Road to Level 1:  Google Teacher Certification

   If anyone has been to a Google for Education Summit, you know the genuine aroma of inspiration that comes from attending the sessions and colliding with other educators.  This is where I obtained the Google Teacher Certification introduction.  My facilitator was Kasey Bell, and I soon figured out why she was an EdTechTeam expert, because I left feeling I could achieve more for myself and my students.  

   Committing to the three-hour test can be intimidating.  However, I suggest attending to all the cards on the certification training website.  Differentiation in your own learning can come from watching YouTube tutorials from Kasey Bell and many others who are gracious enough to share their knowledge.  

   Included in your preparation phase should be practical and applicable I call “work-study”.  Incorporate as much of the tools into your everyday practice.  Explore tools you might not even “think” you need. Familiarize yourself enough to comfortably lead your class through a lesson and implementation.  

   I had the privilege of participating as a group within my district.  This support and blind excavation was an advantage as we were able to bounce off unthought-of questions, inquiries and explore unknowns together. I suggest this as the best asset in preparing for the Google Teacher certification test.  We can always rely on what we do not know to hold us back.  However, we never know what we do not know until someone is able to bring that unknown into the light.  Find a group, start a twitter chat to prep together, or attend a certification boot camp.  There is power in numbers and together we achieve more.  

   Lastly, I will say, failure is not an option.  I did not pass my first time around.  Missed it by two points. But after following the advice above, I got a resounding yes in my throat as I received the “success” email. Failing to try, is a path to nowhere.  Navigating the path to success gets you closer to your goals.  Now onto Google Teacher Level 2 Certification, as I follow the recommended steps above.  

Ericka Mabion
K-8 Computer Teacher
Google Certified Educator
Kansas City, Missouri

Want to start your own Google for Education journey? Join a Bootcamp near you!