Certiblog

Bring Your 'A Game' for the 2010 IC3 World Cup

As I browsed the 2010 IC³ World Cup Web site (registration for the competition is now open, by the way), I got a bit nostalgic for the Cups of yore. (Acutally I really just enjoyed viewing this ridiculous video that our team put together a year or so ago on a whim.)

The video also reminds me of what I like most about the IC³ Cup Competition: I love the commraderie of the team. Unlike the Worldwide Competition on Microsoft Office (which is fantastic in its own right), the Cup is something you can do with your crew. That's what makes it fun; that's why it's unique. You do it for the team.

Now, get out there, and kick a goal or something!

BTW, I'll post a pretty cool story about the IC³ Cup in December.

Singapore Uses Certiport in Revamped Computer Skills Program

I always find it interesting to see how countries from around the world respond to challenging economic times. Singapore, of course, has been on the leading edge of technology usage for years; but even their government officials don't believe the status quo is enough.

The Singapore Computer Society (SCS) will use E-Learning for Microsoft® Business Certification to reach workers who are interested in honing their Microsoft Office skills yet lack the time to regularly visit one of the training centers.

The SCS would like to get an additional 50,000 through the training in three years.

Clock Is Ticking: What Do You Think About E-Rate Changes?

The U.S. Federal Government changes to E-rate (passed by Congress under the Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act last year) are close to being settled for good. The act will require schools to show proof they have Internet safety programs in place prior to receiving funding. (As you could have guessed, I'm for it.)

The question is, what do you think about this change?

The FCC wants to know. The Deadline to submit your thoughts is December 4. If interested, I wouldn't wait that long though; the submittal process doesn't look super easy (check the "Comment Filing Procedures" heading here for details).

Success Story: Edison Job Corps

The crazy thing about aiming for the stars is that you just might hit the moon along the way. Case in point: Edison Job Corps in New Jersey, USA.

Many of the youth enrolled in the federally funded program are getting a second chance at an education and developing work skills because of difficult life circumstance and/or poor choices. It's a group generally anxious for a clean start; one anxious for skills and direction. They get both in spades when they walk into Edison.

“We lay it out from the beginning: ‘We really expect you to earn all eight certifications that are available,’” said Marianne Arkush, deputy director of Edison. “Now a student can complete less than that, but since we raised the bar and our expectations, they tend to meet them.”

How refreshing—in an age where things seem to often be dumbed down—to require and expect more! And guess what? It's working.

Read more here.

iCritical Thinking and the Information Evaluation

I cringe when I think of the days of pouring over primary sources of information for research. Not only was the search often tedious ... those books were heavy!

Now, I won't go as far as to consider the future of books, but online reading and information gathering has certainly made life easier for many, myself included. However, there is what some would consider drawbacks to the Internet research.

Information ... there's lots of it. The words needle and haystack sometimes come to mind when I try to find that tantalizing piece of information I know I've seen somewhere else before. And then there is this issue of the reliability of the information consumed and often passed on as truth. Sometimes ... gulp ... the Internet is wrong.

It's the former that really tends to cause the most problems, especially for those whose main information resource has always been the Internet. (Teachers, ever see a Wiki-based book report?)

One of the main thrusts of the recently released iCritical Thinking powered by ETS is the evaluation of credible resources from the Internet. As Irv Katz, ETS senior research scientist, says, "Even when people have access to technology, they may not be using that technology effectively; and that gap is what iCritical Thinking is meant to assess."

Sure, educators and employers probably long for the days of hefty hardback tomes or microfiche like they do for music on 8-track or spaghetti westerns. At a minimum though, poor judgment in selecting sources of information on the Internet probably leaves them wishing students and workers had developed the ability to discern the difference between Web fluff and weightier, more credible information. 

iCritical Thinking Powered by ETS Launches

Certiport has released what it's calling an "academic and work-readiness" certification. As I posted last week, the road to 21st Century Skills is not simply learning how to use technology---it's applying that knolwedge so that it works for any given situation.

You can learn more about the new certification here: www.certiport.com/icriticalthinking.

More on iCrtical Thinking to come on Friday ...

