Certified: Certiport Educator Podcast

CERTIFIED: Certiport Educator Podcast is all about educators. This podcast will crack open the world of education, certification, and technology. At Certiport, we are dedicated to helping people succeed through certification, and we couldn’t do what we do without powerful and dedicated educators, like YOU! Whether you’ve been teaching for one month, one year, or decades, we have episodes for you. Join us as we interview other educators, students, and industry experts. Discover new ways to teach, connect with fellow technology educators, and get inspired. Teaching is a career that demands all that you have to give. So we’re here to give back to you. Listen. Learn. Grow. Become a part of the CERTIFIED community.

AI for teachers: No robot required with Amy Waters 04/23/2025

Becoming a Spreadsheet Champion with Mason Braithwaite 04/09/2025

Women in the digital age with Ashley Masters and Ashlyn Dumaw 03/26/2025

Teaching techniques to get your students excited about learning with Aaron Daenell 03/12/2025

Teaching techniques to get your students excited about learning with Aaron Daenell One of the biggest challenges teachers face is keeping students motivated. According to a 2023 by the EdWeek Research Center, more than 4 in 10 educators said students are not inspired to do their best in school. To help set your learners up for long-term success, it’s crucial to create excitement and engagement in your classroom. In this week’s episode, we sat down with Aaron Daenell to talk about how to get your students excited about learning. Aaron is a Marketing & Management, Business, and Information Technology educator at Cumberland County High School in Crossville, Tennessee. After leaving the business world in 2005, Aaron earned his alternative teaching certification in Manatee County, Florida and was hired to start a new middle school business program at a Title I school in his area. Within two years, they had the most successful industry certification program of all the middle schools in central Florida. He now works in Tennessee, working in a high school as well as managing the school’s FBLA chapter. He strives each day to help his students break industry certification records in their county and region. Aaron shares his thoughts on student engagement, or lack thereof, as well as how he gets students excited to learn. We dive deeper into his classroom approach, and how he uses relationships to help students see the value in his course, their futures, and industry certification. If you feel like your students are lagging, or just want to infuse a little excitement into your everyday, Aaron’s here to help. Get additional ideas for student engagement here: . Looking for more inspiration? Aaron recommends both Mel Robbins () and Tony Robbins () Connect with educators like Aaron in our CERTIFIED Educator Community here: . Don't miss your chance to register for our annual CERTIFIED Educator's Conference here: . /episode/index/show/certiport-pearsonvue/id/35644685

Empowering the marketers, entrepreneurs, and creators in your classroom 02/12/2025

Advice for setting goals as an educator with our CERTIFIED Ambassadors 01/29/2025

Advice for setting goals as an educator with our CERTIFIED Ambassadors January rolls in with big plans and ambitions for the coming year. However, commitment to New Year’s resolutions often flags by the end of January. To keep you excited and committed to your goals, we sat down with three of our CERTIFIED Ambassadors, Laurene Klassen, Ashley Faulkner, and Karen Coulombe, to talk about 2025 goals. Laurene is a Microsoft Certified Trainer and Assistant Director of IT Training & Communications at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. She took her first Microsoft Office Specialist exam in 2010 for personal development and has been hooked ever since. In 2017, she spearheaded the MOS program at SMU after attending her first CERTIFIED conference. Their program has now certified over 3 5,000 students within 4 years. Laurene oversees the administrative side of their program working with over 15 faculty members to integrate the MOS exams into their curriculum. She frequently teaches Office workshops to students. She is a native of Massachusetts but now calls Texas her home. 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. Karen has taught a variety of Career and Technical Education courses at the 8th -12th grade level as well as the Community College since the early 2000's. Her focus is on expanding hands-on and experiential learning in meaningful ways to add valuable "tools" to the students' toolbox, building confidence and a resume of tangible skills to market in the workplace. Karen has seen certifications used to enhance resumes for those who need to get right to work; as well as to differentiate students working towards competitive internships, scholarships, and college programs. The most significant connection from certification to the real world is understanding how to work to achieve goals using the resources available. Before teaching, Karen worked for over a decade as an Avionics Technician with Boeing, DynCorp Aerospace and the US Air Force on programs including Air Force 1, the B2 Bomber, and multiple F-16 deployments abroad. In this episode, we discuss these three veteran educators’ approach to setting goals, how you can decide where to focus your efforts, and how you can keep yourself motivated. If you want to expand your vision for 2025 goal setting, these ladies have the advice and ideas you need. Connect with your fellow educators to talk about goals and other topics in our CERTIFIED Educator Community here: .     Don't miss your chance to register for our annual CERTIFIED Educator's Conference here: .    /episode/index/show/certiport-pearsonvue/id/35055240

