Gwen in VA Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Does anyone have any strong recommendations for texts for JAVA? I have been looking at JAVA classes offered by various schools and trying to figure out which texts are more popular (my usual method for math/science text selection), but I have found few actual texts mentioned in course descriptions. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in Richmond Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Gwen, I'm not sure what level you're looking for, but my dd is just finishing up AP computer science Java using Java Methods by Litvin & Litvin, which seems to be a pretty common text for the course, according to her summer Mathcamp friends. My son used an older edition several years ago; they both found it to be fine for self-study. You can download the BlueJ IDE (free) and the ap Grid World case study, and you would be good to go. Even if you're not looking for ap-level, BlueJ would be fun for compiling and executing Java programs at any level. Caveat: the AP computer science curriculum is changing due to dropping the AB curriculum next year, so I would be sure to check CollegeBoard first for new requirements. ~Kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen in VA Posted May 3, 2009 Author Share Posted May 3, 2009 Thank you Kathy! My son wants to do a 1/2 credit class in JAVA with the intention of then gearing up for whatever AP computer programming class exam College Board decides to offer the following year (so exam in May 0f 2011). But working through an AP text slowly for 80 hours and seeing how far he gets works for us. Thanks for the suggestions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in Richmond Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Gwen, That sounds like a terrific plan...he'll have a nice head start. If *I* could follow the book, it must be an OK text (spoken by someone who hadn't touched programming since FORTRAN!) The Litvin text has a website with some of the exercise set solutions available as a free student download. I wrote to them last summer and provided some kind of proof of homeschooling (can't remember just what it was, but it wasn't too difficult to do) and they sent me an additional link to the teacher's area online, which had a complete set of solutions. Good luck! ~Kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piano&ViolinMom Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 according to her summer Mathcamp friends. My son used an older edition several years ago; they both found it to be fine for self-study. Kathy, what summer math camp are you referring for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in Richmond Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 She went to Canada/USA Mathcamp for the past two summers, and will be going this summer, also - lots of fun & learning. Before that (middle school age), she attended MathPath. ~Kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piano&ViolinMom Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 She went to Canada/USA Mathcamp for the past two summers, and will be going this summer, also - lots of fun & learning. Before that (middle school age), she attended MathPath. ~Kathy Will be the 3rd time for your dd? My ds, a 9th grader, does math and music. He was in Italy last summer as a pianist, will be taking Calculus 3 this summer. And we thus see he has only 2 more summers for math or science camps. Has your dd been preferring this math camp to any science camps? If so, do you see any good points to stay with one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in Richmond Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Will be the 3rd time for your dd? My ds, a 9th grader, does math and music. He was in Italy last summer as a pianist, will be taking Calculus 3 this summer. And we thus see he has only 2 more summers for math or science camps. Has your dd been preferring this math camp to any science camps? If so, do you see any good points to stay with one? Yes, this will be her third summer at Mathcamp. She absolutely loves it! She very much wants to do some kind of research in mathematical knot theory this summer. She also applied to HSHSP, but they couldn't quite come up with a good research mentor match for her. So it's off to Mathcamp again, where she can work on a research project and take classes - there is so much to learn there. She is planning on a course in topology and maybe complex analysis this time around. It's also become a sort of home-away-from-home for her, with good friendships formed over the years. A big plus for me is that although math is the main course, the camp offers up plenty of weekend outdoor fun. She has been whitewater rafting, hiking, contra dancing, all kinds of fun stuff and more exercise than she tends to get around here. Camp traditions abound - there is the annual Mathcamp Puzzle Hunt and Interactive Literature game. The camp is very musical by the way. Pianos in the lounges get a lot of use and there are a couple of vocal groups - the kids put on a talent show at the end of the camp and produce a yearbook on their own. Other math camps worth checking out include the Ross program at Ohio State, Promys at Boston U., HCSSIM at Hampshire College, and SUMaC at Stanford. I'm sure there are others, but those are the ones that come to mind. ~Kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piano&ViolinMom Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Kathy, Thank you for your input !!! Wow, so many good things has happened in your dd's math camp. Will I regret for keeping my son home tthis summer o take Calculus 3? I guess I need to support him to be in math camps next two summers, but then again I am not certain because his music is more advanced than math by today. I wish they run those camps through only a half of summer so he could do both. Has she gone through Linear or Abstrict Algebra, Differential Equations or Real Analysis areas? Hope she has lots of fun with Topology and Complex Analysis this summer. Hope you post her camp experience someday and share with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in Richmond Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Kathy, Thank you for your input !!! Wow, so many good things has happened in your dd's math camp. Will I regret for keeping my son home tthis summer o take Calculus 3? I guess I need to support him to be in math camps next two summers, but then again I am not certain because his music is more advanced than math by today. I wish they run those camps through only a half of summer so he could do both. Has she gone through Linear or Abstrict Algebra, Differential Equations or Real Analysis areas? Hope she has lots of fun with Topology and Complex Analysis this summer. Hope you post her camp experience someday and share with us. Sounds like you're doing a great job with your son! Lots of kids come to camp for one or two summers later in high school, and many try different experiences each summer. Next summer my dd wants to be a camp counselor at MathPath camp...do whatever works for your family and child! Dd has already studied the basics of linear and abstract algebra and real analysis in Mathcamp over the past two summers, and she'll study differential equations at home next school year. ~Kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piano&ViolinMom Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Sounds like you're doing a great job with your son! I do not believe any credit belong to me yet, as my son is new to high schooling as well as to homeschooling. He completed 8th grade in public school last year where kids are allowed to excel in math. His learning calculus I / II came this year came from a local college. About his music, I am clueless in music as I grow up with NO music. So his starting music study came accidentally when he watched one of his classmate's piano playing in his 2nd grade classroom. And then he begged to learn it. He has been falling in love with music. He does well if he likes, including playing games and sports. He has a very young mind as he is young, always looks for fun. I am a 1 week-old new member in this forum. I hear so many things here and I would like to learn some tools in homeschooling. I find your writings are extremely helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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