5 Reasons Why

Micro-Credentials
are the
Future of Education
WhatisaMicro-Credential?
Micro-credentialsarelikemini-degreesorcertificationsinaspecifictopicarea.Theycan
eitherbebroad,suchas'AssessmentTechniques,'orspecific,like'Usingvideotoenhance
your lessons'.

The FutureofProfessionalDevelopment
TheriseoftheInternetisnotonlychangingthewayweapproachlearningwithstudents
but also how we approach learning witheducators.Thereisaslowandsteadyshift
happeningineducation.It isanewprofessionaldevelopmentmodelwherewetakethe
bestteachingpracticesweusewithstudentsandapplythemtoprofessionaldevelopment
opportunitiesforeducators.

In this PDF we share thefivereasonswhymicro-credentials

arethefutureofprofessional developmentfor educators.

The 1:1 Teacher Micro-credential Badge

from Eduro Learning

www.edurolearning.com
Google Apps in the Classroom

1. Learning alone is not for everyone but self-paced is

Educatorsarebusypeopleandlearnersatheart.Micro-Credentialsalloweducatorsto
workattheirownpace.CompletionofPDhourshavealwaysbeencalculatedbasedon
timespendinaPDsession.WiththeInternetthosehoursdonotneedtobeconsecutive.
Aneducatorcantake3daystocompleteacourseor3monthsdependingontheirother
commitments.

Somepeopleliketolearnalong,watchingvideos,readingarticlesandlessonplanningon
their own.Othersgetinspiredbybeingaroundpeopleandhavinglivelydiscussions.A
goodMicro-Credentialprogramshouldallowbothtypesoflearnerstoflourish.Giving
thosethatwantacommunitytolearnwithandfromaplacetobelongandatthesame
timeallowotherstoworkindependentlytofulfilltheirrequirements.
Design Thinking

2. Immediate and meaningful integration into classroom practice

Professional Development models have been broken for a long time. We have known this
aseducators. Arecent2015study,TheMirage foundthefollowing:
Overtwoyears,welookedcloselyatteacherdevelopmentinthreelargeschooldistricts
andonecharterschoolnetwork.Hereswhatwefound:
Schoolsystemsaremakingamassiveandlaudableinvestmentinteacher
improvementfarlargerthanmostpeoplerealize.
Yetmostteachersdonotappeartoimprovesubstantiallyfromyeartoyear,even
though manyhavenotyetmasteredcriticalskills.
Wefoundnoevidencethatanyparticularkindoramountofprofessional
development consistentlyhelpsteachersimprove.
Schoolsystemsarefailingtohelpteachersunderstandhowtoimproveoreven
that theyhaveroomtoimproveatall.

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 Takingteachersoutoftheclassroomorexpectingthemtogotoaconferenceona
weekendoroversummerandbringthatlearningbacktotheirclassroomdoesnotwork.
Learningoutofcontextdoesnteffecttheapplicationofskillsandknowledge.

Movingprofessionaldevelopmentonlinehelpstosolvethisinacoupleofdifferentways.
First, itremovesobstaclesliketime(spending6hoursallinonesittinglearning)andspace
(havingtodrivesomewheretobewithothers).Moreimportantthanremovingthose
obstaclesarethebenefitsofbeingabletolearnsomethingonlineinafocusedsessionand
applyingitimmediatelyinyourclassroompracticeandthenbeing able to immediately
reflectonthelearningwithothersinanonlinespace.

Micro-Credentialsnotonlyalloweducatorstolearn,apply,reflectinthemoment,but they
makethelearningmeaningfulforthatspecificeducatorinthatspecificschoolandfor
thosespecificstudents.Veryrarelyareeducatorsrequiredtoimplementsomethingthey
learnedataconferenceandevenmore rarelyaretheyaskedtoreflectontheirnewskill
andapproachintheclassroom.Botharekeyelementsinadultlearning.
Starting & Growing Your PLN

3. A deeper, more focused approach to Professional Development

Micro-Credentials make professional development classroom-embedded and
meaningful in the classroom immediately. They also allow a teacher to focus deeply
onthe new skillandknowledgetheylearningabout.

