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IT Academy Program Information Update
From your Microsoft IT Academy Deployment Team
MARCH 20, 2013 VOLUME 2/ISSUE 8
As we start the new season of spring, we invite you to review the information below for the IT Academy program. We hope you will take advantage of the virtual training recorded sessions to help you take advantage of the program benefits and we look forward to hearing your feedback and any questions you might have on the IT Academy program. We have created a specific Training section below, please take a look at the session descriptions and listen to the recordings, click here to jump to the
Training Section. We also encourage you to take advantage of the Partners in Learning benefits and resources available to you through the IT Academy program: the Partners in Learning Network, Teaching with Technology Curriculum, and the Microsoft Innovative Educator program. More information on these resources is included in the Program Administrator and Teachers and Staff sections below.
IT Directors: check out the section below to understand the two ways for student accounts to be created and content assigned. It is important to understand both options before deciding which method will work best for you and your students.
We look forward to hearing your feedback and any questions you might have on the Microsoft IT Academy program.
CONTENTS (CTRL+CLICK ON YOUR ROLE TO FOLLOW LINK TO YOUR CONTENT)
program administrators
IT directors
teachers and staff
certification
professional opportunities
training
links to additional resources
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS
Partners in Learning benefits and resources are available to you through the IT Academy program: the Partners in Learning Network, Teaching with Technology Curriculum, and the Microsoft Innovative Educator program.
With the Partners in Learning Network, teachers share advice, discover best practices, post examples of student learning projects, learn new ways to utilize technology in the classroom, and gain unparalleled access to education experts. They connect with peers around the world and create new communities dedicated to innovative teaching, learning, and professional development. Join the Partners in Learning Network!
The Teaching with Technology curriculum is focused on helping educators integrate UNESCO ICT-‐CFT standards into their teaching and learning practice. Find out how to get started with the Teaching with Technology curriculum.
The Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) program is designed for teacher trainers and those who are responsible for training educators on the integration of technology in the classroom. Attending IT Academy training provides the first level designation into the MIE program. Find out more about the Microsoft Innovative Educator program.
Listen to a Virtual Training Session Recording: in particular the Getting Started with the IT Academy Program. Click Here to jump to the Training Section
As always, your support of the IT Academy Program is appreciated! Please contact 1-‐800-‐508-‐8454 or email [email protected] with questions or if you need additional information.
IT DIRECTORS
There are two ways for student accounts to be created and content assigned. It is important to understand both options before deciding which method will work best for you and your students.
Student account creation and content assignment:
1. The instructor imports (or manually creates) the student accounts in E-‐Learning Central
a. Content assignment must be done via the Learning Plan assignment workflow
i. Requires that the instructor create a Learning Plan
ii. Requires that students have a fully functioning School E-‐mail address
b. When a Learning Plan is assigned to a student account, an automated Learning Plan Assignment email containing an activation link is sent to the student(s) at their School E-‐mail address
c. When the student clicks on the activation link in the Learning Plan Assignment email and signs in with their Microsoft account (formerly Windows Live ID), the user’s Microsoft account is mapped to the E-‐Learning Central student account.
2. The student account is created when the student redeems an access code
a. An access code can be for an Academic Library or a Learning Plan
b. Redemption of the access code will automatically create an account for the student on E-‐Learning Central and map that account to the user’s Microsoft account (formerly Windows Live ID)
NOTE: Do not pre-load students into E-Learning Central and then distribute access codes – this will not work and will cause frustration for you and your students. You must choose one of the methods above for account creation.
If they are using the Bulk Creator tool to create Microsoft Accounts, instructors can only use OPTION 2!
Best Practices for Using Student Email
Listen to a Virtual Training Session Recording: in particular the Getting Started with the IT Academy
Program. Click Here to jump to the Training Section
As always, your support of the IT Academy Program is appreciated! Please contact 1-‐800-‐508-‐8454 or email [email protected] with questions or if you need additional information.
TEACHERS AND STAFF
We are looking for IT Academy trainers to provide assistance to fellow teachers who may be experiencing issues using the IT Academy program, offer any type of training for schools ready to roll out the IT Academy program and share best practices. Please email Liz Butowicz at [email protected] to sign up to become an IT Academy trainer.
Partners in Learning benefits and resources are available to you through the IT Academy program: the Partners in Learning Network, Teaching with Technology Curriculum, and the Microsoft Innovative Educator program.
With the Partners in Learning Network, teachers share advice, discover best practices, post examples of student learning projects, learn new ways to utilize technology in the classroom, and gain unparalleled access to education experts. They connect with peers around the world and create new communities dedicated to innovative teaching, learning, and professional development. Join the Partners in Learning Network!
