All posts by Kimberly Gaskin

Harold Schomaker transitions from his role as Advisory Committee Chair at SPC

College of Computer and Information Technology

For the past 10 years, Harold Schomaker worked on the advisory committee board at St. Petersburg College (SPC). When he began working at SPC in 2001, he worked with Dr. Shri Goyal on the advisory committee board for the College of Technology & Management. He became chairman during a reorganization of technology offerings at the college, where his main goal was “to combine various committees and rebuild the committee with a consolidated vision.” As chairman, Schomaker’s purpose in participating on the board was to “give back to the future leaders of the technology industry and “to “produce graduates that are ready for the workforce and the type of employees businesses are seeking.”

In order to qualify for the advisory committee chairman position, Schomaker said that an individual needs to be involved in some aspect of the technology industry. It is vital that, “all aspects of the industry be represented on the committee so that the student benefits from the chairman’s knowledge in developing a well-rounded curriculum.”

The objective of the advisory committee is to “provide real life scenarios for professional institutions and review the curriculum to ensure that students are receiving appropriate instruction.” Though he has stepped down as chairman of the College of Computer & Information Technology advisory committee board, he will continue to serve as an advisory committee board member and have an active share in meetings, participating in various programing curriculum development, reviews and capstone.

“I have enjoyed the experience. Seeing students go through the programs, present capstone projects and put the skills into practice is a great feeling knowing that they are ready for the workforce.” As of June 29, 2011, Chris Paul was elected as the new chairman of the advisory board. He began his term on July 1.

Spotlight on adjunct faculty at St. Petersburg College: Rita Strube

Faculty,

     After working as a high school teacher for 34 years, Rita Strube retired from Plainfield High School in Indianapolis and transitioned to adult education. Three years ago, Strube embarked on a career as an adjunct instructor at St. Petersburg College, where she taught a Basic Keyboarding course at the Clearwater campus. Currently, she teaches CGS 1070 Basic Computer & Information Literacy in face-to-face format.
     “I get to work with quite a variety of age groups, with students up to 70 years old. It’s great because of the range of abilities and backgrounds. It is a maturing experience for everyone,” Strube said.
      In addition to being an adjunct instructor, Strube belongs to the National Business Education Association (NBEA) as well as the Delta Kappa Gamma sorority.
     Strube summed up the best part of her job in one word- “Students!” To see students who are intimidated by computers gain ability, knowledge and confidence in the classroom over time brings a great sense of joy.

The added responsibilities of adjuncts at St. Petersburg College

computer technology, Faculty,

     Teaching is not the only responsibility of Matthew Bodie. He also is the Information Services Librarian on the Tarpon Springs campus of St. Petersburg College.

     In addition to teaching LIS 1002 Electronic Research Strategies for College Students and LIS 2004 Introduction to Internet as a Research Tool, Bodie teaches CGS 1070 Basic Computer & Information Literacy. All sections he teaches are taught in face-to-face format.

      Bodie was instrumental in creating the CGS 1070 course along with Information Services Librarian Chad Mairn of the St. Petersburg/Gibbs campus, Professor John Kurnik, and Instructional Technologist Nancy Munce, who was responsible for the design and content of the course.

     Like Bodie, Mairn is also an adjunct instructor who teaches CGS 1070 in blended (online and classroom) and face-to-face formats. In addition to being an adjunct instructor and information services librarian, Mairn works with Web Development for SPC.

     Having taught for the college for six years Mairn feels that his experience as a librarian has permeated into his teaching methods.

      Being a librarian and adjunct instructor is “the best of both worlds,” Mairn said, since he has the flexibility to work with web development and teach simultaneously. Like Mairn, Bodie stated that being a full-time librarian, he interacts with students frequently. This, in turn, builds rapport that influences what happens in the classroom.

      Comparing the blended and face-to-face formats, Mairn stated that students who are more “computer savvy” prefer the online format, whereas those who are not prefer the face-to-face format. This was true of one student who recently completed the course.

     Mairn said that at first, she “didn’t even want to turn on the computer.” Mairn suggested that she review the online ANGEL tutorials to gain a better understanding in the course. As a result, she was able to follow along much better and complete examinations in a calmer manner. In the end she felt more confident in her abilities.

      As in the case of this student, Mairn’s goal is to use his knowledge to “enrich students’ lives” through the learning process. He said that students need real world experience where they can work hands-on with the instructor and other students. He said instructors who work with students and explain the material well equip students with the skills to succeed in the workforce. However, it is vital that students do their part, too.

      Bodie urges students to keep in mind three things: Detail, communication and hard effort.

     For more information on how to become an adjunct, please visit Spotlight on Adjunct faculty on the Human Resources web site.

St. Petersburg College hosts Expo at EpiCenter campus

expo,

St. Petersburg College hosted an Expo at the EpiCenter campus on May 10.

 The faculty and staff from the College of Computer & Information Technology’s (CCIT), upper and lower division degree programs, were present to answer questions about the program and about how to transition from a certificate program to an Associate in Science (AS) degree program or AS degree program to a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree program.

