Legacy Voting Machines Vulnerable - A Challenge for the Next Generation of Computer Scientists?!?!?

Here is yet another case for how computing has such a large impact in all fields..

https://gcn.com/articles/2015/12/22/legacy-voting-machine-security.aspx

- Svetty

CS Ed Week Tool for 3D Modeling

hi all,

With plenty of excitement surrounding CS Ed Week (fast approaching next week), here's an activity that will be available for you to check out.

- Svetty
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

In one hour, have your students learn about computer science by building an exciting 3D game which they can share on mobile phones during CSEdWeek this year. They will not only learn about programming, but also learn to design their own 3D models. The students create 3D characters, entire worlds, and rule these worlds through programming. We have added international versions including localized versions of instructional videos, and programming language tool tips:

* English: www.csedweek.us (by University of Colorado at Boulder, USA)

* German, French, Italian: www.csedweek.ch (by School of Education FHNW, Switzerland) 

* Spanish: www.csedweek.mx (by Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico)

What is so unique about this tutorial? This tutorial is not a sequence of programming puzzles but is based on the principles of the project-first pedagogy.

Students are provided a complete programing environment in which they build a working game. The ownership resulting from creating their own 3D worlds and characters has been found to motivate students' interest in programming. In one hour students can create the first working part of a 3D game including 3D modeling and programing. Our data show that students are so motivated to build their game that the majority continue to work on their games beyond one hour. 

The tutorial is based on 3D AgentCubes online, a cloud-based computational thinking tool. Games and simulations built as part of this activity can be extended later, and can be played on smartphones.

Google Code-in Coming Up Soon

Hi all,

Here's another opportunity in light of CS Education Week fast approaching:  it's called "Google Code-in".  Anyone of any ability level can participate.

g.co/codein

Let me know what you think!

Mr. Svetlik

In the Wake of CS Ed Week About to Launch

This article is from one of the co-founders of code.org on the need for diversifying technology education.

A great read to reinforce how important it is to have ALL students experience computer science.

http://techcrunch.com/2015/11/24/diversifying-technology-education/

- Svetty

Related to Chatbot and the Turing Test

Relevant to our most recent work with ChatBot.. looks like the Turing Test was finally cracked.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jun/08/super-computer-simulates-13-year-old-boy-passes-turing-test

Mr. Svetlik

Fifty for the Future Contest

Do you have a High School Senior who has shown a passion for technology, utilizing technology in innovative and creative ways.   Who has aspirations to include technology in their field of study at the college level and beyond into a career.   Then they have what it takes to be honored by the Illinois Technology Foundation’s Fifty for the Future award program.   Each year we honor 50 College Students and 10 High School Seniors who have proven determination and foresight through their education and deeds in the application and development of technology.  The students can self nominate themselves or a teacher can make a faculty nomination.   Here is the link for more details and nominations:

Fifty For The Future - http://fiftyforthefuture.org

On Encryption and the Paris Attacks

See below for an article on encryption, cybersecurity, and the Paris attacks.  Clear relevance on the impact of computing on our society.

http://www.wired.com/2015/11/paris-attacks-cia-director-john-brennan-what-he-gets-wrong-about-encryption-backdoors/?mbid=social_twitter

- Svetty

All about Randomness

A whole web site dedicated to randomness!  Credit to Mr. Tiveron for tracking this down:

https://www.random.org/randomness/

- Svetty

CLC Engineering Transfer Program - Check this out!

INFORMATION SESSIONS FOR CLC ENGINEERING TRANSFER PROGRAM  Thursday November 19th, 7PM  Room T326, CLC Grayslake campus The CLC Engineering Transfer Department will be holding information sessions for prospective students and their parents. Each session will last approximately 45 minutes, and will be followed by Q&A.  The presentations will include information about the Engineering Transfer curriculum, the UIUC Engineering Pathways program, the NSF Scholarship program, Engineering Club, and more.  The dates and times for all the sessions are listed below: Thursday November 19th, 7PM in T326 Thursday January 21st, 7PM in C005 Tuesday February 23rd, 7PM in C003 The deadline for application to the UIUC Engineering program is March 15th, 2016. The application is online:  https://forms.clcillinois.edu/egr/pathways-application-form The deadline for preferred consideration for the NSF Scholars program is April 15th, 2016.  The application is online:  https://forms.clcillinois.edu/egr/nsf-scholarship-application-form For more information, contact Engineering Transfer Department Chair Rob Twardock at rtwardock@clcillinois.edu

Congressional App Challenge

The second annual Congressional App Challenge opens for submissions today, November 9 at 12:00 PM EDT. The Challenge is open to all students, grades 9-12, who attend high school in participating Congressional districts. Winners get to meet their Member of Congress, and have their app displayed at the Capitol Building! 

