fbpx
Home Blog Page 323

Perseverance and Growth: John Iglehart’s Inspiring UNT Degree Story

0
Perseverance and Growth: John Iglehart’s Inspiring UNT Degree Story

20 years later, John Iglehart pursues a UNT BAAS

Life rarely follows a straight path, and Oklahoma native John Iglehart’s story is a testament to perseverance and rediscovery. Now living in Louisiana and working as an Assistant Manager at Cinemark, John is preparing to advance to Senior Assistant Manager—a role that requires additional education and development. This aspiration led him to the University of North Texas (UNT) and its Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) program.

Rediscovering Higher Education

Back in 2002, Iglehart began his higher education journey but paused after two years when life took him in a different direction. The idea of returning to school always lingered, but it wasn’t until January 2022 that the opportunity felt right. Learning about Cinemark’s tuition assistance partnership with UNT, Iglehart was motivated to give college another try. UNT’s 100% online BAAS program, with its flexibility and the ability to transfer up to 90 previous credits, made the decision a clear choice. 

Focusing on concentrations in Consumer Behavior, Lean Distribution Processes, and Social Wellness & Community, Iglehart has discovered a renewed passion for learning. The Lean Distribution Processes track even aligns with his professional goals, offering a pathway to certification in Lean Six Sigma.

Leadership and Career Aspirations

As the first in his family to attend (and likely graduate) college, Iglehart has embraced leadership roles, serving as both a Student Ambassador and a Senator for the College of Applied & Collaborative Studies. These roles allow him to represent online students and contribute to program improvements.

Looking ahead, his goals are evolving. While he enjoys the human resources aspect of his current role, he’s exploring a future in teaching, recognizing a need for more male representation in education. A master’s degree and teaching certification are on the horizon, alongside aspirations to contribute to Cinemark at the corporate level.

Lessons in Resilience

Returning to school after nearly two decades hasn’t been without its challenges. Starting cautiously with two classes, Inglehart faced setbacks, including failing his first course. However, he adapted, established a routine, and learned to navigate the demands of condensed eight-week courses.

His advice is simple: “If you get the chance – and you can get your education – whether you graduated 2 years or 20 years ago – GO FOR IT! ” On track to graduate in May 2025, John Inglehart is proving that it’s never too late to chase your dreams and build a brighter future.

Learn more about the BAAS program with UNT.

Lesson: Teaching About Syrian Civil War and Middle East Conflict

0

Syrian rebel forces took Damascus this weekend, ending a decades-long regime and continuing a series of events that have shaken the region since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack. Teenagers, tell us how you are making sense of the news.

Free ISO 27001:2022 Information Security Management System Course

0
Free ISO 27001:2022 Information Security Management System Course

Introduction to Information Security

In today’s interconnected world, information security is a critical concern for individuals and organizations alike. Protecting sensitive data from unauthorized access, cyber threats, and breaches is essential for maintaining trust, compliance, and operational continuity. Information security involves a set of strategies and measures designed to safeguard digital and physical information from potential risks. With the increasing reliance on digital systems and the proliferation of cyber threats, the demand for skilled information security professionals has never been higher.

What is ISO 27001?

ISO 27001 is an internationally recognized standard for Information Security Management Systems (ISMS). It provides a systematic approach to managing sensitive company information, ensuring its confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The ISO 27001 standard outlines the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an ISMS. By adhering to these requirements, organizations can effectively mitigate risks associated with information security breaches and demonstrate their commitment to protecting data.

Alison’s free course, Diploma in ISO 27001:2022 – Information Security Management System (ISMS), is designed to help you master the intricacies of this essential standard. This comprehensive and free course equips you with the knowledge and practical skills necessary for implementing a robust ISMS.

What Sets This ISO 27001 Diploma Course Apart?

Unlike short awareness courses, this diploma program goes beyond basic knowledge. It offers an in-depth exploration of ISO 27001:2022, providing detailed guidance on practical implementation and compliance. While awareness courses might give you an overview, this diploma ensures you gain a thorough understanding of the standards, controls, and risk management practices necessary to build and maintain a secure information management system. This course is about learning and also about applying the principles of information security in real-world scenarios.

Why Choose This Course?

Information security is more crucial than ever in today’s digital age. With cyber threats on the rise, organizations need experts who can safeguard their data. This course is designed to meet that demand by providing in-depth understanding and practical application of ISO 27001:2022.

