Certified: Certiport Educator Podcast

Tomorrow's employees are in your classroom today. How do you prepare them for their next steps in their learning journeys? How do you make sure your students are ready for college and career?  We sat down with two veteran educators, Jessie Kalloo and Vladimir Noda, to find out.  Jessie Kalloo is a CTE Instructor and Program Approval Coordinator for the Information Technology programs at Thomas A....

Welcome to the fourth episode of our new Voices of Readiness Podcast! We're so excited to expand our audience and discuss ways to help your students get career ready in whatever field they choose to pursue.   In today's episode, Kaitlyn Laurélle shares advice about preparing students for the world of emergency response.  Kaitlyn Laurélle is an educator, author and Wilderness EMT with more than a d...

Welcome to the third episode of our new Voices of Readiness Podcast! We're so excited to expand our audience and discuss ways to help your students get career ready in whatever field they choose to pursue.   In today's episode, Pearson's own Andy Dunaway is sharing advice for how you can connect your classroom to real-world opportunities and careers.  Andrew Dunaway is an educational technology, p...

Welcome to the second episode of our new Voices of Readiness Podcast! We're so excited to expand our audience and discuss ways to help your students get career ready in whatever field they choose to pursue.  We're diving into the world of construction and skilled trades with Jennifer Wilkerson. Jennifer is the Vice President of Innovation and Advancement at the National Center for Construction Edu...

Welcome to the new Voices of Readiness Podcast! We're so excited to expand our audience and discuss ways to help your students get career ready in whatever field they choose to pursue.  In this episode, we were privileged to sit down with Dan Limmer to discuss career readiness in the EMS field.  Daniel "Dan" Limmer, BS, NRP continues a career in EMS and Law enforcement that has spanned more than 4...

Being an engineer means being a problem solver. But that's not the only skill your students need for successful careers as engineers. We sat down with Steve O'Neil to find out how you can build bridges for your students, from classroom to industry.  Steve is a mechanical engineering graduate of Wayne State University, where he began his career in the automotive industry working as both an applicat...

Career readiness is all about preparing students with the skills they need to succeed in the workforce. But career readiness isn't one size fits all. What you focus on will vary from school to school. In this episode, Amy Waters tells us about how she gets her students career ready in industrial Louisiana.  Amy is a 37-year veteran teacher at Hahnville High School in Boutte, Louisiana, with no pla...

Each year, we are so excited to recognize exceptional contributions in education with our CERTIFIED Educator of the Year award. Given during our annual CERTIFIED Educator Conference, this award is given to dedicated, talented, and powerful educators from across the United States. And this year, we couldn't give the award to just one teacher. We're pleased to announce that Fran Clark and Ashley Fau...

Your students are going to enter an automated workforce. Teaching and empowering them with AI skills has never been more crucial. If you and your colleagues are interested in launching an AI program at your school, we're here to help.  We were lucky to learn from Cyndi Krebs in this week's episode. Professor Krebs is the Program Director of Business Technologies and Education and a professor in th...

Students want more than lectures. They want engaging, hands-on curriculum and coursework. Modifying your class to fit the needs of Gen Z students can feel overwhelming. Luckily Vladimir Noda is here to help.  Vladimir is an enthusiastic educator, instructional coach, and advocate for business education with over a decade of experience enhancing student success. Throughout his career, he has assist...

You work hard to identify and close gaps in learning and readiness. In this episode, Career and Technical Education (CTE) specialist Laura Green explores how certification and classroom data can tell the story behind those gaps—and how to act on it.  Laura is an accomplished Career and Technical Education (CTE) specialist with over 20 years of experience bridging the gap between industry and the c...

Your students excel in the classroom—but will they thrive as interns? Work-based learning experiences offer powerful real-world application, yet succeeding in a workplace requires a distinct set of skills. Discover practical strategies to bridge that gap. Meet Professor Matt Dombrowski, an innovator bridging art, technology, and social impact. As a Professor and Art Director for Limbitless Solutio...

