Technology Academy at Riverside High School
Origin and Purpose
Mr. Kasey Turner, a Riverside Alumnus came to the school to discuss starting a scholarship program for Riverside students interested in technology. Through these initial talks, he shared some of his vision for what education could and should like for students in public school. These ideas included more intensive technology courses with an emphasis on the growing field of computer networking and networking defense. The volume of organizations and companies relying on more expansive and complex networks is growing exponentially, and the education that serves the greatest practicality and fiscal sense would be to emphasize what is needed in the marketplace. Mr. Justin Bonner, a Hickory High School Alumni, had been working with Hickory and shared a similar vision for student success. Both men felt like schools could better meet the needs of students with a propensity and aptitude towards technical education. These students needed a better “fit” for their talents, something that engaged and challenged them more than the traditional coursework. A series of meetings involving all levels of administration, teachers, and counselors from both schools with both gentlemen yielded the beginnings of an academy.
The academy system or “Academies for Success” model was born from the Regional Choice Initiative, a Voluntary Public School Choice federal grant administered by the Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit spanning five years and focused on the disengaged or underserved populace that all schools contain. The grant allows schools to pool their resources, share coursework and teachers, providing prospects that are unprecedented. This Riverside Technology Academy concentrates, through the recommendations from Mr. Turner and Mr. Bonner and congruent with RCI grant parameters, on performance-based coursework. This coursework will include mentoring that supports students to complete a rigorous and diversified learning experience blending content knowledge and skill. The ultimate expression of that coursework is goal setting and collaborative problem-solving techniques utilizing performance tasks that extend beyond the classroom. The melding of the two was an obvious evolution of the concepts. Not only can the academy serve any Riverside or Beaver County student, but also Hickory High School students may engage in any of the coursework offered through the academy. The focal point of the program will be networking with ancillary coursework in the requisite programming and computer classes that will benefit a student going into the technology field.
There are many benefits to the unique program besides new coursework. The first of which is the gracious endowment through the charitable foundations set up by Mr. Turner and Mr. Bonner. These endowments will fund increased teacher training in technology and the purchasing of necessary equipment for networking courses. Perhaps most importantly, some of the top experts in the technology field will consult with the program either via videoconferencing or other mediums. The responsive nature of Mr. Turner and Mr. Bonner will also be fortified by the rapport developed between them, their staffs, and the students. This has already led to discussions of divergent pathways within technology like computer
virtualization as well as other emerging technologies. The academy will exemplify the merging of public sector and private sector for maximum educational results. We also hope to further our relationships with colleges and universities and provide collegiate level, accredited coursework as the capstone to the program. The shared resources and expertise of both of the staffs of Hickory and Riverside will be at the disposal of the students as well. The greatest benefit will be the opportunity for the students to work with other likeminded young men and women in the pursuit of their goals.
The following pages provide further information on the coursework and additional issues that arise with this undertaking. The project is in its infancy, but all parties involved are engaged and enthusiastic about its growth and potential. We believe the partnership with Mr. Turner, Mr. Bonner, the Regional Choice Initiative , and other entities, will lead to students that are better served, more engaged in 21st century learning, and ultimately more prepared for an increasingly connected world.
Student’s Technology Academy Scheduling and Course Description
Summary:
Listed below are the technology classes associated with the Technology Academy. A
brief course description for each class is on the following pages. Students will also be taking
classes toward their graduation requirements as outlined in your school’s handbook.
Grade 9 or Year 1 Grade 10 or Year 2 Grade 11 or Year 3 Grade 12 or Year 4
All Classes
Networking
Fundamentals
Networking Security
Computer Networking
Hacking
Hardware and
Operating Systems
Computer Networking
Network Security
Tech Help Desk
Web Page (HTML)
Advanced C++
Full Prep for AP Exam in
Java (2 Semesters)
Website Development
Database Management
Java
Wireless Networking
C++ (2 Semesters)
Independent Study
Computer Networking Track
Networking
Fundamentals
Networking Security
Networking Security II
Hacking
Hardware and
Operating Systems
Computer Networking
Computer Networking
II
Tech Help Desk
Web Page (HTML)
Website Development
Database Management
Independent Study
Programming Track
C++ (2 Semesters)
Advanced C++
Full Prep for AP Exam in
Java (2 Semesters)
Wireless Networking
Class Descriptions
Grade 9
• Hardware and Operating Systems (1 Semester) – Includes understanding of safety
issues, data storage, input/output devices, and troubleshooting hardware.
• Web Page (1 Semester) – Create Web pages with HTML. Learn site design, development,
and management.
• Database Management (1 Semester) – Understand design, structure, and evaluation of
database management systems. Learn to create tables, reports, and queries.
• Networking Fundamentals (1 Semester) – Learn about operating system sup to Windows
7. Learn OSI and DoD Networking, TCP/IP protocol suite introduction, and packet and protocol analysis.
• Computer Programming 1 in C++ (1 Semester) – Become proficient in sequence
selection, and iterations structures.
• Computer Programming 2 in C++ (1 Semester) – Build structured programs that are
divided into functions. The uses of pointers, data storage, and arrays are included.
Grade 10
• Network Security 1 (1 Semester) – Develop methodologies for control and audit
computerized information systems.
• Computer Networking 1 (1 Semester) – In-‐depth study of network architectures,
troubleshooting, current protocols and test connectivity.
• Advanced C++ (1 Semester) – Develop C++ programs using advanced skills and object-‐
oriented programming.
• Introduction to Java (1 Semester) – Learn basic programming structures and write
simple to moderately difficult programs.
