The Sentinel: Mathematics

Joining the tech workforce is easier than you might think

(StatePoint Media) -- More than 12 million people are currently employed in tech-related occupations in the U.S., either as information technology (IT) professionals or employees of technology companies. Yet employer demand for tech workers is still strong in many markets and industries, including technology, financial services, manufacturing, retail, healthcare, government and education.

Tech jobs in Champaign County are plentiful at the moment. Technology Services at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is currently accepting applications for three positions on their Managed IT Services teams. Four days ago, Revature was seeking software developers and Niemann Foods advertised an opening for a Network Administrator with a starting pay at $40K annually.

Most people assume that tech jobs require the ability to write computer or application code. Companies are looking for employees who can solve problems creatively as well as help businesses operate more efficiently and profitably.

Photo:ThisIsEngineering/Pexels

The County of Champaign Forest Preserve in Mahomet posted an opening for an part-time IT Technician on April 1. Jeld-Wen in Rantoul recently had an opening for a Senior IT Business Operations Specialist who would support training, data and other technical needs for the company and its business partners.

Unfortunately, misperceptions about tech occupations persist. People assume that in such jobs, you’re relegated to working alone writing software code or that you need to be a math genius or have an advanced academic degree to even get your foot in the door. These misperceptions can discourage qualified candidates from exploring career options in the IT field.

"Today’s IT professional plays a leading role in virtually every business and industry, identifying innovation and technologies that can determine the future of an organization," says John McGlinchey, executive vice president for global certification with CompTIA, a nonprofit association for the IT industry. "Companies are eager to hire people who communicate effectively, are comfortable working as part of a team and are creative in identifying how to use technology to make a business more efficient and profitable."

If you don’t believe technology is a viable career choice, consider all of the things you’ve done today that are made possible by technology

In fact, 62% of executives surveyed for CompTIA’s "Workforce and Learning Trends 2020" report ranked soft skills such as relationship building, persuasion, integrity and confidence with equal importance to hard technical skills when it came to hiring for their tech workforce.

For anyone thinking about a career in tech, the best first step is to learn more about the technologies of today and tomorrow, and the occupations associated with these innovations. Many free resources are available. Here are three examples:

The Future of Tech (www.futureoftech.org) is a growing library of resources on what’s new and what’s next in the world of technology. Topics such as artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, big data and the internet of things are highlighted on the site, which is designed for anyone interested in learning more about technologies that are shaping the way we live and work.

The IT Career Roadmap (www.comptia.org/content/it-careers-path-roadmap) offers insights into a variety of career paths, including tech support, networking, cybersecurity, data and software and web development.

The IT Salary Calculator (https://www.comptia.org/content/it-salary-calculator) allows you to explore salary estimates for different tech occupations at different levels of expertise. The calculator includes salary data from 400 different metropolitan areas covering 85% of the U.S. population, from an IT support specialist in Portland, Maine ($52,750) to a cybersecurity analyst in Portland, Ore. ($101,530).

"If you don’t believe technology is a viable career choice, consider all of the things you’ve done today that are made possible by technology -- from the car you drive and the streaming entertainment channels you enjoy to a telehealth visit with your doctor and the ease and efficiency of online banking," says McGlinchey.

The IT field is no longer a world of pocket protectors and motherboards. With more people using more devices than ever before to stay connected to one another, industry experts say that today’s IT workforce is open for business for anyone with great curiosity, creativity, personality and versatility.

Make online learning easier, three useful remote learning tools

StatePoint Media

Photo by Matthew Henry from Burst

The past year has demonstrated the importance of digital learning. And thanks to a variety of tools and resources that helped make remote instruction a little less stressful on everyone, teachers, students and parents quickly adapted to the changes brought on by the pandemic.

Music

Music has been a particularly difficult subject to provide instruction for at a distance. However, educational foundations have risen to the occasion by creating a trove of resources to aid learning. For example, the Save the Music Foundation provides free activities for families, tools for educators to create their own online tutorials and more.

Mathematics

Remote learning has only added new challenges to an already difficult subject. The good news is that online tools are helping fill the gaps created by the new normal. Check out the Casio Cares education site, which is chock full of free math resources for students, parents and educators. Tools include emulator calculator software, curriculum support materials, live webinars and remotely-delivered teacher training. Plus, Casio’s free all-in-one web-based mathematics software, ClassPad.net, which is geared for K-12 and beyond, delivers an accessible, interactive and personalized approach to mathematics. Its functions include graphing, geometry, calculation, statistics and more.

