Voices of Readiness Podcast

Over the last several months, we collaborated with the team at Pearson to dive into the efficacy of the Microsoft Office Specialist certification program. We wanted to make sure we're offering candidates an effective measure of their skills and knowledge.

In this episode, we sat down with Emily Lai, Vice President of Learning Impact Measurement from Pearson, to talk more about the Microsoft Office Specialist efficacy report. Emily leads a team of researchers to help analyze the impact of Pearson products and services on learner outcomes, such as learning experience, engagement, course completion, performance, and progression into the world of work (all key variables for any CTE program).

As you listen to this episode, Emily shares more with us about how efficacy reports are conducted, why they're valuable, and what educators should be looking for before they bring a certification into their classroom.

You can download the full MOS Efficacy Report here: https://gocertiport.pearsonvue.com/MOSEfficacyReport?utm_source=podcast

Evaluating certification efficacy wouldn't be complete without the voices of our candidates. You can read stories of certified candidates and how certification has benefited them on our blog (https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/Blog/Student-Stories). And don't forget to dive into the certification development process here: https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/About/Developing-a-certification-examination

Accounting skills are in high demand. According to statistics from Burning Glass, over 1.3 million job postings requested accountings skills in the last twelve months. However, not all accounting skills are created equally.

In this episode we sat down with Sean Duncan, President of SMD Consulting & Accounting, LLC, to discuss the skills tomorrow's accountants need to be successful, how the accounting industry is changing, and what accounting educators can do to better prepare their students for future careers.

You can connect with Sean and the SMD Consulting and Accounting team here: https://smdaccounting.com/.

If you're looking for a way to prepare your future accountants for success, start with Intuit certification. Get all the details here: https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/Certifications/Intuit.

Back-to-school season is practically upon us. Many educators haven't been back in the classroom since the COVID-19 pandemic struck in spring of 2020. Most likely, proctoring exams and updating your computer lab is top of mind.

We're here to make sure you and your students have successful testing experiences. In this week's episode, we sat down with Josh Sommer, Director of Certiport Support to talk through setting up your testing center, proctoring advice, and how to connect with Certiport Tech Support if you hit a wall.

Josh mentioned quite a few resources in this week's episode that will help you launch into the school year with confidence. You can find a comprehensive user guide for Compass exam delivery here (https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/Support/PDFs/Compass/Compass-User-Guide-Windows.pdf). You'll also want to walk through the exam launch requirements here (https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/Support/PDFs/QRG-Exam-Launch-Requirements.pdf), along with resources for successful proctoring here (https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/Support/PDFs/QRG-Proctoring).

You can also access a live training session with Certiport's Tech Support team here (https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/CATCs/Training-sessions). Still stumped? Tech Support is standing by here (https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/Support/Support-for-CATCs).

Information technology is a rapidly growing field, but it can be tough for students to master advanced technologies without proper foundational knowledge. Enter Information Technology Specialist certification. The IT Specialist program is aimed at candidates who are considering or just beginning a path to a career in information technology. Students can certify their knowledge in a broad range of IT topics, including software development, database administration, networking and security, mobility and device management, and coding.

In this episode we sat down with Shawn Moon, Certiport's Program Manager for the IT Specialist certification program to get all the details about this new certification, including what IT topics are covered on the current exams, what exams are coming, and what careers students can pursue with IT Specialist certified skills.

You can learn more about IT Specialist certification at www.certiport.com/its.

Interested in learning more about My Pathway, and the careers mapped for your IT students? Get all the details here: https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/Certifications/ITSpecialist/Certification/My-Pathway.

More info about Certiport:

Get all the details about Certiport here: https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/

Find out more about our CERTIFIED Educator Conference here: https://certified.certiport.com/.

Ready to connect? Join CERTIFIED: Certiport's Educator Community here: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8958289/.

Swift is a robust and intuitive programming language created by Apple. It's easy to learn, simple to use, and super powerful — which makes it a great language for first time coders and full time developers.

In this episode we sat down with Sabrina Beck, Certiport's Program Manager for the Swift certification program to talk all things Swift, what's covered on the new certification exams, and what resources are available for teachers looking to bring Xcode into their classroom.

