I have a question for my wife. Currently she is working at an elementary school as a "Technology Cordinator" with her responsibilities being to help with computer problems, printer problems, help the children in the lab and basic networking stuff. (I am total new to any kind of lingo) Here is what she needs....some kind of certificate or classes or certification. Not for any kind of job requirement...but to help her understand what she is doing. Her degree in college was High School Education and this was the only job she could find. They knew that she had no experience...but she is looking to kind help out a little and not have to call the main guy everytime something happens. What classes (DL) or certificates, or certification would benefit her? If you need any more information please feel free to email me. drew
Most of the Business Colleges will have a certificate programs that will give an introductory (and hands on) view, usually about 8-10 classes. Hardware, software, etc. I am in Northern Cal - UC Davis, the Community Colleges, and MIT all have these certificates.
Hi Drew, I have not looked at this in quite some time, but Learning Tree International had a number of certifications available for people in your wife's position. They have/had an extensive catalog which I am sure they will send for free. The American Council on Education granted credit for most of the classes taken at Learning Tree (as I recall, for a series of classes leading to a certificate credit was granted). This academic credit was transferable directly to Regents College (now Excelsior) at that time. Not sure if this is still the case, but the courses ran about 1 week in length, they included practical hands-on experience, and technicians working in my organization came back qualified to do the work described in the Learning Tree literature. The courses/series were not cheap, but they were good and college credit was an added extra. Just another idea... John
I just took a look at Learning Tree's website. College credit is still available for their training programs through ACE and it looks like the University of Phoenix accepts their coursework for credit too. http://www.learningtree.com/us/cert/ John
For tutorials and courses, here are a few links you might want to explore. Some are free. How Stuff Works (computer section) Smart Planet elementk TechTutorials Beginners.co.uk B & N University If you need a formal certificate program, the University of Massachusetts Lowell offers one in The Fundamentals of Information Technology
Just my 2 cents but if she likes this why not have her look into getting a degree in Educational Technology. This is actually a huge and growing field and especially lucrative for getting it through distance learning. They really need people in this field.
Western Governor's University has an online Master's in Learning and Technology. http://www.wgu.edu/wgu/vu/teu/index.html
drew, At the risk of actually being helpful, determine what the dominate OS and NOS are. If it's windows - MCSA/MCSE cert track If it's Novell - CNA/CNE cert track If it's Linux - LPI/Red Har cert track etc.
Just a follow up question for a thread that has been long dead, would a masters degree be something that she should look into getting or maybe a second bachelors degree in something computer related? There is a possibility that she will have a chance to get a position next year teaching at the high school teaching networking and teaching - Cisco - i think that is what its called. I may be wrong. Also, if that didn't pan out, maybe a computer degree would give her a path to finding another job. She says that she really likes her job, the troubleshooting computer problems adn fixing things, but her knowledge is so limited having no education in it. Now if it had to deal with WWII or something history related, she could definately deal with it. Any ideas?
Drew, I came across this degree at the University of Alabama when helping a friend's wife. She teaches classes for adults in computer skills and wanted to get a Master's. This program is also self-paced. http://iit.ches.ua.edu/index.html It is fairly broad based and covers a good composition of skills. Fort Hayes State University has the MLS with a concentration in INT. They have courses specific to Cisco. Cisco certifications, like Microsoft, and others all require renewal every so often. My advice is to concentrate on the principles and try to learn the unique charactersitics of the equipment as needed.
Is she planning to stick with IT as a career long term? If so, I would suggest following the certification path as described earlier in the thread, and possibly look at Charles Sturt University's masters program at http://www.itmasters.com.au/
