Keystone Species Research PaperThis writing assignment is desi.docx

Keystone Species Research Paper
This writing assignment is designed to provide opportunities for
the student to find, evaluate, select, synthesize, organize, cite,
and present information and arguments clearly and effectively
for understanding scientific issues on personal, societal, and
global levels.
Your Aunt Gertrude recently wrote you a letter mentioning a
news story she saw about a mysterious disease that causes sea
stars to disintegrate. “I don’t know why there’s so much fuss
about sea stars,” she writes. “They just sit there all day in the
ocean and as far as I’m concerned, who would even notice if
they disappeared? Those scientists should take all that time and
money they’re spending on sea stars and put it to good use
saving the whales instead!” Knowing you are enrolled in a
biology course, your aunt wants to know what you think about
the subject. Remember your
aunt is smart but has not taken a biology course in many years.
Your response to her needs to be concise and clear, but
understandable by a non-scientist.
Write a well-researched letter to your aunt that addresses the
following key points (allocate 1 – 2 paragraphs for each point):
1. What is a keystone species? Explain why sea stars are
considered a keystone species in their
community.
2. Explain the potential causes for sea star wasting disease,
and describe the scientific evidence
for each cause.
3. Which cause or causes of the disease may be attributable to
the actions of humans? Explain
how human actions can be linked to the spread of this disease in
sea star populations.

4. Do you think it is important for people to protect keystone
species from decline, such as
taking measures to prevent wasting disease in sea stars? Is it
important to protect keystone species regardless of whether
humans are responsible for the species decline? Explain your
opinion to your aunt. Be sure to support your opinion with
evidence.
*NOTE: Your entire paper, even parts that ask for your opinion,
must be well supported by evidence. Having a good number of
quality references will help in this regard.
Assigned article (must read and use in your paper):
Lopatto, E. (2014, November 18). In search of the starfish
killer: the quest to save the original keystone species. The
Verge
http://www.theverge.com/2014/11/18/7222479/starfish-wasting-
quest-save-keystone-species
Total number of references (3):
You must use and reference the above article and at least two
additional sources for this paper, making the minimum number
of references for your paper 3. You may review relevant
chapters in your textbook and use other sources to fill in
missing information.
It is important that your response to your aunt be thoroughly
researched and clearly written. You should define all your terms
and be concise (1,000 words maximum). This assignment is
designed to give you the experience of applying your knowledge
of biology to a current controversy or topic of interest. You
will use this experience as an informed citizen and consumer
when making decisions in the future that involve biology.
(
Page
1

of
4
)
Other resources
.
Secondary Sources: You may also find relevant articles in
recent newspapers, popular magazines,
or popular science journals. These are referred to as
“secondary” sources, since they describe research that was
published elsewhere. Examples of these include The New York
Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Time, Scientific
American, Discover, New Scientist, and Science News.
Websites: If you choose to use a website, be aware that most
websites are not peer-reviewed, and often present inaccurate
information. Examples of excellent websites include those of
the National Academy of Science, the National Institute of
Health, the Centers for Disease Control, and WebMD. If
you are unsure of the appropriateness of a website, check with
your instructor.
The structure of your paper
• Be sure to cover all four points mentioned above and define
all technical terms that you use.
•Your paper must be between 750 to 1000 words (not including
references). Your paper should be double-spaced with one-inch
margins, using 12 point Times New Roman font. No cover page
is required.
•You are not allowed to include any quotes in your paper. All
of your writing must beoriginal. You must paraphrase ideas
from the literature, even if you provide an in-text citation.
•Information and ideas that are paraphrased must be

accompanied by proper in-text citations in the body of your
paper and a corresponding reference in APA format.
•You need to review your paper for format, spelling, grammar
and usage errors before you submit it, or you will lose points.
•Please also review the grading rubric before submitting your
paper to make sure that you have done everything you can to
receive a good grade.
Guidelines for citing references
In-Text Citations
In-text citations should be in APA format. You can find a
summary of APA guidelines for your reference page at:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
Reference Page
Your bibliography should be formatted using APA
(American Psychological Association) guidelines. You can
find a summary of APA guidelines for your reference page at:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/0
Program Outcome 12 - Template - IT390.docx
Outcome 12
Demonstrate the ability to assist in the creation and execution
of an effective project plan.Performance Indicator
· Describe experiences with project life cycle issues
· Discuss the importance of management planning
· Elaborate on issues relating to risk analysis, task scheduling,
and resource schedulingLearning Statements
·
·
· Evidence Used to Support Learning Statements

· Tab C-1, Title
· Tab C-2, Title
· Tab C-3, Title
Tab C-1, Title 1
Tab C-2, Title 2Tab C-3, Title 3
Sample ITA - IT390.pdf
Last Name 1
Integrated Technology Assessment
IT 495
Jane Doe
Student ID: 12345678
P.O. Box 123
Albany, NY, 12345
(555) 123-4567 (Home)
(555) 123-0456 X1234 (Work)
myemailaddress
Term (Month/Year)

Last Name 2
Table of Contents
A. Professional Resume
........................................................................................... 5
B. Outcomes
...............................................................................................
............. 9
Outcome 1
...............................................................................................
............ 9
Outcome 2
...............................................................................................
............ 14
Outcome 3
...............................................................................................
............ 18
Outcome 4
...............................................................................................
............ 22
Outcome 5
...............................................................................................
............ 26

Outcome 6
...............................................................................................
............ 30
Outcome 7
...............................................................................................
............ 33
Outcome 8
...............................................................................................
............ 38
Outcome 9
...............................................................................................
............ 42
Outcome 10
...............................................................................................
.......... 46
Outcome 11
...............................................................................................
.......... 50
Outcome 12
...............................................................................................
.......... 53
Outcome 13
...............................................................................................
.......... 57
C. Evidence Used to Support Learning
Statements.................................................. 60
Tab C-1 Budgeting Application Stored Procedure

…......................................... 64
Tab C-2 Advanced Object-Oriented
Programming............................................. 68
Tab C-3 Discrete Mathematics
Homework......................................................... 73
Tab C-4 Systems Analysis and Design
Final....................................................... 74
Tab C-5 Customer Service Center
Requirements................................................ 83
Tab C-6 Usage Statistics Report
Design.............................................................. 102
Last Name 3
Tab C-7 Inventory Management Functional
Design............................................ 108
Tab C-8 Camera Site Status
Application............................................................. 173
Tab C-9 Vendor Synchronization
Interface......................................................... 186
Tab C-10 Intro to Data Communications Team
Paper......................................... 192
Tab C-11 XXXXXX

Team...................................................................................
201
Tab C-12 Team
Tools......................................................................................
..... 203
Tab C-13 The Ethics of Security
Paper................................................................. 209
Tab C-14 Merck River Blindness Case
Analysis.................................................. 216
Tab C-15 Work Place
Policies..............................................................................
227
Tab C-16 Microsoft Tech-Ed
Presentation........................................................... 232
Tab C-17 ETL Operator
Procedures..................................................................... 255
Tab C-18 Security Policy Lifecycle
Paper............................................................ 270
Tab C-19 Physical Security Application
Impacts................................................. 275
Tab C-20 Security Technology
Impacts................................................................ 279
Tab C-21 Dotnet Architecture and
Standards....................................................... 286
Tab C-22 Desktop

Virtualization..........................................................................
294
Tab C-23 Java OO
Programs................................................................................
298
Tab C-24 BI Data
Warehouse..............................................................................
. 318
Tab C-25 Linux Operating
System....................................................................... 329
Tab C-26 Security Lifecycle
Policy...................................................................... 336
Tab C-27 Network Access
Control....................................................................... 349
Tab C-28 Email
Security..................................................................................
..... 360
Last Name 4
Tab C-29 Development
Standards......................................................................... 366
Tab C-30 Regulatory
Standards............................................................................
372

Tab C-31 Project
Proposal..................................................................................
.. 378
Tab C-32 Project Management
Tool..................................................................... 386
Tab C-33 Employee Number
Project.................................................................... 400
Tab C-34 DotNet User
Group................................................................................
419
Tab C-35 Developer Collaboration Users
Group.................................................. 429
Tab C-36 Individual Development
Plan................................................................ 436

Last Name 5
Jane Doe
P.O. Box 123
Albany, NY, 12345
(555) 123-4567 (Home) (555) 123-0456 X1234 (Work)
[email protected]
EDUCATION
Excelsior College, Albany, NY Sep 20XX – present
Expect Bachelor of Science August 20XX
Program: Information Technology
My Local State University, My City, XX Aug 20XX – May
20XX
No degree/certificate earned
Program: BS Management Information Systems
Southern State University, My Town, XX Aug 19XX – Dec
19XX
No degree/certificate earned
Program: BS Management Information Systems
Southwestern Public College, XXXXXXXX, XX Aug 19XX –
Dec 19XX
Associate of Science
Program: General Studies

