eMINTS certification Q&A

1 - I thought I received a certificate when I completed my eMINTS PD. Doesn't that count?

In the past we have said that people who completed the full eMINTS Comprehensive PD or eMINTS4All program with at least 80% attendance and have the correct equipment in their classrooms are "official" eMINTS or eMINTS4All teachers. Their trainers distributed eMINTS "certificates" to these teachers when they finished training. Some people referred to themselves as "eMINTS certified." What that really meant is that you completed the eMINTS PD program (Comp or 4All) with the satisfactory level of attendance and equipment usage in your rooms. What you have is certification of completion which is different than being "certified" as an eMINTS teacher.

2- What does it mean to be certified now?

NOW - being defined as a "certified eMINTS teacher" - as in National Board Certification or getting an endorsement from your state department of education - requires that you submit a satisfactory electronic portfolio that shows your mastery of eMINTS concepts and your use of those concepts in your teaching.

3- Have any groups already completed the certification process?

People who completed eMINTS PD (Comp or 4All) in spring 2007 and who were trained by eMINTS staff (and some volunteer trainers from other districts and states that offered to help with the project) were required to submit electronic portfolios on CDs to the eMINTS office. Those portfolios were scored by our external evaluator (Education Development Center) and the scores provided the "norm" or baseline scores for scoring portfolios completed by teachers who finished their eMINTS PD (Comp or 4All) in spring 2008.

eMINTS now employes eMINTS specialists and teachers who have been trained to score portofolios. The trained portfolio scorers rate each portfolio element and then the total ratings (scores) are averaged to arrive at a final score. The final score determines whether or not the portofolio "passes."

4- Are all veteran eMINTS teachers now required to submit a portfolio?

You do not have to submit a portfolio for scoring if you are a veteran - it is entirely optional. What we are offering now is a chance for everyone who completed eMINTS PD (Comp or 4All) prior to spring 2007 or who completed it with a trainer who was not part of the norming group in spring 2007 or with the first group in spring 2008, to become fully eMINTS certified. Veterans must register for the course where they submit their portfolios and pay a $50 review fee.

5- What are the benefits of full certification?

What will you get if you are fully certified? In Missouri - your name will be published on the DESE website (Instructional Technology) as a certified eMINTS or eMINTS4All teacher. We are working to get DESE to allow that a line be printed on your teaching certificate when you complete the next certification level. We will keep your name in a database here at eMINTS. We also will publish the list of certified teachers from other states (Utah and Maine at this time) on our DESE website and invite your states to link to the list.

In other states (like Utah) you can already get an endorsement in technology; having the eMINTS portfolio will add to your credibility in applying for the endorsement. For teachers who have the Utah endorsement - we will be in touch with the Utah State Department of Education to obtain their official list for our list of certifed eMINTS teachers. We already have the list of Maine teachers who successfully submitted portfolios.

6- What will happen if you are not fully certified?

Probably not too much that is "bad." You will still be an "official" eMINTS teacher if you met the other requirements - 80% attendance and classroom equipment. Some districts are really pushing their teachers to complete the portfolio submission process.

For more information

Contact the eMINTS National Center office at emints-info@emints.org or (573) 884-7202.

Reviewed October 21, 2009.