IC3 GS5 Key Applications – Coming Soon

LearnKey will soon be releasing their new IC3 GS5 Key Applications training and assessment later this summer, in advance of the anticipated release of the new Certiport IC3 GS5 certification exam later this year.

So, what can you expect in the new IC3 GS5 Key Fundamentals video-based training course?

The IC3 GS5 series has been split into three courses that will match the three exams that make up the IC3 GS5 certification. This will allow you to focus and prepare one exam at-a-time.
Throughout the course there are opportunities for learners to practice and reinforce the material in the course through quizzes and simulations that don’t require you to leave the training.
A project workbook to help you cement the concepts you’ll need to know and practice the skills you’ll need to demonstrate when taking the exam.

As the face of LearnKey’s IC3 series I would like to share a few tips I employed while I prepared for the IC3 exam:

Be Honest -Be honest with yourself in what you do and do not know. Remember, it’s okay to not know something – that’s why you are studying for the exam!
Take Notes – Write down the topics or ideas you encounter in the training that may be unfamiliar and then use your notes to find the information in the project workbook, glossary, and test to help you gain an understanding. Also, take the time to re-watch the sections of the training that cover the material in your notes.
Take Your Time – Rushing to prepare for an exam yields mixed results at best remember your’re not only practicing skills for use on an exam, you’re practicing skills you can use for life.
Set a Reasonable Deadline – I just told you to take your time, but there are those among us (and yes, I am sometimes one) who may just continue to take time. So, set a goal or a deadline when you plan to take the exam. This will also help you to better plan your study and training time.
Have Fun – Above all, have fun with it.

This course has a team of IC3 certified writers and designers. We have redesigned and retooled everything to improve the learning experience and make the IC3 series the best LearnKey courseware yet!

Network+ 2015 Training N10-006, Test Prep and Assessments are here!

LearnKey will be releasing their newest CompTIA Network+ N10-006 training and assessment course later this month. This 10-hour video-based training course will cover the Network+ 2015 exam CompTIA recently released.

This course is geared for all styles of learning and we have made many new enhancements to make this course better than ever. Read below to learn about some of the top features of this course:

Several pre-assessment tests and post-assessment tests to help you sharpen your skills in your test prep time for this course. There are over 600 practice questions in this course to help you get ready for the exam.
A project workbook with over 100 practice exercises consisting of hands-on labs, conceptual design exercises, and troubleshooting exercises to sharpen your test and real-life skills.
Interactive labs you can use to try simulated networking concepts and practice for possible performance-based questions on the test.
The project workbook is a major and important feature with this Network+ course and a model for future courses. There is a vast increase in the number of real-world exercises, situations, and examples. The workbook will be released simultaneously with the video and test prep portion of this course.

Our goal with this enhancement is simple: To give you many avenues of learning for the Network+ exam.

So, as your humble course author, here are my four tips for success in this course:

Pace yourself. Mix up your time with videos, taking practice questions, and doing the exercises and interactive labs. Learning is always more enjoyable when you are not in one medium for too long.
The objectives have changed about 30 percent when you compare this to the previous iteration of Network+, the Network+ 2012 course. If you have studied in the past for Network+, make sure you spend ample time on the newer topics, especially the newest wireless standards and the types of specialized networks covered (industrial and voice, just to name two).
Practice the concepts covered in this course. Far too often, people view a course, read a few cheat sheet notes, take one or two test prep exams and then think they are ready for the test. Take the time to get some practice time in. It will really sharpen your learning.
In the project workbook, make sure you study and know the topics in the “Points to remember for test (and beyond)” sections.

Have fun in your journey to become a member of the Network+ certified club!

United Federation Teachers union formally announces NICE initiative and LearnKey was there!

Two weeks ago Kim Johnson and I had the pleasure of attending the formal announcement of the UFT’s newest CTE initiative, “National Industry Certification for Educators,” (NICE) in New York City at the UFT Headquarters. It was great to attend the actual press conference where UFT President Michael Mulgrew along with Partnership for New York City President and CEO Kathryn Wylde, Mayor Bill de Blasio and AFT President Randi Weingarten.

