When I was facilitating professional learning for my District as a Literacy Consultant , I had written all of the exams except 1. It was different back then–you had to write a test for Google Sites, Google Docs, Gmail/Calendar etc…). I ran out of time for the last one.
I will never forget. I got an email saying my test would expire in 24 hours and that I would need to start over again if I didn’t complete the Google Sites exam and pass it. Except I read the email at 8 pm, with the test set to expire at midnight. So what did I do? I tried the test. Cold. No preparation. I figured I knew Google Sites well. But of course I didn’t and so all of the tests became invalid.
In the subsequent years, I did not have the time to write them again. I had begun my Masters, written a book, and was trying to balance that with being a good wife, mom, daughter, sister…well you get it.
I also wondered WHY. I know my Google stuff. Why do I need to write a test to prove to the world that I really know my Google stuff?
Maybe it’s an ego thing? I know I am the only GEG Ontario leader in our awesome group of 7 who does not have any Google qualifications. They have never let me feel inferior. When I hang out with my Ed Tech team peeps (online or in person) and present at Ed Tech Summits, I am keenly aware that I am probably the only one there not qualified either (maybe they didn’t know that which is why they let me in or maybe I was just being paranoid???). Everyone kind of assumes that because I facilitate professional learning, that I am. So what’s the big deal?
When my friend Tisha Richmond first suggested in our Voxer group that she wanted to spend time this summer studying and writing the certification exams to possibly apply to be an innovator, I immediately contacted her. Let’s do it together! For me, it was an opportunity to co-learn, to challenge myself, and to prove to myself that I can do something I set my mind to.
Our goal was to complete Level 2 by the end of August. Well guess what? Despite time zone issues and summer mode, we tried and BOTH SUCCEEDED last night! This is what made it even more special for me.
But the real story is that we were ready to write the Level 1 test last night and realized we didn’t have to–we could go for Level 2. We spent lots of time deliberating. Were we ready? Is this the right choice? In the end, we both went into the test with the following mindset: “Let’s try it and if we fail, we will know what to expect next time”.
The test was VERY intense. It was three hours of practical application and serious thinking. I haven’t written an exam in a long time, and I think the exercise itself was a great challenge. My girls were so cute. They both said, “You got this, mom!” and left me in perfect silence only to come up once in a while to blow me a kiss or give me a thumbs up.
Am I more Googley today than I was last month? Absolutely. Preparing for the test taught me so much that I would definitely use and show others.
This is definitely not a path for everyone, but if you are even thinking about it, go for it! Even better, grab a friend and go for it! There are tons of resources out there to support you. We used Kasey Bell’s Certification Matrix and various Youtube videos. Tisha and I took turns learning and sharing using Google Hangouts which was a great way to learn.
Google Innovator? Trainer? Maybe. Maybe not. In the end it’s not the status but the learning that I value most, and the knowledge that when I set out to do something, I can! That and modelling life-long learning for my girls.
