Certified BrainPOP Educator

I’m proud to announce I have successfully completed the requirements to become a Certified BrainPOP Educator. When I say proud, I mean PROUD! It was an intense 4-week program. I found out through Twitter that BrainPOP was accepting applications for 40 spots in their April online certification class. The course was delivered through Canvas, which if you aren’t familiar with the learning management platform it is similar to Blackboard (the platform used for my Master’s program and then what was used when I was an adjunct professor). Each week focused on different aspects of what BrainPOP can offer. BrainPOP is not just a video watching tool, there is soooo much more to it. For instance, they have a concept mapping tool which is a great activity for after viewing a video or just a stand alone assignment. Here is an example one I created:

Another week focused on the various games BrainPOP offers along with the videos. Two different aspects explore were Snapthought and Sortify. A snapthought is a tool which takes a snapshot of your point in a game and gives you a place to type out questions, reflects, thoughts, etc. This will then be sent to the teacher to be able to leave comments. Sortify is an activity where you have a variety of cards and bins which can be labeled with different categories. The object of the game is to try and earn the highest amount of points by placing cards into labeled bins, some bins will earn you higher points. But the true heart of this game is in the conversation around your rationale as to why a certain card is better in a different bin. Here are screenshots of both:

 

Nearing the end of the course we started to see what the teacher side of an account would look like with the Quiz Mixer. This is a database full of shared quizzes either made by BrainPOP or other educators which you can pull from and customize. BrainPOP Quizzes do not have to be multiple choice only, teachers can place open response questions which can be graded and commented on in the system.

 

The last week sent us on a scavenger hunt through all that BrainPOP Educators has to offer. Tutorials, example projects, past webinars, and so much more. You could get lost in all that is offered in there, but you can find answers, ideas, etc. too.

I have to admit, this was the hardest affiliation program I have ever gone through. Others have asked to see an example of how I use their tool in an educational setting, but none has offered, what I would consider, a graduate-level course. There are two people I need to thank for completing this course. First, my colleague,

There are two people I need to thank for completing this course. First, my colleague, Melissa, whom I didn’t know was also taking it until I saw the first discussion board post. It was great to have someone who would encourage you to complete the various assignments, work together on the different activities, i.e. Sortify, and bounce questions off of when there was uncertainty. Second, a huge shout-out to Andrew who organized and facilitated our course. He was able to answer questions, gave great & timely feedback, as well as did a weekly wrap-up write up for all participants.

I would highly recommend going through this certification program if you ever have the opportunity. They offer it through online courses or at events like ISTE. I can’t wait for the signed certification from Moby and the other swag being sent for a successful completion.