Let’s talk about ACE credit and Perkins funding with Vanessa Buffry 01/15/2025

The pathway to IT support careers with Jessie Kalloo 12/11/2024

The pathway to IT support careers with Jessie Kalloo Discover how digital literacy paves the way for a successful IT support career. In this episode, captured during a recent CERTIFIED Academy training, we explore the importance of digital literacy skills with CERTIFIED Ambassador, Jessie Kalloo. Jessie Kalloo is a CTE Instructor and Program Approval Coordinator for the Information Technology programs at Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Education High School located in Jamaica, Queens, New York. Jessie is also a Cisco Networking Academy Instructor Trainer for IT Essentials, CCNA, CCNA Security, and CCNA CyberOps covering areas throughout the United States. Being a product of CTE as a graduate of Thomas Edison High has provided him the opportunity to view teaching through a different lens. Through the various partnerships he has formed with the industry he is able to inspire, motivate and provide opportunities to his students that truly help them prepare for their future. The training he has done in and out of the classroom combined with his unique approach to teaching, has allowed for creative ways to spark the curiosity in students, helping them continuously challenge themselves to do better. Jessie shares how basic technical problem-solving, hardware and software knowledge, and strong communication skills are pivotal for IT support professionals. We discuss how digital literacy not only helps in adapting to new technologies but also in navigating diverse digital environments. A large percentage of IT professionals start their careers in IT support roles, and this episode offers valuable insights and practical advice to help you effectively support this career trajectory. Learn more about our IC3 Digital Literacy certification program here: . Connect with your fellow educators, like Jessie, in our CERTIFIED Educator Community here: . Don't miss your chance to register for our annual CERTIFIED Educator's Conference here: . /episode/index/show/certiport-pearsonvue/id/34382205

Preparing your students for careers in healthcare with Caroline Manning 12/04/2024

Taking the fear out of AI with Joshua Wohle 11/20/2024

How to prepare candidates for careers in cybersecurity 11/13/2024

How AI is impacting the world of design with Chana Messer 11/06/2024

Preparing the next generation of designers with Charles Hache 10/30/2024

What do students need to succeed in the hospitality industry? 10/23/2024

Advocating for your CTE program with Jennifer Stubblefield 10/16/2024

Advocating for your CTE program with Jennifer Stubblefield Career and technical education (CTE) can transform the workforce landscape. Teaching workforce specific skills helps learners find a career specific pathway that leverages their passion and talents. But how can you get others in your school, community, and beyond to see the value of CTE? We sat down with Jennifer Stubblefield to discuss how you can advocate for your CTE program. A 27-year veteran of a Business Education classroom in Kentucky, Jennifer Stubblefield specializes in teaching courses that lead to industry certifications. Her classroom efforts have led to the development of an award-winning, public high school program that is recognized on the state and national levels for outstanding achievements and high rates of success on state-mandated business education tests and industry certification exams. Jennifer is a frequent speaker at conferences both in the educational and corporate arenas, where she is known for her high-energy, interactive, and motivational workshops. She loves to "train the trainer" and can also be found in her local community training small businesses in the areas of soft skills, technology, and digital literacy foundations. After retiring from her classroom position, she accepted a position as the Customer Success Manager for Certiport where she works with teachers across the U.S. as they strive to develop certification programs in various areas. In this episode, Jennifer shares how you can get students, parents, community members, and your administration excited about CTE. We also discuss the importance of connecting with local businesses, and how you can secure the funding you need for your classroom. In her trademark frank and fun way, Jennifer will help you see just how amazing your program can be if you just infuse it with a little energy and effort. Learn more about the value of CTE on the Certiport blog: . Ready to learn more or looking for additional advice? Connect with Jennifer via email: . Connect with your fellow educators, like Jennifer, in our CERTIFIED Educator Community here: . Don't miss your chance to register for our annual CERTIFIED Educator's Conference here: . /episode/index/show/certiport-pearsonvue/id/33407317

2024 CERTIFIED Educator of the Year: Jenny Mohess 10/10/2024

SUMMER REPLAY | 2023 Certiport CERTIFIED Educator of the Year with Karen Coulombe 08/21/2024

