Wednesday, October 25, 2016

At the end of October the Technology Lead teachers from each of the KO communities travelled to North York, Toronto, ON for a conference on Google Apps for Education (GAFE). Teachers learned how to create and design innovative lessons using Chromebooks, iPads and other new technologies.

Participants were able to self-select sessions based on ability and interest. Highlights of the conference included The Demo Slam, where teachers learned about the various apps and extensions that improve Google Chrome. Apps and Extensions not only optomize the browser but also offer students tools to support reading and writing. For example, Read and Write for Google helps students spell, research, highlight and play back their work just from the click of a button. Some excellent keynote speakers included Jeff Hail from California who spoke about reaching even the most challenging students through filmmaking. At the end of the conference, participants said they had “so much fun and so much learning” (Carley Whittle, North Spirit Lake).

A staff member from KPDSB, Sherry McNear, was able to get funding to join us on our learning journey. This was a wonderful opportunity to connect a public school teacher with our new Teach for Canada teachers in the North. Sherry learned alongside our teachers but also offered her experience and support saying, “Any time, think of me! I love these new teachers. They are up in a different kind of front line than me. I am open to support them and my classroom is open to them.” What a great statement for building upon the partnership between KPDSB and KOBE.

Thanks to the communities for supporting KOBE teachers on this learning adventure. Stay tuned for updates on this site! By Katie Burch 21st Century Technology Lead, KOBE