Hi-Tech Course Catalog

Computer Basics I:

Today’s students must be able to effectively use technology to research, organize, create, and evaluate information. This course provides a foundation in the skills and concepts that define computer literacy in the 21st century. From the basics of keyboarding to Internet research techniques, document creation, and digital citizenship, you’ll practice essential skills through individual and team projects. When taken with Computer Basics II, this course maps to the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS).  Cost: $179

Computer Basics II:

This course builds on level 1 to develop the skills and concepts essential for computer literacy in the 21st century. From the basics of keyboarding to Internet research techniques, document creation, and digital citizenship, you’ll practice essential skills through individual and team projects. When taken with Computer Literacy I, this course maps to the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS). Cost: $179

Game Design I:

This course is for anyone who loves gaming and wants to design and build original games from scratch. You’ll learn how to use popular game design software to create engaging, interactive games in a variety of genres. In addition, you’ll get a solid foundation in the basic concepts of game development. By the end of this course, you will have a variety of polished games for your game development portfolio. Cost: $295 + about $100 for software.

Game Design II:

In the continuation of this two-semester series, you’ll expand your knowledge of the game design industry while you master event-driven game development through a series of interactive projects. By the end of this course, you will have a variety of polished games for your game development portfolio. Cost: $295 + about $100 for software. Watch the video below to see some of the skills you will learn in these Game Design courses.

Online Game Design:

If you like playing Flash games online and want to find out how to design them, this course is for you. You’ll learn how to develop a variety of games for the Web using Adobe® Flash®, the world’s most popular authoring tool for online games. You’ll learn some basic programming concepts as you use ActionScript®, the native scripting language of Flash, to develop cool games, then publish them online to share with your friends. By the end of this course, you will have a fully-functioning multi-level online game. Cost: $295 + about $300 for software.

Flash Animation:

This introductory course teaches all the animation essentials. You’ll learn cell animation, timelines, movies, sound – the works –using Adobe® Flash® Creative Suite® 4 (CS4), the preferred design tool of industry pros worldwide. Learn how to draw and animate movies, then publish them to the Web. Create your own original art, or choose from the art asset libraries included in each project. At the end of this course, you’ll have a portfolio of completed Flash animations. Cost: $295 + about $300 for software. Watch the video below to see a demo of building animations with Flash.

Digital Video Production:

In this course, you’ll be introduced to all aspects of digital video production, from storyboarding scenes to creating shot lists to editing a finished, professional product. Throughout this course, you’ll complete hands-on projects to master the essentials of recording, capturing, and editing video. This course is an excellent introduction to the exciting field of digital video production.  Cost: $295

Digital Photography and Graphic Design:

This is the perfect course for anyone who wants to create compelling, professional looking graphic designs and photos. You’ll learn the basics of composition, color, and layout before moving on to technical topics like working with layers and masks, adding special effects, and effectively using typefaces to create visual impact. At the end of this course, you’ll have created a variety of original projects for your graphic design portfolio. Cost: $295. Watch the simple video below to see some of the skills you will learn in this course.

Website Design:

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the essentials of Web design, from creating page layouts to coding with CSS and JavaScript to create a complete Web site. Through real-world design scenarios and hands-on projects, you’ll create compelling, usable Web sites using KompoZer, one of the Web’s easiest to use open source editing tools.  Cost: $295

Introduction to C++ Programming:

Programmers start here. In this course, you’ll learn key programming concepts and then apply them using Microsoft® Visual C++® 2008 Express Edition, the free version of Microsoft’s Visual Studio® toolkit. Complete a series of increasingly complex projects while you learn C++ – still one of the most versatile and powerful programming languages around. Learn the building blocks of programming: functions, loops, arrays, variables and classes. At the end of the course, you will have a portfolio of compiled executables. Cost: $295

3D Art – Modeling:

This course will introduce you to 3D modeling tools and concepts. Using Blender, the popular open-source 3D modeling package, students will learn the basics of creating shapes, adding textures and lighting, and rendering. By the end of the course, students will have produced a series of increasingly sophisticated projects for their 3D portfolio. This course is suitable for students with no prior experience with 3D game design or digital media authoring tools. Cost: $295

Project CEO – Introduction to Entrepreneurship (available Spring 2010):

In this introductory business course, you’ll learn what it takes to be an entrepreneur while mastering the basics of planning and launching your own successful business. Whether you want to start your own money-making business or create a non-profit to help others, this course will help you develop the core skills you’ll need to be successful.  Learn how to come up with new business ideas, how to attract investors, how to market your business and manage expenses. Get inspired by stories from teen entrepreneurs who have turned their ideas into reality, then plan and execute your own business!  Cost:  $350

Extensive iPhone Application Training (only held in a Utah-based classroom – contact us for more information):

1. XCode
2. Interface Builder and standard UI controls
3. Objective-C
4. MVC and Design Patterns
5. Instruments: profiling and memory management
6. Debugger
7. Simulator
8. Data Persistence: data files, SQLite, etc.
9. Table Views
10. Navigation
11. Multi-Touch events
12. Core Location/GPS
13. Core Graphics and Core Animation
14. Camera and Image Picker
15. Accelerometer
16. Microphone
17. Integration with standard iPhone apps (Address Book, Maps, Safari, Mail, etc.)
18. Application Settings
19. Localization
20. Audio and Video
21. WebKit and WebView