Introduction

I complete training using a variety of vendors, my preferred training vendors are:

• Coursera: used for my Google certifications, coding and data analytics training.
• Stormwind Studios: used for Microsoft, and other proprietary software training, server and and cybersecurity training. If you are going the certification route, Stormwinds is the best choice as the training is very focused on exam preparation. Very knowledgeable instructors with extensive real world experience. Their content is the most up-to-date and they offer weekly webinars on trending technolgy.
• ACI Learning: Formerly known as ITVPro, ACI Learning offers far-and-away the best course format and their courses are very easy to follow. I love being able to take training in 30-minute, self-contained episodes. Their presentations really can’t be beat. Unlike a lot of training - these are actually fun to watch. I use ACI Learning for open source and new technology training, coding, Microsoft - really a wide-range of topics. This is the one I am most likley to direct students to.
• LinkedInLearning: LinkedInLearning offers the widest range of training and complete courses covering topics beyond strictly technology: this is where I have taken my project management training. I like the LinkedInLearning courses but they are sometimes very long and if the instructor is not particularly focused it can just take too long to work your way through the content. LinkedIN-Learning has partnered with some organizations to provide official certifcations, Microsoft and Github as examples. These are different from the standard LinkedIN-Learning courses: there is a post-course assessment exam that must be passed before a certification is issued, as is standard with other certifications. These are referred to as Career Essentials to distinguish them from the standard LinkedIN-Learning courses. This is a relatively new development, you can learn more about this program on the Offical LinkedIN website. I did enjoy the Microsoft Generative AI course. I would say this resource has the widest appeal to the largest audience. This is where I direct non-IT staff, leadership and administrators to.

I have also used W3 Schools for web-related training. They are not bad, it really depends on the material, but I usually follow up on their training with courses from Stornwind Studios or ACI Learining. I like to use W3 Schools courses as refreshers or before I plan to really dig into something. I think of these courses as a good pre-training before a bootcamp.

I have recently picked up a subscription to Codecademy. The jury is still out because I have only taken the Raspberry Pi modules, which were very much beginners-level. I did not really like their interface. It was frustrating to complete the exercises. I plan to do some coding referesher training, to fill in some gap[s, this summer so I will see how it goes and update this page afterwards.

Project Management

I have earned the certifciation for Certified ScrumMaster, through ScrumAlliance. The scrum master on a scrum team fosters an effective and productive working environment. A scrum master’s day may include facilitating conversations, managing impediments to the team’s progress, and coaching individual team members in the use of scrum. The goal is fostering accountability in the team.

I have also received certifications for Project Management from the Project Management Institute.

Microsoft

Cybersecurity

Compliance

Artifical Intelligence

Git

Web Technologies

Linux

Ever heard the expression, “I have forgotten more about blank than most people know”? This is how you can avoid the forgotten part of that scenario.