TECHNOLOGY-RELATED EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Big Corporation, Saint Louis, CA June 2008 – Present
Role: Application Developer
Supervisor: My Boss XXX-2XX-XXXX
Description:
Support of physical security applications serving over 100
facilities in XXXXXXX and
XXXXXXXX. Applications including badging, facility access
control, alarm monitoring, CCTV
applications, customized reporting and utility applications, and
interfaces to other systems.
• Rotational on-call support of applications, troubleshooting
high priority, time-sensitive issues
• Support and maintain customized applications and interfaces
written in C# and ASP.NET
with SQL Server backend.
• Implement enhancements as needed based on user
requirements, utilizing full life-cycle
development.
• Work in a team oriented environment, supporting team
members in on-call, troubleshooting,
and development activities.
Another Company, Somewhere, GA June 20XX – June 20XX
Role: Software Developer
Supervisor: My Boss XXX-XXX-XXXX
Description:
mailto:[email protected]

Last Name 6
Support of financial applications, primarily a budgeting
application serving over 2,000 users in
seven utility operating companies. Utilized C#, SQLWindows,
Oracle, and Opalis.
• Lead developer converting the budgeting application from
SQLWindows to C# working with
a changing team of two to four developers.
• Responsible for support of the budgeting application providing
timely analysis and resolution
of problems. Provides back up support to team members for
other general ledger financial
applications.
• Implemented enhancements for the budgeting application
utilizing full life cycle strategies
including requirements gathering, analysis, design,
development, testing, implementation and
documentation.
Solution
s delivered according to specifications and implemented on
schedule for the start of Southern Company budgeting periods.
Fun Games, XXXXXXXXX, GZ March 20XX – June 20XX

Role: Software Engineer
Description:
Support of lottery applications related to inventory,
warehousing, telemarketing, and distribution
of instant tickets. Utilized Visual Basic 6.0, Visual Basic.Net,
ASP, ASP.NET, Crystal Reports,
and SQL Server.
• Responsible for modifications to existing applications for
implementation of an instant ticket
inventory and distribution system for the XXXXX State Lottery.
Lottery applications must
be implemented accurately and efficiently within strict
requirements and deadlines as
outlined by each lottery jurisdiction.
XXXXXXXXXX, Inc., XXXXXXXX, GA July 20XX – March
20XX
Role: Programmer Analyst
Description:
Full life cycle development of applications for a full service
provider including warehousing,
inventory tracking, accounting, reporting, and marketing
applications. Utilized Visual Basic,

Oracle, Crystal Reports, ASP, HTML, Oracle Forms and
Reports, ASP.NET, VB.NET,
CLMA.NET.
• Responsible for completion of demonstration applications for
presentation to lottery officials
for the procurement of lottery contracts. Completed the
applications within strict deadlines
contributing to the acquisition of a contract with the
XXXXXXXX lottery.
• Joined major team-work effort in Lincoln, Nebraska to convert
and implement the XXXXXX
State Lottery system. Contributed to the development and
support of applications in a very
time intensive, deadline-driven project resulting in a successful,
on-time startup.
• Developed marketing analysis business intelligence
application in Oracle Forms, Oracle
Reports, and Oracle PL/SQL packages.
XXXXXXX, XXXXXXX, GA April 20XX – June 20XX
Role: Software Engineer

Description:
Delivered graphical user interface solutions for audio/visual
device control systems. Utilized
Visual Basic, ActiveX controls, and Adobe Photoshop to
provide user interfaces for demos,
training classes, and end-users.
Last Name 7
Another Corporation, XXXXXXXXX, MS September 19XX –
March 20XX
Role: Programmer Analyst
Description:
Supported an electric and gas customer service system serving
over 1.5 million customers and
over 500 users. The client/server system consisted of COBOL,
C++, Oracle database, UNIX
platform and knowledge of several development and design
tools.
• Selected to join a major team-work effort with a consulting

firm in XXXXXXXXXX,
Florida, to implement enhancements to the customer service
system. Contributed to team
effort by performing high-quality and timely analysis, design,
programming, testing, and
debugging skills. The effort was completed on time and within
budget.
• During support of system in XXXXXXXXX, created extensive
test plans and performed
rigorous testing of code changes. Located errors and inefficient
coding before it was
implemented into production. Made recommendations on most
efficient coding solutions.
Supported an investor record-keeping system serving over
100,000 stock and bondholders and
15 users. Performed installation of system updates, testing,
VSAM file processing, COBOL
programming, JCL creation and execution, and job scheduling
in an MVS mainframe
environment.
• Used initiative and creativity to develop programs to automate

several manual
processes, saving time and money for the end-user.
• Maintained the integrity of investor records during a company
merger process by
developing programs to monitor and compare records.
Implemented a document imaging system for the Investor
Services Department to manage
investor correspondence. Business functionality included
scanning, viewing, annotating, storage
and retrieval of documents; document workflow and tracking;
and attachment of computer-
generated files. Utilized Visual Basic, COBOL, SQL, PL/SQL,
Oracle database, and Wang
scanning and viewing imaging controls.
• Worked independently to perform analysis, GUI interface and
database design,
programming, testing, debugging, implementation,
documentation, training and support.
• Implemented the system within budget and time constraints.
The application is successfully
in use to date, preventing the loss of sensitive stockholder

correspondence which must be
retained according to SEC regulations.
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE OF EMPLOYMENT
SETTING
MyRegion.NET Users Group
(http://www.xxxxxxx.org/default.aspx) July 20XX – June
20XX
Meets monthly at Microsoft facilities to discuss and learn .NET
technologies and related
emerging technologies. Presentations and tutorials are given, as
well as access to materials
online.
EMPLOYMENT-RELATED COMMITTEE AND
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Systems Advisory Committee June 20XX – December 20XX
Member of committee which was responsible for advising on
application enhancements and
problem resolutions for an investor record-keeping system.
Members contributed to the
enhancement and issues content, then reviewed and prioritized

items which contributed to the
decision on the specific items to implement within the system.
http://www.xxxxxxx.org/default.aspx
Last Name 8
Development Resource Group June 20XX – Present
Attend monthly meetings at my current place of employment.
Presentations are given by
employees in the areas of current and emerging technologies in
the work place.
CONTINUING EDUCATION ACTIVITIES
Microsoft Tech-Ed, XXXXXXX, TN May 20XX
Five day event held by Microsoft. Event included seminars,
instructor-led labs, hands-on labs,
and demonstrations. Content included the latest emerging
technologies in the areas of system
architecture, Windows OS, database development, developer

tools, mobility technology, office
system, security, SOA, web development and more.
DotNet Code Camp, XXXXXXXX, NY May 20XX
All day event featuring presentations and seminars by experts in
the field of .NET technologies.
ASP.NET MOC, XXXXXXX, MS July 20XX
Five day instructor-led course taken at HP Microsoft Technical
Education Center. Course
content included the fundamentals for developing web sites
using ASP.NET.
SPECIAL COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS
Programming Languages – C#; Visual Basic.NET; Visual Basic
6.0; SQLWindows; C++;
COBOL
Web Development – ASP; ASP.NET; VB Script; JavaScript;
HTML
Programming Tools – Visual Studio 2003/2005/2008; Visual
SourceSafe; PVCS; Reporting

Services; MKS Integrity Source Control; MVS JCL/TSO
Database – SQL Server 2000/2005; Oracle; SQL; PL/SQL; SQL
Loader; Stored
Procedures/Packages; Oracle Developer Suite 10G; Oracle
Forms; Oracle Reports; TOAD;
Relational and data warehouse database design; VSAM
Last Name 9
Outcome 1
Apply knowledge of computing and mathematics for problem
solving in the field of information
technology.

Characteristics:
• Describe use of appropriate mathematical techniques to aid in
the needs analysis, and the
selection, evaluation, and administration of computer based
systems
• Identify specific abilities to identify and analyze technical
needs of the user
• Demonstrate the ability to apply mathematics in application
development
Learning Statements:
• I supported a budgeting application which was used to input,
calculate, and forecast
budgets for several companies. I was able to demonstrate my
ability to understand the
mathematical concepts within the system, and analyze and
identify necessary

modifications or additional functionality based on the users’
needs. Not only did I have
to understand the mathematics from the users’ standpoint so that
I could support the
application, I had to create, modify, and support several Oracle
stored procedures that
contained these mathematical computations to calculate
budgeted dollars. The budgeting
application was used by various operating companies under the
umbrella of a holding
company. Calculations could be as simple as inputting an
expense for the current year
and having the forecast years escalated by a certain percentage.
Or calculations were
more complex when those dollars had to be allocated from one
company out to various
operating companies according to certain allocations rules, such

as percentages, head
counts, square footage, etc. Another example of a calculation
involved forecasting
employees’ salaries. This calculation was done differently
depending on the operating
Last Name 10
company. One company chose to group employees together by
job classification and
headcount. Other companies would specifically calculate and
forecast each individual’s
salary based on their current annual salary.
For my supporting evidence, I am submitting an Oracle stored
procedure that was used to

implement the employee salary calculations. The stored
procedure called RecalcEmploy
was used to calculate and escalate an individual’s salary over
forecast months. The
employee’s annual salary was multiplied by their usage
percentage, or the percentage for
which a particular budget department is utilizing the employee
to achieve a base salary.
Then their daily salary is calculated by taking that base salary
divided by a predetermined
number of working days in the year. Then each monthly amount
for each forecast year is
determined by multiplying the daily rate by a predetermined
number of working days in
the month and by a predetermined escalation percentage. The
escalation percentage is
what inflates the employee’s salary for future forecast years,

