Go Girls! (and some boys too...)

This semester I have been fortunate to be a part of the Miracle Club in Immokalee.  Two days a week I get to expose both high school and middle school students to technology.

I picked a short program involving programing games with the kids.  Most of my students were girls but we had a few boys too.

What they produced, and the effort that they put into this project is phenomenal.  I can only show you some pictures:

My high school group:

My Middle School group:

If you remember this is an extension of a grant and program I first blogged about last year.

Windows Azure Roadshow

Recently, my students took a break from their classwork on cloud technologies and virtualization, and visited Hodges University for the Microsoft Azure Roadshow.   During the event, iTECH students were able to work closely with Microsoft MVP’s to learn about the Azure platform and how to leverage the technology for customers. 

Jacob Hilario, a Computer Systems student, said, “I was inspired by the trip to Hodges.  It was amazing to see the things that we are studying in class in action—and to meet people who actually work for Microsoft.”

You are Cordially Invited

Thank you for your support of the Immokalee Technical Center’s Computer Systems and Information Technology and Applied Cyber Security programs during the past year.  We are starting the year off strong with a promising group of students, some exciting educational experiences and several success stories in certifications and employment.

Please help us grow this program even stronger by attending our Fall  Advisory Luncheon.  Membership in the committee is open to anyone in the technology industry.  This is a unique opportunity to provide input that will help shape our program into producing graduates into the employees that you want to hire!

I hope to see you here on October 9^th!

Immokalee Technical Center

Cordially Invites You to Our

Fall
School Advisory Committee
Luncheon and Meeting

October 9

12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

508 North 9^th Street
Immokalee, FL

Please RSVP by October 12
to  Amy McMullin at

McMulA@collierschools.com

Firsties!

Congratulation to Josemon Avril!  Josemon took and passed the Comptia Network+ exam last week.  He has proven that he is knowledgeable in network technologies, installation and configuration, media and topologies, management, and security. He has shown preparedness for job roles that include network administrator, network technician, network installer, help desk technician and IT cable installer.

Josemon Avril - Future Security Analyst

While Josemon is the first certification of the 2013-2014 school year, I have several students who are already passing practice exams for the MTA (Microsoft Technology Associate).  Also, two more students will be taking the Network+ within the next two weeks.

Remember our goal is to increase our total number of certifications from last year.  (In case you forgot that was a whopping 36!)  Can we do it?

To quote the great Bob the Builder:  "Yes, we CAN!

Thank you for your support

Today I was very busy.  Well...maybe I should be more accurate and tell you that several male members of our staff was very busy today.  That is because I had to unload a very large donation from my vehicle.  And as you can see by the picture to the right, it was not something I could have handled on my own.

My students and I are very fortunate to have received a large donation from Softrim Corporation a large technology company in the area.  Softrim supports networks of all sizes as well as providing for the telephony needs, Audio/Visual and theater installations, programming and help desk.  They sound busy don't they?

Trust me.  They are.

Softrim has been very generous to the program previously donating hard drives and a server.  But late last week, we won the Tech Center Lotto.  Softrim called me up to tell me they had a surprise for me.  I arrived at the office to find techs spilling out like ants.  "Hi Amy!  You got lots of stuff in there."  They greeted me enthusiastically before hurrying off to the next job. When I walked in, I found out why.  No one wanted to help carry that huge pile of equipment out to my car.

In all, I picked up 9 servers, 4 Cisco and HP switches, 4 Pix firewalls, a 16 port Raritan KVM and a really cool rackmount monitor/keyboard drawer.  (I know to most people this is boring, but my students and I are excited.)  This equipment will go perfectly in the server rack we just received from Mooring Park.


While I was in the office I took a couple pictures I would like to share with my students while they eagerly sit at home anticipating the start of school.  Here are pictures of:

•  The hardware bench:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  

 

• The help desk area:
  

• Off-site storage:
  
  
  

Thanks again to my friends at Softrim for contributing so generously to the hands-on experience here at iTech.

Guest Lecture

iTech is the only Prometric testing site in our area.  The next closest is in Sarasota.  Therefore, we are the only nearby option for area companies to certify their technicians.  With that, we are honored to have a partnership with CoastalIT to certify their techs.

Last week, one of Coastal's technicians, Wiliam, came out to our campus upgrade his certification from Windows 7 to Windows 8.  I previously had the pleasure of getting to know him while he was a student at our sister school Lorenzo Walker Institute of Technology.  As I set up his test, I asked him if he was willing to take a moment after he passed (because I knew he would) to come upstairs and talk to my students.

