IT-Adventures Advisor/Mentor Experience\

Link to Course Website

This course offering is intended for advisors and/or mentors of 2007-08 IT-Adventures clubs. Click here for more information about IT-Adventures and the IT-Olympics.

Learning Goals/Objectives:

• Participants will examine challenges and opportunities for IT education.
• Participants will network and share ideas/materials relating to club facilitation.
• Participants will create units of practice based on the research and best practices presented through provided materials and IT-Olympics venue observations.
• Participants will expand professional vision of the future by examining societal IT trends.

Syllabus

This course will included blended delivery - including both a face-to-face and online instruction.

Face-to-Face (IT-Olympics -- Ames, IA):

1. Class introductions and course overview (4/25 – 1pm-3pm)
2. Explain online access and expectations
3. Initial round-table discussions:
• Club concept as a educational tool
• Competitive best practices
4. Observe competitions and student engagement in and application of IT concepts. (asynchronous) (4/26 - 12pm-4pm)
5. Listen/participate in guest panel forum on professional IT experiences (4/25 – 8pm-10pm)
6. Interview a minimum of three educational or corporate representatives regarding postsecondary career opportunities in IT. (asynchronous) (4/25 – 3pm-4pm; 4/26 – 8am-12pm))

Online (visit www.dmacc.edu/instructors/baburkhardt/ and click on the “IT-Adventures Course” link for online course details and requirements.)
1) Discuss materials pertaining to specific student group's experience and interests:

• Dann, Cooper, and Pausch. Learning to Program with Alice. Prentice Hall, 2005.
• Ferrari, Ferrari, and Astolfo. Building Robots with Lego Mindstorms NXT. Syngress, 2007
• Rursch, et al. Networking Concepts/Cyber Defense Lecture notes. 2007-08.

--Cyber Defense
+Honeynets
+Zero-Day vulnerabilities
+Botnets

3) Discuss (asynchronously) the following topics relating to IT-Adventures:
Club membership/recruitment/diversity initiatives
Mentor involvement
Community Service experiences
Planning/Project Management
Areas for improvement
Future events/topical competitions

Course Requirements

Participants must serve as a registered IT-Adventures advisor or mentor (activity should be documented)
100% Attendance for all IT-Olympics sessions including competitive venues, roundtable discussion, and the forum of IT professionals.
Active participation in all online components and discussions topics
All assignments completed and submitted

Participant Evaluation

A/Pass Grade - The participant will hand in:
• Summary of interviews of three (minimum) educational or corporate representatives regarding postsecondary career opportunities in IT.
• A reflection paper that adequately discusses all of the following topics:
1. Evaluation of diversity (defined by participant) in club membership, potential methods to encourage even greater diversity
2. Effectiveness of community service project to community and club membership, ideas for future service
3. Problems with and possible improvement to IT education in secondary settings
4. Ways to improve club and competition for future
• Completion of a self-assessment as an advisor/mentor

B/Pass Grade - The participant will hand in:
• Summary of interviews of three (minimum) educational or corporate representatives regarding postsecondary career opportunities in IT.
• A reflection paper that adequately discusses at least one but not all of the topics listed in the “A” grade section.
• Completion of self-assessment as an advisor/mentor

F/Fail - The participant did not meet the minimum criteria for a "B" grade