accounting for raises in
salary and benefits. The calculation would look somewhat like
this: January Salary =
Daily Rate * (100 + January Escalation Percentage) / 100 *
Number of days in January.
The stored procedure demonstrates my ability to understand
how to apply mathematical
computations within information systems. Supporting evidence
for this learning
statement outcome is located in tab C-1, Budgeting Application
Stored Procedure.
• I am able to demonstrate implementation of mathematics in
application development
after completing IT 412 Advanced Object Oriented
Programming at Excelsior College.
This course implemented programming practices in Java,
including those that contained

mathematical calculations. I was able to use programming logic
to implement the
appropriate calculations into my programs and test them
accordingly to ensure the
Last Name 11
outcomes were correct. The first program, pa1prob1, calculates
the values in the Pascal
Triangle and prints out a designated line of the triangle. To
determine a number within
the triangle, you add the two numbers above, to the right and to
the left, of that particular
number in the triangle. If a number is missing to the right or
left, zero is substituted. It

begins with number one at the top most of the triangle. My
program uses recursion to
calculate each subsequent row in the triangle using calculations
to determine the value of
each position within that row by taking into account the values
in the previous row. The
calculation is like this: lineValues[num][i] = lineValues[num -
1][i] + lineValues[num -
1][i - 1]. The second program, pa1prob2, uses math to locate
specific values within a
two-dimensional array. The idea is to find all of the values of
‘B’ that are connected
together within the array (top, bottom, left, right). It uses
recursion (one method calling
itself) and mathematical calculations (for example FindB(x + 1,
y + 1)) for incrementing
and decrementing values to locate all the surrounding connected

B’s.
As supporting evidence, I am submitting the homework
assignment describing the two
programming problems mentioned above, and the two Java
programs. The Pascal
Triangle program is called pa1prob1. This programming
problem came from
Programming Project 10.7 in the text book, Java Software
Structures. The two-
dimensional array program is called pa1prob2. This problem is
described in the
homework assignment and was not in the text book. These two
programs demonstrate
my ability to think logically and use mathematical programming
to achieve desired
results. Supporting evidence for this learning statement
outcome is located in tab C-2,

Advanced Object-Oriented Programming.
Last Name 12
• I am able to demonstrate my ability to understand mathematics
and how it can apply to
computer science after completing TECH 205 Discrete
Structures/Mathematics at
Excelsior College. As noted on Wikipedia
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrete_mathematics), “Discrete
mathematics has become
popular in recent decades because of its applications to
computer science. Concepts and
notations from discrete mathematics are useful in studying and

describing objects and
problems in computer algorithms and programming languages,
and have applications in
cryptography, automated theorem proving, and software
development.” I learned many
concepts from discrete mathematics that can be used in
information systems. Among the
topics included were conditional statements, circuits, sequences
and mathematical
induction, set theory, counting and probability, and recursion.
One concept of recursion included using recursively defined
sequences to determine
mathematical outcomes. As my supporting evidence, I will be
submitting an assignment
from Chapter 8, Section 1, of the text book Discrete
Mathematics with Applications. I

completed this assignment by determining the appropriate
mathematical sequence to
achieve an outcome. For example, question 23 uses the
Fibonacci sequence to determine
the number of rabbit pairs at the end of the year based on
particular criteria. The criterion
is that a single pair of rabbits is born at the beginning of the
year, rabbit pairs are not
fertile during the first two months of life, and then give birth to
three new male/female
pairs at the end of every month, and no rabbits die. Question
23’s answer gives the
recursive sequence and the resulting number of rabbit pairs at
the end of the year.
Question 35 uses a sequence to determine interest compounded
monthly at 3 percent and
to calculate what the dollar value would be at the end of the

year. This last calculation is
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrete_mathematics
Last Name 13
a real-world example of mathematics that could be applied in a
computer program to
calculate compound interest over a period of time using the
recursive sequence.
Supporting evidence for this learning statement outcome is
located in tab C-3, Discrete
Mathematics Homework.
Evidence Used to Support Learning Statements:
• Tab C-1, Budgeting Application Stored Procedure
• Tab C-2, Advanced Object-Oriented Programming

• Tab C-3, Discrete Mathematics Homework
Last Name 14
Outcome 2
Demonstrate the ability to identify and analyze user needs to
define and create appropriate
computing requirements and solutions.
Characteristics:
• Identify specific involvement and knowledge to identify and
analyze user needs
• Demonstrate the ability to select, create, evaluate and
administer computer based systems

• Describe use of appropriate tools to aid in the needs analysis,
and the selection,
evaluation, and administration of computer based systems
• I am able to demonstrate using tools in relationship with
analysis of requirements, and the
selection and evaluation of information systems after taking
IT418 Software Systems
Analysis and Design at Excelsior College. This class prepares
you to analyze user needs
and to create requirements and designs that satisfy the user.
The course takes you
through the requirements process, discussing both the
traditional approaches and object-
oriented approaches. The traditional approach makes heavy use
of the data flow diagram

tool, while the object-oriented approach uses use cases and
system sequence diagrams.
The course then moves you into the design phase describing the
traditional versus object-
oriented design techniques. The traditional approach of design
uses tools such as the
system flowchart and structure chart, while the object-oriented
approach uses design class
diagrams and sequence diagrams. The course also discusses
design of databases, user
interfaces, and system interfaces.
As my supporting evidence, I am submitting the written part of
my final in this course
which contains applicable questions and answers regarding
analyzing and identifying

Last Name 15
user and system needs for requirements and design. In the
assignment, I used a system
flowchart, structure chart, and pseudo code to analyze the
traditional approach for an
electronic gas pump control program. For the object-oriented
approach, I used a system
sequence diagram, class diagram, and a communication
diagram. I also developed a set
of user interface dialogs for the gas pump control program.
This assignment shows my
understanding of analyzing user needs and requirements and
implementing design using
tools. Supporting evidence for this learning statement outcome
is located in tab C-4,

Systems Analysis and Design Final.
• I am able to demonstrate identifying user needs and
requirements and implementing them
into a system. I was responsible for gathering the necessary
user requirements for an
upgraded version of a Customer Service Center application and
implementing the new
design. The requirements were initially based on an old
version, but modifications and
enhancements were required for the new version, including
upgrading the software to
.NET from ASP pages. This Customer Service Center
application involved viewing
retailer information, creating trouble tickets for retailer issues,
and scheduling routine
maintenance checks for retailers. Issues and maintenance were
handled by field

personnel, for which their information also had to be
maintained. I had to understand the
older version of the application, gather requirements for
enhancements and modifications
from the users, develop a new user interface and data model,
and implement the design in
an upgraded .NET framework.
As supporting evidence, I am submitting a requirements
document that I authored
outlining the requirements for the application upgrade. This
document contains an
overview of the application and upgrade, screen shots for
assisting in building the user

Last Name 16
interface with descriptions of each, including any enhancements
or modifications,
descriptions of fields on the screens and their purpose, and the
data model and data
definitions. This document demonstrates my ability to capture
the needed requirements
in order to implement the new system. Supporting evidence for
this learning statement
outcome is located in tab C-5, Customer Service Center
Requirements.
• I am able to demonstrate my involvement in determining and
analyzing user needs. In
my current position, I support a customized reporting
application that reports on physical
security activity, such as personnel granted access in and out of
facilities, or alarms that

have resulted from improper access. This application can track
activity for entire
facilities or for individuals. I was responsible for implementing
an upgrade of the
application into the production environment and making sure it
met user needs. While I
did not do the majority of the upgrade programming, I inherited
the application prior to
its induction into production, and I had to finalize several
unfinished elements, debug the
application, and implement some missed and unforeseen user
requirements. In addition, I
also implemented new functionality into the system according to
user requirements,
including two new reports.
For my supporting evidence, I am submitting a detail design

document for one of the
newly implemented reports which outlines the requirements and
design. The new report
captures usage statistics for all of the other reports to determine
how many times reports
are run, and can be grouped by report, by the user that is
running reports, or by various
geographical regions. The design leaves open the possibility of
collecting and reporting
on other types of statistics in the future in relation to user
interactions within the reporting
system. This document shows my ability to capture the
requirements, design the report
Last Name 17

according to user needs, and implement the appropriate design
into the production
environment. Supporting evidence for this learning statement
outcome is located in tab
C-6, Usage Statistics Report Design.
• Tab C-4, Systems Analysis and Design Final
• Tab C-5, Customer Service Center Requirements
• Tab C-6, Usage Statistics Report Design
Last Name 18

