Play Games All Day with Mark James, Vice President of Technology, 2K

"Play Games All Day" was the presentation that Mark James, Director of Technology, 2K Games gave to our TLCoding Lab Students as part of the TLTalks Special Speaker Series--an enrichment program designed to inspire our students beyond their academic classes at TL. Most TL Coding students had only a vague idea of what it would be like to work in the video game industry, but James' discussion really created a thorough and accessible understanding of the experience and expertise required to work in the competitive world of the gaming industry. Our students learned that software developers do way more than "Play Games All Day!

Through artful visual metaphors James segmented the software development into 4 categories: Creative, Rendering, Physics and Game Design. He then gave examples roles and work experience for each category;--and how they work with other categories to develop aspects of the video game under the lead of the Technology Director. Our students realized that there are many people, sometimes a small army, to create a successful commercial game. Communication and collaboration were key skills of successful teams in game development. As Director of Technology, James shared how he enjoyed leading the cross collaboration between the development groups, and all games at 2K.  

Also, it was interesting to learn that at the C based languages: C++, Objective-C and C# were fundamental to program software in the gaming industry. James kept it real in terms of the extensive skill sets, professional experience and expertise to actually work at one of the top  game development companies. Advanced math and physics are fundamental to game design  and engineering in gaming. "2K won't even consider you for an internship until your at a senior level in college," said James. Many of our students understood that a solid foundation in computer science and math is the gateway to a professional role in any top gaming company.

"Keep making toys and games ...and that one day you will apply that creativity to your video game" encouraged James. "When I was about your age...I spent many hours in my bedroom teaching myself to code and how to make simple video games," and James encouraged them to stick with it! James is a self taught software engineer. James has been a leader in development at many of the top companies in the gaming industry including: Disney Lucas Arts, and Sony. He now is Director of Technology across all game titles at 2K. 2K  Games develops and publishes interactive entertainment globally for console systems, handheld gaming systems and personal computers, including smartphones and tablets, which are delivered through physical retail, digital download, online platforms and cloud streaming services. 2K publishes titles in today’s most popular gaming genres, including shooters, action, role-playing, strategy, sports, casual, and family entertainment.

The 2K label includes some of the most talented development studios in the world today, including Firaxis Games, Visual Concepts, Hangar 13, Irrational Games, 2K Marin, 2K Australia, 2K Czech, Cat Daddy Games and 2K China. 2K’s stable of high quality titles includes the critically acclaimed BioShock®, Borderlands™ and XCOM® franchises, the beloved Sid Meier’s Civilization series, the popular WWE 2K franchise and NBA 2K, the #1 rated and #1 selling basketball franchise. 2K is headquartered in Novato, California and is a wholly owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.

Thanks so much to Mark James for his generosity, inspiration, and also mentoring our eager students at TLCoding Lab!   And also a HUGE shout out from our students for the cool 2K swag!!!!

TLTalks: Access to Computer Science and Girls Who Code at TL with Director Robin Hauser Reynolds

Academic Excellence@TL's (AE@TL) new enrichment program, TLTalks has attracted a diverse range of speakers to inspire our students beyond the classroom.  As a response to initiatives supported by AE@TL in providing access to computer science and technology to all student , this Fall we recruited two of the top women in technology to speak to our students: : Lisa Secant Deluca, IBM Master Inventor & MIT's Top Innovator Under 30, and Robin Hauser Reynolds, Director, Debugging the Gender Gap in Technology.

Both speakers addressed the lack of women and people of color in computer science and technology, and the importance of creating a pipeline of students to enter computer science and STEM paths in higher education and professional fields. A common point both tech savvy speakers identified as a barrier to girls entering or continuing in computer science is that there are very few females in computer labs--as labs are typically male dominated environments with very few role models. AE@TL's new speaker series put the spotlight on this issue to raise awareness of the lack access for all student to computer science at our school and in Marin.

Like most high schools in our country, TL falls in the 90% of schools that don't include computer science as a path in the curriculum or even as an elective class. "It is ironic that our school is located only about an hour north of Silicon Valley and doesn't have programming." said Craig Taylor, Head Mentor and Co-Founder, TLCoding Lab. "TLCoding Lab is our  soloution-- a lunch time enrichment program-- that recruits all students. .... We see computer science as a necessary knowledge base for the 21st Century, and we are building a program and community that is inclusive to a diverse range of students--especially girls and students without access to the internet and tech ed outside of school." said Taylor. Why is TLCoding Lab attracting this diversity in their lunchtime enrichment program? Inclusiveness was part of TLCoding Lab's mission from the start.

TLCoding Lab now can boast that on most weeks, it has more girls than boys and about half of the students are from diverse ethnicity-- rather than the stereotype of nerdy white male students who code. Since TLCoding Lab's launch last March, it has worked hard to create an inclusive community to explore computer science and all things tech for all students. "We have more women parent mentors, than men... so from the start our program seems welcoming to our female students." said, Kelly Kaplan, Parent Mentor TLCoding Lab and Software Developer. Our online instruction through CodeHS attracts a broader group of students who might not otherwise explored computer science, as it is a weekly lunchtime enrichment program and not a class. Also, our innovative approach takes away the impact on grades or gpa as it offers self-paced learning. Our students explore computer science gradually and confidently building up logic and skill sets without required prerequisites or advanced math. Our students feel comfortable to explore and reach out to peers for support. "Even our Head Mentor is learning with our students, " said Maya Bartolf, Parent Mentor and Co-Founder, TLCoding Lab. This combination makes exploring computer science accessible for all. We hope to expand our program to be open daily for learning and innovation!

Industry professionals have provided wonderful talks to our eager young coders. "We offer a broad range of topics from app development to cyber risk management." said Craig Taylor, Head Mentor, TLCoding Lab. Thanks to TLTalks our students have had direct conversations with very accomplished women in tech!   "Their message and example have really changed the balance in our lab and we are grateful to keep attracting girls and all students as it will be a valuable skill set to have for future academic and career paths!" said Marla Myles, Parent Mentor TLCoding Lab. TLCoding Lab welcomes everyone and any student can start coding at anytime during the year! TLCoding Lab looks forward to a year of engaging our students with speakers who are doing amazing things in computer science and tech! There is no better inspiration than getting encouraged by industry professionals who are so accomplished and were once high school students! Hats-off to the many AE@TL parent volunteers who invite speakers to share and inspire our students beyond our campus!

Lessons in Coding, Generosity, and Mentorship from Lisa Seacat Deluca, Software Engineer, IBM's Master Inventor & MIT's Top Innovator Under 35

"I  wish I had something like this [TLCoding Lab] when I was in high school." tweeted Lisa Seacat Deluca, IBM's Master Inventor and MIT's Top Innovator Under 35! TLCoding Lab kicked off our new school year with a Skype Chat with Deluca.  "Lisa was incredibly generous with our students considering she made time to share with our coding students only days before the birth of twin daughters, which happen to be her second set of twins." said  Craig Taylor, Head Mentor of TLCoding Lab. From the outset of our chat, our students understood DeLuca is not only, a rock star software engineer, a super role model for women in engineering, and author of the children's book, A Robot Story, but would also soon be a working mother of 4 children under 3 years of age. An extraordinary example of a working mother with a dynamic career and family life who takes time out to mentor young girls and boys interested in programming.  Deluca taught our students volumes with her generous  mentorship and is an incredibly  accomplished software engineering and creative innovator--and an INSPIRATION to our students, especially our female students.

Deluca shared that she discover technology in high school through learning html. Then, jumped into programming by heading off to Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science in 2001. She shared that it was intimidating, and really hard as she was not the typical female student while also being a student athlete. Lisa was warned that it would be impossible to participate in a varsity  basket ball and volleyball, traveling across the country for games, while also pursuing a degree in computer science from one of the top undergrad programs in the world. "The first two years were brutal and didn't really get great grades....but I stuck with it..." shared DeLuca.

