The weekend is here and we're going to have some fun!
What -- We're going to give away ebooks to three (3) winners (1 per winner). The ebook selections are shown below.
Who -- Everyone who visits Born to Learn and/or use Twitter can play! (unless you work for Microsoft)
When -- 9:00am PDT Friday 3/16 -- 9:00pm PDT Sunday 3/18
How: There are three ways to enter:
We'll do the drawing on Monday 3/19, and winners will be contacted via Twitter direct message or Born to Learn private message to confirm ebook selections. We will update this post with the list of winners when they've all been confirmed.
Thanks to our friends at Microsoft Press for joining in on the fun. Good luck to everyone, and have a great weekend!
An important upgrade exam for many Microsoft Certified IT professionals has been published. You've been busy putting your Windows Server knowledge and skills to work. Now it's time to invest in advancing your credentials and prepare for the next step in your career. Today is the day. Make the commitment to update your Windows Server certification to 2012 by booking your seat for the newly published exam 70-417.
If you currently hold MCSA: Windows Server 2008 or one of the MCITP titles listed below, you can earn MCSA: Windows Server 2012 by passing this one exam.
Read up on the list of skills measured on the official exam details page.
Looking for peer support or want to share study tips for this exam? Join this forum thread.
Ready to schedule the exam? Don't forget to grab a "free second shot" voucher.
Welcome to the Windows Server 2012 certification path!
*Working with Windows Server 2012 but not prevoiusly certified? Your path to MCSA: Windows Server 2012 is here, with exams 410, 411 and 412.
*Exams 413, 414, 415 and 416 are scheduled for publication in mid-October, 2012
Update on Saturday, January 14, 2012
“If you want to do something big in your life, you must remember that shyness is only the mind." ~ Arfa Karim Randhawa, 1995-2012.
Dear Born to Learn community:
I was sad to learn, via Twitter, earlier this morning that Arfa passed away. While mourning the departure of such a bright young mind, we offer our deepest sympathy to Afra's family, friends, and her country Pakistan for the loss of their pride and joy.
I came across this video of Arfa singing during a TV interview back in April 2011. Hope you find comfort in her song.
Veronica
News Pakistan article on Arfa's passing
Blog post on Geekwire, where Todd Bishop shared Arfa's life philosophy.
Photo of Arfa's funeral in Pakistan, from MSNBC
The Huffington Post wrote about Arfa's passing + a video
ZDNet also published a nice writeup on the 16th
Also on the Business Insider
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On December 30, we got some sad news about 16-year-old Arfa Karim Randhawa, a programming prodigy from Pakistan. Arfa had suffered an epileptic seizure and doctors feared the worst. Her story is especially close to the heart of the Microsoft Learning community. Arfa earned her Microsoft Certified Professional title at the age of 9, and visited our campus in 2005 to meet with Bill Gates. She has been working hard in school toward her dream: to study computer science at MIT. Her exceptional achievements at a young age has been an inspiration to us and young people worldwide. When the news of her critical condition was posted, many of you offered well wishes and prayers via Facebook and Twitter.
Today, we're happy to bring you this update: with the additional assistance of neurogurgeons and experts from other countries, doctors are now hopeful about activating Arfa's brain and she will survive. Thank you for continuing to send good thoughts to Arfa and her family. We wish her a full and speedy recovery.
If you'd like to read about Arfa's visit in July 2005, Microsoft's CVP, S. Somasegar blogged about his interactions with her, and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer wrote a nice article as well.
Photo credit: Tood Bishop of GeekWire
Cloud Optimize your IT with Windows Server 2012
In case you've been living under a rock, the Windows Server 2012 Release Candidate came out on May 31, 2012! Windows Server powers many of the worlds' largest datacenters, enables small businesses around the world, and delivers value to organizations of all sizes in between. Building on this legacy, Windows Server 2012 redefines the category, delivering hundreds of new features and enhancements spanning virtualization, networking, storage, user experience, cloud computing, automation, and more. Simply put, Windows Server 2012 helps you transform your IT operations to reduce costs and deliver a whole new level of business value.
