Voices of Readiness Podcast

You want your students to find a career that is fulfilling. Interesting. Challenging. But not every student knows how to find a job that aligns with their interests. How can you help them find a career they're passionate about?

In this episode, we get advice from three experts: Karen Coulumbe, CTE educator in Washington; Matt Fritzius, Director of Research, Development, and Special Projects at Florida Atlantic University; and Amanda Augustine, Career Expert and Spokesperson at Career.io.

Karen, Matt, and Amanda discuss the career journey, from classroom to the boardroom and beyond. They give answers to some of your burning questions, such as:

• How can I connect with my students and discover their talents and interests?

• How can I encourage career exploration?

• How can I help my students land and keep a great job?

If you're ready for all the career talk, this one's for you. After all, career success starts in the classroom.

1. Certification can help your students explore career paths while still in the classroom. Learn more about our certification portfolio here.

1. Learn from other educators, like Karen and Matt, in our CERTIFIED Educator Community here.

1. Want more discussions like this? Join us for future CERTIFIED Academy webinars! Check out all the details and dates here.

Don't miss your chance to register for our annual CERTIFIED Educator's Conference here.

You're teaching skills that students need in their future careers. But what about giving them a chance to practice those skills in a workplace environment? Enter: the simulated workplace. In this week's episode, we dive into the simulated workplace with CERTIFIED Educator Conference presenter, Robbie Perdue.

Charles "Robbie" Perdue is an experienced IT educator with over 25 years in the field and 16 years of teaching. He specializes in preparing students for Certiport's industry-recognized certifications, using a hands-on, simulated workplace model to enhance learning. As a proponent of real-world learning, Robbie integrates project-based activities, digital badges, and resume-building opportunities to ensure students are not only prepared for certification exams but also for success in the workforce. With a wide range of certifications and a deep passion for education, he helps students bridge the gap between classroom learning and industry demands.

During our chat, Robbie shared how he established a simulated workplace in his classroom, how he gets students on board with a different classroom experience, and what skills he helps his students learn. Get ideas for supplies and infrastructure, and how you can help your students rise to meet industry standards.

1. Connect with Robbie on his website: www.crperdue.com.

2. Robbie uses the Cisco Certified Support Technician certification in his workplace classroom. Learn more about Cisco's certifications here.

3. Learn from other educators, like Robbie, in our CERTIFIED Educator Community here.

Don't miss your chance to register for our annual CERTIFIED Educator's Conference here.

Adoption and use of artificial intelligence (AI) for learning purposes continues to grow, but many educators lack training on effective use of AI in the classroom.

According to a survey from EdWeek, only 43% of educators surveyed had received any training on AI. Those left without training or district support may be wondering how to demystify AI and embrace this transformative technology. We're here to help. In this episode, we learn from both education and industry experts, Amy Waters and Stefano Piano.

Amy Waters is a 37-year veteran teacher at Hahnville High School in Boutte, Louisiana, with no plans of retiring any time soon. She is a complete nerd who has taught everything from Latin to computer programming and still loves learning new things and sharing that knowledge with everyone. She is constantly trying to find new and creative ways to teach lessons that will reach all her students and works hard to make sure that every one of them walks away with a sense of accomplishment.

Stefano Piano heads community and partnerships at Mindstone. In this role, he is responsible for hosting and facilitating practical demos and talks about the impact of AI on work and society in more than twenty cities between Europe and North America. Prior to joining Mindstone, he was an education and skills expert at the OECD, where he advised over 15 governments on improving education and training systems and preparing the workforce for AI adoption. He has been teaching at university and delivering lectures, including at Harvard, Kedge Business School, and ISEP. Stefano studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Warwick, and completed postgraduate studies in Economics at Cambridge and LSE as a Rotary Scholar.

Learn from Amy and Stefano about how AI is being used in today's classroom, and how they anticipate AI being used in the future. We also dive deep into educational concerns around AI, and how to make sure you and your students can use it safely, effectively, and ethically.

Hear about tried-and-true project ideas, and AI applications. And, as always, get advice from our AI experts. It's all here, and we know you won't want to miss it.

Ready to help your students dive deeper into the world of generative AI? Learn more about our Critical Career Skills Generative AI Foundations certification here.

Connect with educators in our CERTIFIED Educator Community here.

Don't miss your chance to register for our annual CERTIFIED Educator's Conference here.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects higher than average growth in accounting and finance positions in the coming decade. In fact, over 715,000 openings are predicted in the business and finance sphere between now and 2031. With such strong growth (and earning potential), it's no wonder educators want to prepare students for jobs in accounting and finance.

