Digital badging has many advantages to the individual learner. It allows the learner to work at their own pace and complete activities that are meaningful to them instead of the entire group of teachers in the district. The process is fairly easy although there are many steps and multiple websites to navigate in order to complete it. First, you need to start on Frontline in the Professional Growth area which has all of the Digital Badging options labeled as such in the catalog. This makes it easier to find as you can search within Frontline to find all the Digital Badging in one list. After finding the lesson you want, select “Request Approval”. Once you’re approved, the next step is navigating to the Digital Badging website. The easiest way to get there, in my opinion, is using the link posted within the Frontline in the description. But you can also find it in the OP Tech Hub or by the direct Badgelist link. Once there, click the Digital Badging access where you need to sign up using your google account and join the OP group using the group code. When I did it, it made it easier by already filling in the group code. In the group, then you find the badge that you were approved for in Frontline and join the badge. The important area is the “Required Evidence” which tells you exactly what you need to do. For example, this badge needed you to submit a screenshot of your badge and then write a reflection. From the Digital Badge page, you need to press the “More Info” button underneath to find out what specifically they are looking for. Then, you can upload a screenshot, a text, or a link. Once completed, you need to click the button “View your badge portfolio” which is where you will finally find the link that says “Request Feedback” to be sent to the people to approve your badge. After approval, you need to download the certificate from the Badgelist website and upload it into Frontline. Overall, I think that if you are comfortable with technology and navigation through websites, this is a great way to earn additional credit hours. However, if you are uncomfortable with technology, the number of steps needed to complete a badge and all the buttons and links you need to navigate through may limit participation for some staff.
