Latest news with #TimKing
CBC
2 days ago
- CBC
CyberTitan camp aims to teach P.E.I. students digital literacy and cybersecurity
The P.E.I. IT Alliance is running a youth cybersecurity program for students from Grade 6 right up to Grade 12. The weeklong CyberTitan camp lets students build a computer to understand the inner workings of it, as well as learn safer online habits. Camp organizer Tim King said students he has taught in the past have gone pretty far with the skills they learned. "I've had students who got into CyberTitan with me when it first started in 2018 who have since gone to university," he told CBC's Mio Adilman during an interview on Mainstreet. "One of them is doing IOT [internet of things] research at the University of Waterloo in their post-graduate program in cybersecurity." King said other students have gone into engineering, and one who went into biology said the program had helped him in an unexpected way. "I said, 'Was it ever helpful?' and he said, 'All through university I never had to pay for anything, because I was like the campus IT guy, and I would just help people get their computers running.'" 'Myth' about digital natives King said the CyberTitan camp helps students more deeply understand the digital world in a way that just using a device can't. "There was a myth that came out a few years ago about digital natives, and how students of a certain age just magically know how computers work, and it's not true," he said. "The kids are really familiar with digital, are really comfortable in the media and maybe they're really quick on TikTok or whatever they're into, but if you moved them away from that familiarity, they're immediately as lost as any senior or anybody else." King said familiarity is what makes people think they're naturally good with tech. "When you get back to the fundamentals, like what we're doing this week in Charlottetown, it really sheds a light on what we need to do to build up that digital literacy." He said doing physical computations and going off the screen can be rewarding. "If you take it off the screen and you make it tangible for students, it really makes all the difference." King said that many people don't know where to begin when it comes to computers. "In a lot of cases, people will break into a system by interrupting the startup sequence of a computer, so if you don't understand the startup sequence, you don't even know where to begin," he said. "If you understand how a computer boots, and how it goes through BIOS [Basic Input/Output System] and into the operating system — once you understand that, it's like you understand the landscape that you're dealing with." It also allows them to take control of the machine, so instead of just approaching it as a consumer, the students are approaching it more like a technician. King said this can make people look at computers from another perspective. "It also allows them to take control of the machine, so instead of just approaching it as a consumer, the students are approaching it more like a technician and they see the machine as something that they understand how it operates, and they understand how to tune it to get the best out of it." A digital divide King said there is a sort of "digital divide," referring to people who use tech but don't actually own a bona fide computer. "There are a lot of students here telling me they don't actually have a computer at home. So maybe they have a smart phone and maybe they have two PlayStations, but they don't have a computer," he said. "For me, a big part of this is if we can get people thinking about technology as a productivity tool instead of just a toy. In Canada, almost everybody has a digital something, but when my students come into class, they'll tell me, 'I've had a string of PlayStations, or Xboxes, or whatever and maybe a string of iPhones but that's it.'" King said that parents have been part of the curriculum development, and those of new students are made aware of what is being taught. "What they'll get at the end of the week is a student coming home with some genuine digital literacy, instead of familiarity with a game system." Cybersecurity landscape is evolving As for the cybersecurity aspect of the program, King said the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years is changing the parameters of online safety. "The people doing cyberattacks are not hackers; they're criminals who have purchased a system and they are basically running it without any knowledge of what it's doing," he said. "It used to be that you would have a hacker and they would go after a specific target, but these systems don't do that. They blitz the Internet looking for openings, which is why you hear terrible stories about children's hospitals being hacked. That's not with intention, that's just an AI finding any opening it can get." King said we're facing a "deluge of cyberattacks that are all automated." In return, the defence is catching up and also trying to automate. That means that the best human brains will be needed to tackle the problem in the years to come — and maybe some of those brains will have come through a program like CyberTitan. In the meantime, he said parents should not leave it to someone else to tell their kids how to stay safe online. He remembers a friend telling him, "You don't step away, you double down," when it comes to children and computers.
Scoop
4 days ago
- Climate
- Scoop
Tasman Nelson Moves Out State Of Emergency
Tasman District Mayor Tim King has given notice that Nelson and Tasman will begin a transition period, moving from a state of emergency into a recovery focus, following the impacts from the most recent severe weather the region experienced. The Notice of Local Transition period, under Section 94B of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002, takes effect at 4.47pm today (17 July 2025) and ends on Thursday 14 August 2025 unless it is extended or ends before then. Mayor King says it was unbelievable that we would face two massive back-to-back emergencies like this, but we did. He's offering his thanks to all the agencies, community groups and volunteers who had supported the Nelson Tasman Emergency Management response for the second time. "These two events have a tested us to the maximum and the effects will be felt for a long time across our region. While we are moving from a state of emergency, this transition period means that support continues to be available to those affected.' We now have a team focusing on the recovery process which will take time. Tim King says we understand that as the enormity of this event sinks in, people could be feeling overwhelmed dealing with getting their lives and properties back into some semblance of normality. "I want to offer heartfelt thanks to everyone involved, particular those in our community who have supported and continue to support their friends, family and neighbours.' Group Recovery Manager Steve Manners will now assume responsibility for the local transition period.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Government announces $600k support for flood affected farmers
rural farming 39 minutes ago The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry has announced a half a million dollar support package from government and industry for flood-affected farmers, growers and foresters in the Tasman region. It comes as the district-wide clean up continues, with Mayor Tim King estimating the total repair bill has already exceeded $100 million, alongside a warning more heavy rain is expected in the coming months. Samantha Gee reports.