Pamphlets were provided that contained brief summaries about what each program requires. A PowerPoint presentation entitled “Technology Through the Years” also was presented featuring some of the latest gadgets such as the iPhone and iPad. It also gave a history of early innovations in technology. This was apropos since COP 2654 iPhone/iPad/App Development is being offered for the fall 2011 semester. Taught by Professor Brad Yourth of SPC’s Clearwater campus, this course will enable students to write applications for Apple devices.

For more information on this and other programs, please visit the College of Computer & Information Technology web site.

College of Computer and Information Technology Info Bytes

College of Computer and Information Technology

Contributing writer

COP 2654 IPHONE/IPAD App Development is one of the core/supporting courses of the A.S. in Computer/Web Programming and Analysis.  It  is an introductory course in application development for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

The course was previously introduced on the CCIT Bulletin blog in January. In order to take this course, students must take the prerequisite CGS 2402 Programming C++. Also, an Intel-based Mac running Mac OS X Snow Leopard is needed.

SPC is a member of Apple’s iOS Developer University Program.  During their internship in spring 2011 semester, three of our student interns had applications accepted by Apple for sale!

The course will be offered again for the fall 2011 semester. However, the time and days for the course have yet to be determined. For additional information, please contact Professor Yourth at Yourth.Brad@spcollege.edu

CCIT internship idea pays big dividends

internships, ,

Contributing writer

Actions and suggestions from Advisory Committee members are extremely valuable and can be like a pebble in the water, creating a ripple effect that is unimaginable.

Dr. Sharon Setterlind

 Two years ago, John Just, Assistant Superintendent of MIS for the Pinellas County School Board, suggested the creation of an internship in the Business Technologies Program. After researching existing criteria and procedures, Dr. Sharon Setterlind, Dean of Business Technologies, began to sculpt a process of creating academic credit internships for the Associate of Science and Associate in Applied Science Business and Computer Technology degrees.

 For students completing these workforce degrees, an academic internship not only allows the students to test classroom theory in the workplace, but more importantly gives students a valuable networking experience that allows them to be competitive in their field of study.

 The first 11 interns were placed in summer 2010. As of spring 2011, 71 students have successfully completed internships for academic credit.

 Evaluations reveal that both businesses and students are finding great benefit in the internships which include, but are not limited to, employment and promotions. The ripple effect is that the College of Computer & Information Technology internship program places SPC in a position to be a primary resource to educate a skilled and diverse workforce in the Tampa Bay area. 

 The pebble?  John Just, a St. Petersburg College Advisory Committee member, is the pebble whose suggestion to create an internship program has shaped the careers of 71 SPC students and met the needs of countless community businesses.

 By the way, the Pinellas County School’s MIS Department hosted three interns since the inception of this program last summer.  One of the interns is now an employee.

St. Petersburg College interns produce real iTunes Store applications

internships,

When three SPC students accepted internships at MWD Web Design in St. Petersburg, they had no way of knowing they would be working on iPhone, iPod, and iPad apps that would be so successful they would end up in the Apple iTunes App store.

Four students from the SPC’s College of Computer Information Technology accepted the internships. Three of them – Michael Goltz, Rick Williamson and Jasmine Plugher – ended up with work assignments at MWD.

While some interns may find themselves doing relatively mundane work, the three SPC interns soon found themselves working on actual iPhone applications. Their work was so successful that Apple accepted two of their applications for sale and another is pending – no small feat when one considers the relatively small number of iPhone app developers, and the even smaller number of Apps that actually get accepted for sale in the iTunes online App Store.

MWD Partner Patrick Mabarak had high praise for the SPC interns, and said he is looking forward to signing on more of them from the CITT program for the next term.

“They did an outstanding job,” Mabarak said. “They were the first internship group that was able to complete an app – not just one, but actually two – and have both of them approved by the store, which is definitely a very good thing. No other group here at MWD has been able to do that, and that includes our office here as well as our offices in Detroit, Colorado, Indiana, and in China.”

One of the apps, a game for children, is called Grab Your iLetters. It utilizes capitalization, memorization skills and color recognition. The players move letters around the screen and get applause for correct answers. The other, called iShapes, uses three random shapes which must be dropped in similarly-shaped boxes below.

“I think the students were excellent, and presented themselves very well,” Mabarak said. “This project gave them hands-on experience, and they were able to see how a project develops from start to finish.”

One of the interns, Rick Williamson, was offered a full-time job with the company, Mabarak said. All of them received cash bonuses for their work during the internship.

Intern Michael Goltz said the internship experience far exceeded his expectations, and provided him with a great deal of valuable hands-on experience.

“It was very different from what we experienced in class,” Goltz said. “We could actually see what was required, and get experience in what coding you need and don’t need. It was very helpful.”

Goltz is about to graduate from SPC with an associate’s degree in computer web programming and analysis. He plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering at the University of South Florida.
Sharon Setterlind, Dean of the College of Computer and Information Technology, said the interns’ experience at MWD Web Design shows that the college is succeeding in sending well-prepared students into the work force.

“This is really an evaluation of our programs,” she said. “When we get such positive feedback from the people who hire our interns,” we know we are on the right track, and that we are actually teaching what is needed – we are sending students out ready for the work world.

“This was the purpose of the program,” she said. “We felt we needed more involvement in the local community, and that is what happened here. Plus, it gives our students an opportunity to see if they really want to be in that field.”

Setterlind said nearly 11 percent of the students sent out from the college as interns have been hired full-time by their employers.