In TCS Middle School computer studies, our motivating principle is to harness the tremendous power of the computer as a creative tool for exploration, investigation, and understanding. Indeed, nurturing creativity is key; every simple act of creation holds the potential to provide the proverbial spark of inspiration that ignites a student's interest for the day, for a week, or for a lifetime. Moreover, students who have experienced the rewards of fruitful exploration gain an innate and lasting understanding, not only of the subject at hand, but more importantly, of their own power to comprehend, appreciate, and affect the world around them.

Programming classes at TCS emphasize the importance of organizational skills both in the context of academic studies and everyday life.

Every student in grades five through eight learns the Logo programming language. Logo was originally developed by Seymour Papert at MIT as a graphical method for introducing children to programming. It uses a “turtle” that responds to commands in order to draw objects. At The Country School we use a version of Logo called MicroWorlds EX.

Class exercises and projects help to emphasize the importance of clarity of thought and the ability to write precise directions. These skills are presented as essential qualities for developing good skills as a programmer, student, and life-long learner.

Encouraging the students to produce original work helps inspire them to engage in the type of rigorous thinking required to accomplish their given task. Where appropriate, related mathematics are presented as a means of reinforcing not only the utility and ubiquity of the subject, but also its creative value.

For students at TCS, exposure to programming adds a new dimension of understanding to their use of computers and electronics. By helping to penetrate the mystery of these everyday devices, we strive to empower our students and better prepare them for the educational challenges of life in the Digital Age.

The word "fractal" refers to a relatively new branch of geometry developed by Benoit Mandelbrot while he was at IBM in the late 1970's. It provides an effective and comprehensive way of looking at the multitude of self-similar shapes found in nature. For six year Harlan Brothers, Director of Technology at TCS, worked with Professor Mandelbrot and Michael Frame at the Yale University Fractal Geometry Workshops. This class is an outgrowth of his work. A brief introduction to fractals can be downloaded here (PDF 1.7MB) .

Students in grades seven and eight begin by studying the concepts of symmetry and similarity and the ways in which these qualities manifest themselves in nature. We then examine classical symmetries and the concept of scaling. Next, self-similarity is explored through the use of Iterated Function Systems (IFS). Students also experiment with branching fractals and the Koch curve using software written in the Logo programming language.

Classroom discussion and computer activities reinforce the concept of scale-invariant similarity. The applications of fractals in electronics, medicine, and cinema are also discussed. The exploration of fractal geometry allows students at TCS to gain appreciation of a fundamental and unifying characteristic of the natural world that surrounds them.