1News
5 days ago
- Climate
- 1News
'Very big mess' - Tasman's flood clean-up to take 'months and months'
Tasman's mayor says the region faces "months and months" of clean-up work as it recovers from historic flooding that's devastated parts of the district. More than 800 properties are being assessed for damage while the region grapples with 51 road closures, from local roads to State Highway 6 at Rocks Rd in Nelson, which NZTA said would be closed for "at least the next two days". Nelson Tasman remains under a state of emergency. Mayor Tim King told Breakfast it was easy to see from the air the hardest-hit properties. Tasman Mayor Tim King spoke to Breakfast following more bad weather over the weekend. (Source: Breakfast) ADVERTISEMENT "There are large areas that are a very big mess," King said of the most recent inclement weather. "The damage that's been done this time around compounds the damage - a lot of the same areas have been affected [with the] same property owners." Strong winds over the weekend had been the "big difference" and resulted in "hundreds and hundreds" of falling trees on property and blocking roads, he said. The mayor added weather had mostly impacted rural land. "It's the biggest flood we've had in this region since the late 1800s," he said. King said the weather forecast looked better over the next week, but that "the message is still, if you don't need to travel, please don't" today. ADVERTISEMENT "Complete rebuild" after Tasman homes and businesses hammered by repeated weather events. (Source: 1News) NZTA Nelson/Tasman system manager Rob Service said further inspections at Rocks Rd were completed this morning. "Geotechnical investigations confirm that heavy rain has created another unstable wedge of soil, with vegetation and rocks hanging above the highway. Pieces of debris are continuing to fall intermittently." While sluicing to remove debris had begun, Service said the road must remain closed for "at least two days" due to the ongoing risk. "At this stage, we do not expect to have SH6 Rocks Road open before Thursday." State Highway 6 at Rocks Rd would remain closed until further notice, NZTA said. (Source: NZTA) Six schools and early learning centres remain closed today: Tapawera Area School, Riwaka School, Brooklyn School, Parklands School, Tapawera Kindergarten and Horizons Montessori Riwaka. ADVERTISEMENT Around 80 customers remained without power this morning, with crews working to restore electricity to the hardest-hit parts of Thorpe-Dovedale, where flooding has made access to damaged poles on private land difficult. The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including a fire at an Auckland chapel, new plan for international students, and a first time Wimbledon winner. (Source: 1News) Council property assessment teams visited 417 properties yesterday and will continue today where they're aiming to visit a further 413 properties, according to Civil Defence. "We will be focusing on the south of Tapawera, Rocky River, Dovedale, Baton River, Pretty Valley, Trass Valley and Hoult Valley areas." Picking up the pieces Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said that the Government was focused on supporting the clean-up, but that the scope of support was still being decided on. The Prime Minister spoke to Breakfast as the Nelson Tasman region began recovery from flooding. (Source: Breakfast) ADVERTISEMENT "Let's get a sense of what the scope of recovery is needed and support is needed. I've been pleased with the way that central government and local government work together very seamlessly," he told Breakfast. King said it would take "months and months" to pick up the pieces from the floods. He said there would be "a lot of difficult discussions" to have over the years ahead about how to improve the region's resilience to bad weather and "build back better". Torrential downpours deluge districts still trying to recover from last week's floods. (Source: 1News) "Trying to ensure that where we're repairing roads that they may have bigger culverts through them. In the rivers, there'll be a case of exactly, where do you put back protection? "Where is it needed? How much of the river needs to be given room to move in? Then stop banks in the lower areas, which, very fortunately, in this event, held up really well, but they were tested to their absolute maximum. "There'll be a lot of difficult discussions to have over the months and years ahead." ADVERTISEMENT
Scoop
6 days ago
- Climate
- Scoop
Nelson Tasman Region To Transition To Recovery On Thursday 17 July 2025
Tasman Mayor Tim King has given notice that Nelson Tasman will begin a transition period, moving from a state of emergency into a recovery focus, following the impacts from the severe weather the region experienced in June and July 2025. The State of Emergency will expire and The Notice of Local Transition period, under Section 94B of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002, takes effect at 4.47pm on Thursday 17 July 2025 and ends on Thursday 14 August 2025 unless it is extended or ends before then. Mayor King extended his thanks to all the agencies, community groups and volunteers who had supported the Nelson Tasman Emergency Management response. "For the second time in three weeks we're transitioning to recovery. Our community has faced two major weather events, and we have seen significant impacts across the region. While we are moving from a state of emergency, this transition period means that support continues to be available to those affected. "A big thank you to everyone involved, including the many in our community who have supported, and continue to support, their friends, whānau, and neighbours. "Our partner agencies have once again stepped up to support our communities in times of need. We're especially grateful to those who offered assistance from outside our region, thank you for your continued generosity and commitment." Nelson Mayor Nick Smith was encouraged by the shift to the transition period. "The timing is right this Thursday for us to move from the state of emergency from last Friday's storm to the transition phase of recovery. The major outstanding impact on Nelson is the closure of Rocks Road. Good progress is being made on stabilising the cliff and I am hopeful of it re-opening by the end of the week. Nelson by the weekend will be back to normal and fully open for business.' Using Scoop for work? Scoop is free for personal use, but you'll need a licence for work use. This is part of our Ethical Paywall and how we fund Scoop. Join today with plans starting from less than $3 per week, plus gain access to exclusive Pro features. Join Pro Individual Find out more