What you will learn:

  • Module 1: Fundamentals of ISMS – This module provides an overview of ISMS. Learn about its business case, justification, and essential discussions on recognized standards.
  • Module 2: ISMS Requirements – Get a detailed understanding of the auditable requirements of ISO 27001:2020. This includes Clauses 4 to 10, covering the context of the organization, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation, and improvement.
  • Module 3: Information Security Operations Controls – Delve into the revamped controls in Annex A of ISO 27001:2022. These controls are designed for better integration with information security operations. These controls are defined through a Statement of Applicability based on the cyber-security risk assessment.
  • Module 4: Risk Assessment with ISO 27005 – Master the concepts of risk management based on ISO/IEC 27005. Learn about risk treatment and various controls. Again, the module 3 controls are relevant here.
  • Module 5: Implementation Guidance – Receive comprehensive guidance on implementing ISMS using ISO/IEC 27002 and ISO/IEC 27701. These supplementary standards provide additional insights for privacy management and implementation of ISO 27001.
  • Module 6: Operational Controls in ISO 27001:2013 – Understand the old operational controls, including security policies, organization of information security, human resource security, and asset management. Some companies might still use these old 114 controls until the transition period. Also, a fraction of them might continue using it even after that. Since ISO 27001:2013 has been a popular standard for a long time, many companies have developed systems with the old controls. And they might want to keep the old language of the controls and the new ones.

Test Your Information Security Knowledge

Test your knowledge and skills with the final assessment. The assessment is designed to test your knowledge gained through each module. So you can self-assess and eventually improve to qualify as a successful achiever in this free online information security Diploma course.

Benefits of Completing the ISO 27001 Diploma Course

  1. Learn key terminology: Develop a strong understanding of essential terms and concepts.
  2. Benefit from flexible learning: Study at your own pace, anytime, anywhere.
  3. Gain actionable insights: Get practical tips and strategies for implementing ISMS.
  4. Get certified: Complete this free course and showcase your information security skills and expertise.

enrol in free online courses

Advance your career and enhance your skills with Alison’s Diploma in ISO 27001:2022 – Information Security Management System (ISMS). Enroll now and take the first step towards becoming an expert in information security management.

Learner Feedback

Join the community of empowered learners. Here’s what Dr. Uqbah, an Alison Graduate who completed our free Diploma in ISO 27001 course, had to say: “Loved this course. Great course.”

Custom Learning Paths for Organizations

Our dedicated Learning Advisors help you create customized learning paths tailored to your organization’s needs and goals. Activate your Free LMS now or speak to a Learning Advisor for more details.

Course details:

  • 10-15 hours of learning: Flexible modules that fit into your schedule.
  • CPD accreditation: Enhance your professional development.
  • Final assessment: Test your knowledge and skills.

About the Course Creator: Exoexcellence

Exoexcellence, renowned for their expertise in ISO management, creates this course in collaboration with Alison. They ensure the content is relevant, up-to-date, and beneficial for professionals.
With over 811,745 learners and 140 courses, Exoexcellence is a leader in providing top-quality industry guidance. Over 12,154 learners have benefited from their courses.

Notre Dame Reopens

0

Have you ever visited? Would you like to? What’s your favorite architectural masterpiece?

Word of the Day: connotation

0

This word has appeared in 37 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence?

2024’s Rising Content and Fastest Growing Skills for 2025

0
2024’s Rising Content and Fastest Growing Skills for 2025

Every 10 seconds, someone enrolls in GenAI content on Coursera

By Marni Baker Stein, Chief Content Officer, Coursera

As 2024 concludes, two major trends stand out: demand for GenAI learning has exceeded that of any skill we’ve ever seen on Coursera, and learners are increasingly opting for role-focused content to prepare for specific jobs. 

2024 by the numbers

  • 162 million learners worldwide on Coursera, including 20 million new learners
  • 25 new partners, including Amazon, Adobe, Xbox, Real Madrid Universidad Europea, and Saïd Business School – University of Oxford and Xbox.
  • 1,300+ new courses, Specializations, or certificates
  • 36.7 million enrollments
  • 1.8 million enrollments in AI-translated content
  • 1.7 million learners using Coursera Coach to improve their learning experience

Trending courses and certificates in 2024 

For the first time, a GenAI course ranks as the most popular of the year. Forty percent of 2024’s top courses teach AI, cementing it as a must-have skill for all workers.

This year, Google has reached a new milestone by securing all five top slots, reflecting the growing  demand to learn entry-level skills from the industry leader.

Amid these shifts, perennial favorites, including finance and language, remain in high demand. 