So the title of this post is a bit deceiving, because, did not really lecture.  In fact, he was quite reluctant to come up at all.  But, he graciously took a moment to talk informally with my summer students and mentor them.

 It's funny because many of the things he shared with the class are the things that we have been talking about all year.  He stressed that perhaps the hardest part of his job was the people skills he needed.  When out in the field it is important to explain to your customer what you are doing and avoid jargon while giving this explanation.  That is much easier said than done.

William also described some of the on-line applications that they use to remotely support their clients so that they only need to go on site when absolutely necessary.  This allows them to give a faster response to and increase the value of their product.

Finally, they talked about on-going education.  William completed the Computer Systems Technology program only two years ago.  However, he took it upon himself to learn new technologies, obtain the corresponding certifications and has earned himself a shiny promotion or two.  Way to go!

And his advice for those who were apprehensive about what they will find out there in the workplace?  Just do it.  You will learn with the experience.

Amen.  Thank you William for sharing with us.  I know my students learned much and are inspired to see someone like yourself who has completed the same program do so well.

Last Day of School - Summer 2013

Today is a bittersweet day, as the last day of school always is.  It is the end of the all too short summer term.  In just two short weeks, we will be starting our Fall 2013 semester. 

I'll admit that we are pretty laid back in the summer.  Enrollment is still small as the school builds our summer offerings.  But that does not mean we are not working just as hard.  I told you last week about a few of students who have earned certifications.  On this, our last day, I am proud to add another to that list:

Peniel Adolphe has spent most of the summer learning about Windows Server 2008. This work culminated in him and Eva building a server including configuring hardware RAID, installing the Server 2008 operating system and working with Active Directory.  Today he took and passed the 68-365 Windows Server Administration Fundamentals.  He earned an MTA (Microsoft Technology Associate) certification in that technology.  Peniel is well on his way to his final step of earning his MCSA and MSCE this Fall.


You have heard me talk about the new certifications offered by TestOut.  Because they are new, they are not well known yet.  However, I find that they are a nice alternative to the Comptia certifications because they are simulation based as opposed to multiple choice.  I find my students know the material quite well,  but sometimes over think a multiple choice question.  Now, Comptia is including simulation based question in future tests and those kind of questions are starting to appear.  The biggest complaint I have gotten from my students, though is that they are given no instructions on how the simulation software works and they are having trouble navigating the question.  That is another reason the TestOut certification is nice.  The students are familiar with the interface, so it is a genuine gauge of their knowledge, not an assessment of Comptia's (or maybe PearsonVue's simulation software.)

The reason I brought this up is that TestOut recently released the official version of the Security Pro certification.  I had taken and passed the beta exam and found the material covered to be quite comprehensive and indicative of what a technician might encounter in the "real-world".  I look forward to letting you know about my students and their successes when they pass the exam.

Have a great (rest of the) summer!

Field Trip

We had the opportunity to visit Moorings Park this week for a field trip.  This was a wonderful opportunity to showoff a diverse and complicated network to the students courtesy of an old colleague of mine.  Moorings Park is now supported by the company that I belonged to before I started this little adventure with the school system.  Aaron Gruber is the Staff Consultant in charge of the network along with three and a half other full time employees.

My students got to see the Network Operations Center as well as the server and cabling rooms.  They got to see the blade servers in use and well as CAT7  (yes, that is right CAT7!) cabling.  We discussed the fiber infrastructure as well as the need for future planning.

Aaron even let us watch him change a port on a switch from one VLan to another.  While that may have put my mother to sleep, my students thought it was better than Showtime after Dark.

But as Aaron so precisely put it, IT is so much more than just switches and servers.  Aaron exposed my students to much more than just servers, racks, switches and phones.  We discussed other technologies that the department is responsible for including security cameras, nurse call equipment and a personnel locational tracking system.  Pretty cool, huh?

But I think what elevated Aaron in the eyes of my students from awesome guy to near demi-god was when he showed us the theater that was recently built for the use of the residents.  This place boasted the most advanced technology available today to create a facility that is unrivaled for playing movies, hosting lectures, and even producing video.

 After playing around with the automated lights and shades, Aaron let the students play around on the stage while we recorded them on the blue screen for editing with the TriCaster equipment:
 


 Finally, Moorings Park was very generous to donate a rack to my program here at iTech.  I look forward to using this in the classroom for my networking activities.

