Get students certified in Microsoft Office or Adobe software quickly and easily. Microsoft certified in only 1 week. Adobe certified in only 2 weeks. Quick and easy lessons walk you through the standards. Motivate students and remediate quickly using project based learning.

1. D. Michael Ploor
Teacher and Author
Hillsborough County Public Schools and
Goodheart-Willcox Publisher
Microsoft
and Adobe
Certification
Magic
Feb 03, 2016
1:15pm – 2:15 pm
Room 19B

2. Who is this Character?

4. 356 Adobe Certifications in 2015

5. MOS Certifications
Student names cannot be
displayed due to privacy

6. Start on Monday
• Microsoft Office
Specialist (MOS)
• 3 to 4 hours of
activities
• Explores content and
covers essentials
• Builds from scratch
New!
Office 2013
Practice
Test
included*
* Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Access

7. Test on Friday
• Word
• PowerPoint
• Excel
• Access
• Outlook

8. Start Week 1 Monday
• Adobe Certified
Associate (ACA)
• 8 to 12 hours of
activities
• Explores content and
covers essentials
• Lesson Review
Questions
are the
review for
the exam

9. Test end of Week 2
• Photoshop
• Dreamweaver
• Flash
• Illustrator*
• InDesign*
* Coming Soon

11. Are you surprised that it worked?
my name is Ralph Watkins I attended your seminar at the AME
conference. You sent me a few Certification Prep books I'm writing
specifically about the Adobe Photoshop CS6 book. For the last three
week I have been completing the questions, doing the labs and
vocabulary over and over. Anyway purchased an exam voucher and
took the test
I received a 96 percent wow! So I'm emailing you to first tell you what an
awesome book and resource you have created and secondly to say that
I will be ordering class sets of the Photoshop and Dreamweaver books
next year and hope to become a testing center as well, see what you
have started! You do great work keep it up. Also and finally I found two
errors but unfortunately I could only remember one so here it is. Lesson
2 answer 7 bitmap tracing you correctly state the definition it in the
chapter but your answer in the back of the book has it backwards
so check it out if you haven't already corrected it.
Ralph Watkins
Carson High School

12. Successfully Motivating Classroom Audience
1. Set Goals
a. 80% of classroom total or more
2. Display Goals
a. Make it visible
3. Measure it
a. Allow for change
4. Make it personal
a. Have students sign it
b. Display certificates
5. Show VALUE
a. Not just a grade
b. TJ Maxx Employment Application
c. College Applications
d. College Credit
e. Success stories
6. Reward
a. Hat Day
b. Sundaes
c. Administration Support
Goal

15. Insanity
• Insanity: doing the same thing over and
over again and expecting different results.
Read more:
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes
/a/alberteins133991.html#ixzz1KgH3jq4T
•Do not dumb down.
•Make the learning process simpler and more effective
•Reverse engineer from desired outcome
•Scaffold learning to achieve objectives

17. Are we making students dependent?
Are we teaching the test?
Can students perform at a workforce ready level?
Challenge students
Do not make them dependent on your help!
Prepare them as life long learners
How do we do this?????

18. Why it Works!
• Quick turn around
– 1 to 2 weeks from start to exam
• Focus on knowledge level skills
– Explore all features quickly
• Narrow testing deadline (this counts!)
– Focus learning and accountability
• Review questions are the study guide for the
exam
– No simulation software to memorize answers
• Project based remediation
– Engage all learning styles

19. Certification Cycle
Certification
Guide
Review
questions or
Mastery
Simulation
Certification
Test or
Gmetrix
Remediate
and Enrich
Review and
Retake

20. Implementing in a Classroom
• Step 1: Use skill building courseware
– Unlike Gmetrix or other test prep, focus on
teaching the skills not the test.
– Use to teach the software first
• Step 2: Review using the test or questions
included with the guide.
• Step 3: Certification test or Gmetrix
• Step 4: Remediate and enrich learning
using project based learning.
• Step 5: Review and retake if needed.