The Teaching with Technology curriculum is focused on helping educators integrate UNESCO ICT-‐CFT standards into their teaching and learning practice. Find out how to get started with the Teaching with Technology curriculum.
The Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) program is designed for teacher trainers and those who are responsible for training educators on the integration of technology in the classroom. Attending IT Academy training provides the first level designation into the MIE program. Find out more about the Microsoft Innovative Educator program.
Listen to a Virtual Training Session Recording: in particular the Getting Started with the IT Academy Program. Click Here to jump to the Training Section
As always, your support of the IT Academy Program is appreciated! Please contact 1-‐800-‐508-‐8454 or email [email protected] with questions or if you need additional information.
CERTIFICATION
Microsoft Office Educator Tips
We hope your Microsoft Office course this quarter has been going well and your students are discovering the many features of the Microsoft Office application you are currently teaching. You may be coming to the end of the course and beginning to prepare for the Certification exam delivered by Certiport. If so, we would like to provide you with some quick tips to help you easily and efficiently administer the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification test to your students.
1. Check to make sure the Certiport Console is on every testing machine. This version of the IQ System eliminates the need for you to have administration rights when administering the exam. The Certiport Console icon should be displayed on the testing machines.
2. One week prior to testing day, click on the Certiport console, click on IQ System Tools and install any updates if prompted.
3. Your students should register at www.certiport.com and have their user name and password readily available. Below is a quick reference guide.
4. Create an exam group which allows you more detailed reporting by skill set and by student.
Quick Reference Guide
Students must register with their state-‐assigned unique, permanent 10-‐digit State Testing Identifier (STI). This is the same identification number used with the Standards of Learning (SOL) tests. (Tip 5)
Go to: www.certiport.com; Click on Register and follow the prompts.
Tip 1: The student’s name must be spelled accurately including capitalization. This field cannot be changed. When the certificate is printed the name will appear exactly as it was entered.
Tip 2: Username: Use something that will be remembered easily. If the username has been previously used, you will be prompted to use something differed. This username will be entered in prior to taking an exam. This field cannot be changed.
Tip 3: Password: Use something that will be remembered easily. Passwords can be changed at a later date.
Tip 4: E-‐mail: This is a required field. If student does not have an e-‐mail address, have them create a free account with google, hotmail or use their parent’s e-‐mail or last resort they may use the teachers (not recommended). The e-‐mail is used after the student registers, receiving their welcome letter with their user name and password. It is also used to send a congratulation letter when they pass their certification.
Tip 5: Student/Employee ID: This is not a required field from Certiport, however, it is a requirement asked by the state.
Tip 6: Have the student unclick the “Allow Certiport to contact me via e-‐mail…..”
Tip 7: After clicking “Take an exam or prepare for an exam” students will be asked to register a program. Once they register for Microsoft, a screen for Microsoft registration will appear. Have the student select “use my Certiport profile data: and the information will populate the fields.
Tip 8: Have the student fill out the below table. Student keeps their half for their records and have readily available when they are ready to take the exam, and have them hand you (the teacher) the other half for record keeping in case the student loses their information.
For Student For Teacher
Student Name Student Name
User Name User Name
Password: Password:
PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
How to keep up with free ebook announcements
MSDN Blogs > Microsoft Press > How to keep up with free ebook announcements
We hear from a lot of you each week asking how to keep up with our free ebook announcements and updates to new versions. Here are some handy tips.
1) RSS - Subscribe to our RSS feed (located on the right-‐hand side of the blog home page) and we’ll always write new posts whether the ebook is new or updated.
2) Tag Cloud - We also have a tag cloud on the right side of our blog page where you can find “ebooks” as a tag. All of our free ebooks are tagged this way. I use the tag cloud all the time to check on our posts for free ebooks.
3) Summary Post - This is a handy catalog page for these ebooks -‐ http://blogs.msdn.com/b/microsoft_press/archive/2012/05/04/free-‐ebooks-‐great-‐content-‐from-‐microsoft-‐press-‐that-‐won-‐t-‐cost-‐you-‐a-‐penny.aspx
4) Ebook Gallery on TechNet – find Microsoft Press ebooks and much more
You can find an E-‐Book Gallery for Microsoft Technologies on the TechNet Wiki here -‐ http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/11608.e-‐book-‐gallery-‐for-‐microsoft-‐
technologies.aspx
TRAINING
Virtual Training Recording Information:
Getting Started with the Microsoft IT Academy Program
• Join this session to learn all about the Microsoft IT Academy (ITA) and the many tools and benefits now available to you! During this Live Meeting webinar, we will give you a high-‐level overview of the program; demonstrate how to access the benefits along with a tour of the IT Academy websites, and a brief demonstration on how to set up an e-‐Learning course.
