Instructors

Rebecca Harrop

Celebrating her 20th year as a Cisco Networking Academy instructor, Rebecca Harrop plays a vital role in the education of professional Network and Cybersecurity personnel. As a key Network and Cybersecurity educator in the UK, her work continues to help bridge the Cybersecurity skills gap. Rebecca has acted as a Cisco Networking Academy Manager and a Higher and Further Education Lecturer at Barnet and Southgate College, the Open University and now works as a Senior Lecturer in Cybersecurity at the University of Bedfordshire. Rebecca has trained and inspired thousands of students on their pathway to becoming IT Technicians, Network and Security Engineers and SOC Analysts, teaching CyberOps Associate, CCNA Security, Cybersecurity Essentials, IT Essentials, CCNA, and many other courses.

Rebecca has been rated consistently as an excellent instructor in lesson observations and course feedback. She has also been granted an Instructor Excellence Award in recognition of her lasting contribution to the Cisco Networking Academy program.

Read more about Rebecca in the blog here:

https://blog.teachingdigital.org/2020/10/ECSM2020-Rebecca.html

View Rebecca’s profile from the University of Bedfordshire here:

https://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/departments/computing/staff/rebecca-harrop/

Rebecca Harrop teaching hands-on IT skills.

Photo credit: Mark Phillips

Listen to Rebecca’s Podcast with Andrew Smith from The Open University here:

University of Bedfordshire - Rebecca Harrop v3.mp3

Gloria Opara

Based in Medway, Kent, Gloria is a Director of training and development for Cyber Engineers Ltd. Founded in 2018, it is a Cisco Networking Academy providing hands-on, instructor-led training and services in cybersecurity for individuals and businesses. She is also an experienced Further Education and Apprenticeship educator for Computer Science at the Leigh Academies Trust (LAT) in Kent, and outside of educating cyber security, she is an active elected member of her local Council.

Gloria has a passion for supporting students in the bridge between school, Further Education, and employment. Having achieved a 100% external cyber security examination pass rate so far, she has made it her priority to have her students gain the essential cybersecurity skills to take with them into the workplace. Gloria works closely with non-traditional learners, including NEET learners, at different stages in their careers to become cyber security professionals. She works long hours but always cares about making learning interactive and accessible for her students by hosting practical sessions using Packet Tracer to employ a blended learning approach. She finds her job unique, sometimes challenging, but always rewarding.

Read more about Gloria in the blog here:

https://blog.teachingdigital.org/2020/10/BHM20.html

Photo credit: Gloria Opara

Listen to Gloria’s Podcast with Andrew Smith from The Open University here:

Gloria Opara CyberEngineers v2.mp3

Femi Adegbite

Femi is a Computer Science lecturer as well as a certified CompTIA & Cisco Networking Academy Instructor from Doncaster College. He has been a teacher for over 10 years, teaching across education Levels 1-5. At present, he is teaching Levels 2 and 3 in Computing with the awarding body of City and Guild and Pearson's BTEC. Over the years, Femi has developed new skills in digital technologies, such as Programming, Networking and Cybersecurity, and has a passion to be up to date with the recent technologies within the industry.

He is a supportive educator that cares about his students' progress beyond the classroom and into the working world. Discovering Cisco Networking Academy courses around 3 years ago, he has been teaching students IT Essentials, Networking Essentials, Python programming, Introduction to Cybersecurity, Cybersecurity Essentials, and much more to add value for his students. Going above and beyond, he equips his students with the skills to independently train themselves by upskilling individuals rather than simply aiding them in gaining a qualification.

Lynne Norman

Lynne Norman knows the importance of education and opportunities. After working in Further Education for many years, she joined Watford UTC (University Technical College) where she spent the last 3 years as a BTEC Lead Practitioner and Cisco Academy lead. Lynne has spent approximately 11 years in teaching and inspired students of all ages. Her past involvement with the Cisco Networking Academy led her to offer the current students she teaches a digital education through virtual learning environments, providing a more accessible and independent learning experience. Lynne has taught approximately one thousand students including various courses from the Cisco Networking Academy such as Get Connected, Introduction to Cybersecurity, and Introduction to Packet Tracer. With a high percentage of her students from Years 10 up to 13 passing their courses, Lynne’s passion and dedication to her students is evident.

Toby Bell

Toby Bell is a lecturer in Network Computing at Northumberland College. He teaches CCNA and Cybersecurity Essentials content to Level 1-3 students. Outside of his day job, he spends most of his time as a Competition Organising Partner for WorldSkills UK. Toby organises four IT competitions each year. Each competition has a national qualifier competition which take place in Further Education Colleges and various other locations across the UK. One competition he organises is called Network Infrastructure Technician, and is based on skills and knowledge that students Level 1-4 students have developed through the CCNA.

Andy Jones

Andy is the Head of Computing at Sacred Heart School in London. During the first lockdown of 2020, Andy started to search for remote learning platforms that could allow him to monitor and engage with the students as well as providing high quality and industry-aligned course materials. He discovered the Cisco Networking Academy through a teacher’s web forum group where a member of the group that was already using the Cisco Networking Academy was teaching one of the many courses available on the platform.

Listen to Andy's Podcast with Andrew Smith from The Open University here:

Sacred Heart Andy Jones v4.mp3

David Anderson

Dave works in the Computer Science curriculum teaching team at Cedars Upper School in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. Like many schools, Cedars is focussed on ensuring that their students gain the right academic education and qualifications to meet both national standards and employer/university expectations.

Watch Dave's interview with Andrew Smith from The Open University here: