There are a lot of ways to train people to become Drupal site-builders, developers, and themers: books, blog posts, screencasts, 1-day trainings, and mentors - just to name a few. Drupal Career Online is different; we provide more than just one learning vector into our students brains. Our live, online, Drupal training program provides an expert instructor, professional tried-and-true curriculum, a full library of screencasts supporting the curriculum, and access to dedicated community mentors. Furthermore, this isn't bootcamp-style training; Drupal Career Online is a sanely-paced 12-week program that meets just 3 times per week. The goal of the Drupal Career Online program is simple: to create talented, well-rounded, community-minded Drupal site-builders, developers, and themers with a real-world knowledge of Drupal and the various satellite technologies that Drupal professionals use every day. Our next session starts on March 24.
The spring semester of Drupal Career Online will be our sixth time presenting the class since 2011. More than 80 people have graduated, and many are now following their dreams of Drupal consulting, contracting, and full-time employment. Our curriculum was also used for the most recent class of AcquiaU, and portions of it are used for other private and public trainings offered by DrupalEasy.
Drupal Career Online is taught via GoToMeeting, enabling the instructors and students to interact via audio, screensharing, and (surprisingly important) live video. There are 2 classroom meetings per week (Tuesday and Thursdays from 5:30pm-9:00pm EDT for this session) and a "lab hours" meeting (time and date will be determined by the class). By using GoToMeeting, students are able to interact directly with the instructor, view the instructor's screen, and - more importantly - the instructor can quickly share students' screens. This leads to a surprisingly more dynamic learning environment than traditional classroom-based trainings. The use of webcams to see each other during class, helps to very quickly provide a sense of community and bonding that is always extremely important for long-form trainings.
Our curriculum is proven, and always evolving. Upon acceptance into Drupal Career Online, students are provided access to the DrupalEasy Academy web site where all the class materials are available. This includes lesson handouts, reference documents, screencasts, and online assessment quizzes. Our curriculum is always being reviewed, refined, and expanding. We've recently added new (optional) lessons on "JavaScript/jQuery integration with Drupal" and "Introduction to the Features module" based on student requests. Students retain access to the class materials for an indefinite period of time after the completion of the Drupal Career Online semester, so that they can come back at anytime for a refresher.
During the course, each student is also provided with a "community mentor" who provides yet another source of information and learning opportunities, as well as expansion of their personal Drupal network. Community mentors are sometimes Drupal Career Online alumni who understand the challenges facing students, and who are always willing to provide advice, support, and guidance.
As the lead instructor of Drupal Career Online, I I take great pride in the fact that I'm not just a trainer, but also a professional Drupal developer and community member. I'm a firm believer that Drupal trainers need to have ongoing real-world experience in building and maintaining Drupal sites. When I'm not training students, I'm usually working for our development clients. Part of the reason I teach the importance of community is because I know the benefits of being an active member, both at the local level (I'm one of the main organizers of Florida DrupalCamp and in the worldwide Drupal community (I'm one of the maintainers of the Drupal 8 migration system, and a member of the Drupal Association Community Cultivation Grants committee). Getting involved with, and leveraging the Drupal community is something that we talk about and teach from week 1 of Drupal Career Online.
We're passionate about Drupal training, and are convinced that Drupal Career Online provides the best path for individuals looking to build long-term careers in the Drupal community. Registration for Drupal Career Online ends March 18, so don't delay in submitting your application. If you know of someone who might benefit from Drupal Career Online, you can earn a referral bonus if they mention you in their application.