How is Microsoft Learning helping you?
We are committed to bringing you learning resources, training opportunities and (soon) certification for Windows Server 2012 so you can take your organization and your career to the next level. Here's a list of what's available now:
Are you as excited about all this as we are? Don't forget to request AND redeem your 2-for-1 exam voucher offer by June 30, 2012 so you can use your freebie toward one of these Windows Server 2012 exams!
Last Friday afternoon, we did a fun little poll on our Facebook page: "When I pass a certification exam, the first thing I do is..."
One respondent added "go back to work" as an option.
As of 3:00pm Pacific on Monday, March 5, the poll received a total of 63 responses, and 40 people chose option 1: call or text my spouse/parent/best friend! Full results below:
"Go back to work" got 7 votes, and 2 more people said they'd update their CV.
While the findings aren't scientific, it was interesting to see that 63 Facebook users elected to share the good news privately with their loved ones first. Awww.
You know what started my day right this morning (besides coffee)? Being greeted by this story when I checked our Twitter account @MSLearning!
Earlier this year, CCI Learning launched the first pilot of the Microsoft IT Academy Program within a Canadian Federal penitentiary at the Frontenac Institution, a minimum security facility in Kingston, Ontario. Eight students successfully completed the Microsoft Word 2010 course and passed their Microsoft Office Specialist certification exams. This first class of students had an 80 percent pass rate, and two of the graduates went on to pass their Microsoft Excel exams as well! These eight men are taking steps to improve their lives and to give themselves a greater chance of finding meaningful work after they’ve paid their debt to society.
The ITA program was also introduced to inmates at the Pittsburgh Institute, another Federal prison in eastern Ontario. On day one, 35 potential students expressed interest and were involved in a discussion about technical training with counseling on how to get started. IW courses were taught at the Pittsburgh Institute this summer. We look forward to hearing more about their success soon.
You can read more about it here. Have a wonderful day!
*** Updated with FREE beta exam info below! ***
For Microsoft Learning and our community of Microsoft Certified Professionals, TechEd is definitely among the most important and exciting events of the year. This year, TechEd Europe is taking place from June 26 to 29 in Amsterdam!
Shelby Grieve, Director at MSL, recently sat down with Channel 9 to talk about certification related resources at the conference, as well as on-site exam opportunities. (FREE, discounted and beta exams!) If you're attending, be sure to reserve time to learn about what's new in certification and get certified right there!
Watch the video. Get all the details below or visit certification at TechEd Europe's website. Follow @MSLearning and @TechEd_Europe on Twitter. The official event hashtag is #TEE12.
Watch the video. Get all the details below or visit certification at TechEd Europe's website.
Follow @MSLearning and @TechEd_Europe on Twitter. The official event hashtag is #TEE12.
Free Exams*
The following Private Cloud certification exams, which are part of the required exam path to earn Microsoft Certification Solutions Expert for the Private Cloud (MSCE: Private Cloud), will be offered at no cost to TechEd attendees who take the exam on-site:
• Exam 70-246 | Monitoring and Operating a Private Cloud with System Center 2012
• Exam 70-247 | Configuring and Deploying a Private Cloud with System Center 2012
Online Registration is now OPEN: http://www.prometric.com/microsoft/TEEurope2012
30% Exam Discounts*
We are excited to offer a 30% discount on the following Microsoft Certification Exams on-site at TechEd:
• Exam 70-243 | Administering and Deploying System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
• Exam 70-400 | Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007, Configuring
• Exam 70-461 | Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012
• Exam 70-583 | Designing and Developing Windows Azure Applications
• Exam 70-640 | Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configurin
• Exam 70-642 | Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuring
• Exam 70-646 | Windows Server 2008, Server Administrator
• Exam 70-659 | Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization
Exam Cram Sessions
Get ready for your next certification test with these interactive study groups led by MCT Ambassadors on-site at TechEd.
