Google Teacher Academy in Washington, DC

The next Google Teacher Academy (GTA) has been announced! I've said this several times before, but I’m thrilled to be involved with this project - and to share it with you here on this blog. As with all previous GTA events, tech savvy educators and professional developers in the local area can apply to participate in the special full-day workshop. And as with the last four events, the application process is also open to anyone, including educators out of the area, out of the state, or even out of the country (with the understanding that Google doesn’t cover travel or lodging). In other words, any of you who feel you meet the criteria for application are invited to apply!


Below is the official announcement and invitation to apply:

Google Teacher Academy - DC

Washington, DC

December 9, 2009

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Applications Due: November 9, 2009

http://www.google.com/educators/gta.html

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We are pleased to announce that the next Google Teacher Academy will be hosted in Washington DC on Wednesday, December 9, 2009. Outstanding and innovative educators from around the world are encouraged to apply.

The Google Teacher Academy is a FREE professional development experience designed to help K-12 educators get the most from innovative technologies. The GTA is an intensive, one-day event (8:30 am -7:30 pm) where participants get hands-on experience with Google's free products and other technologies, learn about innovative instructional strategies, collaborate with exceptional educators, and immerse themselves in an innovative corporate environment. Upon completion, GTA participants become Google Certified Teachers who share what they learn with other K-12 educators in their local region.

50 outstanding educators from around the world will be selected to attend the GTA based on their passion for teaching, their experience as leaders, and their use of technology in K-12 settings. Each applicant is required to produce and submit an original one-minute video on either of the following topics: "Motivation and Learning" or "Classroom Innovation." Applications for the event in Washington, DC are due on Monday, November 9, 2009. Participants must provide their own travel, and if necessary, their own lodging.  

Learn more about the program and the application at: http://www.google.com/educators/gta.html

The GTAs have been a wonderful experience for everyone involved, with 97% of all attendees rating the GTA as "outstanding."

Here are a few quotes from GTA participants:

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"The academy was everything I hoped for and more! I can't wait to plan out ways to use the tools we learned about, to share my experiences with my colleagues and to re-connect with the other academy participants!"

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"The focus on innovation in education, and not just about the tools, was right on target."

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"I appreciate the opportunity to be connected to a group of educators that are passionate about preparing students for the 21st century. I feel inspired and able to meet the challenges that lie ahead!"

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"Until now, I had never attended a conference where I was so engaged and loving every minute of it."

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"This was easily the most important professional development experience I have ever had as an educator. World-class tools demonstrated by world-class people at a world-class facility. THANK YOU!"

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"I love [the Google Certified Teacher community] for the ideas and inspiration that comes flowing to and from it...folks share professional development strategies (technology or otherwise) that have worked. It's nice to have a variety of ways to assist others and having that variety also provides spice for those of us responsible for doing the providing."

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Feel free to send any questions to gteachers@gmail.com - and please spread the word to anyone who may be interested in joining us. 

We're looking forward to another great event!

The GTA Team
gteachers@gmail.com

Google Teacher Academy - DC

Washington, DC

December 9, 2009

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Applications Due: November 9, 2009

http://www.google.com/educators/gta.html

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I hope to see some of you in DC! Also, we hope to be announcing additional events and additional locations in 2010, so stay tuned.

Inspiration and Innovation at Googleplex

From the Google colored chairs to the gourmet chef, Googleplex provided the perfect environment for 50 creative educators at the June 25th Google Teacher Academy to be inspired by Googlers (staff at Google) and innovative educators using Google tools in their classroom.
The folks from CUE, West Ed, and Google designed a fast paced series of events that had us buzzing with ideas. I agreed with the educators from New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the U.S. that it was like drinking from a firehouse. There wasn't a session that didn't leave me blown away by the power of Google tools to transform teaching and learning. (Photo Credit. Molly Schroeder)

Award winning examples from Vicki Davis' keynote address and the inspiring example of Esther Wojcicki's journalism classes reminded me of the quality work today's students can produce when we set high standards and expect that they will succeed. During the fast-paced tech rotations, I learned about product features that I never knew existed; I saw classroom application of these features that I can't wait to use to help students think deeper as they collaborate, communicate, connect, and create.

• Chris Walsh, who many of you know as the host from ITM videos, gave us a tour of advanced search features, many of which can be found under the “more” tab or 'even more” tab. Check out this interactive demo to learn how to search Google from your mobile phone. http://sms.google.com/.


• Jerome Burg, introduced his project, Google Lit Trip, amongst other GEO applications of Google Maps and Google Earth in the classroom. Check out the gadgets (browse the directory of My Maps) that can turn your Google Maps into tools for measuring distance of a path or digging a hole through the earth.


• Mark Wagner demonstrated Google Doc's newest features including how to add data collecting forms that automatically add the data to your Google Spreadsheet along with the new “gadget” library (found under 'create a map, chart, or table link within a spreadsheet). I can't wait to visualize data using the gauges gadget or watching data change over time using the motion chart gadget.


• Cheryl Davis helped us discover how to use Blogger, iGoogle & Google Reader to collaborate with colleagues, students, and parents. Did you know that items shared through Google Reader can be annotated with notes?


• Kathleen Ferenz helped us discover the power behind Google Notebook and other Google tools to scaffold the research process for students. Did you know you can highlight important facts in a web page and right click to add it to your Google research notebook? Shared notebooks provides teachers with a digital formative assessment tool.


• Kyle Brumbaugh's inspiring message of how his district adopted Google Apps for your Domain to teach students how to become Global Citzens, including making sure that all students have both a computer and Internet access from home made him a hero in my book. Kyle updated us with ways to use Google Apps and Google Sites in the classroom.

These fabulous GTA alumni modeled the spirit of collaborating and sharing their experience and knowledge by organizing Google Almanac --a wealth of resources related to the tools they presented at the Google Teachers Academy 2008. Add these to the lessons and tips from Google Educators Page or sign up for the Google Teacher Newsletter and you'll find yourself with plenty of ways to try googlizing one of your own lessons, or better yet, add a a Google Certified Educator to your personal learning network.

P.S. You can also learn more about some of the Google Teacher Academy participants and view their videos in this unofficial pre-academy wiki or by reading some of their post-academy blog post.