We also attended a round table discussion to discuss how the model involves working closely with industry partners to provide educators with access to courses designed by industry partners so that they can earn industry credentials that meet established standards.

Four “boot camps” will launch this summer to certify 100 teachers in graphic arts, automotive technology, educational technology, and information technology. Those teachers will then share what they learned with their colleagues in an effort to create a cadre of industry-trained instructors.

LearnKey has been selected to work with the UFT teacher center in producing curricula and provide online resources that teachers can access and utilize through the program so they can be successful in the program. Sterling Roberson, Vice President of CTE for the UFT has been working on this program well over a year and it’s great to see him be acknowledged for his efforts. He also made an announcement regarding the NICE initiative back in February during the CTE annual awards presentations.

I want to recognize and congratulate Kim Johnson, our very own Director of Client Services, for her hard work in spear heading and producing the NICE initiatives first teaching project (Excel workbook) in collaboration with NICE advisory board members.

We will continue to share our involvement in the program and keep you posted on our progress!

Regards,

Jeff Coruccini

CEO/LearnKey

Welcome to the LearnKey Team: Jason Manibog

Today we are thrilled to announce that Jason Manibog will join LearnKey as our resident expert IT Instructor. Jason is a seasoned Microsoft Certified Trainer with over a decade of award-winning classroom experience and another seven years of experience building, authoring, and delivering on-camera and live demos in a large variety of e-learning courses. Adding Jason, who has the perfect blend of experience and training skills, enables LearnKey to continue to deliver the best possible learning experience through our IT & Career Ready Certification courseware.

Some of you may recognize Jason. While it is possible you might have seen him sinking some putts at a local golf course, you probably have seen him in some of our previous IT courses, such as SharePoint 2013, Windows Server 2012 Server Infrastructure Design and Implementation, and Windows Server 2012 Advanced Server Infrastructure Implemention.

He is a great guy and I recently had a chance to interview him, as this was a pretty exciting hire for LearnKey! He has worked with several of our production and writing staff members previously, therefore, we know he’s all about our core values: ease, value, and trust. He’s always been professional and easy to work with, has great value in the accuracy of his work, and our team members went out of their way to tell me how much they trust his delivery of our content on camera. Day one and he already has raving fans in the company!

Please take a minute to learn more about Jason through a fun Q&A:

What is your educational background? I majored in Communications and minored in Speech at Cal State University Dominguez Hills. Growing up, I was always told I talked too much, so I figured that is what I should do. More recently, I have been a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) for six years now. I have multiple Microsoft, CompTIA, Adobe, and other industry-recognized certifications.
What is your professional background prior to being employed at LearnKey? For most of the past 15 years, I have been a computer trainer in the classroom and have done the occasional business consulting (and even built courses for LearnKey!). I have also authored several computer training books specifically for the computer training center market.
Describe effective learning techniques or ideas you hope to bring to LearnKey courseware. I always try to use a good mixture of the three main methods of learning: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic (using humor works, too). Plus, I try to make the material relate to real-life situations as much as possible. My goal is to help people reach both their certification and career goals.
What five words would you use to describe yourself? Energetic, driven, humorous, kind, and caring.
What are three tips every student learning online could benefit from?
1. If you feel like studying, study. If you don’t, don’t. The worst time to try to take a course is when you don’t feel like doing it.
2. Take breaks from watching and practice. The courses we build will have plenty of chances for practice.
3. Try to relate any learning to a real-life situation. For example, if you are trying to learn Excel, build some Excel files for items such as a home budget or expenses. In other words, don’t just take the course, DO the course.
In 50 words or fewer, describe what skills and knowledge you will bring to the LearnKey team. I have always tried to be as versatile of an instructor as possible, both in being able to write and deliver courses and explain things in many different ways. My goal is to bring that forward with the outstanding team I am privileged to join.
If you could be a super hero, what would you want your superpowers to be?
1. Cure multiple sclerosis.
2. Reverse this trend of more and more empty hair follicles on my head.
3. Get better at golf.
What do you do in your free time? Spend time with my beautiful wife Joan and our two adorable cats, Ivey and Luske. And, continue the never-ending quest of trying to be halfway decent at golf. I also watch a ton of baseball and hockey.