  1. NEW! Google AI Essentials (Google)
  2. Foundations: Data, Data, Everywhere (Google) 
  3. Foundations of Project Management (Google)
  4. Foundations of Cybersecurity (Google)
  5. Foundations of Digital Marketing and E-commerce (Google)
  6. NEW! AI For Everyone (DeepLearning.AI)
  7. NEW! Python for Data Science, AI & Development (IBM)
  8. Financial Markets (Yale University) 
  9. NEW! Generative AI for Everyone (DeepLearning.AI)
  10. English for Career Development (University of Pennsylvania)

Micro-credentials gain traction as skills-first hiring grows

In early 2024, more than half of job listings in the US omitted formal education requirements, and in late November, the U.S. Department of Labor published a skills-first hiring guide. As demand for alternative credentials rose, there were over 3.3 million enrollments in entry-level Professional Certificates this year. 

We also added 25 entry-level certificates in 2024, growing our catalog by a record-breaking 33%. New certificates from Adobe, ADP, Amazon, Epic Games, IBM, and Microsoft broaden the career options learners can prepare for on Coursera and include game design, graphic design, sales and more.

These are the top five new entry-level Professional Certificates in 2024:

  1. IBM Data Science
  2. IBM Data Analyst
  3. IBM Full Stack Software Developer
  4. Microsoft Business Analyst
  5. IBM Product Manager

GenAI moves from awareness to action 

In 2023, early adopters flocked to GenAI, with about one person a minute enrolling in a GenAI course. This year, as GenAI has become a must-have skill across industries, that grew to six enrollments every minute, totalling 3 million new enrollments in 2024. 

We also see a change in what people want to learn. Last year, the top GenAI courses focused on understanding the fundamentals of GenAI and large language models. This year, interest shifted to applying GenAI at work.

To meet this demand, our partners added 450+ new GenAI courses, averaging about one new GenAI course a day. Leading AI companies, including Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and NVIDIA, developed these courses to equip learners around the globe with this critical skill.

These are the top five new GenAI courses in 2024: 

  1. Google AI Essentials (Google)
  2. Generative AI for Executives and Business Leaders – Part 1 (IBM)
  3. Introduction to Generative AI for Software Development (DeepLearning.AI)
  4. Microsoft 365 Copilot: Personal Productivity for All (Vanderbilt University)
  5. Accelerate Your Learning with ChatGPT (Deep Teaching Solutions)

2025 Fastest-Growing Skills

By analyzing course enrollments in 2023 and 2024 and identifying which of 1,000 skills have seen the biggest rank increase, we can determine which skills will remain in-demand in 2025.

Job postings mentioning GenAI have grown more than 4x in 2024, while 49% of non-job seekers see the value of AI upskilling. Amid AI adoption, soft skills are becoming increasingly important. Curiosity debuts as the first human skill on our list, while professionalism and telecommunication skills both saw enrollments increase by 80%. 

  1. Prompt engineering
  2. Applied GenAI
  3. Data analysis
  4. Cybersecurity
  5. Business optimization
  6. Risk management
  7. WordPress
  8. Linux
  9. Software documentation
  10. Curiosity

Learn all the most in-demand skills in 2025 by enrolling in Coursera Plus, which includes unlimited access to over 7,000 courses, projects, and certificates.

Our 20+ Skill Paths Prepare You for Cloud, Cyber, & IT Certifications 

0
Our 20+ Skill Paths Prepare You for Cloud, Cyber, & IT Certifications 

Here’s an epic opportunity for anyone considering a career in cloud, cybersecurity, or IT:  We just added over 20 new skill paths to our catalog that are designed to prepare you for top industry-recognized certification exams.  

Certifications carry a lot of weight in these tech fields, because they validate your knowledge of specific skills and open the door to lucrative and rewarding careers. Surveys show that having industry certifications can increase job opportunities, salaries, and chances for bonuses and promotions. Not to mention, professional certifications tend to be more accessible to obtain than, say, a degree from a traditional four-year institution.  

Our test prep courses prepare you for some of the most popular certifications, including CompTIA A+ 220-1101 (Core 1), AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02, and Cisco Certified Network Associate 200-301. The best part? Test prep skill paths are fully included in your Codecademy subscription, so you can focus on learning the relevant skills without racking up additional costs.  

Read on to learn more about how to start working towards a certification in cybersecurity, cloud, or IT today.  

Who are these new skill paths for?  

If you’re interested in an IT, cybersecurity, or cloud career, you’re going to want to have certifications. In Skillsoft’s most recent IT Skills & Salary Report, 90% of leaders said they want to hire professionals with technical certifications. These skill paths are an excellent way to learn exactly what’s covered in certification exams, so you can feel confident and prepared when it’s time to sit for the real exam.  

