NEW IT Alliance-November Tech Upload
NEW Digital News
Whew… The days are flying by as we passed Halloween and are approaching our second annual job and career fair, NEW Connect IT, which will be at Lambeau Field on November 14. With registrations still coming in, we are expecting 27 companies, 450+ high school students from 13 districts, and 40+ college students from around the region. We are excited for the event, and thankful for the 100+ volunteers from local companies who will help to make the event a success. If you haven’t registered yet, we still have a few openings for company booths – and college students and community members can register or just show up. Registrations for high schools is closed.
We also couldn’t have done it without the help of our generous sponsors:
Venue Sponsor
Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
It was quite exciting to see the concrete results of our collaboration with Insight Publications on the new magazine, Insight on Technology (IoT), as the inaugural edition was published on November 1. It is available for free online and will be available in print later this week. The magazine features several articles about the work we do in the NEW IT Alliance as well as articles on how businesses can get the most out of their IT operations. Future editions will come out every quarter.
Second TechTalk at UW Fox Valley
After Last month’s successful first TechTalk, the next one is already scheduled for Tuesday, November 13 at UW Fox Valley (more detail on our Events page). Open to all students and the public, the evening will feature representatives for the various technology clubs and degree programs at UW Oshkosh and two exciting speakers on Digital Agriculture at Riverview Gardens and High Tech Social Media by Dodl.es.
UW Oshkosh is also working on a new Job Shadow program looking to place nine students with local companies for a one-day job shadow. If you would like to open your doors to a student who is considering whether an IT career is for them and help convince them of all the great benefits of working in IT, please reach out to Dr. John Muraski at UW Oshkosh.
ERPSim at UW Oshkosh has booked their first two schools, including Howard-Suamico and Oshkosh. They are seeking to reach other schools in Spring 2019, as well as a few more industry partners who would be interested in supporting high school students getting a taste of what IT can do for a business. Again, you can contact Dr. Muraski at muraskij@uwosh.edu.
National Computer Science Week
December 3-9 is National Computer Science week! And on December 4 you can join us at our second NEW CS Advisory board meeting to help grow the digital ecosystem right here in the region. This event is focused on how to grow and support computer science education in school districts throughout Northeast Wisconsin.
Many schools take this opportunity to organize Hour of Code or Code Nights to make coding and other IT activities fun and exciting. If your school or other organization is holding an event for Computer Science Week, please submit it and we will add it to our Events page.
Microsoft is also interested in tracking all the activities going on during Computer Science Week and comparing our level of activity to national data, so please fill out their survey if you plan on holding an event. If you have never participated in Computer Science Week, but would like to learn how easy it is, Michelle Schuler from Microsoft would be happy to talk further. Fill out the survey and she will be in touch.
Eleven-year-old Teaches Herself how to Program
Ever so often, we receive an email from someone who found our website, and is really enjoying it. Many times the emails come from parents who homeschool their children. Here’s a recent one that we enjoyed reading – we hope you will too:
I wanted to reach out and tell you how fantastic I thought the resources you provided on your web page were – https://newdigitalalliance.org/resources . Or, I guess more accurately, how fantastic my daughter, Zoe, thought they were. She is fascinated with the idea of being a computer programmer when she grows up and she spent a lot of time on your site going through and learning as much as she could. Personally, I’m not all that great when it comes to technology. I’m capable enough that I don’t need my kids’ help to figure how to work my phone or anything like that, but what Zoe can do at just 11 years old blows me away. She’s at the point where she even wants to build her own computer for the house. Anyway, the information we were able to pull from your page really helped to fuel that interest and desire inside her and I just felt I had to let you know how much Zoe and I appreciate you putting it all together. I can’t explain how amazing it is to have a child this driven and education focused at such a young age and you did a lot to help that, so thank you.
As a show of her gratitude, Zoe wanted me to send you over this article that’s a time line of programming languages – https://www.onlinecollegeplan.com/computer-programming-languages/ . If it’s not too much trouble, would you consider adding it to your page? Zoe is so passionate about this stuff and I would love to be able to show her that you took her suggestion and she’s helping others all over to learn as well. If you do, could you send me back a quick email just to let me know?