21. Implementing in a Classroom
• Step 1: Use skill building courseware
– Unlike Gmetrix or other test prep, this teaches
from no prior knowledge.
– Use to teach the software first
• Knowledge level learning
• No prior experience or skill needed
• Creates something from scratch (not templates or
modification)
• Authentic learning model so students can use the
software from a blank page.
– Works great even if you don’t give
Certification Exams

22. Implementing in a Classroom
• Step 2: Review using the test or questions
included with the guide.
– Use the review questions (Adobe) and end of
book Mastery Simulation Post Test (Microsoft
Office 2013) provided with the guides.
– Adobe: Create a post test using the review
questions to prep for exam.
– Microsoft: Review the Mastery Simulation
project to acquaint students to the exam
format and answering correctly (Download
from G-WLearning.com)

23. Implementing in a Classroom
• Step 3: Certification test or Gmetrix
– Give the Exam or Gmetrix practice test in
Exam mode as quickly as possible to
maximize retained knowledge level learning.
– Use Gmetrix properly (measure, not teach)
– I do not use Gmetrix prep “Learning” mode
materials as they are too closely aligned to
the practice exams.
• Students can memorize the answers to the practice and take
the Gmetrix Exam and pass it. This is not representative any
learning, just memorizing. This is why so many students are
failing the Certification Exam that asks different questions.

24. What is Gmetrix?
www.gmetrix.com

25. What is Gmetrix?
Gmetrix offers:
• Courseware
• Practice Exams with the answers
• Limited teaching as remediation lessons only
• No use of the actual software from scratch
• Practice Exams
• Measures readiness to Certify only
• “Learning” mode questions are the same as
“Testing” mode questions
• “Learning” mode gives them the answers
• Students think they can memorize these to pass
• Students fail Certification when memorized
answers are NOT on the Certification Exam.

26. Implementing in a Classroom
• Step 4: Remediate and enrich learning
using project based learning.
– Print out the score report from all students
that took the Certification Exam.
– Analyze the data to determine where students
are struggling
– Design projects to practice those skills

27. Microsoft
Score Report

28. Adobe Score Report

29. Implementing in a Classroom
• Step 4: Remediate and enrich learning
using project based learning.
– Print out the score report from all students
that took the Certification Exam.
– Analyze the data to determine where students
are struggling
– Use project based learning (Application and
Synthesis level) fun activities to support the
knowledge learning in the guides.
– Use integrated group projects (Cooperative
Learning) to support struggling students with
successful peers. All learning types included.

30. Successfully Motivating Classroom Audience
Make it FUNTeach Content – CORE Guides
Integrate Student Interest (project based learning)
Build from one success to another
Animations
Character Development
Drawing
Games
Creating - - not just doing!
Let the Bears forage on their own!
Student becomes unteachable - independent

31. Integrating Office Technology
•PowerPoint Games
(Quiz show and Maze)
•Microsoft Word Asset construction
(2D and 3D art; Design Documents)
•Microsoft Excel Games
(Crossword ,Tic-Tac-Toe, Battleship)
•Microsoft Paint or Open Office Draw
•Create Presentations, Brochures, Letters,
Charts using Office products for marketing
•Get away from the memo or other less exciting
activities and engage the students
•Many activities in the Video Game books.

32. Art
Gradients
Lighting

33. Spatial
Positioning
Lighting

34. Frame by
Frame
Animation

49. Slow in Slow Out
Squash & Stretch

50. Key Frame Animation (Tweening)

51. Activity 3-4:Physical Dexterity Puzzle
Objective: Students will be able to construct a simple puzzle game. Students will
demonstrate hyperlink and mouse over game features. Students will use a
variety of tools to build games. Students will understand the benefits of a
physical dexterity training game.
Situation: The Really, Really Cool Game Company needs to create a few puzzle
games to teach users how to correctly use a stylus (digital pen) on a handheld
organizer. Your team will create a prototype sample puzzle to test the concept of a
hand-eye coordination training game.
Each team member will create a different maze concept.

