I just passed my Google Certified Educator Level 1 Exam!  I found out about this great professional development opportunity during the summer and immediately decided to prepare myself for it, recognizing the growing importance of familiarity with tech tools in the classroom.  The truth is, we have no idea how long online teaching will last and even if we come back to the classroom, blended learning will continue to be present in some form. 

I highly recommend doing the training and taking the exam.  It will not only improve your tech skills, but also boost your confidence and present you with great, progressive ideas of making your students’ learning more interactive, creative and collaborative.

The exam takes 180 minutes and it consists of two parts – 20 multiple choice/matching questions and 11 hands-on scenarios, each with between two and seven tasks.  

Google has a free, interactive, online training for educators that can be accessed at Google for Education’s Teacher Center https://edu.google.com/.  Fundamentals Training consists of 13 units, each covering a different Google tool. Each unit has several sections.  There are quizzes at the end of each section and a short test at the end of each unit.

In addition to online Google training, I watched Brett Petrillo’s 11-part video series on Preparation for Google Certified Educator Level 1 Exam.  Although recorded in 2017, Brett’s series does a wonderful job explaining basic concepts you have to be familiar with in order to pass the exam.

https://sites.google.com/view/brettpetrillo

Those two “courses” were more than enough to confidently pass the exam.

I finished the first section within 30 minutes and thought I would finish early but that did not happen.  Some of the scenario questions were quite involved, so it is important not to take breaks but rather use the entire allocated time.

I had no technical difficulties but if you are feeling unsure and think you might need support, make sure you schedule your exam during the hours when the Help Center is open. 

Do not click more than once on the “next” button.  I did that a couple of times and had to then go back to the two questions I accidently skipped at the end of the exam. 

I found out within two days that I passed and now am able to display my badge on my resume and in email correspondence.  And, since learning never stops, I have the foundation for Level 2!