Thanks again for everything!
Don J.
P.S. For Halloween this year she wants to wear a shirt that says “Error 404 Costume Not Found” on it and wanted to know, given your background, what you thought of the idea.
Code.org Publishes 2018 State of Computer Science Education Policy and Implementation Report
Code.org, a national organization partnering with multiple tech companies to make computer science a fundamental part of k-12 education, recently published their 2018 State of Computer Science Education Policy and Implementation Report. Outlining nine policies states can implement to make computer science a fundamental part of k-12 education, the report also list the requirements for each policy, and which states have met the requirement. Wisconsin has implemented five of the nine policies, but is missing the following:
- State Plan for k-12 computer science implementation, includes a timeline, goals, and strategies for achieving the goals.
- State-Level Funding for K-12 Computer Science Professional Learning
- State-level computer science supervisor clearly able to develop state policy/regulations and create programs around computer science
- Requirement for all high schools to offer computer science
- Computer science can satisfy a core admission requirement at institutes of higher education
At the regional and local level, the report also provides useful guidance that can be used by individual school districts and their advisory boards, as well as at the regional level. Our regional NEW CS Advisory Board is actively working on regional progress on several of the missing statewide policies:
- Microsoft is working towards having have every high school student in Brown and Outagamie county take CS by 2024. NEW IT Alliance is carrying this effort to many other districts in the region.
- NEW IT Alliance has set aside scholarship funds for teachers looking to complete CS certification, and working on developing a teacher externship to provide professional learning. Partnering with FVTC to provide additional learning opportunities for a group of teachers at NEW Connect IT event.
- The NEW IT Alliance Higher Ed committee is a forum for discussion on how computer science can be considered for admission to higher education institutions.
- A number of programs aimed at increasing interest and engagement in computer science are operating in the region, including WIT4Girls, Connect IT, Tech Talks, TEALS and others.
Regional News
Cellcom and Ericsson hosted 5G demonstration in Green Bay
GREEN BAY, Wis. – On October 12th, 2018, Wisconsin-based wireless carrier Cellcom, partnered with Ericsson, a global technology leader, to host a 5G demonstration in Green Bay, Wis. at T2 Accelerator. The event brought together legislators, city and county officials, technology leaders and local businesses to get an interactive demonstration of what the next generation of wireless technology will mean to communities, industries and consumers in the state. The demonstration included a live demonstration of 5G over Cellcom’s network.
“5G is a transformational technology and we are at the very first steps of what will be years of evolution. 5G will not only connect people through personal devices, but also connect machines and objects. It is expected to improve network performance and efficiency to connect everything from industries to utilities. It’s a technology that will make smart cities, autonomous cars, remote health care and large-scale automation a reality,” said Mark Naze, CEO of Cellcom. “We are building the path to 5G now, deploying 5G-ready radios and installing fiber to carry the increased data traffic.”
Technology Day at J.J. Keller Celebrates Innovation That Makes a Difference
NEENAH, Wis. — More than 20 area educators and influencers joined more than 200 associates from J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc. for the company’s fourth annual Technology Day yesterday. This one-day event, on the J.J. Keller Corporate Campus in Neenah, Wisconsin, brings together the company’s associates, community educators and influencers to network, hear about technology trends, experience innovation firsthand and celebrate J.J. Keller’s technology professionals.
In line with the purpose of bringing together bright minds, innovation and thought leadership, J.J. Keller brought in keynote speaker Hyunsoo Shim, chief of staff with SAP Ariba, an organization that provides the world’s largest business network, cloud procurement solutions, and innovative business models to help businesses grow. Shim’s talk, “1B Lives,” highlighted how SAP Ariba is developing a portfolio of lean, sustainable ventures to solve social problems and improve millions of people’s lives.
Push for Tech Innovation in Smaller Wisconsin Cities through TitletownTech
ASHWAUBENON, Wis. – The visibility of a storied football team may be one of the keys to keeping talented people in Wisconsin and changing the way the nation thinks of the state.
