George C Marshall High School - Columbian Yearbook (Falls Church, VA)

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 lorry Wellbum concentrates on the data as the computer relays its anssver by telephone. FORTRAN? COBOL? SPL? Strange symbols from a foreign language? Almost. These are different types of computer programming “languages” which were mentioned in Marshall's Computer Science classes. Since its beginning in '73-74, the Computer Science class enrollment has greatly increased. A three hundred percent growth in the number of students taking the course resulted in an expansion to three classes per semester. In Computer Science, the basic programming of the computer was stressed with a little background on the history of the computer. More than one half of the class time was spent working with the computer. The students learned the computer language, BASIC, and then used the computer to run programs of problems they had to solve. The stu- dents' grades were determined by the accumulation of points on given programs. A text was used only as a reference source on the programming language. The computer was not only benificial to the Computer Science classes but to the rest of the school as well. Many students programmed the computer for use in almost any class. The addition of a CRT terminal, similar to a television screen, helper! to broaden the range of studies available to the student. With such interest in the computer, there were plans of expanding Computer Science to a year long course with different levels of computer programming. In any case, the Marshall computer terminals have provided students with general operating techniques and a good background in computer programming. BASICS STRESSED ir l PFQBMflfllNG

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■■ lT’5 A 5D-5D PROPS Gambling in class? Not real gambling but rather the analysis of various games of luck. This was only one of several projects undertaken by the students in the Probability and Statistics class. The semester course was open to anyone with a background in Algebra II. Nine weeks were devoted to the study of probability, and for the remainder of the semester statistics were investigated. While studying statistics, the students did mathematical analyses of standardized tests for the Guidance Department. After compiling their calculations, the students looked for patterns in the results. Although Probability and Statistics was not a new course, the teacher was. Mr. Jeffrey King was assigned to it after the retirement of the original teacher. A different approach was used, and the students were free to decide what to study as a class. Most of the usually tedious math work was eliminated by the occasional use of electronic calculators. Even though this recent addition to the Math Department receiver! little recognition, the students involved increased their knowledge in the field of mathematics and had fun doing it. - c Proving and reasoning play important parts in Mr. Arthur Holdt's geometry class. With the uso of the overhead-projector, Mr. Ed ward Anderson explains some of the basic prince pies of Calculus. I

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Alternate Learning Method enriches Shifting from the traditional AIM (Audio-Lingual Materials) books, parts of the Foreign Language Department experimented with a new program. Restricted to four selected Spanish I classes taught by Mrs. Mary Allen, the new book, Spanish For Communication was geared toward “program” learning. These programs were computer units with an emphasis on individual study. Having completed the ALM series, the French V class also used a different approach to the study of the language. Instead of “programs”, the class studied French literature and culture. Stress was put on grammar during the first quarter, but the year's objectives were concerned with studies of the French lifestyle, past and present. As Miss Laurie Williams looks on, Debbie Cesiaro pauses fof a momenl to allow the French V class to catch up as she teaches them some fine points about French architecture. is an Activity Packet Pronoun usage, subject-verb agreement, homonyms and spelling were just a sampling of the areas that were tested by the Learning Activity Packets, more commonly referred to as LAPS. Students from Freshmen to Seniors were evaluated on basic grammar skills through diagnostic tests designed by a group of Marshall English teachers. Based on the scores from these tests, the student was given work to do in areas in which he or she was weak. After completing the required work, the student was retested on the subject to see if there was any improvement. If the student failed a second time, additional work was given to be studied. If he passed, he began work on another “weak” area. In addition to the tests in basic grammar, juniors and Seniors were given tests on advanced writing skills. These exams stressed techniques used in writing term papers. The appearance of the LAPs was prompted by the low scores received by Fairfax County Schools in basic grammar on standardized tests. Because of the low scores, Divisional Superintendent John Davis recommended that each school work to improve basic skills in English. Although unpopular with the majority of the students, LAPs were the method used by Marshall to improve these skills. Several new elective courses, offered to Juniors and Seniors, were added to the English elective program. One such course was the Writer's Workshop, which was designer! to help the writing enthusiast develop his talent. A study of Russian literature, a course in Broadway musicals and a class involved in a study of self-will and fate were all part of an English curriculum designed with the students' interests in mind.