Anytime, Anywhere After recently writing about Ditch Summit and after having time to try out Microsoft Education a bit more, I want to share about some professional development and online certification opportunities that can be done anytime and anywhere. I know I've already mentioned how to become Flipgrid Certified, which might have actually been my first online certification with educational technology. I know that several other educational technology platforms/softwares/etc. have similar certifications. (Side note - some of those cost money, and personally I feel like they should all be free. Now I realize some of them are only $10, but educators are already buying PD books, school supplies, etc. out of our own pockets. Plus if educators like your product and see it positively impacting their students, they'll spread the word to other teachers. Why charge a fee? Needless to say, I stick to the free ones.) Apple Certified Sometime last summer I found out about becoming Apple Certified through another educator I follow on Twitter. (Forgetting who at the moment, if I find the tweet I'll give you credit. Anyone know an easy way to search through old tweets?) I've used a Mac since college, and I have been in a one to one school with iPads for two and a half years. So I didn't honestly have to read much of the material and could fly through most of the quizzes, but rest assured, there are plenty of materials there if you're a newer Apple user or if you aren't familiar with some of their programs, and I did learn a few new tidbits along the way. It's a great way to learn about the equipment and software programs on these devices if you're unfamiliar with them but need to be. It's also a good way to show that you're already proficient with the equipment and software if you've been using them for years. There's a Mac route or iPad route you can choose from. There are also some advanced resources as well that I haven't had a chance to look into yet but will. My motivation with the Apple Certification was that I already use the tools and know the products, so why not be able to prove that and be able to add that to my resume? That being said, I don't want to get a certification just to get a certification. I want them to be with programs/software/etc. that I am already using and loving, required to use for work, and/or need to learn more about. With all of the options out there now, pick and choose what works for you. With all of the options out there now, pick and choose what works for you. Microsoft Education Then right around that same time I signed up for the Microsoft Educator Community, because my school switched to Office 365 a year and a half ago. I first signed up to find resources about using Skype to connect classrooms, since I had a classroom teacher asking me about Mystery Skypes. I completed my profile, found the Skype resources I needed, and then honestly hadn't touched it for months due to being busy. But I had also heard about becoming a Microsoft Innovative Educator. So over winter break, I wanted to re-visit it and check things out. I just took my first free online course through them on Virtual Field Trips with Skype in the Classroom, which had some great information on getting started with that, and plan to take more. I am working on getting some technology set up in my building to enable teachers to lead Google Expeditions and VR field trips, so now as I continue to learn more about Skype Virtual Field Trips, it will give me another avenue of accomplishing the same goals and be another option for teachers. Now to be completely honest, do I want to get another 500 points to get that certification? You bet. But am I going to just pick anything to get it? No. I am going to make sure to pick something that is worth my time, meaning that it is something I want to learn more about and can apply it to bettering what I do. Will I keep going after I get that certification? Yes. As I look through their courses and see something that I can use in the library (i.e. digital citizenship) or that I can team with other teachers to use (i.e. the virtual field trip one I just finished), then I will continue to go through their courses as I have time. I'm not going to rush myself. I also really like that in addition to their free courses, certifications, badges, etc. Microsoft Education has their own community of folks and ways to communicate and find other educators to Skype with, collaborate with, etc. Given I only have a foot in the water at the moment, but all signs point to go with it being worth it to wade in further with their courses and resources. wrap up Does badging and online certifications work? I think it does, at least for teachers that go out looking for their own PD. We're going to be training ourselves, researching, and trying to learn more anyway, so why not use these programs and resources to have someone else teach us and to have something to show for it? I would also hope that several of these certifications could count towards state license renewals or look good on a resume. Several other career fields have certifications that they tote with pride and add to their resumes. Why not educators?
Know of any other free and time worthy certifications for educators? I'd love to hear them!
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