• Recording Link : Click Here– key not required
Getting Started Teacher First Steps – Planning your MOS Curriculum
• Hear from North Carolina teacher, Ricky Hardy about best practices for using Microsoft IT Academy (MSITA) curriculum in the classroom. Learn where to locate and how to use all of the needed resources for your first day and first semester teaching MSITA. The session will cover the steps for getting started and strategies for certification testing. We will discuss how to access and utilize Microsoft Lesson Plans, E-‐Learning, Projects and other resources. Teachers will leave this session with an understanding of how to pace learning in the classroom, and how to find the right balance of resources to achieve optimal student performance.
• Recording Link: Click Here –key not required
Getting Started with IT Academy E-‐Learning Central
• Watch a demonstration of the new E-‐Learning Instructor and Student sites. Learn how to set up E-‐Learning for your students. We will take an in-‐depth tour of the E-‐Learning Central Site where you will create Learning Plans, assign courses to your students, organize students into groups, generate reports on student progress and manage your overall E-‐Learning curriculum. We will also discuss and review the student experience.
• Recording Link: Click Here– key not required
Microsoft IT Academy: IT Readiness
• During this session we will discuss the requirements necessary to run the software and E-‐Learning courses associated with IT Academy (ITA) program, the following items will be discussed in detail: Downloading and setting up the lab licenses in the classroom; identifying, communicating, and mitigating any known firewalls that prevent access to the ITA E-‐Learning courses; unblocking key URL’s necessary to successfully run the IT Academy E-‐Learning courses and identifying the Live ID identity creation process.
• Recording Link: Click Here –key not required
DreamSpark: Understanding and Activating your Benefit:
• Join this training to learn more about the DreamSpark benefit. With this benefit students and teachers have access to Microsoft’s key developer tools and platforms for learning and research purposes. Some of the DreamSpark software titles include Windows Server 2012, SQL Server, Visual Studio 2012 Professional, Expression and the Kinect for Windows SDK. To learn more and understand the step by step activation steps please join us for this session. See calendar below for multiple dates and times available.
• Recording Link: Click here –key not required
IT Academy Curriculum Refresher: Bringing it all Together
• View this session to learn about the ITA curriculum options, including the new MOAC digital textbook
benefit. Hear from NC Teacher, Ricky Hardy, as he walks you through the steps for accessing the MOAC resources, discusses how you can use in the classroom to prepare students for certification, and provides suggestions for planning out your lessons.
• Recording Link: View Recording – key not required
MTA (Microsoft Technology Associate): Preparing your Students for Certification
• Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) was designed specifically for high school students as a recommended entry point into IT certification and job preparation. Providing your students MTA curriculum and the chance to earn a certification allows them to take their first step toward a career in technology. MTA is an industry-‐recognized certification for those pursuing a career path in IT infrastructure, database design, or software development using Microsoft technologies. Hear from MTA Teachers Garren Shannon from Washington State and Lezlie Harper from Utah as they discuss strategies for success in teaching MTA curriculum to their students, helping them earn this certification.
• Recording Link: View Recording – key not required
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Historically Imagine Cup, the world’s most influential student technology competition, has been for students worldwide ages 16 and up, but practically speaking it's for college kids. Today Imagine Cup has introduced the Imagine Cup Kodu Challenge for students ages 9 to 18 worldwide. Even young kids can have fun creating games and making neat things with Kodu. And now they can win prizes for doing so via the Imagine Cup Challenge in sponsorship with the Sesame Street workshop! Spread the word to aspiring young game developers, ages 9 to 18, who can learn coding by developing a video game with Kodu, an easy-‐to-‐learn, game-‐creation toolkit. First prize wins $3,000.
IT Academy Member Site This is the worldwide site where members go to access their benefits.
IT Academy Instructor Portal This portal is where teachers go to manage student access and create access codes.
IT Academy Student Portal This portal is where students and teachers go to access e-‐Learning courses.
Stay connected with us through the new Microsoft IT Academy Blog. The interactive blog will provide ongoing membership updates and offer you a great opportunity to get involved. We want to hear from you! Customer Support: For customer support, call 1-‐800-‐508-‐8454 or email [email protected]. Customer support hours are 9:30a.m. to 8:30p.m. EST. To validate your identity you will be asked to answer three of the following questions regarding your school:
• ITA member ID number • ITA School Name • School Address • School Phone Number • Program Administrator’s Name (principal) • Program Administrator’s Email address (principal)
