Blog 9: EQ

1. I reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ.
2. Review the following EQs
1. What is the most important factor in healthy weight loss?
• I believe this EQ does not meet the rule of 3 criteria, factor is not plural, and therefore a student may believe that there is only one best factor to health weight loss, which will go against the need for depth of research.
2. What is most important to securing a conviction in a criminal investigation?
• Just as my answer for the first EQ, I do not believe this meets the rule of 3 criteria, as its wording implies that there is only one correct answer; it also has a strange format.
3. What is most important in creating a hairstyle that best satisfies a customer?
• This EQ has the same problem as the first two, and "best satisfies" is ambiguous as each customer is different.
4. How can an Anesthesiologist best treat chronic pain?
• This EQ could potentially have some problems as well, as chronic pain can be caused by different things.
3. Based on your review of the rule of 3 and your experience with assessing four EQs, please write another draft EQ for your senior project.
• What are significant factors that result in a successful IT department.

October Blog Post: IT & Internet Security

It goes without saying, security in IT is very important, without network security financial information for every person that uses a bank could easily have their information stolen and sold on a black market. A job in in network security can easily earn you six figures a year, and there is an ever increasing demand for network security analysts and the like ever increasing in a world that is moving many of its data to the cloud.

Plot of the salary for IS professionals throughout the US.

At Jeved management we have to worry about our online storage accounts with services such as Box and Dropbox being secure in the event of an information leak from the company. IT needs not worry just about the actual information being stored with the services being secure, but the databases owned by the companies that contain the financial and log-in information for each of the employees, as with any website that the company has its employees use.

Folder hierarchy for Jeved Management on their Box account.

In order to efficiently and effectively manage its employee's passwords, Jeved has an Enterprise account with a service called LastPass that allows the employees to have their passwords saved in a centralized database, and the IT at Jeved can set restrictions on passwords that require them to be complex.

As you can see Jeved is only using about 8% of the available features, it will be my job to setup and configure the rest of those features.

I am writing about network security and its role in IT as my research has been leading me towards articles that deal with having secure networks, but also due to a Cyber Security Fair that I attended at Cal Poly Pomona in which speakers presented on the importance of making sure things are secure in an age where there are increasing security threats everyday.

Cyber Security Fair Flyer.

An interesting and quite fun part of the Fair was on the idea of penetration testing which is where a company will hire a consultant to try to break into their system by any means necessary to find any security flaws that may exist. This included a hands on activity that made use of a $35 dollar computer the size of a credit card called the Raspberry Pi.

The Awesomeness that is the Raspberry Pi, I do own one, but I use it as a media center.

We used the Raspberry Pi to exploit weaknesses in a target computer to show how easy and scary it is for a "bad guy" to break into a computer or network and steal information or just wreck havoc. This presentation taught me that making sure your devices are up to date and have any security updates installed as our target computer was a desktop with Windows 7 that had little to no updates installed. This definitely showed the importance of making sure things are up to date as Windows 7 is what the computers at Jeved use, and is not an outdated OS either, meaning there are many more people in the world that are vulnerable to exploits.

A screenshot of metasploit being used to exploit a server, the very last line states that the user id # of the terminal that the exploit was able to open on the target server is id # 0, otherwise know as the root account which also a hacker to have full control over the server D:

Blog 8: Research and Working EQ

1.  What is your working EQ?

• What are significant factors that lead to a successful IT department?

2.  What is a possible answer to your working EQ?

• Full adaptation and use of new technologies or services in a workplace can be achieved through on-the-job training for employees.
• Extensive research of services and their implementation can help the transition between different services or workflows.

3.  What is the most important source you have used that has helped you come up with an answer to your working EQ?

• I feel that my most important source of information would have to be my mentor as she has on the job experience over many years, and I actually get to have hands-on experience. Besides that I feel my second most important source of information was the article titled "How IT workers learn in the workplace" because an IT department can be considered successful when the employees can properly use what has been put forth by the IT department, and one of the best ways to achieve that is through training.

4.  Who is your mentor, or where are you volunteering, and how does what you are doing relate to your working EQ?

• My mentor is Maria Tarozzi, IT Director at Jeved Management, and the actions she takes to improve the technology at Jeved Management are examples of possible answers to my EQ. Some of these examples include detailed documentation of services and their hiearchy, making sure all employees understand the services the company wants them to use, and searching for new services/technology to fit any of the company's needs.

Blog 7: Independent Component 1 Approval

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

• The company I am currently mentoring in, Jeved Management, is going to be purchasing new computers for the office workstations soon and I plan to help conduct the research as to what computers would be best. Ultimately I will help to set them up and make sure that all the programs and services that necessary are available.

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

• I plan to document the process of research, along with screenshots of working on computer configurations with in-depth descriptions, documentation and descriptions of the programs and services that are going to be used, and of course, photos of me in the office preparing and installing the new workstations.

