As any educator can attest, time flies when you're heads down in the academic year.
Just three (short) academic years ago, Microsoft and the North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction piloted the first-ever statewide Microsoft IT Academy (ITA) program. The year prior to that, twenty one students and teachers across three school districts achieved Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification. By the end of the first academic year--with high schools across the state enrolled in the ITA program--the number jumped to 8,794 certifications earned by students.
This month, near the end of the program's third year, I am thrilled to share with you that North Carolina teachers and students have achieved a monumental milestone: more than 100,000 certifications in Microsoft technologies earned by students and teachers. We extend our congratulations to the students, teachers, administrators, staff and faculty across the state who have made this milestone possible.
We’ve had the opportunity to share some of the great individual success stories on this blog, but this is a milestone in which the whole state can be proud! Hats off to you North Carolina!
This week, North Carolina's PBS affiliate UNC-TV profiled the state's IT Academy program, providing insight into the approach and results at Green Hope High School. Watch the segment on the UNC-TV website.
Watch Tuesday, May 21, 2013 on PBS. See more from NC Now.
Learn more about North Carolina's IT Academy program:
A couple months ago we announced and launched our first MOS 2013 exams in a new and improved project-based exam format. You can read all the details here. If you're an anxious test taker like myself, you may want to check out a couple new videos! These videos demonstrate how the new exam works, as well as answer questions we know are on many candidates' minds such as how long will the exam take, how will I know if I pass, what if the exam crashes, and more.
The first video, viewable via this link located on the Microsoft MOS web page, features a 6 minute news desk format Q&A discussion and demo of key changes in the exam experience. The second video, viewable via this YouTube link and the Certiport MOS video web page under Exam Preparation, features a 6 minute video that navigates you through the new MOS exam interface, highlighting key tips and tricks you'll want to know for success taking your exam.
Check out the listing of and exam objectives for all the MOS 2013 exams here, which are rolling out over the next five months. Ready to take the exam? Click here to find a test center via our MOS exam provider, Certiport.
Happy testing!
Microsoft Certified Trainers (MCTs) are the premier technical and instructional experts on Microsoft technologies, and are the only individuals authorized to deliver training with Microsoft Official Courses. MCT Sasa Kranjac—a preeminent Croatia-based IT Technical Trainer, Consultant, and Speaker—stopped by the Born to Learn blog to offer a wealth of training and certification tips, including an exhaustive list of free resources you shouldn’t miss. Take it away Sasa!
Study Tips: Blend your Learning Styles
When preparing for a certification exam, different people have different approaches. What works for one person may not work for another.
I would not recommend a single study resource or approach. Blended learning—combining different methods—seems to be the best for me. Both theory and practice are equally important, and to pass an exam you’ll need both.
It’s important to realize that you are not learning to pass an exam. You are learning to secure your future; to be successful at your job, to be knowledgeable, and to be an expert—you’ll need that knowledge throughout your career.
Think of knowledge as a pyramid. Why are pyramids so stable? It’s because of the wide base. As you go higher, the pyramid narrows. Theory is the foundation of your pyramid, and hands-on experience builds on top. You have to have solid theory knowledge on which to build your practical knowledge. You’ll probably pass an exam without reading a book or an article about underlying technology, but that won’t make you an expert and won’t benefit you in the long run.
Self-paced Study: My Preferred Learning Method
Self-paced studies are my preferred method because I can decide A) what I study and B) when I study. I read, listen and watch while going to/from work, not only when I’m studying for an exam. During these times, I focus on my weak spots to learn about the topics I don’t know so well.
Tips:
Instructor-led Training
This option is slightly more expensive but here is the crucial thing you need to be aware of: picking a class and a subject should be your secondary concern. Picking right instructor for a class you want to attend should be your primary concern. The instructor makes a difference and holds a lot of the value in the class you want to attend. Instructors can answer your questions and assist with his or her experience in your studies.
Online Learning
Just as with instructor-led, online classes are as good as the instructor.