Outcome 3
Demonstrate the ability to effectively select, evaluate, and
integrate information technologies
based solutions in a user environment.
Characteristics:
• Describe previous and current educational or work experiences
where analysis and
development of good logical design was required
• Document experiences with applications that satisfied end user
requirements
• Provide examples of educational or professional activities that
document the ability to
implement solutions into a user environment
• I am able to demonstrate my ability to implement solutions

into a user environment that
satisfy end user requirements. I implemented Inventory
Management functionality into
an Instant Ticket Gaming system for a full-service lottery
vendor. An Instant Ticket
Gaming system is responsible for certain administrative tasks
surrounding management
of instant ticket games, inventory, replenishment, order
management, and prize payment.
The Inventory Management functionality that I implemented
pertains to managing instant
ticket packaging, delivery, location and status of inventory,
transferring inventory, and
returning of inventory. I followed a set of requirements in
order to design the
architecture, code the user interfaces, supporting classes and
libraries, test the application,

and implement the required functionality into the system
according to the users’ needs.
As supporting evidence, I am submitting a functional
specification that I authored
detailing the Inventory Control design and implementation. The
document provides for
an extensive explanation for each type of Inventory
Management function, including
Last Name 19
screen shots, an overview, controls definitions, restrictions and
validations, screen
behavior and events, error handling, table access, and class
usage. This document was

used by both users and technical people to assist in
understanding the functionality of the
Inventory Management portion of the system. The Inventory
Management functionality
was implemented in the system as described by this document
and is evidence of my
ability to implement solutions into a user environment that
satisfies the requirements.
located in tab C-7, Inventory
Management Functional Design.
• I am able to demonstrate my ability to evaluate and integrate
applications into a user
environment. In my current position, I evaluated the need for a
tool to automate a manual
process. My team supports camera systems for which a central
security office can

remotely connect to any site to view activity. Occasionally,
cameras at a site may go
down. The routine fix is to call the on-call support person, who
would typically just have
to reboot the pc that the cameras are connected to. The on-call
person has to find the
application IP address from a SharePoint list, connect to the PC
through remote desktop
and issue commands to reboot the PC. The combination of
these tasks takes time. I
designed, coded, and implemented an application which
embedded this process in a .NET
windows application where the user can select the site IP from a
dropdown list, instead of
hunting for it on a SharePoint site. The user can then simply
click a single button to

connect to and reboot the pc. Not only has this saved time, but
a future use will be
deploying the application to the help desk users, so that on-call
support will not have to
be called in the middle of the night. With the confidential user
name and password
embedded in the compiled code and the fact that the help desk
person will not have to
Last Name 20
connect to the PC through remote desktop, which would expose
the PC, this safely allows
the help desk person to handle the situation. This empowers the
end-user to have more
control, while relieving the on-call support from having to

manually implement the
process each time there is an issue, which can happen on the
average of 10 to 15 days out
of the month.
For my supporting evidence, I am submitting a functional
design document that I
authored describing the functionality of the application. The
application was
implemented as described in this document and is evidence of
my ability to evaluate the
need for the application, analyze how to accomplish the goal
through a program, and
implement the application. Supporting evidence for this
learning statement outcome is
located in tab C-8, Camera Site Status Application.
• I am able to demonstrate my use of good logical design when

implementing information
technology solutions in a user environment. In my current
position, I support an interface
between the human resources system and the physical security
application. The goal of
the physical security application is to be able to issue access
badges to contractors that
specifically handle outage work at the power plants. These
contractors work temporarily
at different locations and when they show up for work, if they
do not already have a
badge, they are issued a new one. An unrelated time-tracking
application must also track
the contractor’s time on projects, requiring an employee
number. In order to issue an
employee number, an interface between the HR system and the
physical security system

will create an employee number upon issuing a new badge. In
addition to the contractor
badge and employee number, it is also important to track the
company or vendor that they
work for as a contractor. Both the HR system and the physical
security system maintain
Last Name 21
separate lists of vendors or companies, with little current
functionality for data integrity
between the two systems. It has been cumbersome to try to
sync them up and there are
multiple entries of the same vendor in both systems, but maybe
spelled differently. I

evaluated, designed, and implemented new functionality into the
physical security
application to assist in keeping vendor names in sync between
the two systems.
For my supporting evidence, I am submitting a document
describing the analysis of the
situation and the design and necessary code modifications to
implement a solution to
assist the badging officers in synchronizing vendors between
the two systems. I had to
understand what the needs were along with the limitations of
the two systems and come
up with a design to be implemented that could satisfy this need.
Supporting evidence for
this learning statement outcome is located in tab C-9, Vendor
Synchronization Interface.

• Tab C-7, Inventory Management Functional Design
• Tab C-8, Camera Site Status Application
• Tab C-9, Vendor Synchronization Interface
Last Name 22
Outcome 4
Demonstrate the ability to participate effectively in groups or
team projects.
Characteristics:
• Describe involvement in group projects or activities
• Interact effectively with colleagues who have critical

involvement with projects
• Discuss how cultural, diversity, and interpersonal issues relate
to groups in professional,
ethical, and social life
• I am able to demonstrate my involvement in group projects
after taking CIS 252 Intro to
Data Communications at the local State University. Many of
the classes at the college
encouraged group projects as a way to prepare the student for
working in teams. For a
class project, we were divided into groups and tasked with
writing a paper and presenting
the information to the class. Each group had to work together
to agree on the topic and
subtopics of the paper, divide the subtopics amongst the group

members, communicate
effectively to make sure a consistent flow of the paper from one
subtopic to the next and
a consistency in writing style and grammar. We met as a group
outside of class to
accomplish our goal. One of the team members provided a page
on his personal website
where we could share information and updates regarding our
progress. In addition, we
had to review and critique each others work, involving honesty,
openness, trust, and
relationship-building. All members made it a point to
contribute equally, and all
members were involved in the presentation to the class.
As supporting evidence, I am submitting the paper my group
wrote, which includes the

names of the participants. The topic of the paper was VOIP and
there were five
Last Name 23
participants on the team. I learned that active participation in a
group project by all
members lends to the success of that project. I learned how to
interact with the other
participants to achieve our common goal, despite our differing
views and opinions, and to
respect the other team members and recognize the value each
participant lent to the
project. Supporting evidence for this learning statement
outcome is located in tab C-10,
Intro to Data Communications Team Paper.

• In 2001, I joined a major team-work effort, collaborated
between my company and
XXXXXXXXX Consulting in XXXXXXXXX, Florida, for a
major application upgrade
to a customer service system. I learned more about team work
in this nine month
experience than in any other situation. Members of the team
were both local and from
different parts of the country with varying cultures, offering my
first opportunity to
embrace diversity among my team members. The
XXXXXXXXX culture produced an
excellent team-work environment where everyone was
encouraged to be part of the team,
to be assisted by other team members and to remember to assist
others. Cubicles were set

up so that you were assigned to a small team of six or seven
members, all sitting together
within one large cube, which promoted communication and
awareness of what was going
on. My small team was part of larger subsets of teams. They
instituted a 20 minute rule
whereby if you struggled with an issue for more than 20
minutes, you went to your
immediate team members for help first. If the issue still
persisted, you went to team
members at the next level, continuing on until you had a
resolution. Having worked
independently in my former position, I realized the benefits
team work can offer to a
project by exchanging knowledge and offering support to other
members.
XXXXXXXXX also had many team building events and outings

which further enhanced
Last Name 24
relationships both in and outside of the office. I have used this
experience going forward
in all of my projects and groups that I work with.
As supporting evidence, I have an email from the Accenture
project supervisor to my
company supervisor regarding my joining the team and my
progress as far as interrelating
to the team. I struggled at first with the newness of working
with a team, but eventually
came to embrace it, as reflected in the email. This is located in
the fifth paragraph down

in the email and is shaded. This small paragraph emphasizes
the importance placed on
team work in the Accenture environment and how team work
played a critical role in the
success of the overall project. Each team member, including
myself, was expected to
play their part, and I learned how to do that well within this
culture. Supporting evidence
for this learning statement outcome is located in tab C-11,
XXXXXXXXX Team.
• In my current position, I work with a team of four people plus
a supervisor. Our team
supports each other in the areas of troubleshooting, on call
support duties, and
development activities. The team is responsible for IT support
of critical physical
security applications that protect over 100 facilities in Missouri

and Illinois. These
applications include access control to facilities, alarm
monitoring, and camera
monitoring. If applications or equipment fails, the issue needs
to be addressed with a
high priority, while maintaining the security of the facility
either through backup systems
or courtesy patrols by the local police department. Our team
rotates on a 24/7 on call
duty to ensure availability of the systems. Besides the primary
on-call person, we also
make sure there is a secondary backup on-call. In addition, the
other team members are
always willing to assist at any time if the primary or secondary
persons have questions. I

Last Name 25
have demonstrated that I can contribute to the team by sharing
the responsibilities and
supporting other members when needed.
As supporting evidence, I am submitting a narrative that
includes explanations and screen
shots of the various tools we use to be an effective team. We
have a team SharePoint site
which consists of troubleshooting guidelines, documentation,
and other materials to assist
all team members by having knowledge at their fingertips.
Team members are expected
to contribute to the site any knowledge that will benefit other
members. This is also
where our on-call schedule and team calendar exist. In addition

to support and on-call
situations, the team also shares responsibility for development
activities, such as
modifications and enhancements to applications. We use a
project management tool to
help us track outstanding tasks, resources assigned and
available, statuses of tasks, and
work loads. This tool assists in sharing this work load across
the team members. In
addition, team members are responsible for reviewing other
team members’ work to
ensure quality and correctness across the team. Supporting
evidence for this learning
statement outcome is located in tab C-12, Team Tools.
• Tab C-10, Into to Data Communications Team Paper