Twitter: # CAC15 

Facebook: @The 2015 Congressional App Challenge

Web: http://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/

Robots Writing News Articles? Really? (Really.)

The number of news articles you read through contemporary sources that are robot-written might just surprise you.

http://news.psu.edu/story/378162/2015/10/30/research/robots-reporting-desk

- Svetty

A look at Race and Gender in Last Year's AP Computer Science A Test Takers

Although the population of students taking the Advanced Placement (AP) computer science exam grew by about 24 percent from 2014, it has continued to be predominantly white and male, according to the College Board. Female test-takers experienced a slight increase over the year, but at just 22 percent of the test-taking population, underrepresentation remains prevalent. The Georgia Institute of Technology's Barbara Ericson analyzed the data and found 10 U.S. states had fewer than 10 girls take the AP exam, while year-over-year growth of the overall female pass rate was 3 percent for a total of 61 percent. Non-white or Asian test-takers inched up by only half a percentage point to 13 percent. Ericson estimates fewer than 10 African-American students took the exam in 23 states. Moreover, no black students took the exam in Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming, which is still fewer states than last year. The overall pass rate for African-American students climbed from 33 percent to 38 percent year-over-year, but there were significant variances between states. The College Board seeks to make computer science more accessible to all students via its AP Computer Science Principles course, which it will launch next year.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2015/11/no_african-american_students_2015_AP_computer_science_exam_nine_states.html

- Svetty

Two good articles on technology being used for the common social good

The title here speaks for itself:

http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2015/10/23/450941822/fighting-online-bullying-one-emoji-at-a-time

http://iwitnessbullying.org/how-to-use-the-eye

- Svetty

Bebras Challenge

Here's another challenge that has been shared with students around the country to take on as based on their time/interest/availability.

Remember the following URLs:

teacher site:  http://challenge.bebraschallenge.org/admin

challenge site for students: http://challenge.bebraschallenge.org

Over 12.000 students have already been signed up. We hope you welcome your

students as well.

"Hacking" Competition Now Open to All Interested

Perhaps you are already aware, but the EasyCTF (Capture the Flag) hacking competition is started yesterday and runs through 11/10.  Here is a link: https://www.easyctf.com

As described by them "EasyCTF is a online hacking/cybersecurity contest targeted at middle and high school students. Like many similar CTF competitions, participants will have to crack, decompile, decrypt, etc. through many defenses in order to find a secret message, known as the "flag". The challenges presented are designed with the intent of being hacked, making it an excellent and legal way for students to get some great hands-on experience."

This is a great opportunity for you to add some real-time excitement to your CS class, no matter what level of proficiency your students are at.  I know that my students get real kick out of the competition, and that yours probably will as well.

Come join the fun!

A Documentary on Girls Coding...

I believe that this will be free to see for a limited time only (as in through to 11/8/2015)?

http://thenextweb.com/apps/2015/11/02/watch-a-documentary-that-follows-high-school-girls-solving-the-worlds-problems-through-code/

- Svetty

Mini Maker Faire Coming Up in Skokie Barnes and Noble - Nov 6th

Check this out for Friday, November 6th, if you want to participate in an upcoming Maker Faire!

http://stores.barnesandnoble.com/event/9780061737650-0

- Svetty

Algorithm vs. Heuristic.. what?

These two terms get referenced a lot in CS.  (We tend to use the term "algorithm" more often in APCSA, but in truth, both get used a lot.)

Makes sense that you know before you start getting confused about the difference between the terms that you receive a brief explanation between the two.

https://faisalsikder.wordpress.com/2010/02/15/difference-between-algorithm-and-heuristic/

- Svetty

The perfect password?

The best password?  Check this out...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/10/22/these-researchers-have-discovered-the-perfect-password-thats-also-easy-to-remember/

- Svetty

1500 mile self-driving car trip around Mexico..

Check this out.  

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/10/21/1500-mile-mexican-road-trip-autonomous-car/74363188/

- Svetty

Researchers Prove Connected Cars can be Tracked

Verifying a common assertion I've often made in class (namely, ANYTHING that is connected to the internet is subject to privacy violations), researchers have proven as much with connected cars:

http://spectrum.ieee.org/cars-that-think/transportation/advanced-cars/researchers-prove-connected-cars-can-be-tracked

- Svetty

Digital Image Forensics - An Awesome Application

Setting the story straight on an oft-debated picture of Lee Harvey Oswald.

http://now.dartmouth.edu/2015/10/settling-controversy-over-photo-lee-harvey-oswald

- Svetty

Courtesy of Francesca Sigmond - a good Python reference for Java users

First and second year crew:

Check this out:

http://python4java.necaiseweb.org/Introduction/Introduction

- Svetty

How cybersecurity researchers leverage the power of the hacker

Interesting to note here in this article how cybersecurity folk are interfacing with hackers...

http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=136513&org=NSF

- Svetty

Verizon App Challenge

Hi all,

Here's a chance for you to participate in a great contest... very simply:  just come up with an awesome idea for an app that would be of service to the community.

http://appchallenge.tsaweb.org/?utm_source=mdr-wat&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=email1highschoolhigh

Check it out, and let me know if you have any questions.