All tooofteneducatorswill haveaPD sessiononmaththisweekandreadingnextweek.

A PD sessiononthisnewapproachandthatnewskill.PDsessionsareusuallyone-off
no-hit wondersthatdonotconnectbacktotheclassroom.WithMicro-Credentials
an educator getsa deeplong-termfocusedapproachtolearninganewskilloracquiring
new knowledgeandhastheabilitytoapplythat new skill or new knowledgetotheir
classroompractice instantly.

Amicro-credentiallikeEduroLearnings1:1 TeacherMicro-Credential focusesonboth

the pedagogicalapproachtoteachingina1:1classroom(oneInternetconnecteddevice
to everystudent)aswellasnewskillstotryandapplyasyoulearn.This creates adeep
and focusedapproachtolearning,while applyingandreflectingon, thelearning.

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 Coding in the Classroom

4. Courses that are "stackable" lead to greater learning

Micro-Credentialsalloweducatorsthe freedomoftime, space and pace. Thenew knowledge
and skills gained can instantly be integrated into classroom practice. While allowingfor
deeper morefocusedlearning,micro-credentialsarealsostackable in nature.

Each course builds on prior courses and knowledge allowing educators to level up their
skills.Courseswithinamicro-credentialcanalso betakeninanyorder. Aseducatorsfinish
courses they earn badges for the courses. These course badges lead to larger Micro-
Credential badgesallowingeducatorsandtheschoolsanddistrictstheyworkfortosee the
learningthat has occurred and be able to award credit for the learning respectively.

Like students, educators deserve a clear map of what they need to know
and be able to do, multiple ways to learn, and options for demonstrating
mastery. In most cases we think progress will be marked with a stackable
Digital Citizenship in the Classroom

series of micro-credentials. No more random courses for continuing ed.

credits, just highly relevant job-linked learning.
Getting Smart (2015)

5. Recognized by schools for own professional learning

OneofthebiggestreasonswhyMicro-Credentialsaregrowinginpopularityisthatschools
arestartingtorecognizetheprofessionallearningeducatorsdoontheirowntime.

BeforetheInternetaschoolhadahardtimetrackingallthetimeteachersspentoutside
theclassroomlearningontheirown.WithMicro-Credentials,aschoolorganizationcan
easilytrackaneducator'sprogressandhoursspentlearning.

SchoolsanddistrictshavealreadystartedpartneringwithcompanieslikeEduroLearning
tooverseethemicro-credentialprocessandtrackeducatortraininginspecificareas.
Inapartnershipcapacityprofessionaldevelopmentcanbedeliveredtoeducatorswhile
theschoolordistrictcangivecredittothehours educatorsspendlearningoutsideofthe
classroomontheirowntime.

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 Finding a Good Micro-Credential Program
Arethe micro-credentials offeredbasedonprovenadultlearning
strategiesthatalloweducatorsto apply and reflect on their
COETAIL Level 2 Micro-credential practice immediately?

Does it give educators freedom over pace and timing?

Doesthecompanybehindthemicro-credentialallowschoolsto
partnerwith them tocreatecustomized micro-credentials for
theirteachers?

Does the micro-credential lead to re-certification credits?

The Connected Teacher Micro-credential

Sources
(n.d.). RetrievedMay08,2017,from
The 1:1 Teacher Micro-credential http://www.educationworld.com/a_news/are-microcredentials-future-professional
development-1250545177

Ark,T.V.(2015,September02).Micro-Credentials:TheFutureofProfessionalLearning.
Retrieved May 08, 2017, from
http://www.geetingsmart.com/2015/09micro-credentials-the-future-of-
professional- learning/

Lathram, B. (n.d.). Preparing Leaders for Deeper Learning. Retrieved May 08, 2017, from
http://www.gettingsmart.com/publication/preparing-leaders-for-deeper-learning/
The Coach Micro-credential

The Mirage. (August 4, 2015). Retrieved May 09, 2017, from

https://tntp.org/publications/view/the-mirage-confronting-the-truth-about-our-quest-for
teacher-development

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