• Tab C-11, XXXXXXXXXX Team
• Tab C-12, Team Tools
Last Name 26
Outcome 5
Demonstrate an ability to understand professional, ethical and
social responsibilities, including
the impacts of culture, diversity, and interpersonal relations.
Characteristics:
• Identify circumstances where professional, ethical and social
responsibilities were dealt
with

• Document methods used to deal with professional, ethical, and
social responsibilities
• Discuss when and where cultural, diversity, and interpersonal
relations affect
professional, ethical, and social responsibilities
• I completed BUS 323 Business Ethics at Excelsior College
which covered many aspects
of ethics as it relates to our business and personal lives. We
were assigned to write a
paper regarding individual ethical dilemmas in our work place.
I was able to use the
information from the text book and other class readings and
incorporate that into my
paper. For example, my paper involved security guards stealing
time causing negligence

and security risks. Before taking this class, I had never thought
about the different ways
that people ‘steal time’ at work, as opposed to stealing
resources, and the fact that is was
an ethical issue. The information I learned from the class
helped me to realize the ethical
situation, analyze it, and determine the appropriate actions.
As my supporting evidence, I am submitting the paper that I
wrote titled The Ethics of
Security. This paper describes the ethical dilemma, the
stakeholders that were affected
by the situation, an analysis of the dilemma, and my
recommendations for solving the
issue in an ethical manner. This assignment allowed me to take
a real-life ethical

Last Name 27
situation that occurs within my work place, which lent much
more weight to my learning
as opposed to an invented situation. I was able to demonstrate
my understanding of the
ethical situation and deal with it ‘on paper’ using the
information I learned in the class.
located in tab C-13, The
Ethics of Security Paper.
• I am able to demonstrate my understanding of ethics in
relationship to social
responsibility and differing cultures after completing BUS 323
Business Ethics at

Excelsior College. This class discussed many of the ethical
issues facing organizations as
a whole and how that affects their stakeholders. We were
assigned to write a case
analysis based on a selected ethics situation that dealt with
ethics from an organizational
perspective. The case analysis drew on ethical theories such as
teleological,
deontological, and virtue ethics perspectives. I chose a case
that addressed an
organizational ethical situation that encompassed issues of
cultural differences and social
responsibility. The paper addresses the ethical dilemma
presented to a pharmaceutical
company faced with the decision to possibly forgo profits in
order to act in a socially
responsible manner for groups of poverty-stricken stakeholders

in economically
depressed countries.
As evidence of my learning, I am submitting the case analysis
titled Merck River
Blindness Case Analysis. The case analysis included describing
the ethical situation, an
analysis of the affected stakeholders, an analysis of the
situation based on ethical
theories, and recommendations as to if the ethical situation was
resolved correctly and if
not, how it could have been. I demonstrated my ability to
address the ethical situation as
it relates to social responsibility using the various theories that
I learned in the course.

Last Name 28
located in tab C-14, Merck
River Blindness Case Analysis.
• Upon my employment with my current company, I was
required to spend an entire day in
orientation to get acquainted with the various HR policies and
practices and to learn more
about my employer. Topics of the day include diversity and
ethics within the work place.
Knowledgeable speakers provided valuable information and
relayed real-life stories of
incidences that countered the company’s policies regarding
ethics and diversity. They
provided insight into the benefits of diversity and performing
our duties in an ethical

manner. Handouts were provided for further reading, which
also contained links to the
company’s intranet sites for diversity and ethics. To keep
employees current, they are
required to repeat ethics training annually. The company has an
organization devoted to
diversity that sponsors a diversity day, and provides
newsletters, training workshops,
speakers, and community outreach programs.
As evidence of my learning, I am submitting a narrative
containing screenshots of the
ethics and diversity policies on the intranet site where I work.
Having the intranet site
available to me as a ready reference helps to continue to
reinforce what I learned in
training sessions and serves as an additional electronic version

of the printed policies I
have been given. The various methods of communicating ethics
and diversity have
strengthened my awareness of and my ability to deal with such
topics. Supporting
evidence for this learning statement outcome is located in tab
C-15, Work Place Policies.
• Tab C-13, The Ethics of Security Paper
• Tab C-14, Merck River Blindness Case Analysis
Last Name 29
• Tab C-15, Work Place Policies

Last Name 30
Outcome 6
Demonstrate proficiency in communicating technical
information in formal reports,
documentation, and presentations to users and information
technology professionals.
Characteristics:
• Demonstrate the ability to organize and be concise in written
communication
• Use effective grammar and language appropriate to the
audience
• Demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate grasp of

technical concepts
• I am able to demonstrate that I can effectively communicate
technical concepts to an
audience. I attended a Microsoft Tech-Ed conference in Florida
in 20XX. This was a
five-day conference presenting the latest Microsoft technologies
in the areas of business,
architecture, database, mobility, development tools and more.
Information was presented
by various methods including seminars, instructor-led labs, and
hands-on labs. This was
the most comprehensive conference I have attended where I
learned a great deal of
information in a short time. During my visit, I concentrated on
attending developer

sessions and labs to gather information I could take back to my
team members. I learned
about the latest technology surrounding Visual Studio 2008,
such as LINQ, Windows
Presentation Foundation, XAML, Windows Communication
Foundation, and much more.
As a follow up to my conference, I gave a presentation to my
team, approximately 20
members, during our monthly staff meeting reflecting on my
experiences at the
conference and what I had learned.
As supporting evidence, I am submitting my PowerPoint
presentation. I was able to
effectively deliver the information to my team members in a
way the entire audience

Last Name 31
could understand as they had varying levels of exposure to
Microsoft and the
technologies I presented. By using minimal information on the
PowerPoint presentation,
they were able to absorb the highlights without being
overloaded with information. I
included website links in the presentation where they could
access additional information.
I could identify that I was gaining the audience’s attention and
interest during the
presentation, and several of the participants asked that I send
out the presentation in
electronic format after the meeting so they could refer to it.
Supporting evidence for this

learning statement outcome is located in tab C-16, Microsoft
Tech-Ed Presentation.
• I am able to demonstrate my ability to communicate a set of
instructions that must be
followed for a particular duty in a simple, understandable,
organized manner that the
reader is able to follow in order to complete a task. I
implemented an ETL (extraction,
transformation, and load) process for a business intelligence
data warehouse. This
process was responsible for pulling information from a
transactional sales database into a
data warehouse. The process was part of a list of routine jobs
that a computer operator
executed on a daily basis. To assist the computer operator, I
wrote a procedural
document explaining how the computer operator would execute

the ETL process
manually, and how errors should be handled.
For my supporting evidence, I am submitting the procedural
document that assisted both
the operators and technical people on staff. The operators were
able to follow the
instructions and deal with errors as they came up. The
instructions had to be precise and
clear for the operator to understand and follow as I was not
always available and not in
the same geographic location to assist the operator. In addition
to these instructions, I
provided an ERD of the data warehouse to help assist the
technical personnel which I am

Last Name 32
also submitting. Supporting evidence for this learning
statement outcome is located in
tab C-17, ETL Operator Procedures.
• I am able to demonstrate my ability to be an effective writer
after taking IT 380 Overview
of Computer Security. In addition to learning the key concepts
of computer security, this
class involved several writing assignments, which sharpened my
written communication
skills. In fact, there were 12 one page papers for lab
assignments, five papers with a
length of three to five pages, a two-part security policy
consisting of two papers of three
to five pages in length, and weekly written discussions that
were graded. I received an A

on each writing assignment, reflecting my ability to
communicate the objectives and
purpose of the content, to properly use grammar and language,
and to organize my
thoughts in a manner that was understandable and easy to follow
for the reader.
For my supporting evidence, I am submitting one of the
assignments. This assignment
entailed reading various documents regarding security policies
and the security policy life
cycle, and then summing up the information in a more concise
three to five page
document. I made sure to capture the important topics and
highlights of a security policy
in an understandable, easy-to-read document, demonstrating my
ability to communicate

the security policy life cycle effectively. The professor praised
the paper, as well as
many of my writings. Supporting evidence for this learning
statement outcome is located
in tab C-18, Security Policy Lifecycle Paper.
• Tab C-16 Microsoft Tech-Ed Presentation
• Tab C-17 ETL Operator Procedures
• Tab C-18 Security Policy Lifecycle Paper
Last Name 33
Outcome 7

Demonstrate the ability to identify and analyze the impacts of
information technologies and
computing on public, organizations, and individuals.
Characteristics:
• Discuss practical identification and analysis experiences
relating to public,
organizational, and individual use of informational technologies
• Document use of tools and techniques to protect
organizational assets
• Identify instances or experiences where ethically responsible
issues were encountered
while dealing with the impact of information technology
• In my current position, I support physical security applications
that protect over 100

facilities. These facilities must be secure 24/7 to the best of the
security officers’ abilities
through the use of these applications. When any of these
applications are down or not
performing as expected, this impacts the officers’ abilities to
perform their job and their
ability to protect not only the facilities, but also any employees
that may be present, and
the surrounding public areas. If the applications are
unavailable, facilities must be
protected through backup systems or courtesy police patrols.
With the age of information
technology, the security personnel are now dependent on readily
available information
through these applications that help them to better perform their
job. I am part of a
rotational on-call support to handle issues and ensure reliability

of the physical security
applications. I am able to demonstrate that I can identify the
impact to the user when
there is an issue, analyze the problem and find a resulting
solution in order to maintain
physically secure environments. I use tools and troubleshooting
guidelines to assess the
Last Name 34
I am submitting three items as my supporting evidence. The
first item is a copy of the
24/7 on-call schedule, which displays the primary and
secondary on-call persons each
week, and telephone numbers for all available personnel that
can assist in an issue should

it need to be escalated for the quickest resolution possible. The
second item is a sample
help desk case that assists in the work flow for supporting the
issue. The help desk case
tracks the status of the issue, who is assigned to the issue, and
keeps a log of all the
activity that has occurred while capturing, diagnosing, and
resolving the issue. The third
item is a screen shot of one of the troubleshooting guides that
assist me in resolving
issues. These items show that I am responsible as part of a
team for making sure there is
little impact to users when issues arise and that the applications
are as reliable as possible.
located in tab C-19, Physical

Security Application Impacts.
• I am able to demonstrate knowledge of tools and techniques to
protect organizational
assets after taking IT 380 Overview of Computer Security at
Excelsior College. This
course discussed many of these tools and techniques to protect
organizational assets on
the network, such as anti-virus software, firewalls, encryption,
and public key
infrastructures. The course also addressed protection from a
physical security standpoint
and processes such as business continuity planning. While
protection of the company
assets are important, it can have an impact on users of those
assets and how users
perceive those tools as being used.

