I'm returning to the same role as last year as a middle school technology teacher and I am feeling good about it. My first year in a new district and school was all about figuring things out and taking it all in. Being back in the classroom after 8 years in a TOSA (teacher on special assignment) role showed me I needed to recalibrate a bit. It also reaffirmed my belief in "less is more" for both myself and my students.
First up - I renewed my Google Educator Level 1 certification. (You can find the learning modules on the Google for Education Teacher Center website.) I completed my first Google Educator Level 1 back in the summer of 2015 and it was literally the beginning of the new direction of my teaching career. It's good for 3 years and this is the 3rd time for me. I strongly recommend any teacher who uses Google in their classroom take this professional learning and test for certification. The test costs $10 and is well worth it.
Next, I will be renewing my Google Educator Level 2 certification this week. (You can find it at the Google for Education Teacher Center website.) I completed this one right after I did Level 1 in 2015 and have zero regrets. I was hungry for more and I was excited to continue my Google learning. Completing Level 2 really confirmed I knew what I was doing. The learning modules are 100% free and worth the time investment. The cost for the Level 2 test is $25 and again, I'm happy to pay it for the 3rd time to renew.
A big goal for me this summer has been to put time in learning about AI. I have been taking a pretty slow approach to AI. But I do believe AI is here to stay and I have a responsibility in understanding it and helping to form how it's being used with students. I also want to be sure I understand what everyone is super excited about ... it's not going anywhere. Other than reading a LOT of articles from other educators, I've completed two courses and if you are wanting to learn more, both are great starter places.
The Generative AI for Educators course is found on the Grow with Google website. It had a nice balance of theory and learning about AI paired with scenarios to practice using AI. It's important to note that while it recommends Google's AI tool, Gemini, you are welcome to use your AI tool of choice. What I really appreciated in this course was all of the resource materials provided. I know I will keep coming back to them over the coming school year. There is no cost to the modules or the final assessment.
The second AI course I completed was Code.org's AI 101 Self-paced Professional Learning for Educators. You can find it Code.org's Professional Learning landing page. This course also provided quite a bit of theory and thinking around AI, which helped me get a better understanding and increased my comfort with AI. I have used Code.org for years with my students and I've recently found their professional learning to be quite helpful, too. There is no cost to this professional learning.
This upcoming year, I will be co-teaching a brand new class with the art teacher in my school. We are hoping to use Adobe with our students, so I decided to do some professional learning. You can find the learning on the Adobe Education Exchange page. I have not used Adobe much and this course was my way of "dipping my toes" in. I will be following this up with my Level 2. I've completed the learning for it and I'm working on finishing up the portfolio before I submit. There is a LOT packed into Adobe! There is no cost to either level of Adobe learning.
Do you love Canva? I do and I was shocked to see they had a teacher certification course this summer. It wasn't on my radar ... and I'm pretty sure the day after I noticed it, I jumped on it. The Canva Teacher Essentials course is found on their Design School page. It is video based, which I love and it just makes me love Canva even more! I also went on to complete the Graphic design essentials course, too! All Canva learning is 100% free.
My final professional learning goal this summer is the Modern Classroom Project. Coming back to the classroom after being out for 8 years was hard. I know I need to put time and energy into this area. Teaching isn't an easy profession, but I've always said the I don't back down from a challenge. I believe school is a place for ALL and I want to be sure I'm doing what I can to ensure the students that walk into my class learn in a way that works for them. You can find the FREE course I will taking on Modern Classroom's website.
I hope I've shared some professional learning that you might be interested in or that might support you in your role. Please reach out if you have any questions or would like more information about any of these learnings.
*** Every Monday, I share a newsletter with a collection of Tech You Can Do resources. It is delivered right to your inbox. Interested? Sign up here! ***
No comments:
Post a Comment