My Most Valuable Resource: TechNet/MSDN Subscription
If I could pick only one resource that is MOST valuable to me, then TechNet/MSDN Subscription would be definitely the one I’d choose. With TechNet/MSDN Subscription you are in possession of almost all Microsoft products and operating systems, licensed for evaluation. That means that you get access to full-versions of software for 12 months with no feature limits. You also get other benefits, depending on the subscription level. Visit TechNet Subscriptions or MSDN Subscriptions to learn more about Subscription levels, benefits and prices.
TechNet Library and MSDN Library are competing for first place with TechNet/MSDN Subscriptions ;-)
I have already mentioned some of the important resources. There are numerous blogs, sites and places where you can read a lot about your preferred technologies, but I’ll mention some of the most popular and what’s most important, FREE, resources you shouldn’t miss. (You can also download the list at the end of the post.)
IT Pro Resources
Fundamental Technologies: Technical References on TechNet
The links below points\ to some of the most important fundamental topics. You should get familiar with how TechNet Library topics are organized; something that’ll happen once you start reading and exploring. The resources below are not buried very deep in the library, but often are not easy to find. Although the core topics are placed under the “old” technologies/products section, they are equally important today.
If you need to learn the basics, don’t miss these:
Networking
Group Policy Collection
Storage Technologies
Windows Security Collection
Active Directory Collection
Print and Save TechNet Library Articles
I almost forgot to tell you about one really cool feature TechNet Library has. You can print and export multiple topics in PDF and HTML! Files you export retain links to selected topics; you don’t need to scroll much – just click on a topic in the Table of Contents and jump to sections.
Follow these steps to use the Print feature:
1. Navigate to your favorite topic in TechNet Library.
2. On the top right corner, below the Search bar, right-click on a downward-pointing arrow next to the printer icon and choose Print Multiple Topics. A brief introduction page loads.
3. Click START to begin selecting topics. After that, all you have to do is visit each page or topic you want to print/export and select it by clicking on + Add This Topic on the gray bar on top of the page. Once you add the topic you want, you can remove it by clicking – Remove This Topic if you do not want to export it.
4. When you have finished selecting all the topics you want to print, click Collection (x Topic(s)) where x is number of topics you have selected. On the Manage Collection page you can choose to export your collection to PDF or HTML, rename and rearrange collections, add more chapters or choose from Advanced options to refine and tune your selection.
5. Click Generate to export/print the topics. If you aren’t already signed in, you will be asked to sign in to generate the page and print.
Taking Your Exam
I have to admit: I did not study for my first exam, only because I had a lot of hands-on experience and I passed it relatively easily. That does not mean that the exam was easy, but I had a good working knowledge of the product, and that helped me a lot.
After getting a few exams on my transcript, and passing all on the first try, I failed an exam. What a shock! I could not believe that I could’ve failed an exam, and was furious. After passing the exam on my second attempt, I realized that being overconfident and acting as if I was in some kind of race did not help at all. If I had read the questions more carefully and took all the time I had on the exam, I knew I would pass. And I did.
I would say, even if you know a product by heart, take your time to read questions carefully and be sure you understand what the question is about. If you are unsure about the answer don’t be afraid to mark the question so you can return to it later.
We’re excited to introduce to you a new look for the Born to Learn community. We’ve made big changes to the design and navigation to make it easier to not just find what you want, but also to discover new articles, discussions, news, and expert advice.
Let’s take a stroll through the some of the new features, starting with the Born to Learn home page:
Get where you’re going faster. We’ve made it easier to access your favorite places on the Born to Learn Community—blogs, forums, study groups and more are a click away from the top navigation menu.
Keep up with new and noteworthy posts. Catch up with the latest posts on Born to Learn blogs and forums.
This is a good time to remind you that you can keep up with the latest activities by subscribing to RSS feeds or daily or weekly email digests—most subscription options are located at the top-right of the blog or forum.
New blog articles. We wanted to give you a simple way to keep up with all the new posts across Born to Learn blogs. The new blog module displays a tabbed view of the latest articles from some of the popular blogs.
Easier-to-browse blogs. Leaving no stone unturned, we’ve rolled out a new design and layout for the Born to Learn blogs. The clean look is easier to get around and improves the reading experience.
What do you think of the new look? Speak your mind!