- Svetty

So Facebook knows you better than your therapist?

Worth a look if you haven't seen any of the articles out alleging as much about a connection between your Facebook posts and your psychological profile..

http://www.socialmediatoday.com/technology-data/adhutchinson/2015-10-01/what-facebook-knows-interview-man-behind-facebooks

- Mr. Svetlik

Triangle/Test Homework Hints/Suggestions/Warnings

Hi all,

A few brief notes/hints/warnings on tonight’s homework (Triangle and TriangleTester.java)

1.)    Follow the directions VERY carefully on this one… especially in writing the Tester.  You want to make sure that your Tester follows all five separate steps as described in the directions.

2.)    Use the “CircleExample” zip file that I uploaded onto my DHS web page as a good blueprint to follow when building your Triangle class and the TriangleTester.  The tester, in particular, is written to look **very** similar to how you will want to build the Tester for the Triangle class.

3.)    Warning #1:  When you calculate the area of a Triangle object (as in, the area is half the product of the base and the height of a triangle), DO NOT use (1/2) to represent one-half.  Instead, use (1.0/2.0).  You might notice a pattern forming here between this and the Volume assignment

4.)    Warning #2: When you are writing the getArea() method, DO NOT add area as an instance variable.  You should ONLY have the two instance variables specifically described in the assignment (namely, the base and the height).  Use the getCircumference() method of the Circle class for an idea for the appropriate alternative.

5.)    There are opportunities for “Better” and “Best” versions of this, too, so if you feel up for the challenge, go for it!

Finally, I would love to see this be the entry point for students to begin using GroupMe when they get stuck.  Learning to collaborate with your classmates will likely speed up the amount of time it takes for you to complete this (and future) assignments, and fits with the modern industry standard of collaborative coding techniques.

Hope this helps.  Good luck tonight.

Mr Svetlik

Innovators Wanted!

Hi all,

See below for an opportunity for anyone interested in sharing a recent innovation.  Prizes awarded!

http://illinois.edu/emailer/newsletter/77429.html

- Mr. Svetlik

Maybe potentially the opening toward online voting?

Hi all,

An interesting tool showing how cryptography can protect the anonymity of respondents to surveys.

http://www.wired.com/2015/09/new-crypto-tool-makes-anonymous-surveys-truly-anonymous/

- Mr. Svetlik

CLC Engineering Night

Hi all,

CLC is hosting an Engineering night for all interested students.  See below for details.  

(BTW, CLC offers a program for prospective engineering majors that guarantees admissions into U of I in Champaign, recognized as one of the premier schools in engineering around the country.)

Follow this link for more information on the September 24th Engineering Night:

http://us3.campaign-archive2.com/?u=d5de1ac6bc60f493be8c63cbc&id=a12cebb7f9&e=3b08520fd4

- Svetty

Quiz Prep and GregorianCalendar Hints

Hi all.  Sent this out as an e-mail.  Here for your convenience, as well:

As promised in class, here is both some news about the upcoming quiz AND some hints on the next assignment (which is GregorianCalendar, Page 77, P2.7):

QUIZ:

·         OPEN NOTE (MUST BE YOUR OWN HANDWRITING)

·         MULTIPLE CHOICE

·         TOPICS INCLUDE

o   Syntax errors, and specifically what thing detects a syntax error

o   Any time you want to RUN a program, the program needs to have a certain type of method… we give this method a specific generalized name

o   Understanding the multiple forms of writing comments into your code

§  Single-line comments (//)

§  Multi-line comments (/* followed by lines of comments followed by */)

o   Understanding how to declare and initialize a variable (hint: there are two ways, as follows):

§  Declaring the variable in one line of code, then initializing the variable in a separate line

§  Declaring AND initializing the variable in a single line of code

o   Understanding what a .java file is and does, and specifically what purpose it has in developing Java programs

o   Understanding what a .class file is and does, and specifically what purpose it has in developing Java programs

o   Understanding how to create (or “instantiate”) a new Random gen object. 

