The Covid-19 buzz word that hits home the most here at Moodle is ‘pivoting online’. To help educators move their courses online, we’re offering ready-to-use MoodleCloud sites with our straightforward Quick Start Guide, plus extending our free Learn Moodle MOOC so anyone can quickly learn how to teach with Moodle.
What about those teachers who already know how to use Moodle and are looking for more advanced training? Now that there’s a little more time for people to engage in online courses, either for general interest or professional development, we’ve just launched our updated Moodle Educator Certification. This comprehensive program is designed to enhance your online teaching skills and if you’re an experienced Moodle-using educator, now is the perfect time to find out more and sign up!
Focused on meeting learners’ needs
The Moodle Educator Certification program, or MEC for short, is inspired by the widely-used and accepted European Framework for the Digital Competence for Educators (DigCompEdu). The framework focuses on essential competences that modern educators need to thrive in their professional and pedagogic environments. In the MEC, experienced Moodle-using educators start from the point of view of their learners: what do they need to achieve and how can Moodle help? Through the MEC’s 6 courses, participants will be able to answer these questions and improve the quality of their activities and courses to directly benefit their learners. Additionally, they build on their own skills connecting and collaborating online with colleagues.
The program is managed and run by our Moodle Partners who’ve been busy over the last few months reviewing the course content and getting ready to facilitate the program. We’re delighted to announce that our first Moodle partners have already started, with more partners joining them very soon!
Kim Salinas, pictured, from Elearning Experts, who was the first Moodle partner trainer to obtain Certified Facilitator status, says “I’ve been around education and Moodle for quite some time and I must say this has been a very rewarding experience for me. Earning the MEC really made me reflect on my teaching strategies as well as improve them. The certificate has also given me more confidence to support and train others. Thank you, Martin, and the Moodle Education Team for a great product that I highly recommend!”
At the time of writing, nine Moodle partners have been certified to run the MEC. Congratulations to: Elearning Experts, My Learning Space, Eummena, ed-rom, WIDE Services, HRDNZ, Moonami, 3ipunt and Elearning Touch’.
Chad Outten, Founder and Director of My Learning Space, the second Moodle Partner to be certified to run the MEC, comments that:
“We are educators at heart, so naturally, got very excited when we read about the Moodle Educator Certification (MEC). My Learning Space is proud to be among the first partners to be facilitating the MEC. The fact the program aligns with the DigCompEdu framework has a lot of merit and relevance in modern education contexts. We think the MEC is a tremendous opportunity for Moodlers, everywhere, to earn credentials to advance their careers, collaborate with world-class educators and improve the quality of teaching and learning.”
If you’d like to find out more about the MEC or if you’d like us to put you in touch with a Moodle Partner to join the program and advance your skills: complete the contact form on moodle.com/mec and we’ll be in touch!
