Becoming Google Certified

For a while I have been interested in becoming a Google Certified Educator.  It was not so much for the badge, but more for the learning that would encompass the certification.  For our school, Google is the fundamental tool that allows us to deliver personalised learning.  For me as a teacher, I now use Google Apps for pretty much everything.  I don't know when was the last time that I used Word, Excel or Powerpoint.  It's all done online, can be shared easily and found on any device.  Magic! 

If you're interested in learning more about Google Suite for Education, I highly recommend doing the certification. It's easy and the course covers more than simply how to use the Google Suite.  It covers pedagogy and gives great examples of how teachers are using this to engage and personalise learning for their students.  You don't need to go through a third party to deliver the course.  You can do it all via the Google Certification site.  However, if you do wish to get some extra support, I recommend ShakeUpLearning.  This site has some really useful resources and ideas.

To gain access to the exam and get the much desired certificate and badge, simply pay about NZD$10 and register.  A warning here: the exam is actually pretty full on.  It takes about an hour and a half to two hours and it involves you using Google, not just answering questions.  It actually made me respect the certificate more.  I found myself reasonably exhausted by the end of it all.  However, it is well worth it. 

Next I'll attempt Level 2 which is aimed at leaders of digital tech.