• Exam 70-243: Administering and Deploying System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
• Exam 70-321 and Exam 70-323: Deploying Office 365
• Exam 70-461: Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012
• Exam 70-462: Administering Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Databases
• Exam 70-463: Implementing a Data Warehouse with Microsoft SQL Server 2012
• Exam 70-573: Microsoft SharePoint 2010, Application Development
• Exam 70-599: PRO: Designing and Developing Windows Applications
• Exam 70-640: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring
• Exam 70-642: Windows Server 2008 R2 Network Infrastructure, Configuring
• Exam 70-643: Windows Server 2008 R2 Application Infrastructure, Configuring
• Exam 70-659 and Exam 70-693: Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization
• Exam 70-662 and Exam 70-663: Exchange Server 2010, Configuring
• Exam 70-664 and Exam 70-665: Lync Server 2010
• Exam 70-667 and Exam 70-668: SharePoint Server 2010
• Exam 70-680: Windows 7
FREE Beta Exams | Register for exams
The first exam necessary to achieve your Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA): Windows Server 2012 certification, which is your pre-requisite to the Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE): Server Infrastructure and MCSE: Desktop Infrastructure. Learn more about the MCSE certifications
The first exam necessary to achieve your Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA): Windows 8 certification. (NOTE: if you are already an Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP): Enterprise Desktop Administrator or MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Support Technician certification, you will want to wait for the upgrade exam that will be available at a later date)
Candidates for the 71-480 exam will prove their experience with HTML in an object-oriented, event-driven programming model and working with data and flow with JavaScript. Additionally knowledge of the HTML5 elements, APIs, document structure, and controls as well as using CSS3 to style and create a flexible and adaptive content layout and UI. This exam counts towards the new MCSD: Windows Metro Style Apps certification. Learn more about the MCSD certifications
Microsoft Certification in the Connect Lounge
We know you will have questions about the certification process, and we’re here to answer them! Located in the Connect Lounge in the TechExpo, you’ll find product specialists and MCT Ambassadors, ready to help you find the certification path that’s right for you.
Anticipated Outage on June 9, 2012 --
Onsite Testing at TechEd NA --
This QOTD post is in response to a few questions I see quite often on social networks:
Q: Can I become Microsoft certified online? Can I take your exams on the internet?
A: No, you cannot become Microsoft certified online, and no, the exams are not available on the internet. If you come across any company or website that offers you a way to do that, it's not legitimate.
To achieve Microsoft certifications, you have to pass the required exams, which must be taken in person at a Prometric or Certiport testing center.
Q: Am I required to take a training class to get certified?
A: No, you're not required to attend training classes to achieve Microsoft certifications. You can prepare for Microsoft exams in a variety of methods, depending on your personal learning style and particular situation. However, there are advantages to attending training courses led by Microsoft Certified Trainers, available through Microsoft Learning Partners. To find a Learning Partner location or class offering near you, use our class locator tool.
Q: Do you offer free training?
A: We offer many free or low-cost learning and exam prep resources, which are ideal for those who prefer self study options or need to supplement their training classes. These include our Microsoft Certification Study Groups, books from Microsoft Press, online learning and "Jump Starts" from Microsoft Virtual Academy. There is also a large library of free resources on TechNet or MSDN, such as trial downloads that you can use to build your own practice lab as part of your exam prep process. Additionally, we also hold special events and webcasts such as Certified Career Day, and focused certification challenges such as "90 Days to MCSA."
We came across two great videos made by Microsoft Certified Trainers, in which they both share their take on the new MCSE (Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert) and explain what the changes mean to MCITP. We (Microsoft Learning) made the announcement, but it takes Microsoft Certified Trainers to really break it down for you. Watch and listen to both as they're two very different styles but equally informative.