SUMMER REPLAY | 2023 Certiport CERTIFIED Educator of the Year with Karen Coulombe Welcome to our Summer Replay series. We wanted to revisit some of our previous episodes. These episodes were previously recorded and aired at an earlier date. This episode originally aired on July 19, 2023. Each year, we are so excited to recognize one of our customers as our CERTIFIED Educator of the Year as part of 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 Karen Coulombe is our 2023 CERTIFIED Educator of the Year! Karen Coulombe is a career and technical education (CTE) teacher at Lake Stevens High School in Washington state. Karen teaches both computer applications and computer science to first-year high school students in Lake Stevens. She is also a robotics advisor for the largest VRC Robotics team in Washington. Before becoming a teacher, Karen worked for more than a decade as a licensed avionics technician and airframe and powerplant mechanic for the U.S. Air Force, DynCorp Aerospace, and the Boeing Company. She was also selected for special assignments involving Air Force One and the B2 stealth bomber. Throughout her career, Karen has been a passionate believer in continuing education and giving back to her community. She has participated in the U.S. Naval Academy’s SET SAIL, Certiport’s National CERTIFIED Conference, STEM Guitars, Space Camp for Educators, the Washington Alliance for Better Schools STEM Externship, and multiple nanotechnology conferences. Karen also serves on the teacher advisory board for the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, and as a member of two technical advisory committees. In this episode, we talked with Karen about CERTIFIED, being named CERTIFIED Educator of the Year, and her experience both in and out of the classroom. She discusses her passion for teaching, and how she overcomes the challenges she faces in education. Plus, Karen shares her advice for creating a network of professionals to enrich your classroom and curriculum. Learn more about Karen on the blog () and on YouTube (). You can also connect with her on LinkedIn: . Connect with your fellow educators, like Karen, in our CERTIFIED Educator Community here: . Don't miss your chance to register for our annual CERTIFIED Educator's Conference here: . /episode/index/show/certiport-pearsonvue/id/32575937

SUMMER REPLAY | 2022 Certiport CERTIFIED Educator of the Year with Carol York 08/14/2024

SUMMER REPLAY | 2021 Certiport CERTIFIED Educator of the Year with Abner Soto-Henry 08/07/2024

SUMMER REPLAY | Connecting and Collaborating with Other Educators with Denise Spence 07/31/2024

SUMMER REPLAY | Help Your Students Build the Best Resume with James Boshier 07/24/2024

SUMMER REPLAY | Creativity in Teaching Communication with Jennifer Stubblefield 07/17/2024

SUMMER REPLAY | Why Students Need Computational Thinking Skills with Damiano Mastandrea and Tracey Sigers 07/10/2024

SUMMER REPLAY | Why Students Need Computational Thinking Skills with Damiano Mastandrea and Tracey Sigers Welcome to our Summer Replay series. We wanted to revisit some of our previous episodes. These episodes were previously recorded and aired at an earlier date. This episode originally aired on May 25, 2022. As part of our IT Specialist Academy training, we held a webinar addressing computational thinking. This one was so good, that we just had to share it here as well. We were lucky enough to feature two of our new CERTIFIED Ambassadors on this episode: Tracey Sigers and Damiano Mastandrea. Tracey Sigers is the Department Chair of Information Technology at the National Center for Urban Solutions in Columbus, Ohio. Tracey holds an MBA with an emphasis in technology leadership, a bachelor’s degree in information technology, and an associate degree in technology. Tracey has twenty years of business background in computer systems management, college study skills, and Microsoft software experience. She’s eager to bring students into the twenty-first century using enthusiastic and dynamic teaching to help them become lifelong learners. Damiano Mastrandrea is a Career and Technical Education Director at the Brooklyn STEAM Center. He manages the CTE portfolio of the school to ensure that they are highly relevant and rigorous. He also strategizes various career readiness approaches through workplace immersion programs supported by data-driven decisions. Damiano is a big believer in changing education as a system that works for everyone instead of the selected few and pursuing education to all corners. His passion for education has led him to earn three college degrees including a doctorate, as well last 26 industry certifications. When he has a free moment, Damiano likes to write short stories, play games, and, if he's feeling daring, bake! We sat down with Tracey and Damiano to learn more about computational thinking. According to ComputationalThinking.org, these skills are increasingly critical for individuals and organizations as the use of computation becomes more central to every activity and every innovation. In this episode, we took a deep dive into computational thinking. Our guests taught us more about what it is, why it’s valuable for students, and how you can teach this industry-demanded skillset in the classroom. You can learn more about the IT Specialist Computational Thinking certification exam here: You can also watch this, and other IT Specialist Academy trainings here: /episode/index/show/certiport-pearsonvue/id/31984562

SUMMER REPLAY | Creating a Positive Classroom Culture with Abner Soto-Henry 07/03/2024

SUMMER REPLAY | Why Students Need Project Management with Carol York 06/26/2024

SUMMER REPLAY | The Four Cs of Workforce Readiness with Jennifer Stubblefield 06/12/2024

