Becoming a Google Certified Educator and Trainer has been quite the journey! I talked a bit about it before, but thought I would share how I got here and if Google certification might be the right path for you too.
In part 1, I’ll describe what the program is, along with each level and a few helpful suggestions, and what achieving Google Certified Educator Level 1 and 2 was like. In part 2, I’ll describe achieving Google Certified Trainer.
WHAT IS THE GOOGLE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM?
In a nutshell, this is a way to gain knowledge and show understanding of how to use the apps in G Suite. There are different levels outside of the education sector and within. As far as education goes, IT has a certification for G Suite admin that is designed for those who are responsible for deploying, administering and extending G Suite applications to the school district. Students can also receive a certification to demonstrate mastery and show prospective employers and colleges that they are fluent in digital collaboration tools.
I don’t know as much about the above certifications, so I will focus on the four types of certification for teachers: Educator Level 1, Educator Level 2, Trainer and Innovator. Each level has an exam and/or other requirements to obtain the certification as outlined below:
CERTIFIED EDUCATOR LEVELS 1 & 2
If you are just getting started with Google, this is the right place for you! Certified Educator Level 1 is considered the fundamentals training and will help those new to Google learn about its tools and the best strategies to integrate these tools into your classroom. Obtaining this level of certification will show your employer and colleagues that you understand how these tools can be used effectively in the classroom.
Certified Educator Level 2, on the other hand, moves into more cutting edge strategies for using G Suite apps. This level is for the super-users who can’t imagine not using Google apps on an everyday basis. (I definitely fall into this category!)
As far as the exams go, I would really recommend using these tools on a frequent basis before sitting down to take the exams. You will be tested on pretty much everything Google has to offer from Google Classroom to Google Sites. Both level exams give you 3 hours to complete a 25 question multiple choice section and then a scenario section asking you to show how to do specific things in different apps. The first exam costs $10, while the second exam is $25. Both certifications are valid for 3 years and if you re-certify before the expiration, you only need to do the scenario section.
If you are not quite ready for either of these levels, each of the 4 certifications are housed on Google’s Teacher Center site which includes many other resources such as training videos that can be delivered to your email every day or their “First Day” series that gives you a step-by-step guide on what to do on your first day using each app. You could start here first and then work your way up.
CERTIFIED TRAINER
This level is for those, like myself, whose job is to provide professional development, training, and coaching. You need to have a very good foundation in all of the G Suite apps because you will be expected to understand how they work and show other educators how to effectively integrate them into classrooms. This certification focuses heavily on professional development strategies and how to develop effective workshops and learning opportunities.
To earn this certification, you must obtain both Certified Educator levels and pass the Trainer Skills Assessment, a 25 question multiple choice exam. This exam costs $15 and you have 90 minutes to complete it. You will also need to create a 3-minute video introducing yourself and your goals for being a Certified Trainer, as well as a step-by-step tutorial showing how to use a G Suite app and complete the application form. Certified Trainers need to submit at least 12 training events throughout the year as well as take a short multiple choice exam to make sure you have stayed up to date with the latest changes. These requirements have changed a bit in 2020, so this could change again later.
CERTIFIED INNOVATOR
This level is for those educators that want to advocate for innovative technologies and drive school transformation. You will work on a project throughout the year to identify a challenge in your classroom or school you’d like to try to solve. To obtain this certification, you will need to pass the Certified Educator Level 2 exam, create a 90-second video detailing your challenge and why you want to solve it, and apply for a 3-day Innovator Academy. At the Academy, you’ll work with a small team and a coach from the innovator community. The idea is to have a working solution to your project and have it up and running within the year.
Passing the Certified Educator Level 1 Exam
I knew pretty early on that Innovator would be a long way off for me; it wasn’t my end goal. I really wanted to be a trainer because that is a large part of my job. To get to this level, I knew I would need to pass both educator levels first, which totally made sense to me as you want trainers who are knowledgeable in all of the G Suite apps.
I felt pretty confident going into Level 1. I use almost all the tools on a weekly basis and didn’t feel fazed about completing scenarios on the exam. However, I didn’t want to fail the first time either. How embarrassing would that be? Here I am, self-described Google Guru and I couldn’t pass the Level 1 exam? That probably messed with my head more than anything and I studied extra hard, but that’s also my personality type, I don’t go into things without being prepared.
I also knew Shake Up Learning had courses to help you through the process. The courses only open twice a year and before they re-open, Kasey Bell holds a webinar explaining what her courses can do to help you. So I signed on one night and the first five people to join the webinar got her Level 1 course for free, which I was one of. Her courses are amazing and I felt fully prepared; I highly recommend them! You can also check out EdTechTeam’s Bootcamps, which are 2 days and at the end you take the exam. I don’t have any experience with a bootcamp, but have attended two Google Summits run by this same team that were exceptional, so I can’t imagine the bootcamps are any different.
As I mentioned earlier, you receive 3 hours to complete the exam. I knew going into it, that most people do not pass because they run out of time, so I knew to watch my time. For Level 1, I successfully finished with an hour and half to spare. I got stuck on a couple of things with calendar, but other than that I had no problems.
Passing the Certified Educator Level 2 Exam
Going into preparations for Level 2, I decided to purchase Shake Up Learning’s Level 2 course. This time around I was concerned about 1) it being harder, because, um, it’s Level 2 and 2) Google Classroom. As I often state, we don’t use this in my district and even though I had seen it in the course, I didn’t feel comfortable being able to get through a scenario. I waited six months to take Level 2 and for me it was the harder of the two exams. I’ve heard lots of people thought it was way easier than Level 1, but my concern with Classroom was warranted as I had to skip two scenarios because I could NOT find what it was asking me to do. I had 15 minutes left in the 3 hour exam and was in tears, afraid I had spent all that time and money on nothing. When I finally hit submit, the screen went black and I thought my entire test was gone! Ten panicked minutes later, I finally got everything working and was able to log back into the system to see I had passed. It was really the craziest thing ever!
But I succeeded and I am so happy to be part of this community! I talk with educators on Facebook and Twitter and continue to learn and share innovative ways to use G Suite for Education. If you have any questions on this entire process, I’d be happy to talk with you and share my experience!
Ms Priester EDU 