Category: Tech Job Scene

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Digital Directive: The NY Observer Interview

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A few months back I was questioned by a writer from the New York Observer on my role as the Academic Director of the Communication and Media program at the CUNY School of Professional Studies (SPS). The writer was interested in discussing the online nature of my program and what sets it apart from other traditional and internet based learning environments. Well, today I found out that I was prominently quoted in the Educated Observer, a special advertising supplement to the NY Observer, on the work we are doing over at SPS.

A digital copy of the article, and my statements on the programs at SPS, can be found here.

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CUNY SPS – New Office Space

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Today was my first day at the new office. There is a ton of work that needs to be done and I am looking forward to getting underway. I have been asked to take charge of the Communication and Media program at the CUNY School of Professional Studies and to help redefine the degree in light of the recent technological and societal shifts brought forth by digital innovation.

I must say that it was kinda weird to be Continue reading “CUNY SPS – New Office Space”

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You will be missed

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I was saddened to hear that Red Burns, founder of NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program, passed away earlier this week. Red was my academic adviser and one of the first people that I met when I arrived to study at ITP in the late 90s. Oddly enough, despite her small stature, she was also one of the most intimidating people I have ever met. And I say that as a person that is not easily intimidated. My first impression of Red was that she was not someone to trifle with, piss off, or just generally wind up on her bad side. Over time I was fortunate to see that there was a kinder and gentler side to her. Red cared deeply for her students, but she demanded the best from them. She was a formidable personality and utterly fearless in her approach to life.

Over the past few days my Facebook and Twitter feeds have been inundated by posts from friends and fellow ITP students who were influenced heavily by Red. She was truly a pioneer in the fields of tech education and digital expression. The overwhelming theme that comes through in all of the posts is that Red, and the program that she created, changed their lives for the better. Continue reading “You will be missed”

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Game Changers: The Community College Journal Interview

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I had been so busy toward the end of the semester that I had forgotten that a few months back I was interviewed on the curriculum changes that I had put in place for the LaGuardia New Media Technology program. Steve Zurier of the Community College Journal contacted me to see if I would be interested in talking to him about some of the emerging technologies impacting digital media programs.

It appears that he wanted to feature my comments under a section on media literacy in his article. I agreed to speak with him and discuss the challenges in developing a technology based curriculum to address the changing economic and educational shifts facing college students. Since I had given a fair amount of thought on the subject over the past year due to having to draft the Periodic Program Review (PPR) for the New Media major, I hoped the interview would be painless. Luckily it was straight forward like I assumed. I am quoted in the piece on my approach to digital media curriculum design.

A digital copy of the article can be found here.

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Yipit…..Yipit good!

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The “agita” that I was feeling yesterday over my preparation, or lack thereof, for my iOS programming course started to ease today.  A large part of the reason for that was that Vin Vacanti, the founder Yipit.com, spoke to our class on the topics of entrepreneurship and tech startup creation. Yipit is a daily deal aggregator that recommends personalized daily deals from websites such as Groupon, LivingSocial, Gilt City and dozens more.

I have listened to many speakers over the years and I would have to say that Vin was one of the best. He offered excellent insight on the mindset of the success entrepreneur. He took us through his process for starting and implementing a new business. The main take away from his speech was that while learning to code is very important, don’t be afraid to go implement manual processes, especially in the startup phase of your venture. I would highly recommend that anyone interested in starting a business to check out his blog (http://viniciusvacanti.com/).

However, I still have a ton of catch up to do on the iOS programming.

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iOS Code training

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As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am finally getting around to learning Objective C. It has been a few years since I have worked with a language like C. I knew it was time to rededicate myself to coding, however I was nervous that time away may has taken a bit of a toll on my skills. The brain is like a muscle in some regards. I am having to use parts of my brain I haven’t used in a long while. I guess I have focused too much on academic publishing instead of coding and pure development lately. When you combine that with programming within Continue reading “iOS Code training”

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The Periodic Program Review, or I’m down with PPR!

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Every five to seven years academic degree programs in the CUNY system have to undergo a process called a Periodic Program Review (PPR). The PPR is an in depth look at the academic major under review from a programmatic,  institutional, and industry wide perspective. The ultimate goal of the PPR is to begin an honest review of the program effectiveness which will then be used to help to guide the evolution of the major for the next five to seven years. Because I am the sole full time New Media faculty member, the research and drafting of the report for the LaGuardia New Media Technology program became  Continue reading “The Periodic Program Review, or I’m down with PPR!”

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iPad & iPhone Development Training

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Just got the word that I got accepted into a native iPad/iPhone app development course at Access Code NYC. I was one of the 20 people selected out of 200 applicants. I am psyched up because while I have developed some mobile apps using third party applications and frameworks like PhoneGap and Adobe AIR, this will be my first foray into native programming for Apple devices. Objective C here I come! Luckily I purchased a Mac Mini a few months back in preparation for a course like this one.

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Mobile App Training with AS3 and Adobe AIR

One of the areas in new media that is experiencing phenomenal growth is mobile app development. Students see a large audience using smartphones and tablets, and as developers and entrepreneurs they want in on the market. I can’t blame them. I want in as well. Truth The money is good and the future for mobile devises is very strong. Due to the pressure of meeting my academic commitments I have been putting off training in mobile app development for the past year. Part of the issue was finding a quality school that teaches the material I needed at a reasonable price. This was Continue reading “Mobile App Training with AS3 and Adobe AIR”

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Presentation: Creating a CUNY-wide approach towards Digital Media Programs

The above video was from a presentation and panel discussion held at John Jay College’s 10th Annual City University of New York (CUNY) IT Conference. The emerging nature of Digital Media has challenged the ability of universities to adapt to a rapidly changing landscape. Due to the evolution of these new disciplines, and the speed in which cross-disciplinary technical innovations are implemented in programs with a digital media focus, very few universal standards are in place for instruction and assessment.

In order to set the stage for the panel discussion, my presentation focused on what I believe are some of the major issues facing digital media programs within CUNY. The panel group, assembled from my colleagues from various CUNY institutions, discussed specific strategies that the university could implement to prepare our digital media programs for the future.

Panel participants included:

Continue reading “Presentation: Creating a CUNY-wide approach towards Digital Media Programs”