Google Certified Educator Exams

This semester, I chose to prepare for the Google Certified Educator Level 1 and 2 Exams. As someone who uses Google Tools frequently in my personal and professional life, it made sense for me to work on these certifications. Preparing for these tests allowed me to learn about how other educators are using google tools and discover how to use new tools to increase efficiency.

Although many of the topics were familiar to me, I learned some valuable new ideas. One of my favorite new tools to use is the New Google Sites. I was surprised how easy it is to create a new site, pages within the site, and import media. It was very user friendly and I hope to use the New Sites to create a class website next school year. Another favorite idea that I learned was how teachers use Multimedia Text Sets or Hyperdocs to innovate learning in their classrooms. Using MMTS or Hyperdocs, teachers can link sites for research and assign projects to show their learning.

The first test was fairly easy since I am familiar with most google tools. One thing that I didn't realize was that a large portion of the tests is task based, so it was important for me to use a checklist to make sure I knew most of the skills prior to taking the test. I found Eric Curts' checklists at Control Alt Achieve to be helfpul, although a few items had changed due to google updates. The only challenge that I had while taking the first test was that it was difficult to search through the modules for specific content during the test. As I prepared for the second test, I used the level 2 checklist from Control Alt Achieve, but added many links that went to the modules or google tutorials. This way, when I was taking the test, it was very easy for me to find the right places to look for answers. The document also served as an outline and study guide as I prepared for the test.

I am very glad that I took both Google Certification Tests, mainly because of the resources that I am now aware of. I know about tools and strategies that I didn't before, and I can easily go back to the modules to review information as needed. If you are an avid google user, I would highly encourage you to at least take the Level 1 test. I really enjoyed everything that I learned and found the majority of the skills to be extremely useful. I would be more than happy to help answer any questions if you are interested in starting this process. Let me know if you are interested!