Last Name 35
I wrote a paper regarding some of these tools and techniques
and their impact on
employees within the organization, particularly in the area of
privacy rights and ethics.
This paper demonstrates my knowledge of the tools and
techniques that protect company
assets, and I am also able to discuss how these security
technologies impact users at
work. As my supporting evidence, I am submitting this paper.
This paper discusses
topics, such as internet and email monitoring, techniques for
monitoring such as packet
sniffing and keystroke loggers, and the security policies that

help employees to
understand and agree to such monitoring. Supporting evidence
for this learning
statement outcome is located in tab C-20, Security Technology
Impacts.
• During my employment at Southern Company, there were a
number of impacts to
systems that arose due to outdated software. These outdated
systems potentially
impacted the users of those systems and their ability to get their
job done. It also
impacted the IT department as far as lack of knowledge and
funds to keep up with
changing technology. One of the major impacts was the
inability to upgrade to Windows
Vista from XP because some of the in-house and vendor
applications would not be

compatible, and the time and expense to upgrade applications
was too great. Some
applications were not able to take advantage of enhanced
functionality, such as use of
web services, because the applications were outdated. There
were instances where the
expense of upgrading an application was too great to warrant
the upgrade from a business
perspective. This happened to a capital module of a budgeting
application suite that I
supported when money simply ran out. The company’s
customer service system was so
large that upgrading the technology seemed virtually impossible
from a budget
perspective, and it still runs on COBOL and C++. Then there is
the case of upgrading

Last Name 36
one system, which leads to all the ancillary systems having to
either also upgrade or make
significant changes to maintain compatibility. This was the
case with a major general
ledger upgrade, which affected numerous dependent
applications, such as the budgeting
application which I supported. Significant modifications were
required for the budgeting
application to comply with the new general ledger system. This
caused unexpected
financial impacts to the business.
One other significant component of keeping software up-to-date
is knowledge expertise.

One of the ways that the company combated this issue was to
create a development
consulting department. This department maintained a group of
employees whose sole
purpose was to keep current with technology, develop standards
and best practices, to
create core foundational architectures and code generators, and
most of all to provide
their expertise and tools to all of the developers within the IT
Department. Developers
were expected to collaborate with the development consulting
department for
development projects, to get advice, make use of the available
tools, and tap into the
wealth of resources provided by this group. There were still
some gaps due to the fact

that it took time to develop standards and best practices for the
latest technologies, and
then relay that information to IT developers, but the
development consulting department
did their best to keep the company moving in the right direction
with technology to
minimize impacts and risks to applications. They hired
consultants that had
qualifications in the areas of current and emerging technologies.
The IT departments
were also encouraged to set aside a portion of their budget for
training full-time
employees. This was significantly important as the IT staff
could quickly grow out-of-
date and out-of-touch with current technology, as a big portion
of their time is spent

Last Name 37
simply trying to maintain current applications. When I was
hired, I was sent to .NET
training, which helped to realize a faster turnaround when
assisting with upgrading
applications to C# code. I also joined members of the
development consulting
department in attending a Microsoft Tech-Ed conference, which
was a five day
comprehensive event that covered all of the latest Microsoft
development technologies.
This was a useful event for preparing us for future technological
impacts to systems. I
was able to take this information back to my team members to
educate and make them

aware of emerging technologies. For my supporting evidence, I
am submitting a
PowerPoint presentation I created and presented to my team
describing the conference.
Training was just one of the many ways the company showed
their commitment to
reducing impacts of technology through education and exposure.
Supporting evidence
Microsoft Tech-Ed
Presentation.
• Tab C-19, Physical Security Application Impacts
• Tab C-20, Security Technology Impacts
• Tab C-16, Microsoft Tech-Ed Presentation

Last Name 38
Outcome 8
Demonstrate the ability to identify and apply current and
emerging technologies and tools for
information technologies solutions.
Characteristics:
• Document previous and current educational and professional
experiences with emerging
technologies and tools within the realm of information
technology
• Discuss your knowledge and experience with new information
technologies such as

documenting their use within an organization
• Identify specific experiences where the role of new data
communications and networking
technologies plays a large role in an educational or workplace
setting
• During my employment at a lottery vendor, most applications
were written in Visual
Basic 6.0. When we began the process of learning about .NET
technologies and
converting applications from VB 6 into .NET, several decisions
had to be made regarding
choice of language and architecture. I was able to assist in
investigating, learning, and
adopting this technology. I did this by purchasing books, doing
internet research, and

downloading case studies and tutorials. An architecture was
selected by a senior
developer. This architecture is called CLSB.NET and was
created by XXXXXX
XXXXXXX (http://www.xxxxx.net/cslanet/). This architecture
was chosen as a natural
move from the visual basic environment that existed into a
.NET environment based on
the structure and language. I was able to assist in initially
preparing for and
implementing this architecture into our development
environment.
http://www.xxxxx.net/cslanet/
Last Name 39

For my supporting evidence, I am submitting a summary I
composed regarding the
framework and design goals of the selected architecture. This
document shows my
understanding of what was, at that time, emerging technologies,
including the key
technologies and design goals. Also included in my supporting
evidence is a code file
with comments stating that I converted the code to .NET
indicating my ability to embrace
and implement new technologies. Supporting evidence for this
learning statement
outcome is located in tab C-21, Dotnet Architecture and
Standards.
• I attended a Microsoft Tech-Ed conference in Florida in
20XX, which was a five-day

conference presenting the latest Microsoft technologies in
various areas, such as
development, architecture, Windows, Office, mobility, and
much more. Information was
presented by various methods including seminars, instructor-led
labs, hands-on labs and
demonstrations. The conference took place within a convention
center of 7 million
square feet with 14,000 attendees, and the amount of
information presented was
overwhelming. During that week, I focused on the developer
track, attending sessions
and completing hands-on labs that were related to the latest
tools and languages for
software developers. The hands-on labs were a great self-
teaching mechanism for putting
into practice the concepts that were learned during sessions.

For my supporting evidence, I am submitting a PowerPoint
presentation that I delivered
to my work group summarizing the event and the technologies
that I learned. We had not
used many of these technologies in our work environment, so
the information was
insightful. Some of these technologies are as follows: LINQ,
or Language Integrated
Query, extends .NET languages with the capability to query
objects similar to querying a
database. WPF, or Windows Presentation Foundation, is the
next-generation UI layer
Last Name 40

that offers a true separation of presentation from code, making
use of XAML, or
Extensible Application Markup Language. WCF, or Windows
Communication
Foundation, is a unified model for communication between
distributed applications. WF,
or Windows Workflow, is a tool for managing processes through
workflows. Windows
PowerShell is the latest in command line scripting. AJAX, or
Asynchronous JavaScript
and XML allows for a better web experience by allowing
asynchronous callbacks to the
server without having to reload web pages. I also provided
links in the presentation for
more information, including downloads for sample applications,
such as DinnerNow and
Acropolis. Supporting evidence for this learning statement

outcome is located in tab C-
16, Microsoft Tech-Ed Presentation.
• In my current position as a software developer supporting
physical security applications,
I am part of a 24/7 rotational on-call support team. Our
applications must have high
availability and be reliable in order to ensure protection of over
100 facilities. There are
only four people on this team, requiring an on-call shift every
fourth week. In order to
make it easier to perform our duties while still maintaining a
personal life outside of
work, the company seeks to make us as mobile as possible with
the needed tools to
perform our duties. I am provided with a wireless laptop and a
Verizon

BroadbandAccess card with additional NationalAccess, with 3G
capabilities through
1xEVDO digital wireless standard. This technology gives us
mobility, along with using a
Blackberry for phone calls and email messages. After
establishing an internet connection
using my lap top, I am able to access the network through an
intranet website. The
intranet site has available limited applications for use; however,
it does provide remote
desktop whereby you can log into your work pc to have
everything available to you as if
Last Name 41
you were at work. Unfortunately for us, our laptop was also our

computer that we used at
work. The server operations team created virtual desktops for
our support team on a
server. These virtual desktops contain all of the tools and
applications that we use when
at work, including drive mappings to the network. This
technology allows us full
capabilities to perform our duties on the move and at any time
when on-call, without
missing social activities, such as family functions. It is
relatively easy to take a call on
your blackberry, connect to the wireless internet, log into the
intranet, access your virtual
desktop and resolve an issue in tennis shoes and shorts while
eating barbeque, and not
having to be tied to a desk.

