2013-09-07   Google in Education Singapore Summit

Post date: Oct 26, 2013 2:58:16 AM

What an amazing weekend! 

Our school is in the early days of becoming a Google Apps school. I self-funded my attendance at this summit because I believed that it would provide me with valuable knowledge that I could use and share with my colleagues. I was also keen to develop a personal portfolio and the sessions by Keri-Lee Beasley and Benji Chan Lai Fun seemed to be exactly what I needed. Were they? Well, Dear Reader, you tell me. This is the Personal Portfolio that I began to develop that weekend. Obviously, I'm still learning, but thank you Keri-Lee and Benji for giving me the start that I needed.

I was really interested in Andy Crozier's session - We have Google Apps, now what? I believe that it gave me some insight into the power of Google apps, but also made me understand the huge amount of work that goes on behind the scenes by Administrators to successfully implement Google Apps in schools. On my return to Malaysia I have witnessed Guto Aaron, a teacher at KLASS, tirelessly training and troubleshooting with staff as we roll out Google Apps. Thanks to Andy, I realise that this is the tip of the iceberg and will attempt to be as supportive and understanding as to the huge workload and, hopefully small, calamities that Guto and our management are facing in these early days.

Every keynote speaker was amazing. As I look back on my notes I realise that each one raised so many questions that I have continued to keep inquiring weeks after the event.

I wanted to attend  Sean McHugh's presentation  because I thought that it would challenge me to consider where we (my school and me personally) are situated when using and teaching with technology. Once again, I found myself examining my own practice and considering ways to transform my teaching.

Patrick Green provided outstanding ideas for making YouTube an amazing teaching tool.

The session on creating eBooks using Flipsnack was so good that I put that into practice the day that I returned by using it for student book reviews.

I was once told that if you implement 2-3 things that you have learnt from PD within a week or two then that was worthwhile PD. Google Apps was certainly worthwhile for me (and for my school). I look forward to attending the summit in KL in November