Cisco's vision is to help transform education so that it is relevant to the needs of 21st century learners, educators, and organizations. This will require a shift in the way teachers teach, leaders lead, and students learn. Technology will play a critical role in the development of engaging curricula and meaningful assessments to equip learners with 21st century skills. These include creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration. The end goal is the systemic improvement of both the quality and accessibility of education throughout the world. Cisco's Global Education group has released a white paper entitled Equipping Every Learner for the 21st Century, which proposes a new paradigm. We welcome your input on this white paper. Please use the Full Story link below to read the press release and access the white paper.

Students from Cisco Networking Academy worked hard alongside Cisco engineers building out the infrastructure at both the Democratic National Convention in Denver, CO, and the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis, MN. Read more about this exciting opportunity for Networking Academy students who were part of two history-making political conventions.

The Information Technology (IT) Career Cluster – Network Systems pathway has recently updated its Knowledge and Skills list. A crosswalk mapping the updated knowledge and skills with the Cisco CCNA Discovery curriculum has been completed.

Download the PDF, or visit the Cisco Networking Academy Curriculum Center. 

Cisco, in collaboration with the Cisco Learning Institute and market analysis firm IDC, recently announced the results of a study on networking labor needs in North America. According to an IDC white paper sponsored by Cisco, “Networking Skills in North America: Trends, Gaps and Strategies” there is a 60,000 person shortfall between the supply of networking talent and today’s market demand for highly skilled information technology (IT) workers. With the growth of IT, which now represents 14 percent of the workforce, this gap is expected to continue through 2011. Read the complete report: http://www.ciscolearning.org/learning_initiatives/evaluation

Over 500 Cisco Networking Academy instructors attended Academy Conferences this summer to take advantage of technical and program sessions designed to meet professional development objectives and provide approved Continuing Education credits. The conference theme this year was Students 2.0. Keynote speakers at each location included a graduate of the Cisco ASE/ASR program, as well as a current Networking Academy student. Instructors heard directly from members of the Millennial Generation, who spoke about how they use and relate to technology in every aspect of their lives, and how important technology is to effective learning in the classroom. Access all presentations and session materials, including videos, using the Full Story link below.

·          Description of purpose and simpler navigation

·          Map interface for accessing Project 51 state profiles

·          Featured student/graduate success: Indiana Student Doesn’t Let Visual Impairment Stand in His Way

·          Networking Academy Resource Sheet

·          Free Cisco Certification Exam Voucher for Instructors data sheet

·          Most recent edition of this newsletter, distributed to U.S. state departments of education

·          Updated videos, useful links, curricula alignments, and more

Visit the Cisco Networking Academy Resource Center: http://www.cisco.com/go/netacadresourcecenter

 Magazine

Collaboration: The Key to Education Evolution

by Gene Longo, Cisco Global Education

With global collaboration, "always-on" communication and an ever-increasing reliance on the network for critical business functions, nearly every organization in the world has a need for skilled IT and network professionals. Despite this growing demand, our education system is struggling to keep pace with advances in technology and industry and is not preparing the next generation with the skills they will need to meet the enormous economic, social, technological and environmental challenges facing the postmillennial world. This network skills gap poses a serious threat for public sector and private organizations alike, both of which find themselves relying ever more heavily on technology to meet their basic business requirements.

At age 23, Suzanne Jones has accomplished more than some adults twice her age. When talking about her accomplishments, Suzanne credits her experiences in the Cisco Networking Academy, as well as her drive to achieve the very best in a career in technology. In 2001, as a senior in high school, Suzanne had already earned her CCNA certification, and was enrolled in Cisco CCNP^® coursework at Charles County Career and Technology Center (now North Point High School). During that time, she also completed an internship at Comcast, a leading cable and Internet provider. After graduating high school, Suzanne joined the United States Air Force Reserves, while working in the information technology (IT) field as a network engineer. 

Ten years ago, Cisco employees helped create an exciting Internetworking contest for the SkillsUSA competition. Today, this highly anticipated contest gives students the opportunity to showcase their skills and build confidence, while at the same time providing them with a venue to network with other students, teachers, and technology industry leaders. Since its inception, winners of the Internetworking competition have been largely Cisco Networking Academy students, and this year was no exception. Five of the six Networking Academy contestants took home medals.