarian Solitaire

Here, I modeled the game of Bulgarian Solitaire. The code starts with N cards and randomly divides some number of piles of random size. Ex) The game begins with 15 cards, and you randomly get piles of sizes 7, 4, and 2. Then, the starting configuration would subtract one from each pile and create a new pile with the amount subtracted, so the example goes to 6, 3, 1, 3. The game ends when the piles have the sizes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. The code starts with a random configuration and prints each step until the final result is reached.

Sieve of Eratosthenes

The primary purpose of this assignment is to understand how to declare 1D array objects and manipulate elements in an array. The code has an interactive input that asks for a number. Then, all prime numbers leading up to it will be displayed with leading zeroes placed when necessary, as the numbers will be in decimal format.

Apps for Good

Target Audience Young adults and teenagers were the targets of this app because they are starting to become independent in the real world; however, many teens and YAs do not understand basic financial skills for many reasons, as stated in the Problem section. A convenience with our app is that because most people this age are fairly busy, its quick and convenient structure allows them to use it on the go and anywhere.

Problem The traditional education system frequently neglects the significance of financial literacy. As a new generation steps into independence, it is essential to address this gap in knowledge among teenagers and young adults. Venturing into the real world is becoming increasingly difficult due to young adults' lack of financial literacy. These crucial skills are being overlooked in the education system, with about 75% of American teens lacking confidence in their personal finance knowledge. Financial skills are necessary for being an active member of society, yet many students struggle with concepts such as taxes and credit cards.​

Solution The minimum viable product (MVP) is a module-based learning system that contains various lessons on financial topics. Each module has lessons, and each lesson comprises of specific chapters that contain short videos and mini-quizzes. Our target audience does not have the best attention span, so each video is less than 5 minutes long to convey the information effectively and rapidly. The quizzes contain questions that can be presented in different styles, such as multiple choice, open response, true or false, and multi-select, to keep the user engaged. The process started with finding YouTube videos on various financial topics from reliable channels and fact-checking them. We then embedded these videos into each lesson and created corresponding quizzes. Once a lesson is completed and all questions are answered correctly, the user is prompted to either return to the lesson selection page or proceed to the next lesson. After finishing all the lessons, the user can move on to the next topic. Users can only access lessons on their current topic. Each button on every page was tested to ensure they performed their intended functions.

MVP/Poster