AVT Certification
Proof that you are Proficient with Virtual Teaching Technology
Welcome Virtual Teachers!
We invite you to apply for your Virtual Teaching Certification badge, a sign of quality designed to assure hiring entities that they can trust your professionalism and proficiency with live virtual technology. Certified virtual teachers will be listed on the AVT website. You may use the badge on your website and advertising materials. Certification is available to any live virtual teacher, whether you are a member of the Academy for Virtual Teaching or not. Please read the process and qualifications below.
Evaluation Requirements
In order to earn the Academy for Virtual Teaching certification badge, you will need to meet the following requirements. Our goal for the certification program is NOT to make this exclusionary. We want you to succeed.
Qualification is, however, not guaranteed and we are unable to offer refunds.
-
$100 USD
Apply Now - Use the AVT Certification Badge in your advertising
- Hiring Entities can trust your proficiency with virtual technology
- Get listed as an AVT certified teacher on our website
The Certification Process
Schedule your own LIVE Zoom workshop, to be held at least 4 weeks after your application is submitted
Your workshop can be an event scheduled by a hiring entity, or you may schedule it yourself. It does not matter if you are being paid or not.
The class must be attended by a minimum of 5 students.
Please use a workshop to apply for certification so that you can be observed using and controlling technology and interacting with your students.
A lecture offered in the format of a mini-workshop, during which you interact with attendees and you see and comment on their work, is also acceptable.
Fill out our form: You will be directed to the form after you register. We must have at least 4 weeks notice so we can schedule your adjudicator. You will be contacted within a few days of your registration, introducing you to your adjudicator.
Adjudicator: Add the adjudicator as a student to your workshop as soon as possible so they can observe your pre-workshop communications.
Website: Your website will be evaluated and you will receive feedback if there are suggestions for improvement.
Audit: An adjudicator will audit at least 1 hour of your live zoom workshop, video off and muted. You can introduce the adjudicator or not. The adjudicator will observe, not participate in your class, and will not be closely watching every minute. Relax and don't worry.
Evaluation: Your technical skills will be evaluated by the adjudicator and you will receive helpful feedback after your workshop.
Student Survey: At the end of the workshop students and hiring entities will be asked to fill out a survey. You will receive the results. The survey is intended to provide helpful feedback, not criticism.
Results: If you do not meet the criteria for accreditation (unlikely if you have read the requirements and are confident you can meet them) you will be given the opportunity for adjudication one more time within the next four months at no additional cost.
When you do meet the criteria you will be awarded a badge that you can use on your website, teaching communications, and all advertisements. It will link back to a page listing the qualifications you have met. Your name will be added to a listing of AVT Qualified teachers, with a link to your website.
Website Evaluation Checklist
Home Page
- Is your name on your home page?
- Is it easy to find your workshop descriptions from your home page?
- Is it easy to find a “contact” link on your website?
Virtual Teaching Technical Information
- Is it clear that you offer virtual workshops?
- Is it clear how your virtual classes function?
Workshop/Lecture Descriptions (should include)
- Clear photo
- Full description
- Supply list If kits are offered, is it clear what they contain and how to purchase them?
- Is student level indicated
- Duration and time structure of workshop (some workshops are split into more than one session)
Hiring Information
- Is it easy to find your hiring information from your workshop pages?
- Is it easy to contact you via form or email?
Optional Hiring Information
- Can guilds see your contract?
- Is pricing listed? Is your time zone listed?
- Is your lecture/workshop schedule listed and easy to find?
Optional Promotional Information
- Is there a promo video for each workshop?
- Is there a promo video for how virtual classes work?
- Gallery of work: photos should be clear, well positioned and labeled.
- About you page: someone who doesn’t know you can learn more about you
- the type of work you do
- awards you’ve won
- where your work has been exhibited
- Newsletter: have you made the link to sign up easy to find?
- Social media: if you’re on social media are the links to your pages easy to find?
- Sales: do you have an online shop? Is the link to it easy to find?
Virtual Teaching Checklist
Pre-Class Communication
- Is your name on your home page?
- Is it easy to find your workshop descriptions from your home page?
- Is it easy to find a “contact” link on your website?
Opening Class
- Zoom link is sent in a timely manner
- Supply lists are sent ahead in a timely manner
- Handouts to print are sent ahead in a timely manner
- Reminders and workshop access instructions in a timely manner
Workshop/Lecture Descriptions (should include)
- How early is class open?
- How are students first engaged?
- Does the teacher give a tutorial on how to use zoom?
- Does the teacher describe any back-up plans for student or teacher tech issues? (Tech issues always arise. Teachers will not be judged on those, but on how they are handled.)
- Does the teacher have a way for students to contact her/him or an assistant if tech issues arise?
- Does the teacher give an overview of how the day will work, schedules, breaks, etc.?
- Did the teacher start on time?
- Did the teacher end on time?
Technical Proficiency
- How does the teacher handle zoom tech issues from students?
- Is the camera view used sufficient for each segment?
- Can the student clearly see who and what they need to see?
- Does the camera remain in focus?
- Can the student clearly hear what they need to hear?
- Does the teacher switch screens or cameras effectively?
- Does the teacher share screens effectively?
- How does the teacher handle technical glitches?
- If the teacher uses a front-on camera can the students see well (moving too fast etc)?
Student Engagement
- Is the teacher asking and watching for student feedback?
- Is the teacher watching for and answering questions?
- How does the teacher gauge student progress?
- How does the teacher help students?
- How does the teacher view student work?
- Does the teacher fit everything into the time she/he has to work with?
- Is the teacher present for the students?
- Does the teacher plan and encourage breaks to avoid zoom/screen fatigue?
- Does the teacher deal with excess noise/muting/interruptions during demos?
We Can't Wait for You to Join Us!
Join an ever growing community of qualified virtual teachers who are striving to lift our profession and each other.
-
$100 USD
Apply Now - Use the AVT Certification Badge in your advertising
- Hiring Entities can trust your proficiency with virtual technology
- Get listed as an AVT certified teacher on our website