Level Up Your Digital IQ

Texas Sub

One thing that the Covid pandemic made clear to everyone was the necessity to have digital skills. If you happened to be teaching during those lockdown days, then you already know many valuable skills that now translate beautifully to the modern marketplace. Should you happen to be a newbie teacher, then you are most likely the generation that was practically handed tech from birth so you are adept at all things digital. However, should you somehow be entering education from some remote location, such as retirement, (like my father who started subbing in Texas at 73 years young), then it would behoove you to gain some digital skills since even attendance requires a computer these days.

"Tell me you're 'tech savvy' without saying you're 'tech savvy'" on a resume. It is wild how often this is queried on the internet. One of the universally recognized ways to demonstrate to others that you have the technical skills to not only survive, but to thrive, in today's classrooms is to attach the words "Certified Google Educator" to your resume/CV. In order to become certified, you can easily go to the Google Education website to take the training lessons, practice questions, practice assessment, and finally the Level 1 exam for only $10.

I first became Google Certified in 2017 with several colleagues eager to become more tech savvy in the classroom. That time around, we performed each of the training sessions diligently creating actual assignments and products to use in the classroom. Now seven years later and because I use Google apps daily both professionally and personally, it took me about an hour to skim through the training lessons and less than an hour to complete the exam. 

Not a bad way to spend some of your winter break in the pursuit of your career goals, I would say. Tomorrow's adventure will then be to update my Level 2 certification so that I can finally apply for the jobs requiring Google Certification according to the Job Description. If you still aren't convinced that leveling up your digital IQ will help you land your future international teaching job, consider this information stated directly on the Google for Education website:

Integrating technology in your classroom better prepares students to enter an increasingly connected and competitive workforce. Studies show that students need digital skills to succeed in new career fields. Lightcast, an industry expert on job skills, workforce talent, and labor market dynamics, estimates that “80% of ‘middle-skill’ U.S. jobs now require digital skills.” Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum estimates that "up to 50% of workers will need to add new [digital] skills to keep up with the requirements of in-demand careers” and that 65% of today’s grade school students will be working in a job that currently doesn’t exist.

Headshot Debacle - Bobble Head vs. Winged Warrior

While updating my professional profiles in order to have
greater success getting the job of my dreams, I decided to try out the awesome new AI functions my favorite app, Photo Director, offers. The results were far from what I had hoped to receive.  

First of all, never ever, even in my wildest dreams, had I expected to see a version of myself represented as Bobble Head, but now I cannot unsee what that version of me looks like.  It has taken me decades to get over the fact that my nose is pretty enormous, but this new me as Ms. Bobblehead has given me a greater appreciation for my rather large nose.  

The surprise didn't stop there.  No, no, no...instead my next batch of AI produced style shots revealed my inner Winged Warrior, but in tweed for all the world to see.  Who knew that my style closely resembled that of winged upholstery?  

However, now that I have witnessed all the ways my wings can be represented, I feel that my next steps are to write my own fictional fantasy story, much like my favorite Maas characters in the Court of Thorns and Roses series, but to make sure that I feature in it as the newest heroine who also fancies tweed.

I am curious to know, who actually wears pinecones on their suit jackets; could this be the upcoming Christmas trend this year?  If so, it looks like my holiday card picture is sorted.

Those of you more familiar with using AI tools, might be thinking that the problem lies with the photo I submitted to the app, and you would be correct, at least partially.  Although it is true that the original photo had me posing in front of a very sparkly gemstone display in an attempt to appear more angelic during my recent birthday vacay trip. 

Even though I had used a background removal tool to get rid of the unnecessary appendages, but apparently my Photo Director AI recognized the other AI tool and utilized the original photo to create these lovely winged versions of myself.         

Yet, as my goal for this project was focused on helping me beef up my professional profiles on such platforms as LinkedIn and my candidate applications on international job agencies, the pinecones, the wings, and the overlarge head just won't do. 

I would love to see which version of myself you think will be most effective in securing me the most professional job suited to my unique talents - which unfortunately have more to do with educating others, though keeping them entertained is a large part of that in this highly distractable world.  Therefore, please take the
Ms. Bobble Head vs. Ms. Winged Warrior Poll.