GREGORIANCALENDAR:

·         Hints and suggestions:

o   You will be using a combination of the code shown in the textbook AND the online API for GregorianCalendar (Google “Java 8 API GregorianCalendar”).  I’d suggest starting with the source code in the book FIRST and then moving on to the API as you need to

o   To do this assignment, you are going to want to import both the Calendar class and the GregorianCalendar class, as follows:

§  import java.util.Calendar;

§  import java.util.GregorianCalendar;

o   The assignment requires you to generate THREE DISTINCT THINGS using the GregorianCalendar class

§  Both the DATE and the WEEKDAY that is 100 days from today

§  The WEEKDAY of your birthday

§  The DATE that is 10000 days from your birthday

o   To accomplish the first thing, you are going to want to make one GregorianCalendar object using its constructor that has NO parameters.  That will automatically store information related to today’s date

§  Once there, you will need to tell the GregorianCalendar you create to .get() the modifiedMonth after adding 100 days to the current day of the month and store it an int variable

§  Then, you’ll want to tell the GregorianCalendar you create to .get() the modifiedDay after adding 100 days to the current day of the month and store it in a separate int variable

§  Finally, you’ll want to tell it to .get() the modifiedYear after adding 100 days to the current day of the month and store it in a separate int variable

§  (Hint #1: Pay close attention to the sample code in the textbook for how to actually go about doing this.)

§  (Hint #2: One tricky thing about getting the current month….. the int that you get when you instruct the GregorianCalendar to get the month will actually be one less than how we normally refer to it.  In other words, January is represented as month 0, February as month 1, and so on… You can easily fix this by just adding 1 to whatever the calendar gives you when you call the .get() method for this.)

§  Once there, you’ll want to print out each of these ints in some sort of “pretty” manner.  See the attached .java file for how I printed out information about the current day.

o   To accomplish the second and third thing, you are going to want to make a SECOND GregorianCalendar object (give it a separate name than the first one) using its constructor that has the parameters corresponding to your birthday.

§  Again, look at the example code in the book for some guidance on how to create this new GregorianCalendar

§  Once it’s created, you’ll want to make three new int variables, each representing the month, day, and year you were born (remember what I said about adding one to the month number up above!)

§  Print out the day of week on which you were born (maybe check with a family member to see if this is accurate!)

§  Then, to do the third thing, you’ll want to add 10000 days to the day of month of the calendar to set it up for 10000 days past the day you were born.

§  After that, repeat the steps of collecting the new value of the month, the day, and the year, and then display that information

o   See the e-mail I sent out for images of how the output should look.  Doesn't have to be formatted exactly as I have it, but it should contain the same info.

Hope this helps!  Let me know if you have any questions.

Mr. Svetlik

Master the Mainframe 2015

See below for an awesome opportunity EVERY one of you should check out!  Joey Bloom (DHS class of '15) finished second in North America last year, and the opportunities that came his way as a result have opened a number of doors for him.  You do not need to achieve nearly at that level to gain benefit from this.  And the best part?  No experience necessary.

- Svetty

In the Fall 2015 Semester, IBM will be sponsoring its 11th annual Master the Mainframe Contest (MTM) for high school, college or university students across the U.S., Canada or Puerto Rico.  No experience with mainframes is necessary. In fact, the contest is designed for students with little or no computer experience, but will increase in difficulty as the contest progresses.  All students, no matter which degree they are enrolled, are encouraged to participate. High school students are also encouraged to compete! Students just need to bring drive and competitive spirit. Not to mention the over $45,000 in prizes!
In North American alone, more than 5,900+ students from the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico participated—the most since the contest’s inception in 2005.  High school student registrations exceeded 1,700+ participants in 2014.  Worldwide, the 2014 Master the Mainframe competition attracted 23,972 students from 25 nations, including the recent additions of Austria, India, Poland and Spain. Since 2005, more than 85,000 students have registered to compete in the IBM academic  mainframe contests across 33 countries.
Why Should your students Sign Up?
IBM celebrated the 50^th Anniversary of the Mainframe in 2014.  Expected retirements of 150,000+ zEnterprise professionals over the next decade will create unprecedented career opportunities for qualified graduates in the United States. In addition, the worldwide shortage of qualified zEnterprise professionals is estimated to be over two million (CA technologies (2014).  
While many pundits have pronounced "The mainframe is dead!", one surely cannot prove this contention considering IBM's growing dominance in large-scale transaction processing, big data and data analytics, web and mobile access to IBM zEnterprise mainframe systems account for 71% of all financial, insurance and banking transactions; 70% of wealth management services; 62% of major retailer transactions, and 64% of the state and federal governments transactions.  Major IBM U.S. customers include:  USAA, Aetna, J.P. Morgan Chase, Citi Bank, Bank of America, J.P. Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Citi Bank, Vanguard, Boeing, IRS, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Walmart, Federated Department Stores, BNY/Mellon, as well as, the majority of the Fortune 500 global corporations.
 Data indicates that starting average entry-level salaries for zEnterprise careers are twice the level experienced by most undergraduate majors or 40% above other computer careers.    
 Registration and Contest Details May be found
http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/z/education/academic/masterthemainframe/contest/usca.html

Troy D Crutcher
IBM Academic Initiative, System z

Phone: 845.435.8811 E-mail: tdcrutch@us.ibm.com ibm.com/university/systemz

A Map of the Internet?

