7 Free Resources for Educators to Upskill and Earn Certifications

As a passionate educator, I always seek ways to improve my teaching skills and engage my students. I’ve pursued various professional development courses and certifications, including Google Certified Educator Level 1 and 2, Google Certified Trainer, Google Certified Innovator, Screencastify Certified Educator, Nearpod Distance Learning Expert, and Book Creator Certified Author.

The combined experience of these certifications has led to several fulfilling and financially rewarding opportunities. That’s why I’m featuring seven free resources and platforms where teachers can enrol in continuous professional development courses and earn certificates or badges to help them stand out from their colleagues. So, what are you waiting for?

1. The Microsoft Learn Educator Center: Offers free training and resources for educators who want to use Microsoft technology in the classroom effectively and engagingly. The centre features various relevant topics and products for teaching and learning, such as accessibility, inclusivity, blended learning, artificial intelligence, Teams, Minecraft, Office 365, and more. The page also provides information on how to earn professional development hours, certifications, and badges by completing interactive lessons and courses. The page also showcases some of the educator programs and communities that Microsoft supports, such as the Microsoft Learn for Educators Program, the Microsoft Educator Community, and the Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert Program. The page is part of the Microsoft Learn website, a platform that helps you build skills that open doors in your career.
2. Google for Education Fundamental Training: This resource offers free online courses and certifications for various Google products and solutions. The page introduces the Fundamentals Training course, which is a course that teaches you how to integrate Google tools in your classroom. The course covers Google Drive, Docs, Slides, Forms, Classroom, Meet, Chrome, and more. The course consists of 13 units, each with several lessons that include readings, videos, and activities. The course takes about 15 hours to complete, and it prepares you for the exam to become a Google Certified Educator Level
3. Adobe Creative Educator program: This is a free professional learning community for educators who want to foster creativity and digital literacy in their classrooms. The program offers four levels of badges that educators can earn by completing online courses, creating and sharing projects, and participating in community events. The program also provides access to exclusive resources, webinars, and events for members.
4. Canva for Teachers: This website provides tutorials for teachers to create beautiful designs for various purposes, such as presentations, posters, flyers, infographics, and more. The tutorial consists of 21 videos that teach you how to search and edit templates, engage students with presentations, flip learning with talking presentations, design daily agendas, graphic organisers, brainstorming activities, poster activities, video activities, comic strip activities, storyboard activities, report activities, and more. The tutorial also shows you how to design your class brand and communicate effectively with parents. The tutorial is part of the Canva Design School, which offers more tutorials and courses on different topics and features of Canva.
5. Nearpod for Educators: The website offers interactive lessons, videos, gamification, and activities for teachers and students. The page introduces the Nearpod and Flocabulary Digital Badges, free online courses teachers can take to learn how to use Nearpod and Flocabulary effectively in their classrooms. The page features a list of badges teachers can earn by completing self-paced lessons on topics such as gamification, interactive video, distance learning, and more. Each badge comes with a certificate and a PD credit.
6. Screencastify University: This platform offers free certifications, training, and tips for using Screencastify, a screen recording and video editing tool. The page features a list of free certification courses that cover different aspects and features of Screencastify, such as recording, editing, submitting, and presenting videos. The page also provides links to upcoming and on-demand live training sessions and quick tips and tricks videos for various scenarios and use cases. The page is part of the Screencastify Education website, which aims to help educators and students create amazing instructional videos.
7. Book Creator Certified Author Course: This is a free online training program for educators who want to use the Book Creator app effectively in their classrooms. The course covers the basics of creating, reading, and publishing books with Book Creator and some tips and tricks for enhancing the learning experience. The course has been refreshed in 2022 to include the latest features and updates of the app. The course consists of 18 videos and a quiz, which takes about 2 hours to complete. Upon completion, you will receive a digital badge and a certificate that you can use to claim PD credits.

I enjoyed writing about these free resources for educators. They are all very valuable and can help teachers improve their skills and knowledge. I would love to hear from readers about their favourite resources. What have you found to be the most helpful? What are some other resources that you would recommend?