Hacking, Encryption, Operating Systems. If these words are unfamiliar to you, you may find yourself taking a trip to room A11 during F period. The new cybersecurity class, taught by long-time math teacher Mr. Madura, aims to help students become better digital citizens and know right from wrong and why technology works the way it does.
Starting this year, the new elective, Cybersecurity, was added to the curriculum. Cybersecurity, taught by John Madura is located in the lower A wing (the tech wing). In this class, “students get to practice protecting, acting, and improving the security of their devices,” said Madura. However, what makes this class most interesting is the teacher himself and his background.
Before his teaching job, Mr. Madura worked for the warfare information office as a cryptologist, in the Navy for 5 years. He had many experiences throughout his time, which makes every day’s lessons more exciting. He worked against human networks both in the US and nationally. So, when choosing who was going to teach this new class, Mr. Madura was by far the best option.
Mr. Madura has tried to bring his knowledge from the real world to class. The average day is usually the same routine with new, in-depth lessons. A student will start class with an introduction video from CodeHS, a coding platform that outlines lessons and makes it easier for teachers and students to navigate the information. After watching and learning from the video, the student will then move to whiteboards around the room with their group and answer starter questions. Mr. Madura uses this technique because it “allows him to see students work, it fosters collaboration, and allows students to answer each other.” This helps to prepare the students for the lesson they are going to learn. After this group work, the class shares their answers and discusses how they can be useful in today’s society. During this time, students often take the time to ask many questions that can be applied to the life of a high schooler. The class then transitions to an online packet, where articles and simulators are teaching the lesson. With this also comes questions and a short quiz for the students to test their new knowledge.
As the semester moves along, Mr. Madura is hoping that the students that were signed up for this class with little knowledge, leave the semester knowing more about their data. Including what “opportunities this knowledge will give them in the future.” He is hoping that the “students can get the community more involved” and “impact other students who didn’t get the opportunity to take the class.” He hopes to make this a full-year class to fully cover all the information. He also hopes that students seek opportunities to get internships and find interest in career paths surrounding cybersecurity.
