You can now access the 38 video course “Up and Running with IBM Connections” on Lynda.com.
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Author: Bruce Elgort
You’ll find this technology professor – an award-winning instructor at Clark College – working hard to inspire and challenge his students with meaningful web development and programming experiences. With a skinny vanilla latte (no foam) in hand, Bruce loves to tinker and test the boundaries of existing and emerging technologies, to then guide hungry minds through memorable, educational journeys to showcase with passion the ever-evolving innovations of society. An industry leader, Bruce is known for co-developing Elguji’s IdeaJam software, and is recognized by IBM as an ‘IBM Champion’ for being an innovative thought leader in cloud technologies.
RIP – Domino Designer (the dog)
Gayle and I are sad to report that our twelve-year-old beloved dog Domino Designer crossed the rainbow bridge. Domino was a very sweet male English Springer Spaniel who was an amazing loyal companion. He passed peacefully at home with family and his dog sister Bella.
Rest in peace my friend.
Coming Soon: Up and Running with IBM Connections
Classes I am Teaching at Clark College this Fall
For the Fall Quarter I will be teaching the following courses at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington:
- CTEC 121 (class full): Intro to Programming and Problem Solving (Python) – 5 credits
- CTEC 122 (class full): HTML Fundamentals (HTML/HTML5/CSS) – 4 credits
- CTEC 122 (seats available): HTML Fundamentals. This class will be for the Vancouver Public Schools iTech Program at Washington State University (HTML/HTML5/CSS) – 4 credits
- CTEC 126 (seats available): JavaScript – 5 credits
If you are interested in taking any of these classes please let me know.
Congratulations Chris Martin
At the Clark College graduation ceremonies in June, Chris Martin was awarded the “Exceptional Faculty Award“.
The Clark College Exceptional Faculty Awards are presented annually to full-time and part-time faculty members in recognition of exemplary work performance, positive impact on students, professional commitment, and other contributions to the college. Nominations are submitted by Clark College students, faculty, classified employees, administrators, alumni, Board members, and Foundation directors. The awards are made possible through an endowed trust fund established by the Washington State Legislature and the Clark College Exceptional Faculty Endowment Fund, which was established in 1993.
Please join me in congratulating Chris on his award. This award is the highest accolade the college awards to instructors.
Congratulations Chris!
And I’m Off to Lynda!
Today I am flying down to Carpinteria, California to record the “Up and Running with IBM Connections” video learning series for Lynda.com. The current course outline has some 35+ videos covering, Profiles/People, Communities, Files, Activities, Blogs, Ideation Blogs, Forums, Status Updates and much more. I will be returning on Saturday, August 9th. Let the fun begin!
If you are interesting in a free 7 day Lynda.com trial, you can start right here.
Seven Microsoft MTA’s Completed
Earlier this week I completed my seventh Microsoft Certified Technology Associate (MTA) exam. The test was the “HTML5 Application Development Fundamentals (Exam 98-375). This exam focussed on the following:
- Managing the Application Life Cycle
- Building the User Interface by Using HTML5: Text, Graphics, and Media
- Building the User Interface by Using HTML5: Organization, Input, and Validation
- Understanding CSS Essentials: Content Flow, Positioning, and Styling
- Understanding CSS Essentials: Layouts
- Managing Text Flow by Using CSS
- Managing the Graphical Interface by Using CSS
- Understanding JavaScript and Coding Essentials
- Creating Animations, Working with Graphics, and Accessing Data
- JavaScript Coding for the Touch Interface, Device and Operating System Resources, and More
Here is a list of the MTA’s that I have completed the last few months:
- Microsoft Technology Associate: HTML5 Application Development Fundamentals, July 17, 2014
- Microsoft Technology Associate: Networking Fundamentals, June 18, 2014
- Microsoft Technology Associate: Security Fundamentals, June 11, 2014
- Microsoft Technology Associate: Database Administration Fundamentals, June 09, 2014
- Microsoft Technology Associate: Web Development Fundamentals, June 09, 2014
- Microsoft Technology Associate: Windows Operating System Fundamentals, June 04, 2014
- Microsoft Technology Associate: Software Development Fundamentals, February 25, 2014
Next up is the .NET Fundamentals exam.
Chris Lema: Getting the first two minutes of your talk right
As with anything, writing or speaking is something you get better at over time. The more you do it, the calmer you get, the more muscle memory you have, and ultimately, the faster you can get things done.
But when it comes to speaking, I notice that there are people who’ve been speaking for years and they continue to make a classic mistake every time they start a talk.
Don’t get me wrong – it’s not a horrible mistake. But it’s done so often, by so many people, that it’s easy to not think of it as a mistake.
Video Training for IBM Connections
I’m happy to announce that I have been hired by Lynda.com to author a video series entitled “Up and Running with IBM Connections”. I have been collaborating with IBM’s Luis Benitez on this effort and he has been great to work with. My producer at Lynda, Jonathan Sears is awesome as well. I have to say that the experience has been amazing. A huge hat tip also to my friend Jess Stratton for hooking me up with Lynda.com and for being an amazing coach and resource. Stay tuned.
Interested in a 7 day free trial of Lynda.com? Click on the image below to get started.
Veteran Blogger Brill Picked to Lead IBM’s Social Business Transformation
In his 2013 book, Opting In, Ed Brill recalls the time he was reprimanded by IBM corporate communications in 2003 for identifying an employee by name in a blog post. “We don’t have celebrities at IBM,” the PR rep told him.
How times have changed. Brill’s elevation last month to the corporate role of Vice President of Social Business Transformation shows how far IBM has come in shedding its old blue-suite image in favor of one that applauds individuality. Brill and his team will tackle the task of making social media “part of the daily fabric of the company, at all levels and job functions,” he wrote on his blog.
I can’t think of many IBMers who have demonstrated more aptitude for the job. As social platforms began to crack the shell of corporate insularity a decade ago, Brill was on the front lines. Brill started blogging before blogs were mainstream and when Facebook was still a twinkle in Mark Zuckerberg’s eye. As a product manager in the IBM Lotus organization for many years, he bucked the traditionally reserved IBM style to gleefully tweak competitors by name. “Only twice did someone ask for me to be fired at the chairman’s level,” he joked in Opting In.
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Now in his first corporate job, Brill will have a bird’s eye view of activities across IBM’s sprawling 400,000-employee global workforce, but he expects that change will happen from the below. “We have a long tradition of social things bubbling from the bottom up,” he told me in an interview last week. “We now have a culture that actively involves top execs as well. Executives are all active on our internal social networks so good ideas are making it to the right ears.”
Bruce Elgort 