In addition to online activities and video tutorials, Casio also offers a weekly educational webinar series focused on mathematics on its YouTube channel, covering such subjects as elementary and middle school math, algebra I and II, geometry, pre-calculus, calculus and statistics. All webinars are recorded and can be accessed any time.

Creative Writing

English and creative writing teachers are turning to new platforms to help build their student’s writing skills in a variety of creative genres. One example is Storybird, which features hundreds of courses and challenges. If your child’s teachers haven’t caught onto the trend, no worries, parents can also sign up for an account for their children.

Even after classrooms reopen nationwide, one thing is certain, with so many amazing resources available to help educators teach and students learn, digital learning tools are here to stay.

ViewPoint | African-American Children Are Brilliant in Mathematics

by Dr. Kirk Kirkwood, Ed.D.

African-American Children Are Brilliant in Mathematics: Why Don't the Numbers Agree?

Unfortunately, African-American K-12 students have become familiar with the achievement gap narrative, suggesting there are disparities in their ability to learn math compared to their non-African-American peers. Further, they are more likely to be taught by underprepared teachers who often struggle with Mathematics Common Core Standards, specifically how to teach the content in a relevant and engaging way.

Many African-American students arrive home from school seeking additional mathematics support. They often encounter parents/caregivers who have developed a phobia (and trauma) around mathematics due to similar classroom experiences. In some regards, African-American communities perceive an inherent deficiency in math abilities, specifically in the K-12 context—this is absolutely untrue.

Although a year-end mathematics assessment does not indicate a students' capacity to succeed in college or life, it provides some insight into how formalized K-12 classroom settings support them. Among all subgroups (e.g., Asian, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, Two or More Races), African-American fourth and eighth-graders performed the lowest in mathematics National Assessment of Educational Progress (also known as the Nation's Report Card).

The overall score equates to below basic level of understanding of mathematical content. If these patterns continue, roughly 80% of African-American students attending public schools will require some form of intervention to succeed in entry-level college coursework after high school.

It is essential to note implicit biases in curricula developed primarily by white males who have little to no connection with the students reading their textbooks. Year-end assessments (including how questions are framed), emphasizing individual knowledge rather than collective/collaborative efforts to engage the content, continue to baffle African-American students. Furthermore, instructional practices are often mundane and offer minimal enjoyable moments.

Collectively, we can shift the paradigm for African-American students.

Math classrooms have become hostile learning spaces. African-American K-12 learners resent their teachers, loathe the subject matter, and look forward to activities and courses to thrive and realize how the content can be beneficial for them both now and in the future. So, how do we revisit and begin to reconceptualize how African-American children perceived their mathematical abilities?

As African-American students experience math, parents/caregivers, communities, and schools must acknowledge (repeatedly) that African-American students are brilliant. They deserve constant encouragement and a reminder of their rich history with mathematics.

The first mathematicians were African. Northern Africans created the first innovative mathematical tool (the Ishango Bone), Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan (African-American women featured in the movie Hidden Figures) elevated NASA to innovative technological advancements unseen.

Parents/caregivers, communities, and schools must collaborate to empower students to realize their gifts. Robert Moses, the Algebra Project creator, adopted the 1960s political community organizing a framework to promote mathematics literacy for students. It involved a collective response to an emerging challenge; therefore, he offered a practical guide to mathematics, including manipulatives, games, and drumming to engage students in math learnings.

Games such as Dominoes, Spades, and Uno are favorites among African-American families, and they require advanced Number Sense. Why not have a game night to showcase how parents/caregivers have thrived in these activities. Additionally, fantasy leagues, e.g., points per game, rebounds per game, assist, and free throws, provide enjoyable opportunities to showcase the appreciation of numbers.

In collaboration with Drs. Ernest Black, Fred Uy, and Patrice Waller, the California State University system, and CalStateTEACH have developed a Math Literacy Project to support Elementary School teachers' efficacy and ability to offer students culturally rich learning opportunities. Currently, partnering with over 200 educators at ISANA Academies to enhance their math instructional practice. The outcome will lead to African-American students' greater affinity and appreciation of math.

Collectively, we can shift the paradigm for African-American students.

They are too gifted and precious to allow the disdain for math to continue. Let's take action, strengthen our resolve, and become active in our intent to support them. If we let them down, we face an uncertain future. However, if we lean in to ensure that they are empowered, the Hidden Figures of the past will rise again as conscientious contributors of a math affirming environment for African-American children.

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Dr. Kirk Kirkwood is the Southern California Regional Director of CalStateTEACH, the California State University System's statewide credential program. He is also Executive Director at Village Life Education. He earned his PhD in P – 12 Educational Leadership from California State University, Fullerton.

Photo by Matthew Henry/Burst

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