For my supporting evidence, I am submitting an essay on my
understanding of desktop
virtualization, and the reasons my company is expanding its
implementation of virtual
desktops due to its advantages. Supporting evidence for this
learning statement outcome
is located in tab C-22, Desktop Virtualization.
• Tab C-21, .Dotnet Architecture and Standards
• Tab C-16, Microsoft Tech-Ed Presentation
• Tab C-22, Desktop Virtualization
Last Name 42

Outcome 9
Demonstrate expertise in the core information technologies such
as data base management,
information management and security, object oriented
programming, computer architecture,
systems architecture, operating systems, and networking.
Characteristics:
• Document experiences with database applications that
satisfied end user requirements
• Provide documented Java or C++ code to illustrate objected
oriented programming
experience
• Document how modern network operating systems are used to
accomplish common tasks

• In my career as a software developer, I have written various
applications from an object
oriented approach. The primary language I have used is
VB.NET and C#. My programs
encompassed the concepts of interfaces, inheritance,
abstraction, and encapsulation in a
layered architecture, sometimes in a distributed architecture. In
addition to my work
experience, I took IT 412 Advanced Object Oriented
Programming at Excelsior College,
which reinforced the concepts of object oriented programming
using Java.
For my supporting evidence, I am submitting the Java program
called pa3prob1 which
was a class assignment. We had to write the main driver class,
and complete some of the

unfinished methods in the classes used by our driver class. The
main file, pa3prob1, is
the driver class that calls other classes to construct a tree,
display the number of children,
and then find the leaves, internal nodes, and the depth of each
node in the tree. It uses a
simple NodeObject class to create objects to add to the tree.
The NodeObjects are added
to the tree collection using the LinkedBinaryTree class, which
uses an object-oriented
Last Name 43
concept called generics. A generic class contains a placeholder
for any type of object that
the class can operate on, yielding more versatility to the class.

The LinkedBinaryTree
class implements the BinaryTreeADT interface, another OO
concept. The interface is an
abstraction that defines what operations must be included in the
class, but does not define
how those operations are implemented. The implementation is
defined in the class that
implements the interface. The LinkedBinaryTree class also
makes use of the
ArrayUnorderedList class to traverse the binary tree. The
ArrayUnorderedList class
inherits or extends the ArrayList class, which is another OO
concept. Inheritance allows
the derived class to use the base class’s methods and variables.
Inheritance can be used
for categorization of objects. For example, if you are dealing
with different kinds of

animals, the base class can be an animal, and the derived classes
can be a cat, dog, and
giraffe. This Java program shows separation of functionality
into individual classes or
objects, each one having their implementations encapsulated
within the objects and
available to other objects for use. Supporting evidence for this
learning statement
outcome is located in tab C-23, Java OO Programs.
• I am able to demonstrate my ability to implement database
applications. I implemented a
business intelligence data warehouse for a state lottery. The
first step taken was to gather
requirements for the reporting needs and develop a data model.
I worked as part of a
team to develop the data model, using data warehousing

concepts, such as
denormalization, and different type of tables then used in a
transactional database, such
as dimension, fact, and aggregate tables. A dimension table
typically describes an entity,
such as a customer, that has attributes that describes it. Fact
tables contain some type of
measurement of the dimension, such as customer orders.
Aggregate tables combine data
Last Name 44
from the fact tables into summaries for the purpose of making
querying faster in the
corresponding business intelligence application that is accessing
the data. Once the

database was in place, I created the extraction, transformation,
and load (ETL) process
using staging tables and Oracle stored procedures. The data
was pulled daily from the
transactional tables into staging tables, and the stored
procedures manipulated and moved
the data into the data warehouse in an appropriate format for
fast querying based on
reporting needs. Finally, I worked with another developer to
create the end-user
application using Oracle Forms and Reports to pull the
information out of the data
warehouse and present it to the user in predefined formats and
reports.
For my supporting evidence, I am submitting the ERD which
contains the dimension,

fact, and aggregate tables; a screen shot of the ETL application
written in Visual Basic
6.0 which called the Oracle stored procedures to populate the
data warehouse; and finally
sample screen shots of the end-user application that was used to
view the data warehouse
information. Supporting evidence for this learning statement
24, BI Data Warehouse.
• I took IT 360 Operating Systems at Excelsior College. In this
course, I learned about the
architecture and functions of operating systems. It discussed
how processes are
scheduled, created and executed; threading concepts;
synchronization of processes
including issues with deadlock; and many other concepts
including memory, paging, file

and directory structures, performance, and security. This course
taught me the many
common tasks that operating systems accomplish that we take
for granted, such as
handling files, scheduling the processes running on our
computers, and handling
contention. One chapter was dedicated to the Linux operating
system including the
Last Name 45
design, process management, scheduling, memory management,
file systems, I/O,
security and other concepts. I found this chapter interesting as I
was only familiar with

the Windows operating system.
For my supporting evidence, I am submitting a paper I wrote for
this course about the
Linux operating system, showing my ability to research and
learn about the tasks that
operating systems perform. The paper gave an overview of
Linux, the design of the
kernel, process management through the use of a System Call
Interface, paging and
swapping concepts, the file system, scheduling techniques, and
the advantages of Linux
over other choices. Through the research I did to write the
paper and the many concepts I
learned from the course, I am able to identify and be aware of
the common tasks that
operating systems perform. Supporting evidence for this
learning statement outcome is

located in tab C-25, Linux Operating System.
• Tab C-23, Java OO Programs
• Tab C-24, BI Data Warehouse
• Tab C-25, Linux Operating System
Last Name 46
Outcome 10
Demonstrate the ability to analyze computing and information
security requirements and risks,
and apply the appropriate tools and techniques to protect
organizational data assets in an

ethically responsible manner.
Characteristics:
• Discuss practical analysis experiences relating to computer
and information security
• Document use of tools and techniques to protect
organizational data assets
• Identify instances or experiences where ethically responsible
issues were encountered
• I am able to demonstrate my knowledge of tools and
techniques to protect organizational
assets after completing IT 380 Overview of Computer Security
at Excelsior College.
This course discussed many of the tools and techniques to
protect organizational assets

on the network, such as anti-virus software, firewalls, access
control, encryption, email
security, and public key infrastructures. I was assigned to write
a two-part security
policy. The first paper included identifying three assets within
your work place and
analyzing the threats to those assets. The second paper
involved determining appropriate
tools and techniques to protect the assets.
For my supporting evidence, I am submitting the two-part
security policy. In the first
paper, the assets I selected were a database server, web server,
and desktop pc, which
were assets within my work place. By using this ‘real-world’
scenario, it lent more
practicality to the assignment. I listed and discussed the threats
to these assets, drawing

on the information I learned from the text book and course
materials. In the second
paper, I list and discuss preventative measures for the assets
against the listed threats.
Last Name 47
Again, I drew upon the course information and research on the
internet. I was able to
demonstrate my ability to identify the applicable tools and
techniques to protect these
assets. Supporting evidence for this learning statement outcome
is located in tab C-26,
Security Lifecycle Policy.
• In my current position, I have implemented a new tool that

will assist in protecting
company assets on the network. The company hires long-term
consultants that need
access to network assets, and those consultants are given
employee numbers and limited
rights for their needs. However, there are another group of
consultants that do not
necessarily need access to the company network, but may need
internet access to get to
their own company email and resources. The company had been
allowing them access
on the network and it was a cumbersome process to set up their
access. In order to limit
the access rights of these consultants and to ease the process of
provisioning, a developer
within our group developed an active directory provisioning
tool which would give the

consultants access to a ‘Guest’ domain on the network. As a
member of this domain,
they are limited to internet access only through the company
network and have no other
privileges. This tool is beneficial in securing the network from
the many outside
resources.
For my supporting evidence, I am submitting a narrative of the
application with screen
shots. The developer who was mainly responsible for
developing the application is no
longer with the company, so I am responsible for supporting,
bug fixing, coding missed
requirements, and implementing the application into the
production environment,
working closely with the Data Security department. The

application was thoroughly
tested by the users with my assistance, and I implemented some
fixes and enhancements
Last Name 48
for the go live date on June 1, 20XX. This tool makes use of
Active Directory, so I had
to understand Active Directory concepts and structures and how
to implement that within
a .NET environment. Active Directory is one method of using
access control to protect
company assets. Supporting evidence for this learning
statement outcome is located in
tab C-27, Network Access Control.

