Auckland Summit

What?
During the holidays I attended the Edtech Team Auckland Summit featuring Google for Education at Aorere College in Papatoetoe.

This two-day conference focused on using Google Apps for Education (and other Google tools) to advance student learning in the classroom.

The conference included keynotes and breakout sessions on issues such as:

• Technology integration
• 21st century learning skills
• Student motivation, engagement and agency
• Student-focused differentiation and personalisation
• Design thinking and rapid prototyping
• Inquiry, problem-based learning, Genius Hour, and 20% Time

So what?

The conference offered both practical and effective strategies for the enhancing and differentiating classroom instruction including effective technology integration and engaging learners.

I had the opportunity to learn from internationally-known keynote speakers as well as fellow educators about new learning models, important issues, and new challenges facing today’s learners in our classrooms. I also had the opportunity to network with other educators.

Now what?
Over the next few weeks I will continue to digest the information I took in and read through my notes and presentations I attended. Some changes I have already made are:

• Question myself and what I do - am I being a relevant teacher?
• Not accepting - 'We have always done it this way'
• Challenged our speech format - is it for everyone?
• Employ Ask 3 B4 Me - with two of those options being Google and Youtube
• Ensure my students know they can access information. Don't ask the teacher Googlable questions
• Re-established my class site - for students to share 'digital work'.
• Using ideas from a 'breakout' I attended I feel I have made this better than last year
• Registered for Mindlab for my Digital Passport - something I will complete over the course of the term.

Here is a link to all of my notes and presentations I attended