Futures in ICT – Collaboration Conference
Friday, April 20, 2012 St. Malachy’s Memorial High School, Saint John, NB
On April 20th, School District 8 and St. Malachy’s Memorial High School will host the Futures in Information Communication Technology (ICT) Collaboration conference in Saint John, New Brunswick, focusing on the “Business of Social Media” and the “Skill Sets in ICT”. FIT is a Canada wide program for high school students. It is designed to prepare students for a world that runs on computers. It provides high school graduates with technology and business/entrepreneurial skills as well as essential workplace skills and experience.
The FIT program focuses on developing:
- Network support capability
-Technical proficiency
-Employability/essential skills
- Business/entrepreneurship aptitude
-Multimedia development
The Focus on Information Technology (FIT) program was developed in 2001 by the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC). Many schools in New Brunswick are embracing FIT already, providing learning and career opportunities for students.
The FIT program is valuable in whatever career path a student chooses. Computers are used in every industry and profession. The work skills and experience a student gains through the FIT program are in every career. In addition to work skills and experience, by the end of the FIT program, students will have the option to write industry standard certification exams such as A+, CCNA, JAVA or Microsoft Specialist.
Numerous organizations and individuals are involved in making the April 20th event possible for teachers and ICT Industry Leaders in New Brunswick. Our organizing committee includes: Brian Gray, Technology Learning Specialist K-12, Education and Early Childhood Development, Government of New Brunswick; Denise Woods-Goldstein, (Director of Skills Development, ComptiA Canada);Tracy Biernacki-Dusza, (National Program Manager, Focus on Information Technology ICTC); Wayne Oakley, (FIT Atlantic Canada Manager with the Information and Communications Technology Council); Catherine Cooper, (Selects Sales & Operations Manager USA & Canada Pearson VUE); Elizabeth Horgan, Principal, (St.Malachy’s High School); and Raymond O’Donnell, (Department Head for Technology/Fine Arts & Co-Operative Education, Distance Education Registrar, St. Malachy’s Memorial High School).
We are looking forward to bringing New Brunswick’s Focus on Information Technology teachers together with our ICT sector partners for an exciting day of Professional Development and Collaboration. We are thrilled to have two of Saint John’s most dynamic and socially connected ICT professionals featured to speak to our guests on April 20th. These two speakers will present back to back to everyone during the morning; kicking off the event and energizing participants.
“The Business of Social Media”
“Skill Sets in ICT”
Leading up to the conference, I will blog about other interesting features of our PD session that will be sure to interest teachers and local ICT professionals alike. Our organizing committee is inviting interested members of the “Think- City sandbox” to participate together with provincial FIT teachers. We hope everyone will want to participate in the group panel discussion, networking sessions at break and lunch, and stay for teacher led PD if schedules permit in the afternoon.
See you at St. Malachy’s on April, 20th !
Future blog posts:
-ICT panel participants descriptions
-ICT topics to be discussed and shared via twitter, blog, and panel discussions
-Teacher PD session overview
-ICT Conference Reflections
