Google for Education Certified Trainer
Charlotte Thornton, Woodmont Middle School science teacher, is the first teacher in Greenville County Schools and one of only a handful across South Carolina to become certified as a Google for Education Certified Trainer. Google Certification for Educators gives teachers training and skills to better integrate Google tools into the classroom.
Sixth grade students in Thornton’s classes use Chromebooks to complete assignments, quizzes, and journal entries. Thornton also trains other teachers during the annual Upstate Technology Conference offered during the summer.
To earn Google certification, educators must create sample learning materials and provide a short video that demonstrates the ability to create and present instructional material. One of Thornton’s projects was to use an app to create Google photo galleries, and then uploading the gallery to her website.
Certified Google Trainers have demonstrated subject-matter expertise by achieving the Trainer Essentials certificate by passing six separate 90-minut exams and delivering extensive Google for Education training sessions. Certification is good for one year and must be maintained through yearly exams, sharing resources, and providing training sessions.