In this episode, we sat down with two accounting educators: Ashley Faulkner and David Waite. Ashley is a teacher at Triton High School in North Carolina, where she is a strong certification advocate. Over the past 11 years, Ashley has earned more than 40 certifications—and helped her students earn more than 1,150 individual certifications. She has also served as an FBLA adviser and as the North Carolina Southeast Region advisor. Outside her teaching career, Ashley is the chief financial officer for Simple Web Solutions, Inc., EM Audio, Inc., and Butler Faulkner Enterprise, and she is the mother of two active children.

David began his career as an auditor and was one of the rare humans who genuinely enjoyed it. After earning his CPA, he spent 15 years in public and private accounting before discovering his passion for teaching. An unexpected opportunity to teach accounting in Hawaii led him to academia, where he now focuses on bridging the gap between theory and practice. His teaching philosophy is simple: motivate students to prepare before class, engage actively during class, and tackle real-world challenges after class. Drawing from his industry experience, David strives to bring accounting to life for his students and future professionals.

We talk with Ashley and David about the skills accounting and finance professionals need and how to teach these skills in the classroom. Plus, we dive into connecting with local businesses for students' internship and job opportunities. And last, but not least, how certification empowers students along the way.

Learn more about Intuit certification here.

Connect with educators like Ashley and David in our CERTIFIED Educator Community here.

Get all the CERTIFIED Educator's Conference details here.

If you're looking for a fun and engaging way to teach your curriculum, gamification may be the answer. Merrell Stewart has been using gamification with his students for years and is sharing his advice with you.

Merrell is an 11-year veteran educator of animation, computer science, and game design in Houston, Texas. He has served more than a thousand students, specializing in the fundamentals of digital animation. His students learn composition, 2D and 3D animation, programming, game design, effective project management, and business creation.

Merrell has a master's in education in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in educational multimedia and online teaching and learning from the University of Houston. He also holds a bachelor's degree in arts, technology, and emerging communications from the University of Texas at Dallas. Merrell has various certifications in Adobe and Autodesk programs, and in the education and computer science fields. He has worked in the visual arts industry for over 15 years, creating medical, technical, and educational animation.

In this episode, Merrell defines gamification and shares why it's important for his students. We talk all about game mechanics and how you use different game elements in your projects and coursework. Plus, he shares his favorite websites and apps that help him gamify his course without too much additional effort. Now, are you ready to play?

Here are some of Merrell's favorite resources:

1. If you're looking for simulation-based activities, Merrell recommends Gimkit and Blooket.

2. Ready to create a leader board to keep students competitive and engaged? Check out keepthescore.com.

3. If you want students to be able to show off their success in your classroom, why not start with digital badges? Start with badge.design.

4. For cooperative and competitive activities, Merrell loves using Jeopardy Labs and Factile.

Connect with educators like Merrell in our CERTIFIED Educator Community here: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8958289/.

Don't miss your chance to register for our annual CERTIFIED Educator's Conference here.

The health sciences sector employs approximately 16 million people in the U.S. alone and is expected to grow by 13% from 2022 to 2032. But what skills do students need? What roles can they pursue?

We sat down with Priya Mukundan to talk all about healthcare careers. Priya is an innovative and strategic healthcare leader with over 15 years of experience in post-acute care and clinical operations. She currently serves as the Post Acute Care Network Administrator at Navvis/Allina Health in Minneapolis, Minnesota, working with hospitals and skilled nursing facilities to optimize care transitions, reduce hospital stays, and improve patient outcomes while focusing on Medicare and value-based care strategies. A licensed physical therapist with advanced training in digital health, Priya is passionate about building patient-centered systems that deliver high-quality and cost-effective care to improve the health and lives of patients across the care continuum.

In this episode, we talk Priya about her extensive experience in the healthcare industry. She shares her insights about how to prepare students for careers in healthcare, specifically for administrative assistant roles. These roles are the background of any successful medical practice, according to Priya. She dives deep into what your students need to succeed in these jobs, and how you, as an educator, can help them prepare for the fast-paced, ever-evolving world of healthcare and medicine.

Ready to learn more about our Health Sciences Careers program? Get more information here.

Connect with educators in our CERTIFIED Educator Community here.

Don't miss your chance to register for our annual CERTIFIED Educator's Conference here.

The Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Career ClusterTM is critical for addressing global necessities, such as food security and sustainability. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are about 1.4 million jobs in this Career ClusterTM. So many opportunities for your students to succeed.

