On Campus
Explore Proctor's on-campus academic courses, athletics, arts, college counseling, and residential life programs to better understand the breadth and depth of a Proctor experience.

Select a Department:

Technology

The Computer Science Department teaches a range of courses from Introduction to Digital Graphics to Advanced Video Editing, to Web Design. We encourage students to develop their skills and confidence in using technology to assure success at Proctor, in higher education, and in their careers.  At the same time we guide them in the appropriate use of technology as a 21Century digital citizen. Students are also allowed to get involved in the maintenance and upkeep of Proctor’s digital resources through community service and an afternoon activity.

  • 3-D Design/A I

    3D Design/Animation .      Level I elective

    PREREQUISITES:  No prerequisites

    GOALS & MATERIAL COVERED:
    3D Design/Animation is an introduction to 3D modeling.  The course primarily focuses on using CAD for digital art, rather than architecture or engineering applications.  Students will learn how to properly model complex shapes, sculpt fine details, generate and apply materials and textures to their creations to control how they interact with light and color, animate smooth and realistic motion, and simulate various physical phenomena (wind, cloth, fluid, collisions).  The course software is the 3D modeling program Blender, available free of charge from blender.org. 

  • Advanced Computer Science (1)

    Designation: Level I

    Goals & Material Covered:  Based on the AP CS curriculum, AdvancedComputer science embraces problem solving, hardware, algorithms, and perspectives that help people utilize computers to address real-world problems in modern life.  The Advanced Computer Science course will introduce students to computer science with fundamental topics that include problem solving, design strategies and methodologies, organization of data, approaches to data processing, analysis on potential solutions, and the ethical or moral implications of computing.  This course emphasizes both object-oriented and imperative problem solving and design. Students who take Advanced Computer Science will be well-prepared to take AP:CS A exam and continue their study of computer science into a wide variety of fields, STEM or otherwise.

    Prerequisites: None

  • Digital Storytelling Skills

    Digital Storytelling
     
    “Stories ignite our imagination; they let us leap over cultural walls and cross the barriers of time. Stories affirm who we are, and allow us to experience the similarities between ourselves and others, real or imagined. Stories help us make meaning of our lives” (TED).
     
    Course description:
    This course will explore the fundamentals of storytelling. More specifically, this course will analyze and practice the art of podcasting and video storytelling. In addition to learning from professional podcasts and videos, students will endeavour to create their own projects through a rich process of feedback, iteration and publishing.
     
    Course goals:
    • Learn and practice the fundamentals of dynamic storytelling
    • Exposure to the digital storytelling medium (genre) and examples (audio/video)
    • Creation -- based on a model of feedback and iteration -- of digital storytelling projects
     
    Term Outline(still in development)
    Week One: Course overview and technology basics
    Week Two: Storytelling fundamentals
    Week Three: Storytelling fundamentals
    Week Four: Podcasting fundamentals
    Week Five: Podcasting projects
    Week Six: Podcasting projects
    Week Seven: Video fundamentals
    Week Eight: Video projects
    Week Nine: Video projects
    Week Ten: Final Projects
     
    Curriculum Content(still in development)
    • Lynda.com
      • Garageband
      • iMovie
      • Final Cut Pro
    • Podcasts..
    • Videos..

  • Gaming/Animation I

    DESIGNATION: Level I
     
    GOALS: Introduce students to the magic of computer animation.
     
    MATERIALS COVERED: Beginning animation students will learn the creation of graphics for web animation using lessons and exercises to create interactive Web sites and rich media, with the latest version of the Flash authoring tool.  Advanced students will work with AutoDesk Maya to create powerful animations.  From the AutoDesk website: “Autodesk® Maya® 3D animation software delivers a comprehensive creative feature set with tools for animation, modeling, simulation, rendering, matchmoving, and compositing on a highly extensible production platform. For visual effects, game development, post production, or other 3D animation projects, Maya offers toolsets to help meet demanding production requirements. Maya 2013 adds tools that help facilitate parallel workflows and complexity handling; powerful new creative toolsets; and productivity enhancements to help you create higher quality content quickly.”
     
     
    TEXT: Various text, video, and online resources will be utilized throughout the term.

  • Gaming/Animation II

    DESIGNATION: Level I
     
    GOALS: Introduce students to the magic of computer animation.
     
    MATERIALS COVERED: Beginning animation students will learn the creation of graphics for web animation using lessons and exercises to create interactive Web sites and rich media, with the latest version of the Flash authoring tool.  Advanced students will work with AutoDesk Maya to create powerful animations.  From the AutoDesk website: “Autodesk® Maya® 3D animation software delivers a comprehensive creative feature set with tools for animation, modeling, simulation, rendering, matchmoving, and compositing on a highly extensible production platform. For visual effects, game development, post production, or other 3D animation projects, Maya offers toolsets to help meet demanding production requirements. Maya 2013 adds tools that help facilitate parallel workflows and complexity handling; powerful new creative toolsets; and productivity enhancements to help you create higher quality content quickly.”
     
     
    TEXT: Various text, video, and online resources will be utilized throughout the term.

  • Gaming/Animation III

    DESIGNATION: Level I
     
    GOALS: Introduce students to the magic of computer animation.
     