Ever wonder what the internet actually looks like on a map?  Well, there is such a thing...

See for yourself:

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/540721/first-detailed-public-map-of-us-internet-backbone-could-make-it-stronger/

Calling All Video Editors and Aspiring TV Personalities

See below for an opportunity to showcase your talents in recording a video that broadcasts CS as a mechanism for bettering the world.  Let me know if you're interested!

Dear Member,

CSTA is thrilled to announce the 2015 Faces of Computing Contest! This year's theme is "Computing for the Common Good." Entries should feature groups of students showcasing how computing is used to better the world. The format of the video can be a commercial, trailer, public service announcement, or simply an informational piece.

Enter by November 7 for your chance to win 

a classroom set of Hummingbird or Finch Robots!

We are excited to receive your submissions. Please email us if you have any questions.

Good luck and have fun, everyone! 

CLC Engineering Night - Exploring Your Opportunities

STEM Speaker Series for 2015-16 Free evening presentations by experts in SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | ENGINEERING | MATH Thursday, Sept. 24 at 6:00 p.m. Engineering Night ― Explore your College and Career Opportunities Keynote Speaker: Peter Nelson Ph.D., UIC College of Engineering Dean Room C005 We would like to extend an invitation to high school juniors and seniors, along with area college students, to explore the many opportunities in engineering. Schedule: 5:30 pm - Doors open. Register for up to three presentations by various colleges and universities. 6:00 to 7 pm – Mix and mingle with a variety of professional engineers. A great chance to learn which engineering field might interest you. 7 pm - Keynote: “Engineering and Artificial Intelligence in the 21st Century” 7:45 – 9:15 - Presentations from area schools including Northern Illinois University, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, MSOE and others. Preregister on the CLC STEM website: www.clcillinois.edu/STEM Questions? Email Jan Edwards at jedwards1@clcillinois.edu, call (847) 543-2044 or visitwww.clcillinois.edu/STEM. Cosponsored by the CLC Engineering Department (www.clcillinois.edu/programs/egr) and the Biological and Health Sciences Division (www.clcillinois.edu/biodv).

APCS Enrollment Seeing Significant Growth Nationwide

This article shares data on recent trends in enrollment in, among other subjects, AP Computer Science.  It also makes mention of the new College Board AP Computer Science Principles course, which is built to make computing even more accessible to a wider number of students nationwide.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2015/09/more_students_taking_ap_physics_computer_science_exams.html

- Svetty

Silicon Valley Focusing on Increasing Diversity, Focusing on Blacks

There continues to be an increased focus on expanding opportunities in the tech industry for underrepresented groups.  The problem is far from being solved, but some are taking active steps to bring forth potential solutions.  In this New York Times article, the focus is on identifying young black men as candidates for entering the industry in a program recently-launched known as the "Hidden Genius Project".

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/04/technology/silicon-valley-seeking-diversity-focuses-on-blacks.html?_r=0

- Svetty

Attention ALL female CS Students: Please Apply for an NCWIT Aspirations Award!

Hi all,

This blog post is for all female students in AP Computer Science A and Advanced Computer Science, as well as any female students I have registered either in an independent study with me or considering registering into one.

The NCWIT (National Center for Women in Technology) offers an Aspirations award every year to female students aspiring to go into a career that integrates technology in some meaningful way.  While certainly young women with an interest in going into CS are encouraged to apply, any female with a career aspiration in an area in which computing or technology has played a vital role also is encouraged to apply.  (You should read that to be just about every career path, by the way…)

The award criteria generally are as follows:

·         A strong interest in leveraging the power of technology to achieve your aspirations

·         Evidence of prior achievements in using computing or technology in prior studies in innovative ways

·         Demonstration of strong leadership skills

·         Clear articulation of student aspirations

From having talked directly with the adults who judge the applications, I can tell you directly that you do not have to have done “amazing” things with technology in the past to qualify for an award.  This is a factor, but not the only factor.  You also do not have to made up your mind that you know what you want to do when you “grow up” in your application (although that certainly can be helpful).  Heck, I don’t even know what I want to do when I grow up.  J  Instead, if you know you have an interest in computing or technology, and you can clearly-articulate what you have done with computing or technology in the past and what you aspire to accomplish in utilizing it personally, professionally, and to be of service to others, your application will be considered a strong one. 

