Additional content about ISTE Certification for Educators:

The ISTE Certification for Educators is a rigorous professional certification for ambitious educators and coaches ready for the challenge.  Using a hybrid model encompassing both face to face and online learning components, candidate educators will complete approximately 30 hours of instruction and activities before assembling their eportfolio for review by the ISTE Certification review team.

This unique certification is based on the ISTE Standards for Educators and is designed for cohorts of practitioners to move systems from vision to practice by preparing them to re-think and redesign learning activities with technology to engage students in real-world, authentic and active learning. The vendor- and device-neutral ISTE Certification for Educators training/professional development program focuses content and learning activities on all seven educator standards, with a special emphasis on the instructional indicators within the standards.

Are you ready to be an ISTE Certified Educator?

ISTE Certification participants should be: 

• Comfortable with using technology for learning.

• Possess a growth mindset.

• Be able to commit to at least 40 hours of online learning and an additional 40 hours to prepare a portfolio for submission and review.

Certification requirements

ISTE Certification for Educators is open to those who work with K-12 students or adult learners. It requires the following of participants:

• Commit at least 40 hours over a 14-week facilitated online course that includes:

  • Attending five synchronous meetings. 

  • Completing online assignments.

• Over the next six months, commit an estimated 40 hours to: 

  • Curate or design artifacts. 

  • Submit a competency-based portfolio.

• Earn the distinction of becoming an ISTE Certified Educator by scoring 80% or better on final portfolio submission. 

Certification benefits

• Online learning is facilitated by ISTE Certified Trainers who are vetted and trained by ISTE, are experts in their field and demonstrate a deep understanding of the ISTE Standards in practice.

• Participants can apply for up to four graduate-level credits.

• ISTE Certification is valid for three years, with renewal based on a point system (see Phase 4 section below).

• Those who earn ISTE Certification have access to an international professional learning community of ISTE Certified Educators.

ISTE Certification for Educators sample syllabus - Here is an example syllabus for the ISTE Certification for Educators.  There may be variations in the way the training is conducted based on the discretion of the ISTE Certification Authorized Provider you may be working with. If you have a question about the syllabus please contact standards@iste.org.

PHASE 1: ISTE Certification

fully online coursework

ISTE estimates learners will need to devote at least 40 hours to complete the coursework, including five facilitated synchronous virtual sessions. Each section consists of a required two-hour virtual instruction followed by another 30 hours of coursework.

Empowered educator learning objective

Participants will: 

• Understand the skills necessary to advocate for equitable access and create personalized/authentic learning experiences for all students.

• Establish professional learning goals for applying the ISTE Standards.

• Reflect on personal strengths and challenges related to using educational technology in practice.

• Explore strategies to personalize learning that fosters independence and accommodates learner needs. Learn how to develop and provide alternative assessments.

Activities/assignments:

• Attend synchronous session 1 (2 hours).

• Group standard presentations.

• Technology frameworks assignment.

• Universal Design for Learning (UDL) assignment.

• Understanding research activity.

• Standards in practice quiz.

Designing for diversity and accessibility learning objectives: 

Participants will:

• Practice designing learning experiences that meet all learners' needs. 

• Design learning activities that empower learners with digital citizenship skills.  

• Reflect on current practice and brainstorm new strategies to deepen application of the ISTE Standards in practice. 

• Re-design a lesson using UDL principles.

• Curate and evaluate the efficacy of digital tools to meet learning objectives. 

Activities/assignments:

• Attend synchronous session 2 (2 hours).

• Using assessments in instruction assignment.

• Designing for diversity and accessibility assignment.

• Curation and assessment of digital tools activity.

• Setting professional learning goals assignment.

• Standards in practice quiz.

Creating equity in digital learning environments learning objectives:

Participants will:

• Design authentic digital learning environments that accommodate learner variability. 

• Explore digital learning environments such as online or blended learning models and identify best practices within each model. 

• Identify a digital access issue within their school or district and leverage a computational thinking/design thinking process to help equitably address.

Activities/assignments:

• Attend synchronous session 3 (2 hours).

• Understanding computational thinking and design thinking activity.

• Digital learning environments activity.

• Standards in practice quiz.

• Student and educator standards crosswalk assignment.

• Designing for diversity and accessibility assignment. 

Redesigning learning and instruction learning objectives:

Participants will:

• Design an equitable access advocacy project.

• Explore their own practice to identify and curate artifacts that demonstrate application of the ISTE Standards for Educators.

Activities/assignments:

• Attend synchronous session 4 (2 hours).

• Standards in practice quiz.

• Advocating for equitable access design challenge.

• The new digital citizenship assignment.

ISTE Standards for Educators in practice learning objectives:

Participants will:

• Begin identifying and preparing artifacts for final course assignment with facilitator feedback for growth and improvement.

• Reflect on practice of the ISTE Standards for Educators.

• Understand the portfolio submission process and expectations. 

Activities/assignments:

• Attend synchronous session 5 (2 hours).

• Redesigning learning and instruction assignment.

• Final standards in practice quiz.

PHASE 2: CERTIFICATION AND EVALUATION

Online coursework portion (approximately 8 weeks)