Recent research from Pearson shows that nearly $165B is lost each year when students can't find work after graduation. The transition from education to the workforce can be challenging to navigate. How can you help close the gap?  We sat down with three powerhouse educators to get their thoughts.  First, Matt Dombrowski. Matt is a Professor, Assistant Director, and Art Director for the nonprofit L...

Keeping your classroom fresh and engaging can be a challenge. Luckily, you don't need to do it on your own. We're building a community of educators ready to share tools, tips, and inspiration for classroom success. In this episode, we talk with four incredible educators: Kylie Kroukamp, Laura Green, Robert Lee, and Steve O'Neill. Hear their thoughts on classroom engagement: What it looks like, how...

Are your students looking for a career that pays well, is challenging, and has great growth potential? Why not consider a career in web development? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , the field is expected to grow 7% (much faster than average) before 2034.  The potential is there. Now we're here to help you effectively teach web development in the classroom. Educator extraordinaire, Bri...

How is AI transforming design? We sat down with four experts to find out—and to bring you clear, current guidance you can use in the classroom. In this episode, freelance graphic designer Miriam Reza, design educator Sean Price, creative technologist Kenny Call, and Adobe Education Evangelist Claudio Zavala share practical perspectives on AI's impact on today's creatives. Together, we explore resp...

Today's students are preparing for a competitive future, in both higher education and the workforce. How can you help them stand out and succeed? Certifications.  In this episode, we're bringing you perspective from education and the workforce. We sat down with two educators, Brittany Nicholson and Kim Kayser, and two professionals, Kurt Campbell and Raae Wolfram. Together we discussed why certifi...

Happy 2026! A new year means new goals. What goals are you making for your classroom? If you need ideas, this episode is for you. The answer's in the data! Join us as we talk all about data analysis with Nicole Rodenfels.  Nicole is a dedicated educator in the School District of Lee County in Ft. Myers, FL. She holds a master's degree in educational technology from Florida Gulf Coast University an...

As a business educator, you prepare students for demanding and dynamic careers. And marketing is just one area where they can excel. However, with so many trends and apps constantly changing, equipping your students with useful marketing skills and experiences can be difficult.  No one knows that more than Jodi Pelini. Jodi is a former TV reporter and anchor who now brings her love of storytelling...

There's an app for everything these days. Technology is an integral part of our everyday lives. Getting students ready for careers in technology has never been more demanding or exciting!  In this episode, we learn from app development educator, Brian Foutty. Brian brings decades of classroom teaching experience to his current job as a secondary math, app development and coding, and special educat...

Microsoft Excel is more than just a tool in the accounting and finance industry—it empowers individuals to advance their careers by transforming numbers into actionable insights. Despite the rise of specialized software, 89% of finance teams still rely on Excel skills, making it the go-to platform for budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and analysis worldwide.  With Excel still on top, it's crucial...

You know that preparing students for the contemporary workforce looks dramatically different than it did even a few years ago. Today's students need to be prepared to succeed in an even more demanding environment.  We sat down with two educators (Noam Bonkowski and Vladimir Noda) to talk about today's workforce demands and how you can make sure your students are prepared.  Noam is a CTE teacher, w...

Security threats and nefarious tactics from hackers are on the rise, demanding more awareness and vigilance online. According to an  IBM study  of over 150 billion daily security events in more than 130 countries, there was a 71% year-over-year increase in cyberattacks that used stolen or compromised data. This rise in attacks has increased the demand for cybersecurity professionals in various ind...

You want your students to find a career that is fulfilling. Interesting. Challenging. But not every student knows how to find a job that aligns with their interests. How can you help them find a career they're passionate about?  In this episode, we get advice from three experts: Karen Coulumbe, CTE educator in Washington; Matt Fritzius, Director of Research, Development, and Special Projects at Fl...

You're teaching skills that students need in their future careers. But what about giving them a chance to practice those skills in a workplace environment? Enter: the simulated workplace. In this week's episode, we dive into the simulated workplace with CERTIFIED Educator Conference presenter, Robbie Perdue.  Charles "Robbie" Perdue is an experienced IT educator with over 25 years in the field and...