Welcome to Information & Communication Technology

To students and parents — Welcome to the 2024-25 School Year

Get ready for an exciting year ahead! Previously, I've focused solely on teaching Information and Communication Technology (ICT.)  This year, I'll be teaching both ICT and Entrepreneurship. It's going to be an interesting journey as we explore the dynamic intersection of tech and business, equipping you with the skills to innovate and succeed in the modern world.

During the year, you may often hear me lecture on how understanding business and technology are a vital part of achieving not only business objectives and goals but making you a much more viable candidate in your eventual career field. Enough can’t be said about your need to leverage technology and business, but to also understand the language used on both sides of the house for success.

How Do They Relate? Technology and business are deeply interconnected. You'll see how tech innovations create new business opportunities and how business strategies can leverage technology for success. Whether it's using data analytics for better decision-making or employing social media for marketing, you'll learn the essential skills needed to thrive in both fields.

And interwoven into all of this is cybersecurity. How do you protect your assets, both business and personal? Cybersecurity is an integral part of every industry sector, and the demand for cybersecurity analysts is insatiable for the foreseeable future. 

Networks and Network Infrastructure: Understanding Network Infrastructure and Networking Devices: Welcome to the world of network infrastructure! You'll learn how computers, devices, and systems connect and communicate with each other.

Network Infrastructure: This includes the hardware and software resources that enable network connectivity, communication, operations, and management from small networks to wide area networks). Think of it as the backbone that supports the digital world.

Networking Devices: You'll explore various devices such as routers, switches, and access points. Routers direct data between different networks, switches connect devices within a network, and access points allow wireless devices to connect to the network.

By understanding these fundamentals, you'll gain insight into how data travels across the internet, how networks are secured, and how to troubleshoot common issues. This knowledge is crucial for anyone interested in technology, cybersecurity, or IT careers. Get ready to dive into the exciting field of networking and discover how our connected world operates!

Entrepreneurship: Welcome to the world of entrepreneurship! This class is your gateway to understanding how ideas transform into thriving businesses. Imagine having the power to create something new, solve problems, and make a difference in people's lives. That's what entrepreneurship is all about.

In this course, you'll learn the basics of starting and running your own business. We'll cover everything from brainstorming ideas and developing a business plan to understanding finances and marketing your products or services. You'll hear inspiring stories from successful entrepreneurs and have the opportunity to work on your own projects, putting theory into practice.

Entrepreneurship is for anyone who wants to think creatively, take risks, and turn their passions into reality. Whether you dream of launching a tech startup, opening a bakery, or creating a nonprofit organization, this class will give you the tools and mindset you need to succeed.

Discover how entrepreneurship and technology go hand in hand. We'll delve into how tech innovations can solve real-world business problems, create new markets, and transform industries. You'll learn to develop and pitch your own tech-based business ideas, create effective business plans, and understand the financial aspects of running a startup.

Get ready to unleash your creativity, challenge yourself, collaborate with classmates, learn of the latest technologies, and build a strong foundation for your future career.

By the end of this class, you'll be equipped with essential soft skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and tech-savviness that are highly valued by employers. Whether you aspire to start your own tech company, join a cutting-edge startup, or bring entrepreneurial thinking to any career path, this course will set you on the right track.

Get ready to challenge yourself, collaborate with classmates, and embark on an exciting journey of innovation and growth. Welcome to your first step in becoming an entrepreneur!

Cybersecurity: Welcome to the world of cybersecurity. According to CISA “The nation’s growing dependency on IT makes the Information Technology Sector mission – to identify and protect against cyber threats and vulnerabilities - more complex and important every day.” Cybersecurity is a vital part of the nation's industrial infrastructure, impacting various industrial sectors but not limited to, emergency services, defense industrial base, manufacturing, dams and waterways, and energy. Cybersecurity also plays a critical role in the protection of the diverse array of the 15 CTE industry sectors such as, agriculture, business and finance, health science, arts, media, and entertainment, among others.

The 2023 Cyber Security Report report conducted by Check Point Research discusses the challenge of protecting both public and private network assets. There is an increased emphasis to stimulate interest at middle and high school levels through sponsored competitions such as, the Air Force Association’s CyberPatriot. Our students have engaged in competitions such as the USCyberPatrioit national competition. This year our intent is to participate in more events in the Bay Area Cyber League. The BayCyber Presentation video includes former Irvington student participation at the 9 minute, 48 second mark.  As a student, there are10 Reasons You Should Consider a Career in Cybersecurity. The BLS  (Bureau of Labor Statistics) projects a faster than average employment growth rate at 32% from 2018 to 2028. Any interested student can participate in these competitions. You do not need to be enrolled in a cybersecurity class to participate in cybersecurity competitions, nor do you need experience.

Industry Certifications: Through the Cisco Networking Academy, we offer select courses leading toward industry recognized certifications. Industry certifications are valuable to employers because they verify a job candidate's technical skillset. Having earned a certification credential, an employer can safely assume that the candidate has proven knowledge and skill in a particular subject. These certifications are, CompTIA A+; CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) and CCNA CyberOps. These courses have been approved by DOD (Department of Defense) for inclusion in the DoD-Approved 8570 Baseline Certifications for Information Assurance Workforce Improvement Program. They are an accepted certification for job roles of CCSP Cybersecurity Analyst and CCSP Incident Responder

Testing Facility: Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) certification program -- Cisco has partnered with Certiport to create the Cisco Certified support Technician (CCST) certification program. We applied to Certiport and have been designated as a  Certiport Authorized Testing Center  (CATC) for CCST Networking and CCST Cybersecurity. 
Cisco Mobile Testing -- Cisco Mobile Testing provides the ability to integrate testing as part of a certification training program that will help increase the rate at which students can successfully achieve certification. The current list of proctored exams are CCNA, DevNet Associate, CyberOps Associate and CCNP.

Get ready to challenge yourself, collaborate with classmates in any of the above fields, and embark on an exciting journey of innovation and growth. Welcome to your first step in becoming a success!