Recently, I had the pleasure of traveling with the CompTIA Instructor Network Roadshow 2016 to beautiful Auckland, New Zealand, and Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. At each stop, we met with training managers, program managers, teachers and instructors to share the benefits of the CompTIA Instructor Network (CIN), such as available resources — like ebooks, webinars, training, news and announcements — and collaborating with CompTIA staff and other instructors. We also heard tips from instructors and shared CompTIA success stories.
One of the most popular questions we received was:
"What if I am unable to attend and need a quick summary of a certain webinar’s topics?"
Not only did I have the answer, but I had an example right in my phone. I quickly pulled up an email notification containing a summary of a recent session of the IT Fundamentals Deep Dive.
Attendees loved knowing that not only are all of the webinars archived, but that they are easily accessible. Secondary level teachers, post-secondary teachers and managers of mentoring services who help their instructors better prepare for content were particularly interested in this feature.
Our discussion about the archive also helped alleviate concerns about time zone differences, since many CIN webinars are based in U.S. time zones. I myself have had to miss events that I wanted to attend and spoke firsthand about the value of the archived material. That led to discussions about how the online nature of the CIN saves instructors and their companies’ money for travel, since all they need is an internet connection.
Some attendees asked about how to introduce certification programs to their students and wanted information on their benefits and how they impact students’ careers. We explained how instructors have the ability to introduce, share and discuss a wide range of instructional strategies, news and objectives on exam releases via the Instructor Spotlight webinar series. And the Deep Dive series always includes “Why Certify” sections along with an interactive dialog that can be used with a number of delivery mechanisms.
On the Roadshow 2016, we saw a genuine interest in the improvement of content, courseware, best practices, delivery mechanisms and the end result. We also discussed the social media presence of CIN through Twitter @TeachCompTIA and how easy it is to obtain membership via LinkedIn
We live streamed the CompTIA Roadshow 2016 to Facebook, so some attendees even viewed the sessions online. At one point, we had more than 100 people attending virtually!
We have a great opportunity to expand CIN in these areas, not just on an international level, but also for the local instructors in the various educational areas. In each area we visited, attendees expressed interest in CIN, its benefits and the support it can bring to members. I had a great time in these cities. The hospitality was amazing, and I am looking forward to the CompTIA Instructor Network Roadshow 2017.
Don’t miss out! Check out the Instructor Network’s past webinars.
Wes Bryan creates educational and entertaining content about CompTIA and other certification exams for ITProTV. As a member of the CompTIA Instructor Network Advisory Board, Wes collaborates with other CIN members and promotes and assists the network as needed.
