Register for PLU Credit:
You must register to be eligible to receive Professional Learning Unit (PLU) from the Georgia Department of Education at this site.

Create a Microsoft Account:
1. Go to https://signup.live.com and click Sign up
2. Complete the fields to create your Live ID/Microsoft Account
3. Scroll to bottom of page and click I Accept
4. Go back to your email account and verify your email
(Note- if you do not receive a verification email, check with your IT staff to make sure windowslivemail.com is not blocked by your incoming mail server.)

Activate E-Learning Courses:

Open this document to learn how to begin your courses!

Submit your Certificate for PLU Credit:

1. Go to student site http://itacademy.microsoftelearning.com
2. From the Take Training section on the right side, select the Click here link under Enter Access Code
3. Check the box to accept End User License Agreement

The post PLU Credit appeared first on Microsoft IT Academy in Georgia.

We are excited to announce that as an amendment to the IT Academy alliance with the Georgia Department of Education, Certiport is offering MOS exam site licenses at a special price for Georgia schools for a limited time. The state has negotiated a best in class price and package that makes certification exams affordable for all schools. Taking advantage of this offer will give your students an amazing opportunity to validate their skills and gain industry-recognized certification – giving them a competitive advantage when applying for college or a career.

Did you know that the certification exams will count as end of pathway assessments? Or, that they can be taken anytime throughout the semester, meaning students are tested immediately following each particular program of study? There is no doubt your students are working hard to learn these skills, now is your chance to assess those skills with a credential that will help foster success in your students’ futures.

Here’s the Deal… With this offer, schools will receive 500 exams and optional refreshes at a huge savings for the schools. The license is good for 12 months which will take you through spring and fall semester. Email mhanson@doe.k12.ga.us for exact pricing and the order form.

Details:
• Order must be placed by 3/15/2013 through the GaDOE
• You may use Perkins funding to purchase
• This offer is available to the first 165 schools who take advantage of the statewide pricing!
• Participating schools will receive blocks of 500 MOS exams
*Schools will receive access to exam pool refreshes – 100 exams at a time
• If you are going to test 25 students this semester or in the fall, you should purchase through this offer to SAVE money for your school!

Additional Option…
Schools may also elect to purchase a GMETRIX/Certiprep Practice Test License to prepare for certification! In preparation for a successful certification outcome, this license will allow a student to practice on the following Microsoft applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Outlook. Participating schools will receive a test prep site license for unlimited use (unlimited use-unlimited workstations) of the practice test content for benchmarking and preparation for the certification exams. Email mhanson@doe.k12.ga.us for pricing.

How to take Advantage of this Offer:
Email Mamie Hanson mhanson@doe.k12.ga.us to request the order form, then place your order through the Georgia Department of Education
Note – Order processing takes time. Be sure to start the process immediately.

This license gives you all the flexibility for those who need a second or third attempt to those who want to earn a Microsoft Master credential (multiple applications and expert level exams). Schools and districts looking to add certification can make a difference by connecting teachers and students to the latest technical education requirements to promote college and career readiness. With this offer, you have the opportunity to bring leading-edge, 21st century employability skills and industry recognized certifications to benefit high schools across Georgia at an outstanding cost savings.

Why Certify?

• Earn college credit – the American Council on Education has recommended college credit on many Microsoft Certifications. Visit http://www.microsoft.com/es-es/learning/certification/college-credit.aspx to learn more.
• Increase Employability – a Georgia job search on Microsoft skills found* 13,491 jobs requiring Microsoft Office skills with estimated salaries started at $30,000                                         *Source: Indeed.com
• Top-tier staffing agency reports: Twice as likely to be placed AND 50% more likely to be hired Full Time with an average of 10-15% higher pay
  * Time Magazine Report http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1952331,00.html
• 87% of certified students feel that they are able to complete more assignments in less time because they are Microsoft Office certified.
  SOURCE: Post Microsoft Office Certification Impact on the Job (Certiport Survey, 2007)

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Digital Microsoft Official Academic Course (MOAC) materials are now available for download from the Microsoft IT Academy member’s website! The full catalog of MOAC courseware is available as free digital e-books, enabling you to share or print PDF versions with your students. Supplemental instructor materials — including lecture notes, PowerPoint presentations, test item files, and solutions or lab set up guides — are also available for digital download (or as print versions for a fee).

The materials cover three topic areas:

• Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) training: curriculum materials that help students prepare for MOS certification exams, suitable as standalone courses or paired with eLearning for remediation or accelerated learning
• Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) training: curriculum materials for use in the classroom to help students prepare for MTA certification exams
• .NET application development: a set of three .NET courses that provide foundational .NET development skills.

Use this Teacher Quick Start Guide MOAC to help  you access the digital MOAC content!

The Microsoft Official Academic Course series (MOAC) is an integrated program of e-books, lab manuals, and instructor resources designed for classes that are taught over a period of 6 to 16 weeks. MOAC provides everything academic instructors need to plan, prepare, and conduct hands-on classes. The courses are designed for students preparing for entry-level information and communications technology positions and for the following certification exams:

Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) and Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA)

The Microsoft Official Academic Course (MOAC) series, published by John Wiley and Sons in partnership with Microsoft, delivers a complete learning and teaching framework developed specifically for use in an academic setting.

