This past week I had the privilege of attending the TCEA Conference in Austin, TX. Here are some of the highlights:
Google gives you the power to:
- Create – Students are no longer consumers only; they are creators and innovators. By using the platform Blogspot, students write for an authentic, global audience, and can share in what other classmates are learning and writing about
- Connect – The speaker gave an example of a “Monster Match”: Two classrooms individually create a “Monster” out of various recycled materials (cardboard, popsicle sticks, balloons, etc) and then write instructions teaching the other class how to make that exact “Monster”. Once both classes have had time to exchange instructions, and complete them, they meet up using Google Hangouts to show off their new creations–and critique both the writing of their own instructions and the final product of their peers.
- Empower – Within Sam Houston ISD, students are empowered to become “tech interns”. They achieve a certain level of mastery of tech tools, and are then “on-call” to help other teachers, students, and administrators learn how to use and implement those technologies.
- Inspire – Teachers within this same district are encouraged to complete badges within key areas of G Suite’s tools. Once they earn a badge, they submit a Google Form with the evidences of their use of said tool, and are awarded the badge in front of their own class, to add to their collection.
Amanda M. Orozco 