We are glad to have you on our team, Jason, and are looking forward to your positive impact on our courses!

It’s coming – New IC3 GS5 video training and assessments

At LearnKey we are super excited about producing the new IC3 GS5 training and assessments through our video-based training courseware that covers 100% of the objectives to help you learn and pass the Certiport IC3 certification exam.

Our expert knows IC3, which is why we are proud to introduce Wyett Ihler as our IC3 GS5 expert for this course, and the entire team members supporting him in the production of this course are all IC3 certified! Wyett is a certified LearnKey expert who has assisted in the publishing process on hundreds of LearnKey courses. His kind spirit & knowledge coupled with the way he communicates are great qualities that will come across throughout the course.

Another positive about this production is our IC3 GS5 New and Improved Course is based on feedback from students and teachers so we can achieve our mission, which is to drive the ultimate learning experience! Benefits of IC3 GS5 are:

100% IC3 objective-based
Simplified and streamlined presentation
Written, created, and presented by IC3 Certification holders
Course will be offered as three separate courses matching the IC3 exam. (Key Applications, Computer Fundamentals, and Living Online)
Includes inline quizzes and activities to keep your knowledge in check
Comprehensive student workbook providing real world application projects

At LearnKey, a Better Learning Systems company, we will continue to work with industry experts and partners to ensure our courseware has the perfect mix of training, pre and post assessments, and exam simulations to meet not only our education (K-12 & Higher Ed) clients but also industry teachers and military students so they can obtain their dream job and career!

Coming soon will be some back stories on what the author, writers, designers, and production team are doing to make this real fun too!

New Course Release: Windows Server 2012 Advanced Server Infrastructure Implementation

Check out our new Windows Server 2012 Advanced Server Infrastructure Implementation course.

In LearnKey’s Windows Server 2012 Advanced Server Infrastructure Implementation course, students will learn the skills required to design, implement, and maintain a Windows Server. Join LearnKey expert Jason Manibog as he prepares students to become competent in designing, deploying, and maintaining a Windows Server 2012 infrastructure service. This course will prepare students to take exam 70-414.

Our hope is that through our courseware we may provide learners with the guidance, preparation, and skills they need to succeed. For more information and to learn about additional LearnKey products visit our website.

CompTIA Linux+ Certification Training Courses Released

LearnKey’s CompTIA Linux+ Part I LX0-103 & CompTIA Linux+ Part II LX0-104 certification training courses will provide students with the knowledge they need to feel confident and prepared when they take their certification exams. Earning a Linux+ certification is perfect for those who are interest in obtaining a job in web or systems/network administration.

Linux+ Part I (LX0-103) Course

In LearnKey’s Linux+ Part I course users will join LearnKey expert Michael Solomon as they learn about Linux+. This course will cover topics such as: GNU/UNIX commands, Linux installation, package management, devices, file systems/systems hierarchy, and more.

Linux+ Part II (LX0-104) Course

In LearnKey’s Linux+ Part II course users will again join LearnKey expert Michael Solomon as they learn about Linux+. This course will cover topics such as: scripting, shells, data management, administrative tasks, desktops, user interface, networking fundamentals, essential system services, security, and more.

Brighton College – Newest Addition to the BLS Family

LearnKey recently acquired part ownership of Brighton College in Scottsdale, Arizona. Brighton is now one of the sister companies to LearnKey.

