Information Technology Department

The Information Technology Department strives to ensure our graduates succeed in this increasingly technology-driven world. The curriculum is frequently updated to meet the rapidly changing needs of the industry and society, while continuing to provide a solid theoretical foundation.

By 2012 twenty-five percent of the jobs in the United States are predicted to pertain to computers and information technology. However, there is an anticipated shortage of qualified candidates for these jobs across the US. The need for our students to take computer science in high school is at an all-time high. More importantly, one of the department’s main goals is to address the under-representation of women and minority students in computer science.

Students at St. Scholastica Academy are required to complete a semester course, Introduction to Technology, which includes keyboarding and word processing. Yet, beyond this introductory course to a computer, the breadth and depth of St. Scholastica Academy’s course offerings are in the computer science electives. We offer three semester courses, which focus on problem solving and algorithmic thinking to solve real world problems. The courses require programming with the focus on design of algorithms, instead of covering the syntax of a language. We also offer semester courses in graphic design/desktop publishing and Web design/development. Here are some of our current activites.

The faculty members have strong educational and experiential backgrounds in the fields they teach. The caliber of our faculty experience ensures that students receive a high-quality technical education.

Ms. Jo Ellen Thiel
Ms. Thiel received a B.S. in Computer Science from DePaul University and is currently attaining an M.A. in Teaching from National-Louis University.  She has over 13 years of business experience in the computer industry.  She started her computer career as a mainframe programmer at Andersen Worldwide.  However, for most of her career, she was the Director of Application Architecture at Stericycle, in which she was responsible for the information systems’ software, database, and date warehouse architecture and I.T. strategy for offices in the U.S., U.K., and Canada. Ms. Thiel has been a faculty member at St. Scholastica Academy since 2006 and is chair of the Information Technology Department. She also is a member of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), and Illinois Computing Educators (ICE).