52. Click START
to begin.
Follow the
maze to get
the cheese.
Avoid
touching the
red or the
cats.

54. Please Try Again

55. Winner !

56. More Examples
Battleship Array Programming Vector Drawing

57. Crop coin image to edge.
Change line color to match
coin.
Rotate to 3D.

58. Implementing in a Classroom
• Step 5: Review and retake if needed.
– Use an in-class review (individual or team
based)
– Use the questions or skills from the Adobe
review questions or Microsoft Mastery or
Gmetrix if available as a class activity.
• Kahoot! (Kahoot.com)
• Near pod (Nearpod.com)
• Jeopardy
• Etc
– Set retake date
– Retake and pass

59. Implementing in a Classroom
• Step 5: Review and retake if needed.
– Go to nearpod.com
• Illustrator Join session RGYDI
• InDesign session PJKXG
• PowerPoint session IEAHB

60. Teacher in Control
• Knowledge base is formed at the beginning.
• Knowledge is reviewed and tested.
• First exam provides data on remediation
needed and project based learning needs.
• Groups are formed to support “fail” students
• Fun projects and group projects support
kinesthetic learning styles

61. You Can Do It
• What scares you the most about Industry
Certification

62. College Credit for
Industry Certification

63. Certification Return on
Investment

64. American Council on Education
• Recommends college credit for each exam
• Create an official transcript
• Not all exams listed
• Not all schools recognize the ACE credit
– Similar to AP tests
• Schools can refuse credit or apply to other elective
credits as they see fit
• http://www.bismarckstate.edu/current/learning/credit-for-industry-training/

65. Appling Credit to Major
• School based decision
• Must complete degree to have credit
awarded
• Grade of “P” or Pass awarded prior to
degree conveyance
• http://www.umuc.edu/students/support/exams/industryspecific.cfm
• http://www.spcollege.edu/CCIT_Credit_for_Industry_Certifications/
• http://www.mdc.edu/main/academics/certificationprocess.aspx
• Certifications do expire!
– Usually valid for only 4 years

66. ACE Transcript Process
As with the Internet, things change. Please check the links below for accuracy as some
may have changed.
American Council for Education – www.acenet.edu
Can provide you with an ACE transcript for your university based on the certification test
you have passed.
Create an Account
https://www2.acenet.edu/credit/?fuseaction=REGISTRATION.getRegistration
Certiport Exam Correlations:
http://www2.acenet.edu/credit/?fuseaction=browse.getOrganizationDetail&FICE=300514
Click on the exam you passed and it will give a description and the credit ACE
recommends.
Also, this lists the exam components and amount of content covered in each exam.

67. ACE Transcript Process #2
My Courses
ACE Number
Click to add
Adding a Course to your Transcript
1. Log in to begin the course addition process
2. https://www2.acenet.edu/credit/?fuseaction=transcripts.main
3. From the Home page, click My Courses in the left side navigation
box.
4. Click the [Add New Course] red button on the My Courses page.
5. Type in the ACE Number for the Certiport exam you passed
(example: CPRT-0049 for Outlook 2010)

68. ACE Transcript Process #3
Click to Add to
your transcript
6. Click the Exam Title to open the exam description.
7. Click the [Add To Transcript] button to have the certification
reviewed and added to your transcript.

69. ACE Transcript Process #4
Enter date
on
certificate
Submit for
review
•Enter the date from the certificate you received when
you passed the exam.
(can access that information from the www.certiport.com
website after you log in)
•Click the [Submit For Review] button to have ACE verify
the information and add it to your transcript.
•Wait a few days and check your transcript for updates.

71. ACE Transcript Process #5
Request a Transcript (Transcripts are $40.00 each)
1. Log in to begin the transcript process
2. http://www2.acenet.edu/credit/?page=transcripts
3. See the sample transcript
4. See FAQ section
5. Complete form to get a transcript from ACE sent to you
or your institution.

72. Free Preview Copy
www.g-w.com

73. Choose Your Product