Thank you Aaron for a wonderful and educational day.  I'm glad you like your job. You have an excellent way with the students and I wouldn't want to compete with you for my job.  :)

Summer Smarties!

  While most students are relaxing on summer break, my students are hard at work putting their studying into action by taking their certification tests.  Please join me in recognizing three individuals who are demonstrating a commitment to themselves and their education:

First, Peniel Adolphe took and passed his Network+ certification!  I will have to check my sources, but Peniel just might be the first student from iTech to earn this certification.  Watch out Peniel, don't get complacent.  Eva, Richard and Josemon are fast on your heels.

Second, Lucien Denis took a day from his awesome internship to take and pass his A+ Practical exam making him an A+ certified computer technician.  While Lu was visiting, he mentioned that he wanted to continue his education while working to expand his skill set.  Way to go!  Lu shows the commitment and persistence that has and will continue to serve him well in his career.

 Finally, Richard has been diligently studying at home to prepare for HIS A+ practical exam.  Richard brought his family and patiently waited out a few technical issues to take the test and pass!  Richard is my newest A+ certified student and it was wonderful to share the moment with him and his children.  Congratulations, Dad!

Sharing a special moment with Dad.

The summer is not over yet.  Stay tuned and watch what we can do.

What a Day!

So on the last day of school, everyone thinks that all we do is play Xbox and eat yummy food.

Peniel beating up on a little girl.
(Or is it the other way around?)

This could not be farther from the truth.  

We play Xbox.  Eat ourselves sick and earn ourselves Industry Certifications!

Congratulations to our last minute certifications:

Urie worked very hard to earn his Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) certification in Networking Fundamentals.  I know he worked very hard studying for this and I am happy to see him earn it before summer began.  I look forward to seeing him in the Fall so we can complete the rest of the MTA's and also his A+

Birdie also worked very hard and passed the MTA Networking Fundamentals (98-366) and Windows OS Fundamentals (98-349).  Birdie also studied very hard and will be returning in the fall to complete her Security Fundamentals and A+ certifications.

Way to go Birdie!

Rene just started with us in January and also earned his MTA Networking Fundamentals (98-366) and Windows OS Fundamentals (98-349).  I look forward to seeing him in the Fall and am very proud of the effort he put in this year.

 Finally, we recognize Lu who tore himself away from his internship to spend the day with us.  While he was here, he passed the 98-366 (Networking Fundamentals) and 98-367 (Security Fundamentals).  We are all going to miss Lu as he just graduated.  His positive attitude and hard work has been an inspiration to us all.  I hope to see Lu in the future for continuing ed courses as he progresses in his successful career in IT.






(For those of you keeping score at home, that was seven (7) tests passed on the last day of school.  With a total of 32 for the year!  Woo Hoo!)


To all my students returning in the Fall:  Have a great summer!  For those attending Summer Session:  See you Monday!  We had a great year.  Keep up the good work.

Three generations of Gonzalez women celebrating the last day of school at iTech.

Have a Great Summer!

Graduation. 2013 Edition

Congratulations to my first official graduates!

Lu and Ricardo both completed their programs and walked for graduation ceremonies on May 31, 2013.  They both learned much this year, earned multiple industry certifications, and Lu even scored an internship at a prominent local employer.  Way to go!

I enjoyed having both of these young men in my class and am extremely proud of their accomplishments.  I look forward to graduating more students next year. 

Finishing Up the Year a Winner!

      Next Tuesday will be the last day of school.  In class we are busy busy busy trying to finish our Industry Certifications.  Today we recognized several students who have earned multiple certifications:



Richard and Ms. Amy


First is Richard.  Richard earned his Microsoft Technology Associate certifications in Windows Operating System Fundamentals and Security Fundamentals.  This is his third MTA.  He will be completing his A+ certification in about three weeks.

Manuel and Ms. Amy

Next Manuel came up front to be recognized

 for earning his Microsoft Technology Associate certifications in Windows Operating System Fundamentals and Security Fundamentals.  This is his third MTA as well.  We are very proud of the work Manuel has put in this year.

Birdie standing in for Jacob and Ms. Amy

Jacob earned his MTA in Networking Fundamentals recently.  He was not in class today so Birdie stood in for him for the photo op.

Ricardo will be graduating tonight!