• In my current position, I support physical security
applications. These applications
include access control to facilities, alarm monitoring and also
monitoring sites through
remote camera systems and motion detection. There are certain
areas that are deemed to
be ‘protected’ according to NERC standards. Any information
regarding a protected area
is confidential information, and any written communication
regarding these areas must be
encrypted. When I took my position, the importance of this
confidential information was
explained to me, and that I must act in an ethical manner to
ensure that I do not
communicate any information related to these protected sites in
clear text.
Communication is likely in the form of email, and for email

encryption, we use PGP
(Pretty Good Privacy) which was installed on my computer.
Any participant that I send
encrypted emails to regarding this information must also have
PGP installed.
For my supporting evidence, I am submitting a paper I wrote
when taking the course IT
380 Overview of Computer Security at Excelsior College. The
paper summarizes secure
email technologies, and the research I completed to write this
paper helped me to
understand the differing technologies behind securing email.
This paper includes PGP
which was selected by our company as the standard for email
encryption. Since this tool
is relatively easy to use with little additional effort between
sending an encrypted email

versus an unencrypted one, this helps us to ensure we make the
ethically responsible
Last Name 49
decision to encrypt any emails that contain confidential data or
are even questionable as
to whether they contain confidential information. Supporting
evidence for this learning
statement outcome is located in tab C-28, Email Security.
• Tab C-26, Security Lifecycle Policy
• Tab C-27, Network Access Control
• Tab C-28, Email Security

Last Name 50
Outcome 11
Demonstrate the ability to apply best practices and standards for
information technology
applications.
Characteristics:
• Identify specific experiences where the role of data
communications and networking
plays a large role
• Elaborate on the specific details in relation to the function or
operation of user

interfacing, program design, or
• Describe experiences with common carriers, regulatory bodies
and relevant standards
• During my employment at a lottery vendor, most applications
were written in Visual
Basic 6.0. When the decision was made to move to .NET
technologies and convert the
applications, decisions had to be made regarding choice of an
architectural standard. The
CLMA.NET architecture was selected by a senior developer,
which is an architecture
created by XXXX XXXXX (http://www.xxxxxx.net/cnet/). I
was able to assist in
investigating, learning, and adopting this standard, and I
completed a prototype

application that implemented the architecture. I was able to
assist in preparing for and
implementing this architecture into our development
environment.
As supporting evidence, I am submitting a summary I composed
regarding the
framework and design goals of the selected architecture. This
document shows my
understanding of the standard we adopted and the elements of
that architecture that we
were to follow when converting existing applications and
implementing new
http://www.xxxxxx.net/cnet/
Last Name 51

applications. Supporting evidence for this learning statement
outcome is located in tab
C-21, Dotnet Architecture and Standards.
• At my current place of employment, I am expected to apply
best practices and standards
towards the development life cycle. I have available to me
various best practices and
standards through SharePoint sites. For example, the Project
Management Office
provides various templates for all stages of the development
lifecycle, including such
documents as high level and detail designs. By using these
standards, I contribute to
consistency within the IT department whereby documents have
the same ‘look and feel’
when read by different parties so they are recognizable and
readable. These templates

also provide placeholders for collecting information which
otherwise may get left out
when starting from a blank piece of paper. The templates also
help to be more efficient
and faster at composing a document because the formatting and
relevant topic headings
are included.
For my supporting evidence, I am submitting a document
containing screen shots of the
SharePoint site for the PMO, including the available templates
and samples of templates.
located in tab C-29,
Development Standards.
• In my current position, I support physical security
applications. These applications

include access control to facilities through card readers and
alarm monitoring and also
monitoring sites through remote camera systems and motion
detection. There are certain
areas within facilities that are deemed to be ‘protected’
according to NERC standards.
NERC stands for North American Electric Reliability
Corporation and has come about to
ensure the reliability of the power grid. Reliability includes
physical protection of areas
Last Name 52
and equipment that are vital to the health of the transmission
system. There are certain

standards and protocols to follow for determining what a NERC
site is, securing that site,
and monitoring these protected sites.
For my supporting evidence, I am submitting an essay regarding
NERC standards,
including how we define and monitor these areas within our
applications, report
incidences, and the standards that are available to us to help us
outline these procedures.
This document demonstrates my ability to understand and
follow regulatory standards
and rules. Supporting evidence for this learning statement
30, Regulatory Standards.
• Tab C-21, Dotnet Architecture and Standards

• Tab C-29, Development Standards
• Tab C-30, Regulatory Standards
Last Name 53
Outcome 12
Demonstrate the ability to assist in the creation and execution
of an effective project plan.
Characteristics:
• Describe experiences with project life cycle issues
• Discuss the importance of management planning
• Elaborate on issues relating to risk analysis, task scheduling,
and resource scheduling

• I took IT 390 Project Management at Excelsior College. This
course described the
project life cycle and the tools used to assist in project
management. Concepts discussed
were defining the project scope and priorities, the work
breakdown structure, estimating
project time and cost, constructing a project plan, identifying
and managing the risks, and
scheduling necessary resources. The course also discussed how
to be an effective project
manager, managing project teams, evaluating and measuring
project performance, and
oversight. The many topics I learned in this course gave me a
comprehensive overview
of the project life cycle and how each function is important to

the process.
For my supporting evidence, I am submitting a complete project
proposal that was my
final assignment for the course. The complete proposal is
comprised of subprojects that
were completed throughout the course. This proposal contains
many of the project
management components learned throughout the course, which
reinforced these concepts
via a practical learning method. I took a real-world proposed
idea from work and
implemented the idea into my project proposal. The idea was to
have a centralized
‘security dashboard’ for managing the various physical security
applications into one
central portal where information is readily available in a highly
observable user interface.

Last Name 54
The concepts from the course that were incorporated into the
proposal included a project
proposal (including problem, goal, and objective definition), the
project scope (including
deliverables, milestones, technical requirements, limits and
exclusions), a high-level
project plan using Microsoft Project, risk analysis (including
definition and mitigation
strategies), a communication plan, and a project
recommendation. Supporting evidence
Project Proposal.

• In my current job, we have several ongoing projects, or
projects that are cued up but not
yet being worked on. Our team was using a SharePoint site to
try to manage the various
projects, but SharePoint was lacking as far as keeping track of
statuses, estimating,
retaining related documentation, knowing resource availability
and general tracking of
the projects. Last year, the company implemented a project
tracking and workflow tool
which we now use that helps to capture all of the relevant
information for all of the
ongoing projects. I have been using this tool which has
increased my efficiency as a
developer by helping me to see exactly what is outstanding and
what the status and
priorities are for those outstanding items. It also allows me to

attach all of my relevant
documents to each task and project in one area so they are
readily available, and I am not
searching for them on a shared drive or SharePoint site. The
tool also allows me to
follow a pre-determined workflow for the project or tasks. In
addition, this tool allows
for time entries and does comparisons between estimated hours
and actual hours.
For my supporting evidence, I am submitting a narrative of the
tool that describes how
this project workflow tool assists us in our day-to-day tasks.
This tool has shown me
how the importance of planning and scheduling relates to
successful and on-time
implementations. This tool also provides all the steps related to
the project life cycle or

Last Name 55
development life cycle within a workflow. Supporting evidence
for this learning
statement outcome is located in tab C-32, Project Management
Tool.
• At my current place of employment, I was involved in a major
project that included
several IT departments and multiple applications used
throughout the company.
Historically, employees were issued a 5 digit employee number.
This year, the 5 digit
numbers will run out, so there was an IT wide initiative to make
any modifications

necessary to accommodate a 6 digit employee number. Many
applications had
constraints surrounding the 5 digit limitation within
applications or in interfaces between
applications. And whether or not there were constraints, all
applications dealing with
employee numbers needed to perform testing with a 6 digit
employee number. I
participated in this project, which had a project plan and project
meetings. By sitting in
on the meetings and being able to view the related project
management documents, this
exposed me to the project management process, from
identifying the affected
applications, to ensuring resources were scheduled and a
timeline was constructed and
met to meet the changing requirement. I also was exposed to

the importance of the time
limitation, given that 5 digit employee numbers would soon
come to an end, and the
identified risks involved should applications not be tested or
modified to accommodate
the new 6 digit number.
For my supporting evidence, I am submitting the overall project
plan that was written by
the project manager. This plan contains responsible parties,
goals, requirements,
objectives, the stakeholders, and the scope, including the
affected applications, cost
estimate, schedule, risks, and other items. I am also submitting
a detail design that I
wrote which outlines the modifications to applications, stored
procedures, and database

Last Name 56
tables for my group’s affected applications. I also implemented
these changes into
production. Supporting evidence for this learning statement
33, Employee Number Project.
• Tab C-31, Project Proposal
• Tab C-32, Project Management Tool
• Tab C-33, Employee Number Project

Last Name 57
Outcome 13
Demonstrate a commitment to professional development and to
continue to engage in lifelong
learning.
Characteristics:
• Describe prior lifelong learning activities
• Describe current lifelong learning activities
• Describe how you plan to continue lifelong learning
• To continue lifelong learning, I plan to start attending the
XXXXXXXX DotNet User
Group meetings which are held monthly. I have participated in

Keystone Species Research PaperThis writing assignment is desi.docx

Keystone Species Research PaperThis writing assignment is desi.docx

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to Keystone Species Research PaperThis writing assignment is desi.docx

Similar to Keystone Species Research PaperThis writing assignment is desi.docx (13)

More from DIPESH30

More from DIPESH30 (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Keystone Species Research PaperThis writing assignment is desi.docx