09.+Team+4

Hello Team!

Presentation is due on **November 28.**

The paper has been submitted. Thank you, great teamwork! Kim


 * The successful combination**

The philosophy of education has been around for many centuries and although subjects have been added and changed to meet the influences of society, the core idea of education remains the same. Education was created for the good of society and for the good of oneself. It is a stepping stone that brings us closer to meeting the ultimate human fulfillment, self actualization. Self actualization according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is the last need humans seek out and is obtained through life-long knowledge and peak experiences that lead to higher thinking where “breadth of knowledge” through a liberal education is believed to be the core factor. The Network Age has changed the way educators integrate liberal studies such as mathematics and the arts into technical fields, but the need for students to learn the fundamentals of these two disciplines remains unchanged. The study of mathematics and the arts are an integral part of obtaining an education necessary to display “breadth of knowledge” within a particular field, i.e. economics, accounting, information technology, finance, business management, engineering, etc… Fundamental knowledge in the field of mathematics and the arts provides essential skills to technical students that can assist in a successful career and a fulfilled life. Problem solving and quantitative reasoning are essential skills learned from the fundamentals of Mathematics and are used in many different areas of I.T. A mathematical foundation is considered the backbone of many career paths and with today’s emphasis on technology, the relationship between mathematics and information technology is stronger than ever. Today’s sophisticated networks play a key role in the daily operations of businesses across a wide variety of industries which creates a great need to hire highly qualified IT professionals with flexible skills and a strong foundation in mathematics who can respond to the fast paced world of IT. Many companies not only rely on their IT department for “technical support”, but now the typical IT department has grown to become a vital source of the businesses strategic planning. The stereotype in today’s workforce is that IT professionals seem to lack breadth in the field, and instead, focus on obtaining depth of knowledge in a particular specialty. Not only are “soft skills”, such as customer relations, presentation ability, and teamwork important in the workplace, when considering the demands placed upon current IT professionals, graduates need to understand the importance of obtaining the advanced mathematical skills used in the IT sector. Building a strong foundation in mathematics can be done by studying courses such as Algebra I &II, Geometry, Trigonometry, Statistics, Calculus, Applied Physics, and Computer Applications. When considering a specific field in IT, a broad understanding of advanced mathematics and its applications are essential when it comes to earning Microsoft, Cisco or CompTIA certifications. To put in prospective how direct the relationship is between mathematics and certain tasks involved with being an IT professional consider this. · IP Addressing requires knowledge dealing with binary code and exponentials. · Principles of Wireless Technology deals with wavelengths, and electromagnetic spectrum. · Troubleshooting common network related issues often draw correlation from working with algorithms, logic, Boolean algebra, and complex problem solving. Computer technicians often draw on their math skills when performing tasks such as transforming bits to bytes using powers, deciphering code using multiple variables, calculating the likelihood of an event using permutations and combinations, and constructing truth tables to determine the outcomes. These mathematical skills can be obtained by taking courses such Algebra II, Linear Algebra, Plane Geometry, Statistics, Discrete Mathematics, Calculus, among others. The ability of IT professionals to resolve real world problems stems directly from the fact that the within almost any technical related issue, there is a logical, mathematical solution. From an engineering standpoint, the design and implementation of a network involves the calculation of network equipment, cabling, electrical demands on the network, etc… This job function would require the use of algebraic and numerical operations as well as statistical data analysis. Once the physical portion of the network has been dealt with, engineers would begin linking multiple networks together and essentially giving all devices on the network the ability to communicate with each other from a virtual standpoint. Assigning IP addresses on the network would see the engineers using their knowledge in binary code and exponentials (as stated in the bulleted list above) to accomplish this. The maintenance, troubleshooting and overall management of an IT infrastructure often utilizes algorithms, Boolean algebra, and problem solving in order to effectively and precisely address network issues. Some may look at the subject of mathematics as something they may not utilize in depth while in the workplace. You can even go so far as to say some people feel that with the advancements made in technology, they can rely on computers to perform mathematical functions