Application deadlines are below.  Note that these fall generally within the same timeline as college admissions applications, so it’s probably a good idea to consider starting these sooner rather than later, when for seniors all the college admissions stuff gets intense.  The applications are not very difficult to complete, and you do want to have a teacher recommendation (that would be me).

Now here’s the truly cool part:  Yeah, if you’re a national award winner you get cash and a laptop and other “goodies”, but that’s really not the ultimate benefit of winning an award.  The true benefit of winning an aspirations award (at any level) comes from joining a network of over 2200 young women who have also received the award.  These are people you can get to know and network with as you work towards your aspirations.  You will quickly see that you’re not the only one out there who is a female and looking to go into the tech sector.  But even more important than that, if you win an award you are paired with an adult mentor from industry and the public sector (think:  the National Science Foundation, Google, Microsoft, Intel, Bank of American, Pfizer, and on and on) whose job it is to help you along your journey towards achieving your aspirations.  This can mean internships, tours of working environments of well-known companies and non-for-profits, and a chance to be supported by and develop a relationship with a woman who is now where you want to go.  I’m telling you with every ounce of my being as a teacher and as an advocate for each of you: HOW YOU INTERVIEW, WHO YOUR PROFESSIONAL CONNECTIONS ARE, AND WHAT INTERNSHIP/PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE YOU POSSESS COMING INTO A JOB INTERVIEW WILL PLAY AS MUCH OF A ROLE FOR MANY EMPLOYERS AS WHERE YOU GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE.  Keep that in mind throughout the college admissions process….

As you can tell, I STRONGLY support this program, and believe EVERY one of you, REGARDLESS of how much computing experience you have, should apply for this award.  This is a MUST for any females in my second-year classes, but I would certainly say for any young woman taking your first programming class right now, DO IT!  You took this class for a reason, and hopefully that reason includes an interest in investigating a possible career path for yourself or consideration for how this could impact the career path you are, in fact, interested in.  Becoming a recipient of an NCWIT award is much more than earning a certificate or a plaque or a trophy, it is a gateway to opening an enormous number of doors for yourself as you transition out of high school and into the work world. 

All the details for where to go for the award are included below.  Please look these over carefully, and please seriously consider applying for this award.  I will help each and every one of you personally through the application process, as I hold a very strong passion towards the good work that is being done by this organization to help you out.  If you look at the number of well-recognized companies and organizations that have partnered up with NCWIT, it is no lightweight list.  There’s some serious big-ticket names there.  So there are a lot of people out there who share my belief that this organization has the right idea. 

Please e-mail me directly to let me know that you are interested in applying for the award (I hope I hear from each of you!)  We can either sit down outside of class to plan out your application, or we can figure something out via e-mail.  But I truly believe this is one of those opportunities that you DON’T want to turn down… there’s too much energy going towards this organization at this time to disregard this. 

Mr. Svetlik

NCWIT Aspirations in Computing - Student awards - now open! 9/02/15 9:04 AM

https://www.aspirations.org/
The application process for the NCWIT Aspirations Student and Educator awards is now open!

• Please encourage your female students to apply, and also please seek support from your administration for the Educator award!

• Below are materials to help spread the word at your school and additional information for Principals, students, and parents:

http://bit.ly/AiCShare16
___________________________________________________________________

• Below are more details form their website:

From the web site:

Applications for the 2016 Award for Aspirations in Computing are open from September 1 to October 26, 2015 (8:00 p.m. EDT).

The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing honors high school women who are active and interested in computing and technology, and encourages them to pursue their passions. This multi-tiered competition includes recognition at the national level (sponsored by Bank of America) and at the local level (sponsored by Microsoft), serving 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and all U.S. military bases overseas.
Each local award taps into the powerful network of NCWIT Alliance members: teams from academia, non-profit organizations, startups, and corporations come together to build a community of support for young women interested in computing.

 Eligibility

Any U.S. high school woman in grades 9 through 12 is eligible to apply, if she also meets both of the following criteria:

• She attends a high school in the U.S. or is a U.S. citizen attending a high school in Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or on a U.S. military base.
• She has a U.S. Tax Identification or Social Security Number.

Aspirations Award recipients are chosen for their outstanding aptitude and interest in computing, proven leadership ability, academic performance, and plans for post‑secondary education.

Tired of memorizing passwords? read on...

