Google Certification

As part of our professional development, the technology integration specialists in my district have decided we should all become Google Certified Educators. I love everything Google, and I am really excited about this opportunity. I have been working towards preparing for the test to get my certification and thought I would share some resources that I have come across for anyone else who might be interested. Would you have any interest in becoming a Google Certified Educator? Why or why not? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Level 1 - Capacity Matrix

This resource is my favorite. I found it on ShakeUpLearning.com. It is a table with the different Google apps or concepts and resources to click on for each to familiarize yourself with them. There is a section where you can also mark your comfort level, so you know which apps you should review or spend more time on before taking the test. 

Skills Checklist - Certified Educator Level 1

This link is exactly what it sounds like, a checklist of all the skills you will need to master before taking the certification exam. 

How to Pass the Google Certification Exams

This blogger shares her Google Certification process. 

Google Certified Educator Practice Exams

I haven't actually taken these practice exams yet, so I don't know how helpful they will truly be. They are free, so I plan to try them out in the near future.

Google Training Center

This link is probably the most trusted and reliable resource as it is straight from the source. Google offers trainings to prepare you for the exam. There are thirteen units with multiple lessons including videos and other resources to help you be successful when taking the exam. 

Classroom Management with Devices

Today, I attended a meeting with all the building Technology Integration Specialists in our district. One of the things we are really focusing on as we go back to school is training our teachers on how to effectively manage their classroom while students are using devices. I made a list of some of the topics we covered. I would love to see what else you have to add!

1. Teach procedures from the very beginning

• Decide how you want students to use devices in your classroom and teach those procedures at the very beginning. If you do not set your expectations at the beginning of the year, it is going to be really tough to get students to follow them later. 

2. Have rules for using technology posted in the classroom

• Choose your top rules for students as they are using technology and post them in your classroom. Keep the list manageable so that students can remember the rules. If there are too many, it is hard for students to follow them and hard for you to monitor. 

3. Be mindful of your room arrangement

• Different room arrangements work well for different activities. If possible, choose the room arrangement with your goal in mind. Make sure there is room for you to walk around, stop and help students, and see their devices. 

4. Walk around the room

• This one is super important. Technology does not replace good classroom management. You have to walk around and monitor what students are doing with their devices. 

5. Partner students for some activities

• Sometimes it may be beneficial to pair students up with one device. This limits their ability to pull up different screens than whatever is being used for your lesson, and they can help hold each other accountable. 

6. Create engaging lessons

• If students are enjoying the lesson, they are less likely to be off task. With that being said, engagement is not the same as entertainment. Engaging students means getting them involved and making them do something. 

7. Don't pretend to be the tech expert

• You don't have to know everything there is to know about technology. Encourage your students to find answers to their technology problems and allow them to help each other. 

Online Learning Platforms

My school is starting to push the use of Google Classroom because we often use the G Suite Apps. Personally, I loved Google Classroom when I used it this past year. I found it really easy to use, but there are always good and bad things about every platform. The one thing I don't love about Google Classroom is that there is no grade book. There are some teachers in our building who really prefer Edmodo and would rather not switch to Google Classroom, but there is concern about trying to make the students learn and use multiple platforms for different classes/teachers. What online learning platforms do you use and like? Tell me your favorite below. 

Excuses for Not Integrating Technology in Education

Excuses, excuses... we have all heard them. Click below to hear my thoughts on some of the most common excuses I hear for not integrating technology in the K-12 classroom.

Back to School Meetings

I can't believe the back to school season is beginning already. Next week, I have my first back to school meeting with all of the building technology specialists. We are hoping to come away from the meeting with a concrete plan as to how we are going to encourage and train teachers to use technology in their classrooms. We do not want teachers to use technology just for the sake of using technology. It should be used in ways that will benefit students and improve the learning experience. One thing we really want to focus on is creating meaningful professional development for our teachers. What are some of the best PD opportunities you have had and what made them so great?

On My List...

Yes, I am one of those people that has a list for everything. I have a list of my lists. My job as a Technology Integration Coach is a new job this upcoming year. It is not just new to me, but a completely new position in the district. There is not a job description even in place yet, so it is up to me to define what this job is going to look like. Our goal is to get both teachers and students more comfortable using technology in the classroom. We also want them to use technology with a purpose and in ways that will enhance learning. Currently, one of my longest lists is that of ideas for the upcoming year. Feel free to add to my list with any ideas of your own or provide feedback on any items you have experience with.

1. Kyte Learning - Our district has access to Kyte Learning, which is a site with training videos on tons of technology tools and how to use them in education. I can actually assign teachers certain courses to take according to their individual needs.

2. Google Certification - I am working towards becoming a Google Certified Educator and am considering offering the same opportunity to any staff members who may be interested.

3. Swivl - The Swivl is a small robot that holds your iPad and swivels around to follow a person holding a remote. It is a great way to record yourself and reflect on your teaching. I could also use it to video myself of other teachers to share with the rest of the staff.

4. Book Study - I am considering holding a book study as a staff. I am not sure what book yet, but it would be something motivating and technology oriented.

5. Lunch & Learn - I need to gain the trust of the staff in our two middle schools because many of them do not know me. I would like to hold a "Lunch & Learn" once or twice a month where we would eat lunch together and discuss teaching practices, technology, ask questions, etc.

6. Digital Badges - I would really love to develop a badge program for our professional development to encourage teachers to try new things, share what they try, and then be able to recognize them for it. I am not exactly sure how this will look yet though.

7. Google Communities - One complaint in our district is the lack of opportunity for collaboration among the different schools, subjects, and grade levels. I would like to create Google Communities for each subject and grade level for teachers to talk, share, and collaborate.

9. Tech Newsletter - I am planning on using Smore to create a newsletter with technology tips and tricks that will be sent out to teachers once a month.

This is just a sample of what is on my list. I am still adding things all the time. As you can see, many of them are still in the early planning stages. I still have lots of work to do before school starts in August!