Hack-a-thon!!

Check out this Hack-a-thon.  We've had some student representation at this, and I was told that this was an AWESOME event.

https://codeday.org/chicago

Svetty

Master the Mainframe Contest

Dear Educator,

You are receiving this email because one or more of your students registered for last year's IBM Master the Mainframe Contest.  Thank you for encouraging your students to participate!  In case you weren't already aware, here's a brief announcement for this year's contest, which begins at 12 noon EST on Monday, October 6th:  
 
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Registration opens on September 23rd for the 2014 IBM Master the Mainframe Contest, with over $35,000 in prizes up for grabs!  The major focus of the contest is to introduce students to an area of the computer field that they may not have had much experience with, and which is currently in a long-term hiring phase.  If you think your students might be interested in checking it out (IBM designed the contest to be NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY), please forward this announcement to them.  

Contest homepage: http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/z/education/academic/masterthemainframe/index.html

Students can find the US & Canada Contest Page on September 23rd, and access the simple registration form, and they'll find a lively community on our official contest Facebook page.

The contest begins on Monday, October 6 at noon EST, and allows students to log into a mainframe system from their home computers or computer labs to complete increasingly difficult technical challenges for bigger and bigger prizes (T-shirts, IBM swag prize packs, Google Nexus tablets, and trips).  If you have any questions about the contest, you can reach the IBM Academic Initiative System z program at zskills@us.ibm.com.  The contest runs through December 31st at midnight EST.  

Students who complete Part 2 of the contest will be invited to send their resumes which we then send to enterprise systems employers.  Interested recruiters can link up with students through these resumes.  Students can also use their mainframe skills to help them apply for the jobs on our System z Job Board at systemzjobs.com.

Good luck to all students who participate!  

Here's a great flyer that you can print out and hand to your students!

(See attached file: 20014 MTMF Contest.pdf)

Troy D Crutcher
IBM Academic Initiative, System z

Cybersecurity

Here's a great article on how the role of cybersecurity has become increasingly significant in the public domain:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/20/business/ex-employees-say-home-depot-left-data-vulnerable.html?smid=re-share&_r=0

Mr. Svetlik

NCWIT Aspirations Award Information

For all female students:

Hello,

It’s time again to start thinking about NCWIT’s Aspirations in Computing Award! The application period opened Sept 15^th and goes through Nov 2^nd.

During this time period:

·         High school girls can apply

·         Teachers can submit recommendations for their female students

·         Teachers can nominate themselves or others for the Educator Award

Information and the link to all applications can be found here - http://www.aspirations.org

There is also a poster attached that can be printed and displayed.

Our goal this year is to reach as many new schools as possible to spread the word about this incredible opportunity. NCWIT research has found that girls are more likely to apply when encouraged to do so by an adult. Please actively promote this award program in your school and community and give girls that extra boost of confidence they need to apply.

If there is any additional information or support I can provide, please do not hesitate to contact me.  

Thank you,

Jill McQueeney

Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Women in Tech & Operations

Work Email: jill.mcqueeney@baml.com

Personal Email: jillmcqueeney@gmail.com

Office: 312.234.3242

Cell: 312.315.3940

ACSL Contest Info

See below for the ACSL Contest.  Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to particpate.

- Mr. Svetlik

ACSL has offered a unique programming competition for 36 years. Here are some excellent reasons to participate this year:

- ACSL contests are conducted at your local school or institution throughout the year.

- All of your students can compete and be successful, not just a very few.

- All necessary preparation materials are supplies as soon as you register.

- The contest allows for various experience levels - Junior, Intermediate, and Senior.

- The Classroom Division provides a non-programming version of the contest.

- Programs can be written in any language(s) that the students know how to use.

- ACSL can extend the actual curriculum in computer science or be used as an extracurricular activity.

- New, creative contest questions and programming problems are used every year.

- Previous years' contest questions are able to be purchased for extra practice.

- Important Computer Science topics such as Boolean Algebra, Graph Theory, Computer Number Systems, and Data Structures are introduced.

- Prizes are awarded on a regional basis to top scoring students and teams during the year.

- Fast e-mail response is provided for all questions and concerns.

- Sample student-written programs in several languages are provided after each contest.

- The level of programming increases in difficulty as the year progresses starting with only IF-THEN statements for the first contest.

- ACSL has sponsored regional contests continuously since 1978 and is now international.

- There is an annual All-Star Contest that is hosted at a different location every year and this year it is in Orlando, FL!

- ACSL is on the Approved Activities List of the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

- ACSL is an institutional member of CSTA.

- All of the ACSL team members have been high school Computer Science teachers.

If you are interested in participating in the ACSL contests, please visit our web site www.acsl.org, read the 'How the ACSL Works' link and view the 'Sample Questions' link. All questions about ACSL can be sent to Jerry Tebrow @ jerry@acsl.org.

Coding in Action for Making a Difference

Here's a front-page article that came out in the September 14 2014 edition of the Daily Herald on a student who used coding to make a difference for working to eliminate bullying:

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20140914/news/140919103/

Pretty cool.

Svetty

CS on 9-11

In reflecting on how computer science has impacted our lives in so many ways, it's worth knowing that CS played a significant role in honoring the victims of the 9-11 tragedy.

Follow the link below for more info:

http://betabeat.com/2011/05/how-a-computer-algorithm-cracked-the-code-on-the-911-memorial/

Mr. Svetlik