Certiport Coverage

Coverage

McGraw Hill Techzine

Integrating Certifications into Your CTE Curriculum

December 2010

techzine.mcgraw-hill.com

There's nothing quite as impressive as being a high school student who already has professional certifications after his or her name. Not only do these credentials look good for potential employers and college recruiters, but they also allow you, the CTE educator, to assess your students' performance and see how they measure up against industry standards.

"Certifications allow us to see if students know programs like Microsoft Word from top to bottom, and provide an industry standard that we can measure against," says Erik Amerikaner, computer technology instructor at Oak Park High School in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Amerikaner, who implemented a Microsoft Office Specialist certification program at the school in 2009, has seen the benefits of helping to certify over 300 students at Oak Park, and at his previous school.

"Students are expected to graduate from high school with basic computer proficiency, and the Microsoft Office Specialist certification proves that," says Amerikaner. "Colleges are accepting certifications as proof that someone has a strong computer education foundation, and that he or she doesn't need a beginning computer class."

If you're considering certifications for your school's technology curriculum, here are three to check out:

  • MS Office: Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) is the credential required by academia and business, recognized globally as the premier credential chosen by individuals seeking to validate their knowledge, skills and abilities relating to the Microsoft Office systems. In academia, MOS promotes success in the classroom for students and instructors, and prepares students for an increasingly competitive workforce. For business, MOS maximizes office productivity and efficiency for the organization and increases job satisfaction and heightens career achievement among employees. Access complete information on the Office Specialist program at: www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/certification/mos.aspx
  • Adobe Specialist: Adobe offers two levels of certification: Adobe Certified Associate for validating entry-level skills and Adobe Certified Expert for validating expert-level skills. An Adobe Certified Associate has earned a certification that validates entry-level skills needed to plan, design, build and maintain effective communications by using different forms of digital media.

    • Learn more about Adobe's expert-level programs at: www.adobe.com/support/certification/

  • IC³: The Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³) training and certification program covers a broad range of computing knowledge and skills that proves competency in various computing areas. Individuals seeking IC³ certification are required to take and pass the following exams: Computing Fundamentals, Key Applications and Living Online. Learn more about IC³ certification at: http://www.teknimedia.com/html/about_ic.htm