Not-so-scary: Parents Want More 21st Century Skills

Happy Halloween, everyone!

I ran across a good article in eSchool News that can bring some thought-provoking discussion to Certiblog. The article cites a recent survey of parents in "Learning in the 21st Century: Parents' Perspectives, Parents' Priorities" that concludes a disconnect exists between parents and educators as to how well U.S. education is bringing 21st Century Skills into the classroom.

Said one parent in the story:

"I think it is essential that our schools provide opportunities for students to use a wide range of new technologies in the classroom, and that the teachers are well trained in how to use technology to increase student achievement."

While I agree in principle that technology integration in education needs to be better, I think focusing on the latest "whiz-bang" gadget is the wrong approach.

There are really two levels of learning that needs to happen for students to build stronger real-world technology skills:

1. You have to know how to use relevant digital tools.
2. You have to know how to use them to achieve a certain outcome.

For example, most students could open and save a Word document, but how well can they use it to create a report with tables, charts, graphics, and footnotes? And what if the situation requires that they don't use Word at all but another application altogether?

Certiport has been been doing digital literacy with Certiport IC³ for years. IC³ constitutes the foundation that's required for a knowledge of how to apply those skills. You can't have the critical application of skills without the base.

Many of you already use IC³ to develop those foundational digital literacy skills. "What about the next piece," you ask? Ah, now that's a discussion for next week.

Afternoon Links

Scanning the Twitt-o-sphere (not really a word) for certification news and information ...

• Mississippi joined the Microsoft Elevate America workforce enhancement program yesterday via press conference. TheMississippi Department of Employment Secturity (MDES) says the program will make 19,200 Microsoft Office certification exam vouchers available through job centers statewide.

Said MDES Executive Director Les Range: “Technology has been, and will continue to be, a critical element of ensuring that MDES achieves our mission of 'increasing employment in Mississippi.'”

• Great article in CertMag on the never-ending debate on skills vs. formal education. (Can't they just get along?) Here's a news flash: Maybe both are needed. Says Ernest Friend, director of academic systems at Florida State - Jacksonville: “Having a certification will help you get the job — but having the foundational skills will help you keep it. They need to work in tandem.”

• Finally, the new U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (this will not come as a shock) says that NCLB needs to be redone. In a THE Journal article Arne said he believes that the lightening rod federal legislation is actually causing U.S. students to fall further behind.

So this got me thinking: How effective has the 8th grade technology component of NCLB worked in your school?  Have you been able to implement an effective certification-based digital literacy program as a result ... or has it been a non-issue?

Give me your feedback; I'd love to hear from you.

Finding New Ways to Keep Company Stars

Money, money, money!

It's more than a song. Employers often think it's what keeps a company's best employees from walking. (Yes, even with a down economy organizations fret over losing their best folks. Maybe you do, too.)

But as several studies indicate keeping your top performers is often more than just about salary. Last year, Certiport had more than 500 certified employees respond to a series of questions asking about the value of their Microsoft Office certification.

A couple of interesting things came out of that:

• Two-thirds felt they would be more dedicated to employers that offered them opportunities for certification.
• More than half said their job satisfaction increased when they put those certified skills to use within the organization.

The lesson here? Invest in skills of the best. They'll return the favor by sticking around.

Doctors Need Computer Skills, Too

In an increasingly digital world nearly everyone needs to know how to use the computer. That includes your local health care provider. For the sake of some stimulation, let's argue this point a little:

You: Are you saying the person that still uses stethocopes and wooden tongue depressors needs to be a computer wiz, too?

Me:Absolutely. Along with the good old tried and true tools of trade, the equipment used in healthcare has become more and more digitized. And perhaps most important of all are the record-keeping systems that track a patient's health.

You: But when it comes to tracking a patient's health, we're talking about specialized computer proficiency among more than just doctor's---it's nurses, administrators, and office support.

Me: I never said doctors alone needed computer skills.

You: Yes, you did. Look at the headline to this post.

Me: Well ... uh ... hmm. Dang it! I hate it when you're right.

Learn more about Certiport's new IC Health certification at www.certiport.com/ICHealth. And don't get a big head just because you won one argument.