The post Digital Microsoft Course Materials appeared first on Microsoft IT Academy in Georgia.

As part of the Microsoft IT Academy, each participating Georgia high school receives FREE Microsoft Office 2010 software for the Business & Computer Science labs! To get the software, Principals should complete the Assurance document emailed from the Georgia Department of Education!

Take advantage of this GREAT opportunity to allow students to learn on the latest software–FREE!

The post Microsoft Office 2010 Software appeared first on Microsoft IT Academy in Georgia.

According to an International Data Corporation (IDC) study, IT employment will rise by 5.8 million jobs in 4 years; and 51% of total IT employment will be software related; creating 75K new businesses.

Our world-class Microsoft IT Academy curriculum will help you offer the hands-on skills and experience that today’s graduates need to succeed in technology careers. The IT Academy program enables classroom and online learning, hands-on labs, and access to hundreds of courses, books, cutting-edge resources, and collaboration tools.

Encourage your students to earn a Microsoft Certification after completing your course to give them the added advantage of entering the IT workforce with proven technical skills and an internationally-recognized Microsoft Certification.

Microsoft Certification is one of the most demanding and respected endorsements in the industry, stressing both technical knowledge and real-world experience. Microsoft has certified more than three million professionals worldwide.

According to the 2010 MCP Program Satisfaction Study, 91 percent of hiring managers consider employee certification as a criterion for hiring and 81 percent of hiring managers feel that certified individuals perform better.

By earning a Microsoft Certification, your students will:

Validate the technical knowledge and skills they learned at your IT Academy

Gain a competitive edge in the job market

Demonstrate their commitment to the IT profession

Enable a career development path for ongoing advancement of Microsoft technology skills

Help your students prepare for their future:
Learn more about Microsoft Certification.

The post Increased Student Employability appeared first on Microsoft IT Academy in Georgia.

NEW—Certiport webinars are now offered to Georgia high schools as you prepare to administer exams! Click here to learn more and register!
Teaching Activities

Don’t forget to log in and take note of the teaching activities that have been posted by other Georgia Teachers! Add your documents as well to build a resource to choose from!

Resources: Teacher Quick Start Guide E-Learning, Teacher Quick Start Guide Lesson Plans, Student Steps – ITA E-Learning via Access Codes

Participate in the DISCUSSION FORUM to ask your questions and ANSWER those you know! You can learn a lot from each other! You must be logged in to use these resources!

The post Training Sessions appeared first on Microsoft IT Academy in Georgia.

Challenge and excite your students by teaching with the latest technologies. This is another BENEFIT to Georgia high schools through the Microsoft IT Academy.

DreamSpark is a Microsoft Program that supports technical education by providing access to Microsoft software for learning, teaching and research purposes.

DreamSpark is simple: it’s all about giving students Microsoft professional-level developer and designer tools at no cost so that students can chase their dreams and create the next big breakthrough in technology – or just get a head start on their career.

DreamSpark helps educators teach the latest technologies and experiment in research. Microsoft knows that to make learning more motivating, relevant, and engaging for today’s students requires a diverse set of resources. DreamSpark gives educators the resources to ensure their classrooms always have the latest technologies to challenges, motivate, and keep students engaged in new ways.

To access your high school subscription, please contact your high school principal or gaita@doe.k12.ga.us
Check out the DreamSpark website https://www.dreamspark.com/ for more details or view the Getting Started Guide here.

The post DreamSpark — Putting SOFTWARE in the hands of students appeared first on Microsoft IT Academy in Georgia.

Certification:Basic skills or advanced IT – IT Academy training leads toward Microsoft certification that can help you earn college credits and put your resume at the top of the stack with industry validated, qualifications recognized by employers around the world. Certified Employees reported a higher average salary of 5.4 percent over non-certified employees. (source: Global Knowledge, IT Skills and Salary Survey, Mar 2011).
Learn more at http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/certification/cert-overview.aspx.

Compete in the Imagine Cup: Join students from around the world with passion for technology and innovation to solve real problems. Learn how Microsoft and sponsors like Nokia are helping students bring these solutions to life.
Find out more at www.imaginecup.com.

Go Underground – Student Mobile Application Development: Join thousands of student developers. Start building awesome apps for Windows Phone. Find code, support, fun surprises, and more.
Click here to get started: http://www.microsoft.com/student/en/us/findyourcolony/default.aspx

Design and Develop with Dreamspark: Dreamspark is simple: it’s all about giving students Microsoft professional-level developer and designer tools at no charge so you can chase your dreams and create the next big technology breakthrough. Get started now at www.dreamspark.com.

Dream Big with Students to Business: Microsoft can help you get a foot in the door at your dream job with Students to Business! Develop your network with the help of Microsoft and 395,000 organizations using Microsoft technologies. Learn more at www.microsoft.com/studentstobusiness.

Investigate the Microsoft Learning IT Career Portal: If you are a student looking for a job in IT, the Microsoft Student Career Portal can help you get the proper training and earn Microsoft Certifications. Start your career in IT today at www.microsoft.com/learning/student-career.

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