When the Green Bay Packers and its partners open the new TitletownTech building early next year, it’s hoped the center will begin transforming the region into a place where more people want to live and work — an alternative to fleeing to the coasts or bigger cities where they imagine more jobs and more amenities await.
TitletownTech is a lofty vision for northeastern Wisconsin’s tech sector. At its core is the idea the region has something to offer the world when it comes to technology and innovation, and it has — or can attract — the people to make it happen.
The center will focus on innovation centered around sports, media and entertainment; digital health; the supply chain; advanced manufacturing; and agriculture, environment and water. TitletownTech will have two Microsoft employees on site, an innovation lab, venture studio, and an all-important venture fund.
STEM Science Fair and Coaching for Troop Leaders
Want some help with the new STEM badges – including free supply kits to complete the DIY science project in the badge? Troop Leaders are invited to bring their daughter or a girl guest to this Open House style event to see, touch, and try out the hands-on DIY projects that are part of every Girl Scout STEM badge. Fling flyers, balloon cars, telescopes, robots, and more! If high school science was the last time you read up on scientific principles – never fear! This event is hosted by STEM professionals and enthusiasts who are excited to get more girls in love with science, technology, engineering, and math. Get some friendly coaching and advice on how you can help girls earn badges.
Date: November 10, 2018
Time: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
For Adults
Cost: Free
Oshkosh Corporation makes the "15 Cool Companies Your Friends Recommend Working For" List
Want another great reason to work for Oshkosh Corporation? They have a 92% Recommend-To-A-Friend Rating and a 4.4 out of 5 Company Rating. One employee stated, “Oshkosh Corp is a great place to work where employees really do come first! The opportunities provided by the Company seem endless, and support from executive leadership, management, and fellow employees is well above anywhere I have worked before. We are a global team working together, regardless of department, focused on building the toughest vehicles on Earth.”
Social Media Workshops
Back in April, BConnected launched a new educational event series called “Social/Socials.” These events are meant to bring people together in a social environment to learn about trends and tactics within the Social Media industry. These online platforms continually change and new strategies evolve over time. The best way we can all put our best foot forward is by collaborative knowledge sharing.
The events are $15, which includes hors d’oeuvres. To find out when the next event is, check out BConnected’s Facebook Page.
Stellar Blue Technologies also hosts Social Media workshops throughout the year. From social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, to digital technology through marketing, content management and analytics, Stellar Blue is here to help you. You can view and sign up for their workshops here.
Learning for Life launches the Explorer Club Program
Is your business/organization looking to help local youth, cultivate future employees, and impact the community in a positive way? Exploring is a great way to address these goals and more.
Bay-Lakes Council Exploring is looking for new partnerships while maintaining our current relationships. Our vision is to create Information Technology, Business, and Skilled Trades programming in the area.
Oshkosh School District endorses Exploring and is partnering with us to help reach as many youth as possible.
EXPLORING is Learning for Life’s career education program for young men and women who are at least 14 (and have completed the eighth grade) or 15 years of age but not yet 21 years old. In 2013, Learning for Life launched the Explorer Club program for sixth- through eighth-graders in response to the U.S. Department of Education’s recent emphasis on career education at the elementary grade levels.
College Here & Now to Launch in Fall 2019
SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — The Sheboygan Area School District (SASD), Lakeshore Technical College (LTC), and Lakeland University (LU) are leading the nation with the first program that will allow high school students to earn an associate degree at their high school and complete a bachelor’s degree in just two years following graduation.
College Here & Now, an innovative public-private partnership, was unveiled on Monday, Oct. 29, at Sheboygan North High School.
By taking dual-credit courses, SASD high school students can earn an LTC associate degree in Information Technology (IT) – Web and Software Developer at the same place and the same time they complete their high school diploma. Through the partnership, the associate degree will be offered with no tuition cost to students and their families.
Students can then continue their education to earn a Lakeland bachelor’s degree in computer science in just two years following graduation. If those students participate in Lakeland’s Cooperative Education program, they can earn scholarship money and wages to graduate with little or no tuition debt.
While College Here & Now will debut in the fall of 2019 as a pathway to gain entry into the computer science and information technology fields, future pathways under discussion by the three institutions include majors in business, healthcare and education.