RE: [seul-edu] Open Source Applications Certification

[Glenn Iriye <Glenn.Iriye@epsb.ca>]

Students at Centre High are 17-20 and have either not completed their high
school diploma requirements or they are not satisfied with the mark in one
or more of their courses.  Students feel they are behind their peers.  Part
of our work is to re-build their confidence so they see themselves as
competent learners.  Preparing them for certification, in courses like our
CISCO networking course, C++ Programming, etc. restores their perception of
being able to learn.  Perhaps almost as important is the fact that students
have an external source recognize their achievement via a certificate.  Our
students are "born again learners" who I have at the right time and the
right place for a very limited amount of time.

While I agree certification-led curriculum is less than perfect, you should
also understand that certification has value for my students and that this
is only the first step towards life-long learning.  Time, trains and IT
stand still for no one.

-----Original Message-----
From: Randy Edwards [mailto:redwards@golgotha.net]
Sent: June 12, 2003 2:32 PM
To: seul-edu@seul.org
Subject: Re: [seul-edu] Open Source Applications Certification


    This point hit home hard.

> students in the door.  What concerns me is that "certification-mania" is
> starting to be seen as a substitution for an education, and that's just
sad.

    I agree wholeheartedly.  It's sad that someone with a stamp from a 
certification agency is worth more than someone with a compsci bachelor's.
To 
me, a certification makes sense for some sort of highly specialized work
(e.g. 
security) but for general system administration or programming, it's a poor 
excuse for a real education.

    Story time! :-)  I applied for a job once which listed an MCSE as a 
requirement.  I knew I didn't have an MCSE, but I had one back in the NT4
days 
and taught many Windows courses at the college level.  I figured than an 
"expired" MCSE, a master's in IT, and fifteen or so years of experience
would 
suffice.  The interview, was, well, interesting.  Despite other parameters 
(money, job responsibilities, experience, etc.) being a match, it was clear 
that I wasn't going to even be considered without an active MCSE.  We both 
agreed to end the interview, and I left thanking God because I didn't want
to 
work for a company that numb.

-- 
  Regards, | There can be no effective control of corporations while their
  .        | political activity remains.  To put an end to it will be
  Randy    | neither a short nor an easy task, but it can be done.
           | -- Theodore Roosevelt
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Doug Loss              All you need in this life is
drloss@suscom.net      ignorance and confidence, 
                       and then success is sure.
                         Mark Twain