Are you looking to prepare students for careers in agriscience? Jacob Falwell joins us in this episode to discuss all things soil and plant science. Dr. Jacob Falwell holds a bachelor's degree in agriculture science and a master's degree and Ph.D. in agriculture education. He's been teaching all things agriculture at Calloway County High School for over 20 years. With his support, his students have won 79 Future Farmers of America (FFA) state championships in 49 areas over the past 20 years. He's been named the Kentucky Agriculture Teacher of the Year twice. If there's any question you have about agriculture education, he's your guy.

In this episode, Jacob shares how to get students excited and engaged in soil and plant science, plus what career opportunities are available, and the skills your students need to succeed. We dive into what to teach, how to pace your curriculum (everything from mini units to monster units, to hands-on days), and the struggles and triumphs of agriculture educators. Sharing more than two decades of experience in the agriculture classroom, Jacob is sure to give you advice to help you succeed in the coming school year.

Learn more about our Agriscience and Technology Careers program here.

Connect with educators like Jacob in our CERTIFIED Educator Community here.

Don't miss your chance to register for our annual CERTIFIED Educator's Conference here.

Each year, we are so excited to recognize one of our customers as our CERTIFIED Educator of the Year during our annual CERTIFIED Educator Conference. We work with so many incredible educators, all of whom deserve recognition for their dedication and efforts. We're pleased to announce that Kim Kayser is our 2025 CERTIFIED Educator of the Year!

Kim has been teaching as well as learning technology with her students for fourteen years in Santa Rosa County, Florida. For the last ten of those years, she's been a career and technical educator, helping Woodlawn Beach Middle School students earn valuable, resume-building certifications in Microsoft Office, Entrepreneurship and Small Business, and Professional Communication. She loves being at the forefront of technology and always aims to keep classroom instruction engaging and relevant to prepare students for career and college readiness.

In this episode, we talk with Kim about becoming the 2025 Educator of the Year, her pathway into teaching, and her approach to creating lasting relationships with her students. Inspiring and energizing, this is one episode you won't want to miss.

Learn more about Kim on our blog here.

You can also watch Kim in action (and hear from her students) in our CERTIFIED Educator of the Year video here.

Connect with educators like Kim in our CERTIFIED Educator Community here.

Don't miss your chance to register for our annual CERTIFIED Educator's Conference here.

What does it take to compete in the MOS World Championship? Now you can find out. Our team was privileged to work with the Australian production company, GoodThing Productions, on their new documentary, Spreadsheet Champions. During filming, they followed six students on their journey to becoming Microsoft Office Specialist Excel Champions.

The documentary has now premiered at the SXSW and Hot Docs Film Festivals, and we could hardly wait to chat with one of the documentary's stars, Carmina Solares. Carmina is a bubbly 17-year-old from Guatemala who finds comfort in math.

During this episode, Carmina tells us all about her love for technology and math, plus how she got involved in Microsoft certification. She shares what it was like to compete in her MOS National and World Championship events. We even dive into the documentary and talk about what she's learned from these once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Ready to find out how you can help your students become spreadsheet champions?

Learn more about the documentary, Spreadsheet Champions, here.

Find out how to help your students compete in the MOS Championship here.

Connect with other tech educators in our CERTIFIED Educator Community here.

Don't miss your chance to register for our annual CERTIFIED Educator's Conference here.

Ready to get a peek into CERTIFIED 2025? We're continuing our series of CERTIFIED Educator Conference breakout session previews, and this is for all our business and entrepreneurship educators.

Are you looking for ways to teach your students business skills that they'll take with them after graduating? There's no better place to learn real-world business skills than in an actual business. So why not start one at your school? Danya Peters did just that.

Danya is a passionate business and marketing teacher, DECA Advisor, and mentor to two school-based enterprises. With degrees and certifications in marketing, secondary education, and entrepreneurship, Danya blends academic expertise with practical business skills. In her first two years of teaching, she secured a $70,000 grant to launch two student-run businesses. Recognized as the Emerging Business Teacher and Regional New Career and Technical Teacher for Idaho, Danya's innovative approach engages students through competitions, hands-on projects, and business management, preparing them for future success. She is committed to fostering student growth, creativity, and a lifelong passion for business.

In this episode, we talk with Danya about how she decided to launch a business, the Bruin Pop Shop, in her school. She shares how she structures her businesses and classes to give students real business experience. Covering everything from funding to community support, Danya's advice will help you succeed in preparing tomorrow's business leaders.

Check out the Bruin Pop Shop Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebruinpopshop/.

Interested in learning more about entrepreneurship? Get ideas from fellow business teachers here.

Connect with educators like Danya in our CERTIFIED Educator Community here: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8958289/.

Don't miss your chance to register for our annual CERTIFIED Educator's Conference here.