3.  And explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.

• IT departments at one time or another must get new gear for the company, either for everyone or just someone whose needs aren't being met, and it is their job to research the needs of the employees and find what it will take to meet those needs for the company with the budget at hand.

4.  Post a log on the right hand side of your blog near your mentorship log and call it the independent component 1 log.

September Post

It's the end of September, and I am not too satisfied with the amount of work I've put into my mentorship this month. I was able to put in some hours of work in the beginning of September working on some more service integrations with CloudHQ and Zapier. Unfortunately some of the passwords have been changed and I have not yet received an update on what they are, so I cannot show the CloudHQ dashboard (which is too bad because I really enjoyed using CloudHQ). But here is a screenshot of one of the "Zaps" that is being used in Zapier to sync Nimble (an online CRM) with Google Contacts.

Here is a screenshot of one of the "Zaps" that is being used in Zapier

to sync Nimble (an online CRM) with Google Contacts.

Something that I think was also important was creating an IT calendar of important dates for things such as password changes, quota checks, data archival, and domain renewals. I've learned that those are some important routine tasks that
con be influential in a successful IT department (Possible EQ answers!!!!), and that was all from making a calendar to help remind the staff make sure those tasks are not forgotten.

The image above is a Agenda view of the important IT dates

for Jeved Management until Jan 1, 2014.

By looking at the calendar you can see that a pretty big day (October 1st) is coming up, and I will surely be busy completing the routine tasks. But what just may be the most important tasks are the "Service Audit" and "Service Renewal". These two tasks require the IT staff to analyse the usage of the services that are being used and those that are not. Depending on the results, services such as Google Apps will be renewed, while services such as WiseStamp will be cancelled as it is no longer needed (we have decided to replace it with BrandMyMail). A properly conducted service audit can help the infrastructure set up by IT to run more efficiently and to remove any unnecessary expenses. Therefore, I am lead to believe that Service Audits are an essential part of a successful IT department.

Blog 6: Second Interview Questions

1.  Who is your mentor and where do they work?

• Maria Tarozzi is my primary mentor and she works for Jeved Management.

2.  What five questions will ask them about their background?

• What factors led you to working in Information Technology?
• What things do you enjoy most about your job?
• What do you think is the best way to get a job in IT?
• What are the hardest things about a job in IT?
• What other jobs did you consider before choosing IT?

Blog 5 Project Reflection and Working EQ

1) What positive thing has happened as a result of what you have completed so far?

• A positive thing that happened was when I told my mentor my concerns with one of the services they were using (WiseStamp), I then researched and found a better replacement (BrandMyMail). Along with that I have completed my Interview 1, I just need to type out the transcription.

2) Pick a piece of research or your interview.  How has it helped you improve your understanding of your topic?

• I feel that the article titled Consumer Acceptance and Use of Information Technology (Source ID# 6) has given me a great deal of information on what is required for IT to be successful. From what I've read in the article, and what I've also heard from my mentor, it is IT's job to find a solution to a companies technical needs, and these needs cannot be met if the employees don't have full acceptance of the new changes.

3) What has worked for you so far in the senior project?

• Finding a mentor and a acceptable topic is what has worked, along with actually getting useful information from my mentorship that has help me create a working EQ. I also feel proud to say that I've been able to shadow my mentor on a close to regular basis.

4) What hasn't worked so far?  

• I have been able to find some research in Information Technology on my own, but it is getting increasingly difficult to find more good research. In order to get more research I am going to ask my mentors if they know of any good resources I could use when I see them again. One of the methods I've been using to find research involves searching for specific fields/topics in IT instead of just IT as a whole.

5a) What is a potential question you would like to study this year?  (working EQ)

• What makes an IT department successful?

5b) What do you plan to do for mentorship?  If you haven't found a mentor yet, then discuss where you are currently looking and who you are talking to to find it.

• I plan to continuing shadowing my current mentor to find answers to my EQ, as well as helping them out, and to ask about or find other mentors/companies that I could get more experience through mentorship. 

August Post

Over the past few weeks I've spent some of my time working on my mentorship & performing research on my topic. In that time I have come to learn that an important aspect of my topic (Information Technology) is whether or not the technology is accepted by the end users (employees, customers...), this information was from my mentor Maria Tarozzi. This was later supported in articles that I found and used for research, leading me to think that it could be a great EQ.

Currently the company I am mentoring with is trying to move it's employees from older workflows and an Exchange based email system, to a newer system that utilizes Google Apps for Buisness & other online resources. In order to make sure that each employee adapts the new model successfully temporary accounts are being set up (by me) on Google Apps under the domain TeamJeved.com, that will allow us to move users individually over time, then eventually move all the employees back to their Jeved.com accounts which will then be on a Google Apps system.

List of the users under the TeamJeved.com

Example of the company wide signature that will be added to every account using WiseStamp.