Here's an example of an algorithm at work for helping people to remember passwords.  CS without coding.

http://www.networkworld.com/article/2978312/tired-of-memorizing-passwords-a-turing-award-winner-came-up-with-this-algorithmic-trick.html

- Svetty

Cutler-Bell Prize for High School Seniors ($10000)

See below for an opportunity (one of an increasing many) that is now being offered to high school seniors:

Dear CSTA Community, 

CSTA is pleased to announce that we are now accepting applicants for a new award aimed at recognizing talented high school students in computer science. The ACM/CSTA Cutler-Bell Prize in High School Computing seeks to promote and encourage the field of computer science, as well as to empower young and aspiring learners to pursue computing challenges outside of the traditional classroom environment.

Four winners will be selected annually and each will be awarded a $10,000 prize and cost of travel to the annual ACM/CSTA Cutler-Bell Prize in High School Computing Reception where students will demonstrate their programs and discuss their work. The prizes will be funded by a $1 million endowment established by David Cutler and Gordon Bell.

Eligible applicants for the award will include graduating high school seniors residing and attending school in the US. Challenges for the award will focus on developing an artifact that engages modern computing technology and computer science. Judges will look for submissions that demonstrate ingenuity, complexity, relevancy, originality, and a desire to further computer science as a discipline.

The application for the Cutler-Bell Prize is available now and will close on January 1, 2016. The inaugural awards will be announced in February or March of 2016.

https://app.wizehive.com/appform/login/csta2015app

Please share this exciting announcement with your fellow teachers and your students, and Good Luck! 

How to Make a Cooler Robot Using Karel J Robot

Hi all,

If you are looking for a few tips on how to make a refined subclass of the UrRobot class, here you go:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4Nov60fUk9kSzNtaGVLMEtYZXM/view?usp=sharing

This will walk you step-by-step through writing a subclass, complete with screen shots.

Hope this helps you make a better robot!

Mr. Svetlik

The Country's First AI Summer Camp for Girls

Title of this post speaks for itself:

http://www.wired.com/2015/08/stanford-artificial-intelligence-laboratorys-outreach-summer-program/

- Svetty

The Growing Need for More Women Cybersleuths

Cybersecurity is yet just one of the many majors out there for students to consider, and it is needed now more than ever before (consider the numerous instances of major hacking stories that have made the news in the last two years alone - Target, Home Depot, Sony, the IRS, and on and on).

And yet the trend in cybersecurity continues:  only 11% of all professionals employed in cybersecurity are female.  Increasing the gender balance here can only serve to help provide more perspective in solving cybercrimes.

This article goes further into detail on this topic:

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/26/the-growing-need-for-more-women-cybersleuths.html

- Svetty



 

STEM Majors Continue to Dominate Ranking of College Majors

Continued evidence that STEM majors dominate ranking of college majors.

http://www.networkworld.com/article/2976030/careers/stem-fields-dominate-ranking-of-college-majors.html

- Svetty

For Mac users: Adding Jeliot and custom templates to BlueJ

Hi Mac'ers.

For those who aren't completely comfortable with the file structure system on Macs, see below for how to complete steps [3c] and [3e] in the directions for installing the course software:

In steps 3c and 3e of the installation directions, there are directions for adding custom templates and for adding the Jeliot extension to BlueJ.  Many of you might not be familiar with how to find the specific subdirectories on your Mac, so if you are having any trouble in finding them, here’s what you can do.

Once you’ve expanded the zip file for BlueJ, control-click on the BlueJ icon in the folder you’ve created and select “Show Package Contents”, and then “Resources”.

Once there, to complete step [3c], open the “Extensions” folder, and you can add the jeliotExtension jar file mentioned in the directions there.

To complete step [3e], open “Resources” again, followed by “templates”-> “newclass”.  You can copy all the template files into that folder.

This should help you in being able to complete these two steps.

I will also post this on my blog (see bottom of my e-mail signature).

Please let me know if you have any other issues.

Mr. Svetlik

Programming and Prejudice

An excellent and short piece illustrative of the social impact of computing, and why it is essential that all people (including our students) understand how computing plays a substantial role in our lives, sometimes to the detriment of some groups compared to others. In particular, this explores the impact of software used to make large-impact decisions such as loan approvals and resume filtering on different groups of people, and how one researcher is examining strategies for how to address this at the algorithmic level.

As mentioned in the article, it's particularly noteworthy given how there may exist the perception that because software is implemented through code (rooted in seemingly rigid mathematics and logic), that it handles all cases evenly, fairly, and (effectively) without regard to race, culture, gender, or other status classifications.  As is explained here, this might not necessarily be the case...

http://unews.utah.edu/programming-and-prejudice/

- Svetty

A Programming Tool that Can "Transplant" Code From One Program to Another ?!?

