Certified: Certiport Educator Podcast

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...

Adoption and use of artificial intelligence (AI) for learning purposes continues to grow, but many educators lack training on effective use of AI in the classroom. According to a  survey from EdWeek , only 43% of educators surveyed had received any training on AI. Those left without training or district support may be wondering how to demystify AI and embrace this transformative technology. We're...

The  US Bureau of Labor Statistics  projects higher than average growth in accounting and finance positions in the coming decade. In fact, over 715,000 openings are predicted in the business and finance sphere between now and 2031. With such strong growth (and earning potential), it's no wonder educators want to prepare students for jobs in accounting and finance. In this episode, we sat down with...

If you're looking for a fun and engaging way to teach your curriculum, gamification may be the answer. Merrell Stewart has been using gamification with his students for years and is sharing his advice with you.  Merrell is an 11-year veteran educator of animation, computer science, and game design in Houston, Texas. He has served more than a thousand students, specializing in the fundamentals of d...

The health sciences sector employs approximately 16 million people in the U.S. alone and is expected to grow by 13% from 2022 to 2032. But what skills do students need? What roles can they pursue?  We sat down with Priya Mukundan to talk all about healthcare careers. Priya is an innovative and strategic healthcare leader with over 15 years of experience in post-acute care and clinical operations....

The Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Career ClusterTM is critical for addressing global necessities, such as food security and sustainability. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are about  1.4 million jobs in this Career ClusterTM . So many opportunities for your students to succeed.  Are you looking to prepare students for careers in agriscience? Jacob Falwell joins u...

Each year, we are so excited to recognize one of our customers as our CERTIFIED Educator of the Year during our annual CERTIFIED Educator Conference. We work with so many incredible educators, all of whom deserve recognition for their dedication and efforts. We're pleased to announce that Kim Kayser is our 2025 CERTIFIED Educator of the Year!  Kim has been teaching as well as learning technology w...

What does it take to compete in the MOS World Championship? Now you can find out. Our team was privileged to work with the Australian production company, GoodThing Productions , on their new documentary, Spreadsheet Champions. During filming, they followed six students on their journey to becoming Microsoft Office Specialist Excel Champions. The documentary has now premiered at the SXSW and Hot Do...

Ready to get a peek into CERTIFIED 2025? We're continuing our series of CERTIFIED Educator Conference breakout session previews, and this is for all our business and entrepreneurship educators.  Are you looking for ways to teach your students business skills that they'll take with them after graduating? There's no better place to learn real-world business skills than in an actual business. So why...

The days of linear career paths are over. People are switching jobs more often, making their career journeys more complex than ever. In fact, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics found that people only stay in their jobs for an average of four years. That much change and complexity can be intimidating for students and professionals to navigate. How, as an educator, do you get your students ready to e...