Why become a Google Certified Educator?
Earning a Google Educator certification is a great way to learn how to use Google apps with your colleagues and students. The Modules are self-paced and multiple trainers offer free online resources.
How can Google Educator certification influence your classroom and professional growth? As I can attest from personal experience - technology alone does not improve learning. As this article states, learning must be the driving force beyond all lessons. We educators must understand how technology can help students. Technology should never be entertaining or distraction or we risk harming our students. By getting Google or Microsoft (it is not able to the product), we educators can be purposeful when using technology to accelerate and expand student learning.
Read these posts to find out.
- #GoogleCertifiedEducator by Marilyn McAlister
- Five Reasons to Become a Google Certified Educator by JP Prezzavento
The video below was created by fellow KernCUE educator Hans Tullman and is used with permission.
How to become a Google Certified Educator
- Level 1 and Level 2 Google for Education Training, Practice & Certification
- Training takes approximately 12 hours
- Some educators may wish to start with the Review Practice at the end of each Unit to determine areas of study
- The exam will take 2 1/2 to 3 hours to complete due to the hands-on activities
- Skill Checklists for Google Certified Educator Level 1 and 2 by Eric Curts
- Intro to Google Certified Educator Level 1 by Samuel Landete
- Example 6-Week Google Educator Level 1 Course by Jennifer Scott
- gEducator Blog by John R. Sowash
- Google Certified Educator Preparation playlist by Brett Petrillo
During the Exam
You are not expected to know everything about GSuite. In fact, five minutes after new tech is posted, it is already out of date. Rather, you are expected to know how to find information. Below is a list of advice I give fellow educators.
- Things to Know and Do for Google Fundamentals Exams by Jennifer Scott
- Google Certification Tips: What's the #1 reason people fail the Google Certified Educator Exam? by Shake Up Learning.
Why become a Google Certified Trainer?
I find the Google Certified Trainer community a valuable resource. I can ask questions and receive responses from international trainers. The gtrainerdemo domain has been a valuable resource to create tutorial videos, as well as a fake Google Classroom student I call Hannah Banana. I use Hannah to demonstrate assignment expectations to my students. The annual requirement to give 12 trainings a year is what I already do even though I am a classroom teacher and not an EdTech Specialist.
According to Episode 12: GET Help Hangouts Slides, in 2017, 3,000 trainers in 65 different countries gave 11,047 training sessions that reached approximately 334,441 educators.
Below are examples of Google Trainer Forum views. The first image is Gmail. The second one is Groups, which has access to even more resources.
How to become a Google Certified Trainer
- Click here for the requirements and application
- The Google Certified Trainer Road Map by JP Prezzavento
- Watch how to become a Google Certified Trainer curated playlist by Hollie Sisk
After you are a Certified Trainer
- Watch this playlist by Louis Shanafelt to set up a gtrainerdemo domain.
Why become a Google Certified Innovator
There comes a time in many trainers' lives (certified or not) that we want to become the student again. We want to challenge ourselves. We want to have our own mentor. This is why we apply to become an Innovator.
The Google Certified Innovator program is extremely competitive. Most people are not accepted with their first or even second application. Currently, 1267 Innovators belong to the Google Innovator community.
Only 131 educators in the world were accepted in 2016 to attend the Google Innovator Academies in Mountain View #MTV16, Colorado #Col16, Toronto #Tor16, and Mexico #Mex16. The list just keeps getting longer. In 2018, 5 Academies will be held throughout the world, only 3 of which will be in English. A maximum of 35 educators will be selected for each Academy.
What can you expect at a Google Innovator Academy? Read Federico Centeno's Google Innovator Academy #Mex16 #GoogleEI.
Do you have to become an Innovator? That is up to you. You will be tasked with a yearlong problem to solve. You will attend an Academy and bond with your cohort. You will have a mentor who will push you beyond your limits. You may view this certification as a feather in your cap or the means to newer, more incredible opportunities.
How to become a Google Certified Innovator
- Click here to start your application
- Determine your Moonshot
- Focus on the problem that you want to solve. Your solution will evolve or completely change
- Study the videos on the Google Innovator YouTube Channel
- Find a #googleei mentor before you submit your application. Search the Twitter hashtag or Google for Education Directory
Who am I?
Click on the button on the right to learn more about the presenter.