 Ricardo completed his A+ certification and he passed the newly available PC Pro certification from TestOut.  The PC Pro is an exciting new option in certification.  Like the A+ it is vender neutral, and covers the same material.  While the A+ is a multiple choice test that verifies the canidates knowledge about hardware, operating systems and end-user support; the PC Pro certification demonstrates the ability to put those skills into practical application through simulation based testing.

Eva and Mia and ME!

Finally Eva was cheered on by her granddaughter in congratulations for passing the second portion of the A+ becoming my newest A+ certified student.  Eva passed the test so recently that her certificate was not yet available for download.  She did however receive her from to place in the window to show her acheivement.

Congratulations to everyone who earned a certification this year!

GO TEAM!

Greetings

It is always nice to hear back from former students.....  

From: XXX, XXXXXX
Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 11:49 AM
To: McMullin, Amy
Subject: XXXXX Got A Job. Kinda.....

Hello Ms. Amy,

A Company Mug!

I just started my 3^rd day on the job. I’m really enjoying myself. I ended up getting my own cubicle, a personal phone line(xxx) xxx-xxxx, a company Windows Tablet(not mine’s), and a company e-mail address.  As far as work goes, the things I’ve done in the past few days have been interesting. I’ve re-imaged two client computers,  we have set the permission in Active Directory, given them their necessary programs automatically and we are taking care of the ones that haven’t loaded manually. Right now we are looking for the SQL server program because one computer is lacking it. Yesterday we had to set up a Docking Station for two clients. They had dual monitor capabilities. One had XP and one had Win 7. The one with 7 had issues with the peripherals and we switch out the adapters like 3 times only to find out it was a driver problem. Everything here is Dell so I thought,  “Piece of Cake” but it we could find a driver until we went to the NVIDIA Site. After restart everything went good.  ..... Out of all the company things I got my favorite the my "CompanyX" Coffee Mug. Look at the pictures(attachment). Went from Mug shots to a company Mug(Oh Yeah). Now That’s Progress.LOL

Sincerely,

XXXXXXX  XXXXXXX

TechMatch Notes

These are my notes from TechMatch 2013:

From employers:


Things we look for:
• Company culture - do you fit?
• Personality fit
• “Soft/People Skills”
• Work with multi-generational workforce
• Customer Service Skills
• Life Long Learning
• Prepping for jobs that do not exist yet
• Professional networking – Most hires are direct introductions
• Communication (Written, Verbal, relate technical info to non-techs, ie finance people)
• Reports/documentation
• Problem solving/logical thinking
• Idiots w/certs
• Love and passion
• Breadth and depth of knowledge – Theory not exact skill

Skills we look for:
• Virtualization
• Microsoft Certifications
• Security
• Practical application of skills

Things to do:
• Join organizations (SWFRTP, Toastmasters)
• Diversity who you hang with
• Dale Carnegie
• LinkedIn
• Ask if have tuition reimbursement, reimburse when join org, give back to the community
• Social media from business standpoint
• Research the company (“hire for engagement)
• Linux
• blog

Take a Chance!

I'd like to share a facebook post from CompTia:













I gave everyone a difficult assignment this week.  I encouraged you to start early and think outside the box.  You have done that, worked hard and I am SO proud of the work that you are doing!  I love how you are working together.  I love how you are taking a chance to learn something new.  Keep it up!

TechMatch 2013

Thursday night several of my students attended TechMatch 2013.  Thanks to Southwest Florida Regional Technology Partnership for hosting this amazing event.  My students really enjoyed themselves and found it to be rewarding. 

Enjoy these photos while I update this post to describe our experience.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Congratulations Are In Order

Tuesday, we celebrated the success of several students:

• Alex, Computer Systems Technology - Just started with us on April 1st.  He passed digital literacy and is well on his way to earning his A+. 

• George, Cyber Security - Also started this grading period.  He passed his digital literacy and will be learning how to HACK, but ethically.  He will be one of the digital warriors that protect us and our personal information

 

• Ricardo, Computer Systems Technology - He passed his MTA in Networking Fundamentals.  He has passed the first part of the A+ and is almost ready to take the second part.

• Richard, Computer Systems Technology - Passed his MTA in Networking Fundamentals and passed the first part of the A+.  He is just starting the second part and putting the pieces together.  I am very pround of him. 

• Josemon, Cyber Security - Passed the MTA in Networking Fundamentals.  He is planning on taking the Network+ very soon. 

• Jacob, Computer Systems Technology - Passed the 701 Exam for the A+.  He is working hard to finish the second exam by the end of the year.