Every year I have the honor of writing this blog which means every year I have an opportunity to share my passion for technology education with you. The really cool thing about this is I have an endless supply of material and examples of why tech ed has such great growth potential and it only increases daily.
Look at where 2020 started and where we are today. When we talk about the new normal most people think of facial coverings, six feet of separation, and empty stadiums. I am here to tell you the masks will come off, we will get to stand next to each other, and large groups will once again gather. But what about the rest of the new normal? What about the way we are doing our jobs, going to school, or ordering food? As a society we are living the 1990’s Apple “Think Different” campaign by rethinking the way we do EVERYTHING and at the heart of this change is technology.
We are discovering there are different ways to do work, get an education, get dinner from McDonald's, sign documents, conduct meetings, and print without paper. Historically, we are at that place in time where we are putting a letter in a mailbox just before going home and creating our first AOL email account. This is not a social commentary on the pros and cons of a growing digital age but instead an acknowledgement of the development of the technology, those behind it, and the youth who are preparing for it.
I could see a time when taking computer science classes and learning about technology was for the enthusiast looking for work in a niche job market. That time is long gone. We live in a digital world where tech touches every aspect of everything we do including how you are reading this. As the new normal came upon us the medical and technology industries were at the forefront of society moving forward.
What a great time to investigate the possibilities of a career in technology.
Concordia’s computer science program offers three Purdue dual-credit classes. You can learn to code in Java, design in C#, build and compete with robots, make video games, develop tablet apps, manage digital signs, inspire in Girls Who Code, configure networks, hosting web sites, discover with Raspberry Pi, connect with Arduino, understand the silliness (especially now) of George Jetson not working from home in 2062, and maybe uncover a future you never knew existed by just trying something new to you.
Scott Storm,
Computer Science Teacher