Thank you to Doug Bassett and Michael Murphy for the videos and messages, and hat tip to Chris Avis (we found Michael's video via Chris' blog).
We had the pleasure of featuring our Psychometrician Liberty Munson on two tweetchats this week! For each one-hour chat, she was the voice behind @MSLearning. Our Twitter followers asked many great questions about certifications and exams. Liberty shared fascinating, behind-the-scenes facts about our exam development process, and also offered exam prep tips. Missed the tweetchats? We've got you covered. Simply replay them below and take notes. (Did you spot the picture of her dog Zenith?)
And... Liberty has joined the 21st century and started her own Twitter account! You can follow her @LibertyMunson, and chat her up about work, reading, outdoor adventures, etc.
This week's tweetchats were inspired by our community's wonderful responses to the Ask a Certification Expert (ACE) video series. You can find the entire playlist here. Subscribe to our channel while you're there because more new videos are coming! Got a question you want to have answered in an ACE video? Post it in a comment below, and you just might get an answer + a shout out in our next video!
Replay of the May 16 session:
Replay of the May 17 session:
I get questions about certification and training from IT pros and developers everyday, via Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc., and I answer (nearly) all of them. (Here's how to find me.) If one IT pro or developer is asking, I figure the answer is probably worth sharing with more of you, so here's one I got on LinkedIn today:
Question:
On 03/17/13, D wrote: -------------------- Hej Veronica Right now in my career I want to get back to work in microsoft enivorments so i started learning C# developing. Just finished the mircosoft course "Course 20483B: Programming in C#" in Sweden where i live but I find it hard to find certification information for this specifik course. If i got it right Programming in C# Specialist is the right certification to take after this course ? Where can i find examples of this certitication and how it cold look like? simply examples and more info about the certification? I tried with https://www.prometric.com/en-us/Pages/home.aspx but found nothing Thanks in advance /D
Answer:
Hi D, By taking exam 70-483, you can earn "Programming in C# Specialist" certification. See http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/visual-studio-certification.aspx . You can then go on to take exams 70-484 and 70-485 to earn your MCSD. See http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/mcsd-windows-store-apps-certification.aspx . We are also rolling out the developer certification study group online. You're welcome to ask questions in the forums. http://borntolearn.mslearn.net/certification/developer/default.aspx#fbid=-NEqNLeSQAK . Hope this helps! Veronica
Happy weekend, everyone!
Most of our conversations on Born to Learn are about technology and certification, but we all geek out over many other things in our everyday lives. Having spent 13 years in the jewelry business, I still pay attention to events such as fashion week and entertainment award shows out of habit, even though my own approach to fashion is "easy care, please."
During the recent New York Fashion Week, when top designers showed off their upcoming 2012 fall/winter collections, I noticed quite a few backpacks on the runway. GQ picked up on this microtrend, too, which reminded me of a recent poll in the TechEd N.A. LinkedIn group. Based on the results, 48% of geeks prefer backpacks (even better when full of swags), followed by messenger bags at 34%. So, as it turns out, you and your backpacks are ahead of fashion trends.
What's your current satchel of choice? Backpack, messenger, tote, briefcase, roller, or? Leave a comment and let us know!
Photo credit: GQ.com
Libraries have been among my favorite places in the world since I learned to turn pages without ripping them. Everything seems possible when I'm physically surrounded by such a wealth of information: past, present and future.
Recently, the State of Hawaii added a whole new world of possibilities to its public library system: Microsoft IT Academy. Patrons of Hawaii State Public Library System (HSPLS) now have access to Microsoft training and certification products: e-learning, official course material and certification prep, covering subjects from Microsoft Office applications to programming and web development. Nearly one million people in Hawaii can now access these great resources both in-library and remotely, and prepare themselves to earn industry-recognized credentials and to succeed in the 21st century workplace.
Libraries are wonderful. Hawaii is magical. Now with Microsoft IT Academy, libraries in Hawaii are awesome!
You can get more details about this program in Microsoft News Center.
