I have never, probably will never, be good at the English language. I wish I could claim that it was my second language and that I am fluent in anything other than english... but here I am. A one language speaking adult, that still. cant. spell. Regardless, I refuse to let me students enter the adult world without an understanding of English. (Mind you, I don't think spelling matters in the slightest, but thats a topic for another day). So while the baby napped today, I decided to take grammar head on. I can teach grammar just fine. Google can always remind me the difference between the different kinds of conjunctions, pronouns, and uses for the comma. I have guides upon guides for sentence types. And yes, I could hit up TeachersPayTeacher and get a really great (decent at best) worksheet for my students on all things 5th grade grammar. But my students did NOT need worksheets. They needed one place where they could reference this information. So? Thats what I created.
Not everything has to be complicated. Not everything has to be high-tech, engaging, rigorous work. Sometimes, what your students need is low-tech, quick to reference, guides. So, give your students what they need. And for heavens sake, teach grammar in context.
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While on maternity leave, I’ve been blessed with quite a bit of time on the couch: feeding a hungry baby, snuggling a crying baby, and cuddling a sleeping baby. So what a perfect time to hone my skills in google, and take the Google Certified Educator certification exams! Visit here to learn how the Level One certification went. When I took the Level Two certification, I didn't prepare. At all. I wanted to test the waters, and figure out where I needed to work the most. Turns out, I didn't need to study up as much as I thought, and I passed the first time. Learn more about the exam below! The Training Remember, I didn't study, review, or even open these review modules. However, I wish I did. I would have been much more prepared this time around. This training is valuable (and FREE!). Before both certification exams, there are review modules. These modules allow you to work through the google applications to learn the power and complexity of all the google applications. At the end of each section there are self-checking review questions, and a unit review at the end of each unit. These questions are multiple choice or multiple select. Again, what I want to emphasize is that these are free. If you aren’t all that comfortable with the google apps, what a great place to get valuable information and free training. Even if you aren’t interested in the certification, you could definitely learn something! I recommend, everyone, regardless of how comfortable you are with google. Again, I wish I reviewed, and will probably go back and review them anyways to learn a bit more. Test Time The Level 2 exam costs $25, so there still really isn't much pressure to pass the first time, but more than the Level 1. After you sign up, it can take up to 48 hours for your test to be ready. Mine took 20 minutes. However, I’d purchase a day or two ahead of when you plan on taking it, just incase. The test set up is exactly like the Level 1. You receive, by email, a google apps for education gmail account to use for your exam. This account, only valid for the test, allows for you to use any of the google suite. There are multiple select questions and scenario questions. Something weird I noticed, is that the multiple select questions didn’t populate at the top of the page, but if I scrolled up, it told me how many answers to choose! SO helpful. Not sure I would have passed without that help. This time, the multiple select were pretty tricky. Definitely not as easy as the Level 1 Exam. However, the scenario questions weren’t all that difficult. If you are pretty competent in google, you can figure out the things you don’t know how to do. Or, google it. I did have some technical issues on this exam. I cannot go into specifics without telling you too much about the exam; however, I had to email the administers, and got helpful responses pretty quick. Their help didn't solve my problems, but I passed the exam regardless. And that’s about all I can tell you about content. (Again, you sign a NDA before taking the test, and while I didn’t read it that closely - living life on the edge - I’m not risking it) Something to remember: a computer is grading your exam. Make sure you are precise in what you type. Getting Your Results I received my results within minutes of submitting. I passed on my first attempt. However, if you don’t, you can take it again! There is a 14 day waiting period to try again for your second try. If you again do not pass, there is a 60 day waiting period for your third attempt. If you don’t pass on your third try, you have to wait a year. Your certification is good for 36 months, and then you'll need to take the test again. What's Next?
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AuthorHolly Mecher. ADE. Runner. Life-long lover of books. Google Certified Educator. Archives
February 2019
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