DeLuca found mostly male mentorship from her college professors and colleagues at internships as the weren't many females.  Internships-her first at IBM- helped her apply what she learned in the classroom, and  provided opportunities to deepen her love programing. She suggested that our students continue with java. "It was addicting to brainstorm about cutting edge technologies, and to pitch ideas to the company’s patent review boards." said DeLuca.  It is no doubt that Deluca holds the record for the most patents with 397 in the history of IBM.

Our chat ended with a Q & A with a handful of questions for DeLuca that reflected the range of knowledge of our beginner to more advanced students. She also offered for our students to reach out to her with questions as they grow as programmers. The take-away for our students is that do what you love, take risks, and that computer science is a wonderful career path for all students affording lifestyle flexibility and a plethora of opportunities in many field--especially for women.  Now that she is a working mother, she really appreciates the flexible work schedules and ability to work at home.  DeLuca is proud of her accomplishments as an engineer and woman, and it is clear that she loves what she does, and finds mentoring young girls and boys even more rewarding .  TLCoding Lab thanks our brilliant role model, Lisa Seacat DeLuca for inspiring lessons in coding, generosity and mentorship.

A Gift To Our Class of 2015: Finance & Philanthropy

To better prepare our soon to be graduates for future endeavors beyond TL, Academic Excellence@TL held it’s second annual seminar on Finance & Philanthropy --a seminar designed for our seniors to be introdued to the fundamentals of personal finance, and to foster a greater understanding of the power of giving back to community. Amanda Weitman, Former Chair of Academic Excellence@TL 2014, and Vice President Wells Fargo Private Bank, along with her associates at Marin Community Foundation (MCF) generously developed this two-day seminar to provide our graduates with the tools and knowledge to make smart financial choices and  to engage in mindful philanthropy early in life. Understanding personal finance early in life allows students to gain control of their financial lives to enable them to follow their passions and dreams to make a difference in the world. AE@TL seeks to provide enrichment programs to better prepare our students for their endeavors beyond TL.  

 Personal Finance 101

"Does money buy you happiness?"  Weitman asked our eager seniors, while exploring how personal finance gives one the freedom and ability to accomplish their dreams. Our students learned that money affects how you lead your life, and how choices become limited without it. The impacts of college debt was a topic that immediately grabbed the attention of our student audience.  Weitman then shared engaging stories of people with tremendous income, who were also in debt, and living pay check to pay check; underscoring the importance of financial literacy. The eye-opening numbers and graphs she projected on to the screen added up to show how nearly impossible it is to live in Marin on $10 per hour. Our students also learned how making smart financial choices early in life frees one from being imprisoned by the stuff one owns, being stuck in your job, and living paycheck to paycheck. The take-away for our students was a strong understanding of personal finance early in life; enables you to take control of the kind of life that you want to live; and allows you to follow your passions and focus on what really matters to you. Our students left the seminar with a greater sense of personal empowerment and more ready to understand how their finances impact them as young adults.

Spirit of Philanthropy

"Philanthropy is about a spirit...," explained Brian Van Weele, Director Philanthropic Planning, MCF and TL alum, Class '81; while identifying that the best examples of philanthropy integrate personal passions and values with the goals of the organization or cause that one supports.  The MCF team guided the class of 2015 through a rich understanding of the spirit of giving back to your community in time, talent or treasure for the common good. Students explored questions like: What is philanthropy, and its role in society today? How is it practiced? And, what are the benefits to the giver and receiver?  To illustrate the tremendous need for support of the poor in our global community,  MCF incorporated stories from the award-winning book by Thomas A. Nazario,  Living On A Dollar A Day.  The book shares the personal stories of some the poorest of the poor, honoring their lives, their struggles, and encouraging action in those who can help.  MCF team also brought the discussion closer to home and raised awareness of the large number of nonprofits in Marin, as well as, the opportunities to support the needs of the underserved in health care, education and environment. Moreover, MCF provided perspective on the many opportunities, in addition to financial support, to give back and make a difference by volunteering in our own community; including donating time, skills and expertise. MCF leaders fostered an understanding and encouragement of charitable behavior, to  empower our students to take action for things they deeply care about for the common good in their communities and lives--a wonderful gift to take with them when they head out into the world beyond TL.