    MATERIALS COVERED: Beginning animation students will learn the creation of graphics for web animation using lessons and exercises to create interactive Web sites and rich media, with the latest version of the Flash authoring tool.  Advanced students will work with AutoDesk Maya to create powerful animations.  From the AutoDesk website: “Autodesk® Maya® 3D animation software delivers a comprehensive creative feature set with tools for animation, modeling, simulation, rendering, matchmoving, and compositing on a highly extensible production platform. For visual effects, game development, post production, or other 3D animation projects, Maya offers toolsets to help meet demanding production requirements. Maya 2013 adds tools that help facilitate parallel workflows and complexity handling; powerful new creative toolsets; and productivity enhancements to help you create higher quality content quickly.”
     
     
    TEXT: Various text, video, and online resources will be utilized throughout the term.

  • Graphic Design

    COURSE:  Graphic Design  (Fall, Winter or Spring one term elective course) Level I
                       Introductory:  No prerequisites

    GOAL:   This is an introductory course in Graphic Design that focuses on the key areas of the discipline. In addition to looking at the creative process and learning from professionals in the field, students will learn to use Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator, InDesign and Dreamweaver. All students will have the opportunity to synthesize/demonstrate their learning throughout the term and in a cumulative project/type of their choosing at the conclusion of the term.

    MATERIALS:  Creative Process, Layout and Composition,Typography, Color, Adobe Photoshop/Lightroom, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, and Adobe Dreamweaver

    TEXTBOOKS:  none

  • Graphic Design Skills

    COURSE:  Graphic Design Level II (skills).
                       Fall, Winter or Spring one term elective course)
                       Introductory:  No prerequisites

    GOAL:   This is an introductory course in Graphic Design that focuses on the key areas of the discipline. In addition to looking at the creative process and learning from professionals in the field, students will learn to use Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator, InDesign and Dreamweaver. All students will have the opportunity to synthesize/demonstrate their learning throughout the term and in a cumulative project/type of their choosing at the conclusion of the term. 

    MATERIALS:  Creative Process, Layout and Composition,Typography, Color, Adobe Photoshop/Lightroom, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, and Adobe Dreamweaver

    TEXTBOOKS:  none

  • Programming (1)

    Learn basic programming with Java. 

  • Tech Lab I

    DESIGNATION: Level I
     
    GOALS: Technology is everywhere and now you can pursue any aspect of technology during a block that fits your schedule.
     
    Tech Lab will allow you to explore an interest in technology that you have not had a chance to investigate.  During Tech lab you will decide not only what you are going to study in technology but also how you want to learn the topic. 
    Students can choose an area of technology that we do not offer or even an area that we do offer but doesn’t fit in their schedule during the block that it’s offered.

  • Tech Lab Skills I

    DESIGNATION: Level II
     
    GOALS: Technology is everywhere and now you can pursue any aspect of technology during a block that fits your schedule.
     
    Tech Lab will allow you to explore an interest in technology that you have not had a chance to investigate.  During Tech lab you will decide not only what you are going to study in technology but also how you want to learn the topic. 
    Students can choose an area of technology that we do not offer or even an area that we do offer but doesn’t fit in their schedule during the block that it’s offered.

  • Video Skills I

    DESIG
    DESIGNATION: Level II
     
    GOALS: To learn the basics of making short movies with simple tools and techniques using digital camcorders and Adobe Premiere Pro.
     
    MATERIAL COVERED: Adobe Premiere Pro delivers powerful and precise editing tools that work with virtually any format, from DV and native HDV to fully uncompressed HD. With real-time multi-stream effects architecture, multi-cam editing tools, advanced color correction, and intuitive integration with other Adobe professional video and audio applications, Premiere Pro gives users more creative options and technical control than ever before. Students will be introduced to the basics of Premiere Pro and work on projects and tutorials to familiarize themselves with the program's intricacies. In creating your own projects you will learn: importing, and editing clips, creating and editing sound tracks, adding transitions, effects, and texts, and sharing completed videos.
     
    This class satisfies the Level I Tech requirement.
     

  • Virtual Reality

    Designation:  Level I, Tech Elective

    Course Goals: for students to gain an early exposure to a rapidly developing technology. students will use virtual reality technologies to produce usable VR experiences.  These experiences (movies, expeditions, games) could have social, educational, or entrepreneurial applications and may be published for local/national/global use.

    Outcome: students will be able to set up VR equipment, use design thinking processes to prototype-critique-incorporate user experience into the creation VR apps, and publish those apps publicly.Students will also discuss and practice ethical use of digital content, new technologies, and the ways in which virtual reality can impact our world.  Through these hands on projects, class discussions, and more students will gain the skills of collaboration, problem solving, creativity.
     
    Material Covered: Unity software, using and contributing to VRTube and Google Expeditions, how-to build a set of google cardboard, use of a 360 degree camera (ie. filming, saving, getting onto a computer, getting into the correct software, etc…), digital ethics, copy and usage rights, and more

    Text: supplemental readings at the teachers' discretion and of their choosing.

    Required:  4.4 kitkat software for Android OR an iPhone 5 or higher; purchase of a $25 google cardboard kit; phone storage has at least has 2-4 GIGs free

Faculty

  • Photo of James Cox
    James Cox
    Director of Information Services / Computer Science Faculty
    603-735-6755
    Bio
Located in  Andover, NH,  Proctor Academy is a private coeducational day and boarding school for grades 9–12. Students benefit from a rigorous academic program, experiential off-campus programs, fine and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.
204 Main Street  .  PO Box 500  .  Andover, NH 03216
p. (603) 735-6000   f. (603) 735-6300   webmaster@proctoracademy.org