Every organization has the power to employ cloud technologies in their own way, at their own pace and with their own terms. The use of private cloud technologies help transform how organizations manage infrastructure resources, provision applications and automate services for their business. It also helps them leverage and manage public cloud services that expand their current infrastructure and application capabilities. As an end result, organizations increase IT operational agility, improved business focus and achieve value-add economics that evolves their IT infrastructure into a strategic asset.
In collaboration with IEEE Computer Society, the Cloud Security Alliance and Dell, Microsoft is hosting a 24 Hours in a Private Cloud virtual event that will start at 8:00AM GMT on May 10, 2012.
The event was built by the community for the community. Microsoft is the host of this event. Session content and product demos will be focused on our private cloud products (Windows Server, Hyper-V, System Center). Attendees will learn about:
Hear from top industry and technical professionals from around the world to help you better understand the private cloud technology solutions that are available today. You will engage with industry organizations to understand their view of the public cloud and how the role of the IT Professional will evolve as more and more organizations begin a private cloud transformation. You will have access to a number of technical professionals who will be on hand talking about the required components to simplify private cloud creation and management. As a part of this event, you can expand the dialog with your peers on numerous topics focused on operational efficiencies that come from deploying a private cloud.
Through the virtual event experience, you will come away with the knowledge and experience to help you in your private cloud infrastructure decisions and be ready to have thought-leadership based discussions focused on building and managing your organization's agile and efficient private cloud environment. After the event, we welcome you to download and test our private cloud products from the TechNet Evaluation Center and leverage our private cloud promoted assets which listed above.
Cloud Security Alliance will discuss their research and industry guidance which Microsoft has been a major contributor toward. The IEEE Computer Society will showcase their cloud content and guidance to help IT Professionals understand the dynamics of a Cloud computing. Dell will promote their private cloud hardware, solutions and services.
CALL TO ACTION:
Keynote Speakers:
Jim Reavis, Executive Director, Cloud Security Alliance
For many years, Jim Reavis has worked in the information security industry as an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, technologist and business strategist. Jim's innovative thinking about emerging security trends have been published and presented widely throughout the industry and have influenced many. Jim is helping shape the future of information security as co-founder, executive director and driving force of the Cloud Security Alliance. Jim was recently named as one of the Top 10 cloud computing leaders by SearchCloudComputing.com.
Jim is the President of Reavis Consulting Group, LLC, where he advises security companies, large enterprises and other organizations on the implications of new trends such as Cloud and how to take advantage of them. He has previously been an international board member of the ISSA, a global not for profit association of information security professionals and formerly served as the association's Executive Director. Jim is a co-founder of the Alliance for Enterprise Security Risk Management, a partnership between the ISSA, ISACA and ASIS, formed to address the enterprise risk issues associated with the convergence of logical and traditional security. He currently serves in an advisory capacity for many of the industry's most successful companies and is also a partner with the MetroSITE Group.
Jim founded SecurityPortal in 1998 and has been an advisor on the launch of many industry ventures. Jim is widely quoted in the press and has worked with hundreds of corporations on their information security strategy and technology roadmap. Jim has a background in networking technologies, marketing, product management and systems integration. Jim received a B.A. in Business Administration / Computer Science from Western Washington University in 1987 and serves on WWU's alumni board.
Dr. Dejan Milojicic, Sr. Research Manager, HP Labs
Dr. Dejan Milojicic is the founding editor of IEEE Computing Society's Computing Now. He has served on the editorial boards of IEEE Parallel & Distributed Technologies, IEEE Concurrency, IEEE Distributed Systems Online, and IEEE Internet Computing magazines. He chaired the IEEE Technical Committee on Operating Systems and has been involved with several other technical committees and Computer Society-sponsored conferences.
