2006_0318 - Post No. 003
Hello,Things got off to a slow, but steady start this week. Some kinks in the Sakai software are being worked out, and there are also some firewall port issues that are preventing many of us from accessing the IDCP Online Sakai software classroom while on breaks at work. The IT Overview class has about 25 postings at this moment, and the Java Programming class has 65 posts. I am participating and doing the work required in both classes because I aim to me a straight-A student in this program.I know many of the students in each of the classes because we were in an Intro class from January 9 - March 3, 2006. Several are really good people that will be fun to work and study with for the next 18 months.I am still very excited to be in this program and look forward to the learning and the work. Because I am already teaching technology classes (MCSE 2003) of my own every Monday and Wednesday evening, I know this will be very demanding on my time, but I believe a lot of good will come out of the decision to start and participate in this program.Regards,
Billslater@billslater.comhttp://billslater.comhttp://billslater.com/idcp-cdcphttp://idcp.blogspot.comP.S. A picture of me in the Data Center I manage, from October 2002 is shown above.
2006_0314 - Post No. 002
Hello,This is a picture of me in my cozy little office at work, the Friday, March 10, 2006, before I started the main part of the 18-month IDCP Program, where I am taking two 12-week classes at a time.Regards,William F. Slater, III
IT Consultant / Data Center Manager
CISSP, SSCP, MCSE 2003:Security, MCSE 2000: Security, MCSA 2000: Security, MCSA 2003: Security, MCAD / MCSD in Visual Basic .NET, MCDBA SQL Server 2000, MCDST in XP, IT Project+, Security+, Server+, A+, Network+, i-Net+MS in Computer Information Systems - 2004 from University of Phoenix
Home 773-235-3080 Office 630-420-5765 Cellular 312-758-0307 slater@billslater.com http://billslater.com
http://billslater.com/idcp-cdcphttp://datacentermanager.comAIM: BPSLATWF
2006_0314 - Post No. 001
Hello,
In January, I started the 8 week Intro-prep class to the Institute of Data Center Professionals' (IDCP) Data Center Technology Program being taught online at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY. I just completed it March 3, 2006. The rest of the program consists of 12 12-week classes taught in two at a time six consecutive sessions. These classes are in many different Data Center-related topics, including computer science classes, management classes, a facilities classes, a project management class, and even an accounting class. The entire curriculum is shown at the link below:
http://www.idcp.org/IDCPCourseSchedule.pdf
I will complete the program in August 2007, and I plan to chronicle my experiences in this program at the link shown below:
http://www.billslater.com/idcp-cdcp/ and also at this blog...
The significance of this program is that it will help me earn six Data Center Associate Certifications in addition to the prestigious Certified Data Center Professional (CDCP) certification, as well as help my career immensely, I think. The National Science Foundation provided scholarships to the first 30 qualified people in this program, based on career experience and demonstrated potential. This amounted to a $16,000 scholarship. I still have to pay $4,000 plus books, but I think it's worth it. I love learning and achieving new goals. By the way, the NSF provided these scholarships, because they are concerned that there will be a big shortage of qualified Data Center professionals as the present older Data Center Managers plan their retirement in the next few years.
I also love teaching and perhaps will teach in this program someday. Though at the moment, I am working by day, running a Data Center about 32 miles west of my home in Chicago, and teaching MCSE 2003 classes in Chicago on Mondays and Wednesday evenings. In addition to all that, I am doing lots editing: technical books on Visual Basic .NET 2003 and Advanced Java (J2EE) for large technical publisher in Indiana, as well as editing the English data on an educational website that was build by a non-profit technology organization based in central Europe (Poland, actually).
Anyway, it’s a very busy life, and somewhere in all that I manage to sleep, eat, and go to an occasional movie with Joanna (http://www.arielsarea.com), my wife, the professional web developer.That's all for now.
Regards,
William F. Slater, III
IT Consultant / Data Center Manager
CISSP, SSCP, MCSE 2003:Security, MCSE 2000: Security, MCSA 2000: Security, MCSA 2003: Security,
MCAD / MCSD in Visual Basic .NET, MCDBA SQL Server 2000, MCDST in XP,
IT Project+, Security+, Server+, A+, Network+, i-Net+
MS in Computer Information Systems - 2004 from University of Phoenix
Home 773-235-3080 Office 630-420-5765
Cellular 312-758-0307
slater@billslater.com
http://billslater.com
AIM: BPSLATWF