A screenshot of the Software Evaluation board under Trello, which will be used by employees to manage tasks and other to do items.

Blog 4: Interview Preperation

1. Who do you plan to interview? Why?

I plan to interview Ed Tessier for interview 1.

Interview 1 seems to be focused on finding other people in the field and resources that can help you out, and I feel that Ed Tessier can help with that as he has many connections in local & non-local businesses that he can help me find mentors in. Ed also has the perspective of knowing about IT and is considered an "end user" as well, giving him the ability to find what would be best from a front-end and back-end perspective (User & Geek Vision).

Networking, networking, networking.

2. You have to ask 5 questions. What additional questions do you plan to ask?

Are there any IT guys/gals that you know that I could shadow/mentor (other than at Jeved Management)?

Does the Fox Theatre/Glass House have an IT guy/gal?

Who can you refer me to someone who can refer me to someone else?

Blog 3: Topic Choice and Semester 1 ESLR Coals

Topic: Information Technology

ESLRs

Effective iPoly Citizen

In order to show that I'm an effective iPoly Citizen, I will to volunteer in the school office or in committees. As well as contribute to clubs that need assistance with technology, such as the Drama club/elective. Other than volunteering, I will treat students equally, including the 9th, 10th & 11th graders, and promote positive attitude among my peers. I will help others in classes so that we can all understand the subjects being taught.

Effective Learner

An effective iPoly Learner takes it upon themselves to learn, and so this year I plan to actually take notes/study when I need to, along with learning more about topics I'm interesting in at home, such as Physics. I will try to be more attentive in class than in the past. I will take what I learn in classes and incorporate it into my personal projects, such as using the physics I learned to make a computer game that requires such calculations.

Effective User of Technology

I will use technology to assist in my learning, through online learning sites like Khan Academy. I plan to use technology to document every part of my senior project. Along with using technology, I will use technology as the fundamental basis of my senior project, as robotics is technology. I will use technology to effectively share any helpful information about school online, and share my projects/school work online for colleges to see.

Effective Communicator

I will pay attention in class, and listen to presenters respectfully. I will add to any class discussion that is lacking in discussion or is in need of more input. I will communicate my ideas if they are needed during a group activity. I will communicate with my peers and/or teachers if I need any help or clarification in class.

Summer Mentorship Component

1. Mentorship Log
2. Ed Tessier (909) 994 - 590(zero)     *Web crawler prevention.   
3. Questions were raised because of the 10 hours of experience?

• Would the day to day job in IT be about the same as what I have done so far?
• What are some of the companies that I would be able to get a job in?
• Where can I find a robotics mentor?
• Why can't there be an easier way to setup online services on Google Apps?

4. What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?
I'd have to say that the most important thing I gained from this experience is what it's like being in a real life work environment. And it shows me what it may be like in other jobs.
Applied
   
5. How did what you did help you choose a topic?
I feel that this experience is making me reconsider my topic, Information Technology,  as I'm not completely enjoying it. There isn't as much challenge and critical thinking that I would like, and at times it feels like it's just a complaint department or just a consultant. After doing this mentorship I have started searching for mentors in the field of robotics, as I feel it will be a more interesting topic that satisfies my need for a challenge and technology.

Blog 1: 2013 2-Hour Presentation Reflections

Blog Assignment #1

2013 2-Hour Presentation Reflections

Now that this long and interesting two weeks of senior presentations is over I can finally do my blog assignment. Some of the presentations I saw are listed below.

Electronic Dance Music by Jorge
Designing Haunted Attraction by Lucas
Horticulture by Danielle
Criminal Investigation by Gawen
Social Media Networking by Mariah
Art Curating by Ivy
Firefighting by Joseph
Fashion by Arista
Theater Technician by Dolores
Music Journalism by Jose
Marine Conservation Bio by Eric
Body Building by Dina
Equine Assisted Therapy by Amber

After seeing these wonderful presentations, although some may have not been and have taught me what not to do for my presentation next year, I have learned many new things about a wide variety of topics, but it still leaves me with questions about senior project itself.

1. What is the actual day to day work that we have to do for senior project? Do we have to fill out papers? Logs?
2. What components do we have to do senior year? As I do not recall any mentioning any components.

From watching the presentations I have had a chance to think about what is important to a successful presentation. I feel that in order to have a successful presentation, you must be prepared and have meet all of the P requirements.

Watching these presentations has made me think about what topic I will do next year for my presentation, and so far this list is as follows.

• Quantum Computing because I LOVE (<3, 143! 143!) anything that has to do with quantum physics, and if you put that together with computers, which I also love as much, you end up with my #1 topic.
• Robotics because I find that it will be an interesting topic to learn about and present.
• Space Exploration, I love space, and therefore this is my backup topic.
• Programming because I really want to do programming, but I have to find a way to make it interesting and fun, and I'll probably have to choose something more specific than "Programming".