Over the last few months I have had a number of amazing opportunities to learn new skills, demonstrate technical competencies and reflect on my own professional development. All of this hard work has led to the following recognitions:
- Certified Leading Practitioner (CeLP) (ALDinHE)
- Microsoft Innovative Education Expert 2018-19 (MIEE) (Microsoft)
- NVivo 12 Certified Expert (QSR)
Each of these means an awful lot to me, and reflects a lot of hard work and commitment over the last few years.
Certified Leading Practitioner (CeLP)
CeLP status is awarded by the Association of Learning Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE, 2018). Professional recognition is a new venture for ALDinHE, launched at the 2018 annual conference. The scheme offers two levels of recognition, certified practitioner (CeP) and certified leading practitioner (CeLP), helping to recognise learning development as a distinct profession (Briggs, 2018).
I am truly honoured to have been recognised as a Certified Leading Practitioner, and for the ALDinHE community which provides such an excellent forum for us to share practice and ideas. I cannot wait to see how this recognition scheme grows and how ALDinHE continues to evolve as a professional body.
If you work within learning development in higher education, I highly recommend the CeP/CeLP professional recognition. Similar to HEA fellowship, it provides a valuable opportunity to reflect on your practice. What makes ALDinHE’s scheme particularly valuable is its grounding within learning development, making it the most relevant scheme for professionals working in this area.
Microsoft Innovative Education Expert 2018-19
I am happy to share that I am returning as a MIEE for 2018-19 and Trainer, making this my second year in the programme. I am particularly excited to be joined this year by Sue Watling, who alongside Joel Mills places at least three of us in Hull. The MIEE program provides excellent opportunities to connect with peers, share ideas and help other educators.
As Microsoft continue to develop stunning new features and tools that continue to make technology more open and accessible, I could not be more proud to be an MIEE. You can check out my profile on the Microsoft Educator Community, but more importantly have a look at the excellent courses and resources.
NVivo 12 Certified Expert
I am incredibly proud to be recognised as a NVivo 12 Certified Expert. This level of recognition reflects a long journey for me, starting with my first use of NVivo in 2011. Since then I have taught hundreds of students, created dozens of NVivo projects and ingrained NVivo into a variety of research. To gain expert status I was required to undertaken further learning, sit a multiple choice exam and take three, two-hour exams. I am so proud of myself for getting through all of this (including further assessment to move from NVivo 11 to 12).
If you are an experienced NVivo user, I highly recommended the certification program. It is an excellent way to build your skills and recognise your achievements.
I am aware that this whole post was a little self-indulgent, but after all this work I had to do a little something to mark all of these achievements. My next step is to go for my Senior Fellowship of the HEA, building on my current Fellowship level. This one is going to take a lot of work, but I have already made a fair start on the application. Wish me luck!