You can learn more about App Development with Swift certification at www.certiport.com/apple. Additional free teaching resources provided by Apple can be found at https://www.apple.com/education/k12/teaching-code/.

More info about Certiport:

Get all the details about Certiport here: https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/

Find out more about our CERTIFIED Educator Conference here: https://certified.certiport.com/.

Ready to connect? Join CERTIFIED: Certiport's Educator Community here: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8958289/.

Are you trying to build a digital literacy program at your school? Then this episode is for you! Get perspective from fellow educators Abner Soto-Henry, Karen Johnson-Maloney, and Amanda Deebrah about the value of digital literacy in today's job market, how to get your students excited about these skills, and the new IC3 Digital Literacy GS6 curriculum and exam. Learn what it's been like to implement the courseware, how students are responding, and best practices for the coming school year.

About our guests:

Amanda Deebrah grew up and still lives in NYC. She graduated summa cum laude from the New York City College of Technology (Brooklyn, NY) with her Bachelor of Science in Education in Spring 2018. She graduated summa cum laude from the New York Institute of Technology (Old Westbury, NY) with her Master of Science in Spring 2020. Amanda is a high school teacher for the NYC Department of Education and absolutely loves her job. Her students make her look forward to going to work every day. No two days are ever the same and seeing her students grow makes her feel accomplished.

Abner Soto-Henry has taught information technology education for nearly 20 years at the Latin American Youth Center Career Academy, specializing in Microsoft certifications, IC3 Digital Literacy certifications, and CompTIA certifications. In total, Mr. Soto-Henry has more than 24 years of experience in education. Originally from Costa Rica, Abner speaks fluent Spanish, English, and Portuguese, enabling him to connect with the students he serves. He has received several awards, including being named Certiport's 2021 Educator of the Year. A former professional soccer player, his passion for teaching is only rivaled by his love of the game.

Karen Johnson-Maloney is a Louisiana native, who migrated to Florida 41 years ago. She loves helping others and becoming a teacher has allowed her to serve her students and community. She has 21 years of teaching experience, teaching high school and middle school. She is incredibly passionate about teaching IC3 and digital literacy skills. Her greatest pleasure comes from being a wife, mother and grandmother, and she divides her time between her family, making memories and enjoying the beach.

More info about Certiport:

You can also check out the webinar mentioned in this episode on our Certiport YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UezJUMrNtuI&t=3s.

Get all the details about Certiport here: https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/

Find out more about our CERTIFIED Educator Conference here: https://certified.certiport.com/.

Ready to connect? Join CERTIFIED: Certiport's Educator Community here: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8958289/.

Funding for educators is always an issue. Getting budget for your certification program can be challenging. In this week's episode, we sat down with Nicole Whitehead, Associate Product Manager at Certiport to discuss ways to fund your CTE program. We discuss everything from Perkins Funding to donations from your city's Chamber of Commerce, and more. Nicole gives you practical advice for securing the budget you need to certify your students.

You can connect with Nicole on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-whitehead-61a023125/) for additional assistance with your funding needs.

Get all the details about Certiport here: https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/

Find out more about our CERTIFIED Educator Conference here: https://certified.certiport.com/.

Ready to connect? Join CERTIFIED: Certiport's Educator Community here: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8958289/.

We hope you enjoy this discussion with three entrepreneurship experts. You'll get to hear from Kiara Slaton who is the Entrepreneur Educator from Palm Beach Gardens Community High School, James Wilcox who is the Director of the University of Southern Mississippi Center for Economic and Entrepreneurship Education, and Henry Mack who is Chancellor of the Florida Department of Education. You can learn more about all these guests in their bios below. Please enjoy this episode as they discuss their experiences and expertise about teaching entrepreneurship.

Kiara Slaton is a Doctoral Candidate and business Instructor, coming to public school education through her own education at Tulane, Lynn University, and St Thomas University -Miami. She understands the importance of fostering entrepreneurship in young people. An entrepreneur herself through her company She Hoops Elite Women's Basketball Club, Slaton is personally familiar with the guiding principles of free enterprise as well as the requisite essentials of operating a business in today's unrelenting economy. She Hoops Elite is a community-based organization dedicated to providing a platform for experienced post-collegiate women basketball players to stay in the game. As a veteran teacher, Slaton, working closely with Karen Kummerlan, has pioneered the entrepreneurship program at Palm Beach Gardens Community High School. For her students, Slaton stands as an example of how much can be accomplished by embracing her motto "Live Life . . . Lead Strong".