Brighton is an online college that offers Diploma & Degree programs for in demand jobs like Medical Billing & Coding, Criminal Justice, Paralegal, & IT. Brighton is flexible and can accommodate the needs of the student with one on one instructor support, payment options, and some of the best curriculum to prepare you for new career pathway. For a minimum investment and in months you can be on your way to a new career.

And each student enrolling at Brighton will receive a ProScan and Motivation Review to support them on their journey!!

Pictured below are members of the BLS Team, following a workout session this past week at Brighton!!

Left to right: Matt Tidwell, Brighton Vice President, Kimberly Johnson, LearnKey Client Services Manager, Brian Tremelling, LearnKey Veteran & Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Sarah Blik, Executive Consultant, Seth Boyack and Kelly Woods, both LearnKey Veteran & Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors.

This post originally appeared on KnowYourTalents.com.

Boots 2 Suits Program Matches Veterans with Mentors

Know Your Talents partners with ASU’s Pat Tillman Center to Support Boots 2 Suits Program

The Boots to Suits Program through the Pat Tillman Center at ASU is designed to assist veteran students by taking their military skills and education and training and connecting them with the right sources that can help them leverage opportunities for career placement.

The goal of the program is to match veteran students with Corporate Executive Leaders within the community that will mentor them towards reaching their goal of that dream job. Students are matched with mentors based on their natural behaviors as well as their intended career path. In February, the initial launching of the program, a mentor/mentee matching event took place. An estimated 30 students were paired with Executive Leaders from all types of industries, with both the mentor and the mentee receiving a copy of their individual ProScan reports. The ProScan was part of the initial introduction – what an awesome way for them to get to know and understand one another!!

If you are interested in becoming a Mentor, please call us today! 480-349-8900

This post originally appeared as part of the Know Your Talents Spring 2015 Newsletter.

My Certification Failure

Recently, I did something I rarely do – I failed a test. You may think, “Big deal, it’s just one test, you’ll pass the next one,” and you would usually be right. Except this wasn’t just any test. It was a certification exam.

A couple of weeks ago, I began watching LearnKey’s Project 2013 training to prepare to take the Managing Projects with Microsoft Project 2013 certification exam. I watched the entire course, took notes, passed all of the pre- and post tests, and reviewed the training for the questions I had missed. I was a little nervous about taking the test, but I felt confident in using the software and figured the test would be pretty easy. I passed a couple of Adobe certification tests with no problems, and I thought the Project 2013 test would be similar.

The first thing I failed to take into account was the fact that I have been using Adobe software for nearly a decade. I probably know Photoshop and Dreamweaver better than any other software out there (with the possible exception of StarCraft or Age of Empires, but that’s a whole other ballgame).

Whenever someone asks me for advice on how to pass a certification exam, I always tell them one thing: Explore the software. Open up the menus, learn the features, figure things out on your own, and become proficient. No matter how good a training course is, there is no substitute for real-world experience. As I watched the training, I followed along in Project 2013 and learned enough to feel comfortable using it, but I didn’t spend very much time exploring the software on my own.

The second thing I failed to take into account was that the exam structure may not be the same as the Adobe exams I have taken in the past. Adobe exams place a heavy emphasis on lab-type questions where the students show they know the software by performing tasks in a simulated environment. I thought that even if I didn’t know everything about Project 2013, I could find my way around in the simulated environment.

As soon as I started the exam, I knew I was in trouble. The questions were all scenario-based and there was not a single simulation-based question in the entire exam. I had not prepared for these types of questions! The questions were also more difficult than I had anticipated. It’s not enough to be able to use the software; certification exams are geared toward expert users. I should have spend a lot more time exploring the software.

I just scheduled a retake of the Project 2013 certification exam. I plan to re-watch the training and take better notes. This time, I will follow my own advice, as well as the advice given in our Exam Prep with Tom Carpenter LearnCast course. This time, I will give the exam the respect it deserves by putting in the necessary study time and fully exploring Project 2013. This time, I plan to pass.