Dejan is a senior research manager at HP Labs. He has worked in the areas of operating systems and distributed systems for more than 20 years. Dejan is the managing director of the Open Cirrus testbed, a consortium sponsored by HP, Intel, and Yahoo. In the past, he has led many activities in HP Labs, such as incident reduction, shared services platform, virtual desktop systems, adaptive monitoring, service deployment standards, a number of pervasive computing projects, and multi-computer systems. Dejan has been engaged in standardization bodies, such as OMG and GGF. He received his BSc and MSc from University of Belgrade and PhD from University of Kaiserslautern.
Ready to prove or acquire Windows Apps skills? Here are 4 ways to prepare for the demand:
Tell your friends about it in 2 ways:
For Microsoft Learning and our community of Microsoft Certified Professionals, TechEd is definitely among the most important and exciting events of the year. This year, TechEd North America is taking place from June 11 to 14 in Orlando, Florida!
Our own Melissa Bathum recently sat down with the Countdown Show guys Rick and Joey at Channel 9 to talk about certification related resources at the conference, as well as on-site exam opportunities. (FREE private cloud exams! Comfy bean bag chairs in the certification lounge!) If you're attending, be sure to use your schedule builder, reserve time to learn about what's new in certification and get certified right there!
Watch the video. Get all the details below or read about certification at TechEd North Amerca's website. Follow @MSLearning and @TechEd_NA on Twitter. The official event hashtag is #msTechEd.
Watch the video. Get all the details below or read about certification at TechEd North Amerca's website.
Follow @MSLearning and @TechEd_NA on Twitter. The official event hashtag is #msTechEd.
Free Private Cloud Exams | Register for exams
30% Exam Discounts | Register for exams
50% Master Exam Discounts | Register for exams
For the first time, we are offering a $250 savings on the following Microsoft Certified Master Exams at TechEd:
Get ready for your next certification test with these interactive study groups led by MCT Ambassadors on-site at TechEd. Find Exam Cram sessions on the following Microsoft Certification Exams in the Content Catalog.
The Study Hall
Not sure you’re ready for that exam yet? Come over to The Study Hall, your dedicated quiet space, where you will have the ability to take a free Practice Test or try out free e-Learning on one of over 80 computer workstations - MCT Ambassadors will be standing by to guide you through your certification preparations.
Microsoft Learning Booth and Certification Lounge
We know you will have questions about the certification process, and we’re here to answer them! Located in the Connect Zone on the show floor, you’ll find product specialists and MCT Ambassadors, ready to help you find the certification path that's right for you.
Since the kickoff of our 20th anniversary celebration on January 31, responses and support have been overwhelming positive. Thanks to everyone who have taken action and helped us spread the word during the first two weeks of 20 Years | 20 Ways. We started the year-long party by presenting three ways our community can help and inspire new IT professionals around the world. Through way #1, many of you have made the commitment to upgrade your IT skills by registering for your next exams. In fact, over 1,400 qualifying exam vouchers were purchased during the first week! For every one of those exams purchased, Microsoft will be donate an entry-level exams to help an aspiring IT pro get started with his/her career and dreams. (Details here.)
And the party keeps getting bigger! If you're a frequent visitor on Born to Learn, you've probably read, owned, or maybe even written a few Microsoft Press books over the years. To help us celebrate, the wonderful people at Microsoft Press brought 5,000 gifts! Now, in addition to an entry-level exam voucher, each recipient of donated exams will also get an ebook " Start Here! Fundamentals of Microsoft .NET Programming." Thank you, MS Press!
And the party keeps getting bigger! If you're a frequent visitor on Born to Learn, you've probably read, owned, or maybe even written a few Microsoft Press books over the years. To help us celebrate, the wonderful people at Microsoft Press brought 5,000 gifts! Now, in addition to an entry-level exam voucher, each recipient of donated exams will also get an ebook "
For those who are active on the social web, please also give them a like/follow + shout-out on Microsoft Press Facebook page and Twitter.
Need a book to study for your next exam? You can also find daily deals from MS Press via the learning resources section on MS Learning's Facebook page.