James Wilcox is a native of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and has served as the Director of The University of Southern Mississippi's Center for Economic and Entrepreneurship Education since 2011. Through his efforts to equip and support Mississippi educators in the subject areas of entrepreneurship, economics, and financial literacy, he impacts more than 30,000 K-12 students each year. Additionally, James co-teaches Hacking for Defense (H4D) at USM and is particularly recognized as the director of the Southern Entrepreneurship Program (SEP)–a grassroots statewide youth program that engages an additional 700+ high school students per year in startup methodologies through real-world business development experiences. He holds an M.S. in Economic Development and a B.S. in International Business, both from The University of Southern Mississippi.

Henry Mack currently serves as Chancellor at the Florida Department of Education, a position he has held since October 2019. As Chancellor, he leads the Division of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, overseeing all workforce education programs and economic development initiatives for the Department. The Division is responsible for all career and technical education programs across a system of 48 technical centers and colleges, 28 state community colleges, and K-12 public schools, with a combined enrollment of over 1 million students, annually. As Chancellor, he is also responsible for the state offices of apprenticeship, adult education, and articulation and career education policy. Recognized in 2019 as South Florida's 40 under 40, Henry frequently lectures on the future of the workforce, entrepreneurship, and the value of a higher education. He currently lives in Tallahassee with his wife, Ashely, and his two young children Hadley and Holden.

More information about how Certiport can help you learn more about entrepreneurship:

https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/Blog/Entrepreneurship-And-Small-Business

https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/Blog/2021/March/How-to-Prioritize-Entrepreneurship-Education

More information about Certiport:

Get all the details about Certiport here: https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/

Find out more about our CERTIFIED Educator Conference here: https://certified.certiport.com/.

Ready to connect? Join CERTIFIED: Certiport's Educator Community here: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8958289/.

In this episode, we had the privilege of interviewing our 2021 Certiport CERTIFIED Educator of the Year Abner Soto-Henry. His love for education and his students is truly inspiring. He talks about his story and journey to becoming an educator. We also chat about some of the challenges with his unique teaching and his advice to help other educators in similar situations as him.

Abner Soto-Henry has taught information technology education for nearly 20 years at the Latin American Youth Center Career Academy, specializing in Microsoft certifications, IC3 Digital Literacy certifications, and CompTIA certifications. In total, Mr. Soto-Henry has more than 24 years of experience in education.

Originally from Costa Rica, Abner speaks fluent Spanish, English, and Portuguese, enabling him to connect with the students he serves. He has received several awards, including the 2013 Community Star Award from D.C. United, the 2015 Hispanic Heritage Innovative Educator Award, the 2016 D.C. OSSE Career and Technical Education Teacher of the Year award, the 2019 D.C. PCSB TIERific Teacher of the Year, and 2021 Certiport CERTIFIED Educator of the Year. A former professional soccer player, his passion for teaching is only rivaled by his love of the game.

Contact Abner:

https://www.facebook.com/ctlc.laycca

https://www.facebook.com/layccagreatness

https://www.linkedin.com/in/a-sotohenry20/

More information about Certiport:

Get all the details about Certiport here: https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/

Find out more about our CERTIFIED Educator Conference here: https://certified.certiport.com/.

Ready to connect? Join CERTIFIED: Certiport's Educator Community here: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8958289/.

Welcome to a special extended episode. For this session, we interviewed education experts from the school, district, and state levels. Together they shared strategies to expand access to creative learning and discussed how to set all students up for success.

Our guest host, Tacy Trowbridge, Adobe’s Global Education Programs leader, sat down with three special guests: Dr. Lauren Lampron, Principal of SouthWest Edgecombe High School in North Carolina; Amanda Vigil, Career Pathway Specialist of the San Francisco Unified School District; and Rick Kennedy, Instructional Technology Coordinator of the Idaho State Department of Education.

Interested in additional resources to expand creativity in your classroom? Find out what Adobe offers teachers across the globe: https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/Blog/2020/September/Adobe-Resources-for-Educators.

Learn more about Certiport here: https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/