Many of you may have heard the term ‘digital badge’ or ‘micro-credential’ these days, mostly in regards to students earning badges as a way to capture and recognize their skill development (similarly to how the Boy or Girl Scouts award badges for demonstrating specific skills). While student badges continue to be popular across the educational spectrum, we are increasingly seeing badges show up as a way to quantify and celebrate adult learning as well.

This summer, two of our staff, myself and Kiera Chase, explored these themes at a two day convening in New York sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation and Digital Promise, where various researchers and field practitioners shared their experiences around teacher-facing digital badges, and discussed the potential they hold to transform professional development. We already have a set of digital badges for students available on ConnectED Studios, and we are now focusing on how teacher level badges can be integrated into our platform and aligned services. Stay tuned for more details as we begin to work with some of our district partners to pilot an initial set of badges that focus on Linked Learning instruction. For more information, you can also learn more about badges, or micro credentials at www.digitalpromise.org/initiative/educator-micro-credentials/