SUMMER REPLAY | What is Certiport with David Watkins 06/05/2024

Transitioning from College to the Workplace with Dr. Krystal Rawls 05/29/2024

Transitioning from College to the Workplace with Dr. Krystal Rawls For many students, college has been the main goal. But what happens after college graduation? Are students planning and preparing for their transition into the workforce? Dr. Krystal Rawls thinks there’s more that educators can be doing to help students be prepared for their first job. Dr. Rawls is the designer of the Workforce Integration Program at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Building on a foundation of theoretically sound and data-driven practices, Rawls endeavors to create transparency and equity in workforce development programming to develop a more diverse, digitally competent, and skilled class of worker. Dr. Rawls draws on her transdisciplinary background in Education, Psychology, and Business to inform her innovative approach to empowering students to take their place in the modern workforce. Using labor market information to identify the skills needs of employers and curriculum data to evidence skills developed in the academic experience, Krystal creates community through skill-based language. In her role as an analyst and faculty member, Krystal gets to indulge her passion for building opportunities and relationships that are beneficial to the student, educator/worker, as well as industry and community partners. Dr. Rawls welcomes opportunities to create meaningful workforce partnerships and develop pathways for positive economic outcomes for all. In this episode, we’re dishing out advice for both students and educators. We talk about the transition into that first “real-world job”, and how educators can use big and small means to get students ready for that next step. If you’re looking for tangible, applicable advice you can start using today, Dr. Rawls delivers. Don't miss your chance to register for our annual CERTIFIED Educator's Conference to learn from educators like Dr. Rawls. Get all the details at . Get other ideas for your classroom on our blog: . Looking for more advice from Dr. Rawls? Listen to her previous episode here: . Connect with your fellow educators, like Dr. Rawls, in our CERTIFIED Educator Community here: . If you’re looking for additional learning opportunities, Dr. Rawls recommends the following books or resources: Supporting Working-Class Students in Higher Education Assessing and Validating Digital Skills: DRAW Detailed Discussion and Findings High-Impact Practices and Gains in Student Learning: Evidence from Georgia, Montana, and Wisconsin Honing Self-Awareness of Faculty and Future Business Leaders “Psychological safety as an effective measurement in engineering classrooms” from the 2019 ASEE annual conference & exposition. “Preparing culturally responsive teachers: Rethinking the curriculum” from the Journal of Teacher Education. /episode/index/show/certiport-pearsonvue/id/31501382

Using AI to Help Learners with Aimee Torres and Lauren Miller 05/22/2024

Using AI to Help Learners with Aimee Torres and Lauren Miller Artificial intelligence (AI) is a hot topic of discussion in nearly every industry, and education is no exception. In this episode, we’re diving into the world of AI with Aimee Torres and Lauren Miller, who will be sharing their AI expertise and experience in a 2024 CERTIFIED Educator Conference breakout session. Lauren Miller is currently in her fifth year as a full-time lecturer at Auburn University where she teaches Information Analysis to students in the business college. As a part of this course, she certifies her students with the Microsoft Office Specialist Excel and Excel Expert certifications. Prior to teaching at the post-secondary level, she taught middle school and high school business in Alabama and Texas. She holds a bachelor's degree in accounting and Ed.S. degree in business and marketing education from Auburn University. Aimee Torres is currently a lecturer at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. She teaches Microsoft Excel to business students in Information Analysis courses. She also certifies all her students in the Microsoft Office Specialist Excel Associate certification and the Microsoft Office Specialist Excel Expert certification. She has been a lecturer at Auburn University since 2019. Aimee has her B.S. in business administration from Troy University, her M.Ed. in business & marketing education from Auburn University, her Ed.S. in Business & Marketing Education from Auburn University and is currently working on her Ph.D. in Career and Technical Education. In addition to teaching, Aimee presents workshops at local, regional, and national business and marketing education conferences. She is a member of the National Business Education Association (NBEA) and is currently serving as President of the Alabama Business Education Association (ABEA). In today’s episode, we talk about how Aimee and Lauren have incorporated AI into their Microsoft Excel course. They share what AI tools they use, and how these tools help educators focus on teaching. Plus, we talk about what skills their students are learning from these projects and tools. Don't miss your chance to register for our annual CERTIFIED Educator's Conference to learn from Aimee and Lauren. Get all the details at . Get other ideas for your classroom on our blog: . Looking for more AI resources? Get a few ideas here: . Connect with your fellow educators, like Aimee and Lauren, in our CERTIFIED Educator Community here: . /episode/index/show/certiport-pearsonvue/id/31405297

Teach Like a Project Manager with Carol York 05/15/2024

Certified: Certiport Educator Podcast

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