Are educator certifications — such as Google Certified Teacher and Apple Distinguished Educator — meaningful? Consider two different perspectives of this question in this article published by ISTE in 2015.
Google has different certification levels, all described at this link. Each includes self-paced web training lessons that lead to a final test. They include:
Google Certified Educator Level 1 ($10 cost)
Google Certified Educator Level 2 ($25 cost)
Google Certified Trainer (pass at least 5 of the skill exams - cost $15 each)
Google Certified Innovator (pass Level 2 first) - this is a really big deal
Besides the self-paced work, AEA 267 offers short courses throughout the year to help reach each of these levels.
Besides the self-paced work, AEA 267 offers short courses throughout the year to help reach each of these levels.
Apple has several different certifications. The most significant for educators is the Apple Distinguished Educator.
They also have Productivity App Certifications (using Pages, Numbers, and Keynote)
And so that they are not left out, Microsoft has it's Certified Educator program.
Completion of each level doesn't come with a trophy or check, but an electronic badge. It reflects a level of expertise at integrating technology in the classroom. It is possible to simply go through the motions at any level, but the real impact comes with transforming the classroom as described by the SAMR model. These are great technology professional development opportunities.
