Why am I going Google-ly eyes for education? Well, one, because of Google. Thanks +GAFE for ALL of the updates to Google daily. With this being my first year outside of the classroom (so to speak), I thought it would be a struggle to connect with educators and students alike. Then came Google Apps for Education. My school district open the doors to all and encouraged iTechs like myself to expose others to all GAFE has to offer. My newest method of connected educators in Google+. I have had an account (like most of us) for a couple of years now, and distinctively remember my brother telling me he was banning Facebook to be strictly G+. I didn't quite understand that notion then but today, in the world of academia, I see the ENTIRE picture.
Google+ allows me to reach the staff on my campus, my entire community of iTechs, the thousands of educators in my district, not to mention the rest of the world. I love how we connect in various communities. It was pure genius to call the groups 'communities' because you truly feel a part of a community collaborating with others. I share everything here! We share information on every known topic, flyers for upcoming professional developments, a ha moments, Google Docs, Slides, Sheets,(you get the pic), and most importantly we are sharing knowledge.
I hear many say, "I'm not that 'tech savy'" (whatever that means), but when you share what you have learned with someone else using an online application you are in the now with technology. My definition of technology: anything you can take and make better than when you found it. This school year, I'm sharing technology with everyone I meet.
Recently my colleagues and I hosted a technology conference in our district entitled TCCA. I invited my co-workers to attend (which 15 educators came).
They came to the conference to learn something new but I had to add rigor, so I gave them a challenge. They stepped up to the challenge and even surpassed my expectations. So many of them took selfies, tweeted, posted on G+ and even blogged about their experiences. I realized watching them explore technology that I'm still educating children...just through them! That day...and every day...I'm educating others on how to become a connected educator!
As I continue to prepare myself to become a GCE (Google Certified Educator), I understand more and more my role in education these days....and it's exciting!
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