This could revolutionize industry-level programming

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2015-07/30/code-organ-transplant-software-myscalpel

- Svetty

A Startup for Youth of Color to Focus on Tech Solutions for Social Issues

See below for an article on a startup focusing on empowering youth of color to build tech solutions to solve social issues.

http://techcrunch.com/2015/08/05/this-startup-empowers-youth-of-color-to-tackle-social-issues-with-technology/

- Svetty

On CS vs. CIT, and Programmers Needing to "Play Nice" w/ Others

Another look at the job market, while also emphasizing that working in the industry demands solid collaborative skills with others on a project team.

http://www.chron.com/news/article/Programmers-need-to-play-well-with-others-6408487.php

- Svetty

A Must-Read for Anyone Considering a CS Course or CS as a Career

Title stands as-is:

http://www.geekwire.com/2015/secrets-of-computer-science-tips-for-aspiring-programmers-and-advice-for-their-teachers/

- Svetty

Adult Career-Changers Gravitating Towards Tech Industry

More evidence that the tech industry is ripe with opportunities for all.  This article reveals how many adults are starting to move towards tech industry given the career opportunities there.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/29/technology/code-academy-as-career-game-changer.html?_r=0

- Svetty

What Is a Computer Anymore?

Here's a good question:  just what is a computer?  Perhaps more significantly, as new information continues to form at ridiculously fast speeds, what impact (if any) does this have on our understanding of what a computer is?

This article attempts to answer that very question.

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/07/what-is-a-computer-anymore/399014/

- Svetty

Car Hackers (?!?)

Yep.  As is often discussed in class, any device that is connected to the internet somehow is susceptible to vulnerability.  As connectivity to the internet in a vehicle itself continues to increase as a convenience for car buyers (for instance, to stream Pandora through the radio console or to get live traffic updates), so too does the question arise as to what this could mean for hackers.

Read for yourself.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/21/security-researchers-find-a-way-to-hack-cars/?_r=0

- Svetty

The 2015 Top 10 Programming Languages

For those curious "why Java" in today's economy and educational settings, check this article out:

http://spectrum.ieee.org/computing/software/the-2015-top-ten-programming-languages.

As a C-based language in syntax, Java remains prominent in providing students with solid fundamental skills necessary to broaden their programming experiences to fit the needs of their employer.

- Svetty

So What Exactly Is "Code"?

An excellent introduction to anyone who is interested in learning what "coding" is.

http://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-paul-ford-what-is-code/

$10k Award for High School Computing

New $10,000 Award for CS Students: ACM/CSTA Cutler-Bell Prize in High School Computing

Dear CSTA Community,   CSTA is pleased to announce a new award aimed at recognizing talented high school students in computer science. The ACM/CSTA Cutler-Bell Prize in High School Computing seeks to promote and encourage the field of computer science, as well as to empower young and aspiring learners to pursue computing challenges outside of the traditional classroom environment. Four winners will be selected annually and each will be awarded a $10,000 prize and cost of travel to the annual ACM/CSTA Cutler-Bell Prize in High School Computing Reception where students will demonstrate their programs and discuss their work. The prizes will be funded by a $1 million endowment established by David Cutler and Gordon Bell. Eligible applicants for the award will include graduating high school seniors residing and attending school in the US. Challenges for the award will focus on developing an artifact that engages modern computing technology and computer science. Judges will look for submissions that demonstrate ingenuity, complexity, relevancy, originality, and a desire to further computer science as a discipline. The application period for the inaugural award is scheduled to open August 1, 2015 and close January 1, 2016. The inaugural awards will be announced in February 2016. Please share this exciting announcement with your fellow teachers and your students, and Good Luck!  View the full press release here.  Questions regarding this email? Contact customerservice@csta-hq.org

Ant-Man Challenge!

Check this out!

http://www.ant-manchallenge.com/learn-more.php 

- Mr. Svetlik

Online programming competition

Check out the details below on an online programming competition coming up soon!

HSCTF 2: A Programming and Cybersecurity Competition For High School Students HSCTF.com, an online programming competition, will run for the second time from May 17th to May 24th, 2015. HSCTF educates high school students across the country about computer science. Last year HSCTF ran with over 2000 students participating. Competitors in High School Capture the Flag (or HSCTF) will learn computer science skills, and use ingenuity to discover a series of increasingly hard to find "flags" encrypted, hidden, or otherwise stored somewhere difficult to access. While HSCTF includes topics such as computer security, programming, algorithm design, and programming language design. Prizes include several hundred dollars and Facebook swag. You can sign up for email updates at HSCTF.com.

For questions, contact Jacob Edelman, HSCTF Lead Founder and Organizer at jacob@HSCTF.com.