Resources

Introductory Resources

I recommend the following resources, according to your preferences and time:

-- "I would rather read about scrum." See The Scrum Guide.

-- "I would rather listen and watch video clips about scrum." See the e-learning series.

-- "Really, Ms.Hill. THERE AREN'T ENOUGH HOURS IN THE DAY." See this ~one minute video.

Agile vs. Scrum?: Just to clarify, scrum in one of several agile methods. Put most simply, agile methods like scrum facilitate flexible, fast teamwork, innovation, and productivity. When you think about it, agile is quite the fitting word for education. We aim to be flexible, fast, and reflective in our growth.

Usage: While agile methods like scrum are most widely used and began in the software development industry, they are rapidly being adopted by the federal government, healthcare industry, finance sector, and many other businesses that want to manage large projects while also seeking to continuously deliver and improve upon their products and/or practice-- like us. :) Fun facts: The health insurance provider for most educators in Virginia, Anthem, uses scrum. To date, there are over 200 firms using scrum to some degree. If we include other agile methods, like Kanban, Lean, Extreme Programming, and Feature-Driven Development, that number grows!

Certification: To be a Certified Scrum Master (CSM), check Scrum Alliance for training dates, fees, and testing.

I highly recommend Lithespeed in Herndon, VA for training. I am grateful to have trained under the founder, Sanjiv Augustine.

Please join me at the ScrumRVA User Group meetups! On the last Tuesday of every month, you'll have an opportunity to participate in games, activities, and workshops about scrum with other like-minded, agile professionals. Nearly every time I come away from one of these meetings, I learn something I can implement in the classroom immediately. Moreover, I always come away feeling inspired to tackle new challenges in the workplace, knowing I have a strong, positive agile support network. Plus (!) there's free pizza provided by the Scrum Alliance. Meetings take place on the last Tuesday of every month from 6-8pm at the Capital One Knolls 5 building near Short Pump.