Category Education

Thanks to Mike Mulcare for announcing this on born to learn!

So, what exactly is SnackBox?

Welcome to SnackBox

Learning Snacks are short, interactive learning presentations about Microsoft technologies and include various media, such as animations and recorded demos. Are you an expert? Be part of this growing and vibrant community – create your own Learning Snack and share it with the world here!

Well, that’s a verbatim explanation taken from the site, but what does that really mean?

SnackBox Highlights

• Provides an easy way to browse and find Microsoft Learning and community- created snacks. 
• Enables the Microsoft Learning Community to easily create snacks using the LCDS and Snack Converter tool.
• Distinguishes between community produced and Microsoft produced Snacks
• Allows users to rate snacks
• Allows us to highlight top community contributors

Alright, enough copy and paste.  Are you seriously telling me that Microsoft has created a simple way to not only create content using LCDS to share with the Learning and Education community, but respectively they have also created a venue for sharing this information with the world, including featured content? If that is the case, woohoo! :)

Though seriously, I highly encourage you to check this out, whether you’re a creator, learner or looking to be a creator/learner/educator/trainer and beyond :)

So if you recall my emails about Microsoft Certification vouchers for $25 with Second Shot built in, you’re in semi-luck if you want an ‘extra chance’ to take exams and yet don’t want to worry about using up a voucher which has second shot built in!

Prometric is saying “Hey, come back.. take an exam and it’ll only cost $25”

I know what you’re saying “That sounds remotely familiar to your vouchers, but the Prometric Offer doesn’t seem to have Second Shot built in, or even available as an option!” Yea, there’s nothing I can do about that, but eventually I’ll run out of vouchers… so for every single person who wants one chance to take an exam, here it is! Thanks to Prometric!

So, like it says below, Limit one per customer, and Promo Code: MCPBACK ! :)

Oh, and if you’re looking to get in on the other vouchers I have while I still have some, let me know… but here’s to not looking a gift Prometric in the mouth!

Disclaimer:

Offer available for customers who have taken their last certification exam prior to January 1, 2007.
Also works if you have never taken any certification exams

Here is the mail I will be sending to the folks who I send vouchers to.. :)

Microsoft Learning (and I:))  are pleased to offer an exclusive discount on your Microsoft Certification exam

Use the discount code below and pay only $25USD for your Microsoft Certification exam

To register for your exam visit: http://www.register.prometric.com This offer is only good until June 30^th, 2009 so be sure to act quick on this!

These exams have “Second Shot” built in, meaning if for whatever reason you do not pass the first time, you can use the same voucher for your second time at $0 cost.

If for whatever reason you find yourself unable to use the voucher you’re given, let me know immediately so it can be recycled to someone else who can use it!

Your voucher code is: VoucherCodeHere!

If you need any help finding resources to study, train and prepare for your exam, let me know and I can help you get access to those resources.

Thanks!

Christopher Kusek, CISSP
Technology Evangelist, Consultant
CISSP | MCSE* | NCSA* | NCIE* | CWUG

NetApp
630.362.1320 Mobile
Christopher.Kusek@NetApp.com
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P Please consider the environment before printing this message.

Yea, so this is the ‘format’ for the emails I’ll be sending… for what it’s worth :)

Here are the details as published in the CWUG Regular mailing:

Plan to spend the evening of Thurs, May 21st with a laptop, RC software and the most technical and talented group of IT Professionals gathered in one place.  We are gearing up for a Release Candidate Loadfest – bring a laptop, blank DVD and/or 4 gb (or higher) USB thumbnail drive and leave with either the Release Candidate of Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 (hopefully you are already running one of these today; learn ways to run the other version).  We’re planning a packed agenda of presentations – Microsoft’s Daniel Savage will present System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 and Microsoft’s Rob Nottoli will present Windows Server 2008 R2.  Attendees can join us at either the Microsoft Downers Grove or Chicago office.  Your registration is your entry into our biggest giveaways of the year (but you must be present at one of the meetings to win). Please share with your technical teams.

1. Event URL : http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032416349&Culture=en-US
Event Title : CWUG May Meeting Chicago. There is a restaurant open in the basement of the AON Center.  Food is not provided at this meeting.

2. Event URL : http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032416350&Culture=en-US
Event Title : CWUG May Meeting Downers Grove. Because there isn’t a restaurant open or conveniently located, food is provided.

5:00 – 5:30 Networking

5:30 – 6:00 Room Introductions

6:00 – 6:15 Meeting Kick Off

Session 1:  SCOM 2007 R2 Presentation

15 minutes: Break and Q&A for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

Session 2:  Windows Server 2008 R2

Giveaways are planned – one of which will be running the Release Candidate of Windows 7 (and another that could back up a PC running or in preparation of the Release Candidate).

Chris Urban’s book is out!  Announced at MMS 2009, Mastering System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 is available at http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-047017367X.html.

CWUG’s Christopher Kusek has been “On The Bus” and is attending Tech Ed 2009 this week https://www.pkguild.com/

For all the Microsoft Partner Program participants, check out the US Central Region Partner Team’s Blog at http://blogs.technet.com/uspartner_centralregion/default.aspx and attend CWUG’s May meeting for some great partner opportunities in May and June.

Save the date for the biggest CWUG event of 2009 (yet….) – Thursday, May 21st.

The CWUG Crew

To take things a step further, I will also have Microsoft Certification Vouchers available for people looking to take an exam before June 30th, 2009!   The vouchers entitle you to two chances to take an exam for $25.00 total, which is just great!

There is a caveat around this, in order to use a voucher you have to actually use it, and for every one who takes an exam, you will be entered into a drawing for a special prize for taking advantage of your education and certification! :)

So, get ready for the fun and adventure on Thursday, and get your Certification hat on! Every one of you who takes it to bear has a good chance of winning a major prize!   See you Thursday! (Oh, and I’ll be in Downers Grove for whoever is counting/asking :))

Exiting the bus at Cheyney University in Center City PA, we were greeted by an exuberant crowd of people (Wow! Are we rockstars?! I think so… certification rock stars I tell ya!)

Unfortunately the photos I got of the greeting process, were terrible so you won’t be seeing those! But do not let that dishearten you from the rest of the experience!

Upon arriving upstairs we were greeted with tables of information, turn tables, and chair swag!

Let me tell you, they had some absolutely amazing art work on site there, which was donated to them.  Absolutely beautiful and absolutely stunning, piece after piece.

So, while most of my photos turned into blurry mobs, I did get some great video footage which I’ll need to edit together (soon?!) so look forward to that over the next coming days.

Cheyney University was (whoa!) founded in 1837, and is one of the oldest colleges and universities in America.    The folks I had the opportunity to meet here are doing some great things, trying to help get certified and educate in general people who are looking for improvement.    In addition, they have opportunities available to people out of work or in a number of other scenarios.    I had the opportunity to talk with Kyle, Jillian and Tim Bryant who is the CEO of Knowledge Solutions International, and let me tell you, their drive and passionate in working with Cheyney operating as an IT Academy as well as other community efforts is great from my perspective.

It’s one thing to say, that it is good to see opportunities like this being available in a down economy, but I wouldn’t even stop there, as opportunities like this existing period are just one of the reasons I find this particular focus of technology to be so absolutely exciting.

This is one of those things you honestly would never be aware of if you weren’t out here on the bus, visiting people of all types and of all backgrounds.   Whether a secured and regimented military base in southern Georgia, or the inner city of Philadelphia, the mission is the same: To educate, to make yourself more relevant, to secure a future for yourself.

The future is in your hands, regardless of background there are opportunities waiting for you to leap upon them, I’ll keep watching and seeing more and more of this as these absolutely life altering days pass, and I’ll be loving every minute of it!  This is the future, rock on or rock out!

(Oh, look at that.. when we got back to the bus, look who was rocking on their future!)