A Gift to Our Students & Community

Team MCF concluded with a mindful activity of giving back to our students, and also to our community. MCF generously gave $1,000 to a local nonprofit on behalf of TL graduating seniors as their 2015 class gift. In a vote, the Class of 2015 selected the recipient of their class gift, following a presentation by MCF of three diverse local non-profits as possible grantees: OMA Village, Maker Mobile, and WildCare. OMA Village, a new residential housing facility for 14 homeless families in Marin, won the vote as grantee for their class gift.  It was no surprise for this savvy class to take action and support people over education and the environment; reflecting their concerns for the homeless in their community. WildCare was the runner up, reflecting our graduating class' close connection to the environment they share with our local wildlife. TL Class of 2015 thanks our friends at the MCF for sponsoring their class gift in such a memorable and meaningful way!

Thank you for your Generosity

Our hats-off to Amanda Weitman and the MCF team: Dine Demarlie, Linda Sweeney, and Brian Van Weele, for providing powerful seminars on giving back to community, and for educating students on the basic skill sets for personal financial responsibility and management that will enable our students to do the things that matter most to them, while making a difference in their world beyond TL. 

2D + 3D = Art Beyond TL

2D + 3D = Art Ceramics and Works on Paper Created by Visual Artists at Terra Linda High School,  kicked off Art Beyond TL, a new enrichment opportunity for art students to show their work and to learn how to curate exhibits, while sharing their creative expression with a broader audience beyond their campus.  Art Works Downtown (AWD), a local gallery and art center in San Rafael, generously partnered with our art teachers, Katy Bernheim, and Elizabeth Galbreath to create this opportunity for our students. It was exciting to see our students exhibit with professional artists that exhibit and create art in the many studios at AWD. 2D + 3D= Art's opening coincided with the monthly 2nd Friday Art Walk Celebration on 4th Street, so their work was shared by many who visited AWD for a wonderful evening of art, music, and food! The exhibit is opened through April 4, so their is still time to see it! Our hats-off to AWD  for sponsorship, and to our wonderful art tearchers, Katy Bernheim and Elizabeth Galbreath for organizing this show for their students.

Bill McKibben Skype Chat Launches TLTalks

A Skype chat with Bill McKibben, world renown environmental writer, journalist and founder of 350.org , launched our new special speaker series, TLTalks on Friday March 6,  to compliment, enrich, and inspire learning at Terra Linda High School (TL).  Mr. David Tow, English and Journalism teacher at TL,  reached out to Academic Excellence@TL to find a journalist to  speak to his class to provide more enriched  learning for his journalist students, and Mr. Madsen's environmental studies class was invited when we confirmed Bill's talk!   In addition to the unique knowledge and insight into journalism and climate change and environmental advocacy, the Skype chat offered extended enrichment to these wonderfully eager students as they were extremely well-prepared spending class time : researching his writing and articles on the environment; and also McKibben's book, Earth is a text for the  Junior SEL Class. Also, it was great to see faculty and students working together to prepare for the special Skype chat: assisting with special technology,  room set-up in the library, and even having students run the video cameras. The students and teachers were extremely appreciative of this unique opportunity and expressed their thanks thanks with a huge round of applause for Bill McKibben and AE@TL! A Senior journalism student approached the AE@TL team after the event to personally thank us and express that it was one of the best experiences  at TL! Hats-off to Mr. Tow and Mr. Madsen for leading the discussion and a wonderful Q & A session! They could both have careers in broadcast!