Grade 11
• Networking Security 2 (1 Semester) – Specific control and security procedures for
various hardware platforms are analyzed.
• Computer Networking 2 (1 Semester) – Design and build various networks, configure
servers, and troubleshoot networking problem.
• Full Prep for AP Exam (2 Semesters) – Study Java at an advanced level. Students will take
the AP Computer Exam during this course.
Grade 12
• Hacking – Curriculum is currently being developed
• Tech Help Desk – Curriculum is currently being developed • Website Development – Curriculum is currently being developed • Wireless Networking – Curriculum is currently being developed • Independent Study -‐ (Project decided upon by student and instructor)
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Do students have to travel to Riverside in order to take Technology Academy classes?
A. Students do not have to travel to Riverside to take Technology Academy classes. A Polycom, provided by the Regional Choice Initiative, will be used which allows students to
videoconference into all classes depending on student and teacher scheduling. Q. Why/How was the Technology Academy created?
A. Two of our benefactors, Kasey Turner and Justin Bonner, were Riverside and Hermitage graduates working in the technology field. They saw a great demand for networking and programming in the job field and were trying to find a program or charity to help high school students. They contacted their alma maters and the Technology Academy was created to give students the skills and knowledge to work in this innovative field.
Q. I’m an upperclassman. Am I able to still take Technology Academy classes and what will my schedule look like?
A. All classes of students are able to take technology classes. Students will begin with the first set of classes in their first year in the academy(unless they have already completed the course), regardless of their age.
Q. Do I have to pick either the Computer Networking Track or the Programming Track or can I be enrolled in both tracks?
A. You have the option of picking one track, but we allow and encourage students to complete both the Computer Networking and Programming track. Students will be able to complete both tracks and still fulfill their graduation requirements.
Q. Are there any fees involved?
A. There will be no fees involved for students in the Technology Academy. All equipment and books will be provided for the students. All Regional Choice Initiative (RCI) students will be funded through the Voluntary Public School Choice Grant.
Q. Where is my home district?
A. Your current school will remain your home district. Q. Where will I graduate from?
A. You will graduate from your home district.
Q. Are there any other electives that students can take from Riverside other than Technology Academy classes through the Regional Choice Initiative?
A. Yes. Riverside currently offers both Sports Marketing and Sports History to students via Polycom. Other courses may be offered depending on student interest.
03/11/2010
Riverside grad helps implement technology program
Mark E. Crepp, Ledger StaffNORTH SEWICKLEY TWP. - A Riverside High School graduate is looking to give back to the community by helping implement a technology program and establish a college scholarship.
Kasey Turner, a 1999 Riverside graduate, as well as Justin Bonner, a 1996 graduate of Hickory High School in Hermitage, spoke to Riverside students Tuesday afternoon about the innovative program, which will begin during the next school year. A $2,500 scholarship will be presented to a June 2010 graduate of Riverside to kick off the program. A similar program is now in its fourth year at Hickory High School, and Bonner said the first scholarship recipient from there is poised to receive a degree from Columbia University this spring. Scholarships for Riverside and Hickory will be awarded through the Shenango Valley Foundation, Bonner said.
Turner, whose parents are Ken and Pam Turner of Franklin Township, has a bachelor's degree in computer engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a master's degree from John Hopkins University in Baltimore. Bonner, however, took a more "nontraditional" approach to his education, being self-taught and working within the field. He is now vice president and managing partner at Norseman Defense Technologies in Elkridge, Md. The men, who both work in the Washington, D.C., area, met in Maryland and shared their vision of providing technology education to students from their hometowns in order to keep and retain high-paying jobs within those communities.
Turner, a vice president for Vulnerability Research Labs in Columbia, Md., worked in the intelligence community before taking a position with the firm.
He sees the Riverside area as "a great place to grow up." "I left the area for a job, but that is not necessarily the way it has to be," Turner said while speaking at Monday's Riverside School Board meeting.
The program suggested by Turner and Bonner will immerse students in computer science and technology.
Turner helped set up the school district's first Web site in 1997-98 and would like to see the technology curriculum at Riverside grow. Planning for the Riverside program began in November and will focus on what students would like to gain through the program, which Michael Leitera, Riverside High School principal, describes as a
"technology academy" and "a school within a school."
The academy would allow technology students to take classes during the morning and then focus on core classes, such as English, social studies, science and mathematics, during the afternoon.
Classes will be taught by district teachers with the help of Turner and Bonner through a Polycom, an audio and video conferencing system, and Leitera is in conversations with the Community College of Beaver County and Carlow University to try to introduce college credits for the advanced work the students will be involved with. The program will focus on basics as well as allow students to pursue areas of interest within the technology field. One of the classes may have students build their own computers and then keep them.
One of the students who spoke with the men Tuesday, Jon Bucci, a Riverside senior, would like to have learned more about sound engineering, acoustics and audio mixing. Bucci also would like to see a more powerful computer lab that can run more advanced programs, especially ones that deal with "virtual machines."
Turner and Bonner challenged the students to come up with ideas for classes and even offered those who submitted the two best ideas each an iPod Touch, a handheld device that stores and plays music, movies, games, and other information.
Bonner also challenged the 20 students present to "go beyond the technology - there are no boundaries." "This is a unique and wonderful opportunity," Leitera said, adding the program is "breaking the norm." He challenged the students to "be pioneers."
In addition to helping with job creation and job growth within the community, the program will allow the students the opportunity to be creative and innovative. Turner and Bonner also promised support, not only in the classroom, but with internships and guidance for those pursuing a career in technology.
Mark E. Crepp can be reached online at [email protected].
