I started teaching in 1984 with my Mighty Macintosh. When I began teaching Microsoft Office, I was surprised how many people recorded my classes and came back a second time. Who would want to hear eight hours of Excel Formulas…again? People were hungry for knowledge and job skills. Nom Nom Nom. We filled our classes on Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
Our first TV shows were created at WFUM-PBS, Flint. We wanted to capture the spirit and action of the live classroom and reach a bigger audience. We also wanted to link all of the broadcast lessons to our Microsoft Office Specialist certification training: 100% video coverage.
Trying to capture the Live Performance into little video lessons has been challenging. Speaking in front of an audience is different from writing a textbook or making a video. Live classes have a relaxed pace: there is time to wait for the laughter or the a-ha responses. The videos seem to hurry-up.
In 2006, we launched our first virtual classroom online. Our Microsoft Office Specialist course is available in hundreds of colleges nationally. Thousands of students enrolled in our courses and learned new skills. Teachers learned new skills as well. There are many new tools for teaching online: Live Chat, Forums and Discussions.
Offline: Our students want books. Students learn better with the hard copy. However, print is a different production path than online, so it was a lot of work. Our hard work succeeded. Our Microsoft Office 2007 courses were approved and we became a Microsoft Vendor of Approved Courseware.
As it sez on our website: When you use Approved Courseware to prepare for the Microsoft Office Specialist certification exams, you know you are using the very best study materials.
In 2013 our Microsoft certification videos went online! It was so much fun that it didn’t seem like work.
I know, I know: Watching a video does not make you an expert.
You can’t become a skilled professional just watching the show.
The best use of videos is to demonstrate a sequence of events. At some point, your hands have to learn the steps. Expertise is knowledge in motion. Our courses are hands on, project-based. You have to create and edit documents, spreadsheets and presentation.
Our courses include everything needed to prepare for the MOS certification exams:
- Step-by-step video demonstrations
- Companion eBook with detailed instructions
- Sample spreadsheets
- Practice, Quizzes and Skill Test
I guess you can tell that I really enjoy teaching Microsoft Office. And, it shows! The best part, is not the software or the new technology….But the results.When people learn new skills, they can enjoy the tools.
Learn more, earn, more, be more successful. Everyone wins!
And that’s what I like.