for them. But the truth of the matter is, without the foundation of mathematics, there really is no information technology. As mathematics plays an integral role in I.T. so too does the field of art. Value skills are essential skills learned from the fundamentals of Art. Education in visual arts can teach I.T. professionals how to visualize. The idea of being able to visualize tasks and needs will make an I.T professional more valuable and give them a competitive edge over someone who lacks this skill. The field of visual arts can also enhance personal development by teaching such value skills that show people how to communicate without talking using one or more of the many different visual arts forms. It is worthy to note how important the thought of visualizing something is. It is obvious that personal attributes acquired from learning visual arts, such as visualization and value skills can be used in any career, but it is especially important in I.T. because visualizing what needs to be done or the way it can be done, is essential to complete the task or project. The visual arts specifically are art forms that are visual in nature like drawing, painting, sculpting, design, photography, film, and architecture. The term visual arts was created in the 20th century when the term fine arts was split into three separate categories and became visual arts, auditory arts, and performance arts. These categories aimed to help separate and define the different art categories. The areas one might study in the field of visual arts are ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpting, design, photography, film, printmaking, crafts, and architecture along with the more modern visual arts such as photography, video, and filmmaking. The field of art in general has hundreds of careers to choose from and it is interesting to note just how many different careers there are. Careers related to visual arts cover a wide spectrum from teaching every kind of visual art to designing many types of media and products to decorators, historians, cartoonists, printers, tattooists, photographers, entrepreneurs, and sign makers to name a few. All areas of study and careers in the field of art effect and influence the information systems world, but none as much as the visual arts. The same I.T. professionals who gain value skills from learning about visual arts are responsible for the Information systems used in the field of visual arts to store, communicate and transfer data. In most cases this requires the transfer of large amounts of data from place to place as well as storage and manipulation of large amounts of information. Most of the data is linked to the visual arts alone and can be found in the form of photos, videos, designs, and films. In the past, visual arts have forced information systems to grow massive to accommodate the art’s colossal data requirements and this fact still continues today. I.S. remains challenged to grow even bigger to accommodate the technical desires of those in the field of visual arts. The study of visual arts can prove to be beneficaial to I.T. professional and others by learning important value skills such as visualization. At the same time the relationship between the field of visual arts and information systems are intertwined through technical aspects making the world of the arts and the world of I.T. more compatible and necessary than ever. A higher education through liberal studies has been around since the First Century B.C. and thus has proven to be the key to obtaining life-long knowledge and creating peak experiences that lead to higher thinking. The Network Age requires I.T. professionals to have deep technical skills, but it is equally important in this age to have problem solving and quantitative reasoning skills that the foundations of math teach along with value skills that visual arts teach. Learning the foundations of mathematics results in I.T. professionals being able to solve real world problems and learning the foundations of visual arts results in I.T. professionals being able to visualize, a value skill needed to complete tasks and projects. What is learned from liberal arts is what creates “breadth of knowledge” therefore, combining technical studies and liberal arts together is the combination to success.

Works Cited

//Mathematics At Work//. (2008, April). Retrieved November 19, 2010, from Achieve, Inc.: http://www.achieve.org/files/MathAtWork-IT.pdf McGee, M. K. (2006, January 2). //Skills That Will Matter//. Retrieved November 19, 2010, from Information Week: http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=175701264 Peter J. Denning, R. D. (2001). The Profession of IT. //Communications of the ACM//, 5. //Why Study Mathematics?// (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2010, from NYU: http://www.math.nyu.edu/degree/phd/why.html

Huitt, W. (2007)Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Educational Psychology interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved from, []

Esaak, Shelley. "What Is Visual Art - The Meaning of Visual Art Explained." //Art History Resources for Students, Enthusiasts, Artists and Educators - Artist Biographies - Art Timelines - Images and Picture Galleries//. About.com. Web. 25 Nov. 2010. < [] >. "Visual Arts Career Guide and Art Resources on the Web." //Vocational Information Center: Career and Technical Education Resources//. Web. 25 Nov. 2010. < [] >.