WINNETKA – North Shore educators will have an opportunity to fine-tune their technology skills at the Chicago Google for Education Summit, when it is held on April 2-3 at Carlton Washburn Middle School in Winnetka.
The event was organized by Maureen Chertow Miller, director of technology at Winnetka School District 36, to provide North Shore teachers, school leaders and IT staff an opportunity to learn more about Google’s suite of applications that can be used in the classroom. Chertow Miller, who is certified by Google for Education, has attended Google Education Summits in other areas before but is really excited to offer this event for the first time here on the North Shore.
Google offers a web-based platform with tools that users can access from anywhere, similar to Apple’s iCloud. Miller believes that this format encourages the four Cs — 21st-Century heirs to the three Rs that emphasize creativity, collaboration, curiosity and critical thinking. “Having this platform has helped us to leverage our ability to achieve these goals,” Chertow Miller said.
The web-based applications allow multiple people to work on a project at the same time. “It lends itself to collaboration,” Chertow Miller said. For example, a student home sick from school can still see the teacher’s work as well as other student’s work in the classroom. Winnetka D-36 has used Google education applications for a long time and boasts one-to-one iPads for grades 5 – 8.
Chertow Miller believes that it is important to move beyond teaching students how to use a particular device, but rather to shift the focus on how technology can be used as a tool for learning. In a world where students can find virtually any information on the Internet, the challenge for educators now is teaching students how to process that information. Chertow Miller hopes that by attending the Education Summit, educators will learn “how to leverage technology for transforming teaching and learning.” In her role as director of technology, she not only oversees the district’s computers and software, but is also directly involved with curriculum development by helping teachers integrate technology into the classroom.
And for parents who may be leery that schools are relying too much on technology, Chertow Miller emphasizes that it depends on how the technology is being used. “It’s a balance. Screen time depends on the purpose. Screens for a purpose — what are you trying to learn and how will it apply?” she said.
The Education Summit begins each day with a keynote speaker, followed by break-out sessions throughout the day. The speakers are from all over the country, with some even from different countries. The day concludes with “demo slam” where participants show off a tool or trick that they have learned using the applications. Chertow Miller said these tricks can be as simple as showing others how to efficiently use Google Calendar by adding a child’s baseball games for the season at once, rather than one game at a time. “Leveraging tools for productivity is big,” she said.
Chertow Miller hopes that educators attending the conference will take away at least one new tool to implement in their classrooms. She also expects participants will learn from others, feel inspired by keynote speakers and have the opportunity to build a professional network.
And Chertow Miller, who describes herself as a life long learner, will likely share her own enthusiasm for using technology as a tool for learning. “I love to learn and be challenged,” she said.