The cool thing about IT, cloud, and cybersecurity certificates is that they help level the playing field in the competitive job market. Career changers or folks with unconventional educational backgrounds can earn certifications to signal to employers that they have the practical, hands-on skills needed to handle a specific domain.  

There’s also value in getting certified even if you’re in a non-technical or tech-adjacent role. Certifications can help you improve your cloud literacy, become self-sufficient with basic IT tasks.

There are no prerequisites for these courses, but you should have an idea of what you want to do or which certificate you’d like to pursue before jumping in. It also helps to have some basic programming knowledge, an understanding of automation, and strong soft skills. Read this blog to learn how to choose the right certification based on your goals and experience. 

What can you learn in the new skill paths? 

The skill paths are made up of video-based courses as well as bonus material like skill benchmarks that are designed to mimic actual certification exams. You’ll also find interactive projects in these skill paths, so you can test your knowledge and get hands-on experience applying concepts to real-world scenarios. For example, in the CompTIA IT Fundamentals+ skill path, you’ll complete relevant projects like manually installing Windows 10, creating and configuring a Linux virtual machine, and backing up and restoring a database. All of these features help you feel confident and prepared when it comes time to sit for a certification exam or tackle real-world challenges.  

Good to know: You can’t get certified through Codecademy courses alone, but they will provide you with a structured learning experience that prepares you for the exams. Since this is all included in your Codecademy Pro and Plus membership, you don’t have to pay extra for exam prep resources. (However, when you eventually sign up to take the certification exam itself through a credentialing organization, you’ll have to pay a fee that can cost a couple hundred dollars.)  

If you decide to take the next step and get certified, you have to purchase vouchers from vendors in order to take the official certification exam. Depending on the certification, it can cost hundreds of dollars simply to take the test. Our courses are the perfect opportunity to explore these domains before you commit the time and money to getting certified. 

Which skill path should I take first?  

Ultimately, choosing the right skill path and certification for you depends on your individual career goals. Take some time to research what these different careers entail before deciding. We have tons of resources on the blog that will educate you about these fields, for example, a guide to in-demand cybersecurity roles, a list of cloud careers and salaries, and a breakdown of the biggest misconceptions about working in IT.  

If you’re just getting started, check out this blog about how to choose a beginner-friendly industry certification and the skill paths that will get across the finish line. 

This blog was originally published in November 2024 and has been updated to include additional skill paths.

Test Your Knowledge of Winter Holiday Books

0
Test Your Knowledge of Winter Holiday Books

In 2000’s “The Return of the Light: Twelve Tales From Around the World for the Winter Solstice,” Carolyn McVickar Edwards collects traditional stories from China, India, Africa, Europe, Polynesia and the Indigenous Americas. In the Northern Hemisphere, which day does the winter solstice usually fall on or near?

6 Free Printable Christmas Table Tags: DIY Holiday Decor

0
6 Free Printable Christmas Table Tags: DIY Holiday Decor

Our Thanksgiving table tags were a huge hit, and we know you’ll love these festive Christmas tags just as much! No need to spend hours searching for the perfect decorations – simply download, print, and cut out these charming tags. They’re the perfect finishing touch to any holiday table setting.

Free Printable Christmas Table Tags

Imagine your guests’ delight as they discover their nametag adorned with a festive ornament, a cozy pinecone, or a mistletoe. These printable tags are functional and visually stunning, adding a touch of elegance to your table setting. So why wait? Download your free printable Christmas table tags today and start spreading holiday cheer!

This download comes as an A4 PDF file that includes six different table tags. Each tag is 9 cm (3.54 inches) wide and 7.5 cm (2.95 inches) high (half of that when folded).

How to use:

  1. Download: Simply click the link above to download the PDF file.
  2. Print: Print the tags on your favorite cardstock or photo paper.
  3. Cut: Use scissors or a paper cutter to cut out the tags.
  4. Fold: Fold each tag and write a name on it.

Ready to add some festive flair to your holiday table?

For Personal Use Only.


If you are looking for more seasonal freebies, make sure to check our free printables library


Looking for something specific?

If you have an idea for a printable, let us know in the comments! We are always looking for inspiration. If you decide to print today’s Christmas place cards, make sure to share some photos. You can do so by tagging us on Instagram or Twitter.

Should Lessons Based on the Bible Be Taught in Public Schools?

0

Texas has become the latest state to bring Christianity into the classroom. What is your reaction?