Over the last few months, space-themed badges have been appearing on laptops, tablets, mugs, water bottles and phones all over the world. Are you curious? The EdTechTeam Summits featuring Google in Education incorporate gamified components to their events - allowing attendees to unlock badges, both stickers and digital, when completing challenges.For example, participants of a #gettinggoing YouTube session might be challenged to share a playlist of videos with the presenter. If they are successful they will unlock the #gettinggoing badge and be given a sticker from the presenter. Each participant can unlock the three badges that are aligned with the following strands:#gettinggoing - You are are on the launchpad and ready for the ride. These are sessions for people that are just getting going. They have a narrow focus and may move at a slower pace. Remember, mission control is there to guide you…just ask. #gearingup - You made it to space and are testing out all the tools and systems. These are intermediate sessions for people with digital experience. The view is spectacular…you can see where you came from but also more clearly see where you want to go. #gettinggeeky - What is your Moonshot? These are sessions for people seeking to transform education with a complement of digital skills, pedagogy and risk taking. You may not know how to get there… but you are on your way. We also offer a variety of digital badges that can be claimed throughout events at your leisure. Some of the favorites are the #selfie badge and the Chrome Powered badge - check out the badging page for the California Summit to learn more. Our space theme is a nod to the Moonshot project of Google’s Solve for X. The Moonshot is a "...combination of a huge problem, a radical solution, and the breakthrough technology that might just make that solution possible…" Google in Education tools are transformative and we hope you dream big and use the community to help you achieve your "moonshot". While these challenges contribute to the culture of fun that our events are known for, more importantly, they make your learning visible to the the community around you. We are excited about this new and developing element of our EdTechTeam events and hope it’s contagious. We hope our attendees earn all the badges they can, and better yet, take what they learn from it to motivate students in their classrooms using similar methods.

Cross-Posted from Slome School BlogGuest Blogger Tal SlomePresenter from 2nd Annual South Africa SummitLast week I had the privilege of attending the South Africa Summit ft. Google for Education.  It was a magical and inspiring, yet frustrating two days.My biggest frustration stems from a stark realisation that most South African children are being left behind, without access to the many wonders that edtech continues to develop and highlight.  However, that is a whole other post, one which I will hopefully do justice to in the future.My other main frustration stemmed from the often incompatible nature of different ecosystems, namely Google and Apple, within an education context.As many of you will know, I work as an iPad facilitator, and truly believe that Apple’s hardware line is exceptional for teaching and learning.  On the other hand, I also love numerous Google Apps, including Gmail, Calendar, Forms…As I was planning my presentation titled ‘Google Apps on the iPad’, I struggled to come up with opportunities that were both creative and educational.  However, when I decided to integrate my favourite Google and iPad apps, the magic started happening.Below is my presentation, excluding sound and film clips.  If you would like access to the full keynote, please email me at talslome@gmail.com! Google Apps for Education on iPad from Tal Slome

Guest Blogger Anna Fick, Techforearlyed.blogspot.com3rd Annual California SummitAs my district moves from a readiness model to an equity model of technology professional development, I am faced with a rather large challenge as the new Instructional Facilitator of Technology. Approximately 50% of our staff have completed basic training on the resources and tools that are provided through the district and roughly 40% (of those that have completed basic training) have completed additional training in technology integration. I would also classify us as segmented partial adopters of GAFE. The range of needs is certainly great, but my potential to meet their needs has been dramatically enhanced by my experiences at the EdTechTeam California Summit 2014.After being inspired by the concept of 10x (moonshot) thinking during the opening keynote, my very first session by Peter Henrie of Amplified IT addressed some of the key steps I can take to help my district move towards a unified, purposeful, and meaningful adoption of GAFE. I left ready to share and inspire the district administrators I work with through the joint creation of a technology plan specifically for the GAFE goals we have for our schools. I'll also be sharing with them the power of allowing their students to help tell the district's story through Twitter and blogging as shared by Jason Markey (tremendous potential for student voice and ownership!).The following session by Scott McLeod presented a non-judgmental tool, TRUDACOT, that delves in specifics to assist teachers in creating a lesson enhanced by technology to address a specific goal like differentiation, collaboration, choice, authenticity, etc. I feel confident in the ways this guiding tool can assist me in sharing with teachers how to create attainable goals that do not overwhelm them technologically and keep all things focused on student learning! This will allow me to easily scaffold professional development opportunities to provide educators with individualized learning as they prepare to do the same for their students.Considering the keynote by Dan Russell on day two which showcased the power of mastering learning tools to become proficient in meta-literacy so that we are able to change and adapt to the ever-evolving environment around us, I was thrilled to learn about tools like Doctopus, Goobric, EdPuzzle (and Flipped Learning), and the Google Geo tools. These sessions captured my attention as they shared amazing strategies and methods to engage students and push them extend their understanding beyond the walls of the classroom. For example, using Google Maps to embed math problems or create a tour of various primary sources who immigrated to America. You might find a great Youtube video and customize it for your students needs using EdPuzzle to add voice comments and a variety of question types. Quoting Lisa Highfill I feel emboldened to "get kids to want to learn without doing it for the points!" I am leaving the California Summit equipped to:- work collaboratively with administrators- inspire educators through individualized professional development- prepare educators to know their tools - engage and extend student learningI find it rather remarkable that I was able to attend one conference that met the needs of so many individuals within the education field so fully! Not to mention, it all involves one of my favorite things - Google! I cannot wait to dive in and serve all of the amazing administrators, educators, and students in my district, not to mention continuing connecting with the innovative individuals I met while at the conference! Thanks Anna! Find another summit coming to California and beyond at www.gafesummit.com. Upcoming California events include San Diego, Marin, Los Angeles and Orange County!

Guest Blogger Anthony EgbersHost of 2nd Annual South Africa Summit at Dainfern CollegeCross-Posted from Techno School Journey BlogWOW!What a busy 2 days of learning and networking (Both physically and in a 'internet' sense). It was brilliant to see what was happening all over the school at Dainfern College in Johannesburg, South Africa!Thank you to all the delegates who attended and a special thanks to all the presenters, both featured and local!So, in keeping with my '10 things' vibe, here is what I will take from the Summit 2014:1) YouTube is huge and getting bigger!Starting with youtube.com/edu which collates education videos on the regular youtube.com, to the personal youtube channels and then the video editor Youtube continues to redefine itself as an educational smorgasbord!2) IFTTTOne presentation and a demo slam confirmed that the time of IFTTT has arrived. If you haven't explored it now is the time!This brilliant tool allows a user to create 'receipes' (or just use the ones other people have shared) to manage and maintain the internet of things.3) Chrome ExtensionsLittle tools that make life simpler, look around to find the ones you like and make chrome work for you!My favourites are CheckerPlus for Google Calendar, Docs Quickly, TabCloud (My personal best extension!) and OneTab which come a close second.Just remember that with the pace of internet development these do change often.For more extensions for education check out this doc: 50+ Chrome Extensions for Educatorswith permission from Jake Duncan4) Google+Dee Lanier did a workshop on Google+, and this platform is growing fast. Time to get involved:Check out Dee's resources on his doc or get involved in the new Google Educators Group South Africa5) It not about the app!Many sessions talked to the idea that we need to concentrate on ensuring that our teaching is solid and not based on teaching the app but rather the Child (Adult?). There seems to be a move towards ensuring that the pedagogy is correct before we concentrate on the technology. This will ensure that lessons are designed to stimulate and grow the knowledge and enthusiasm of both teachers and students!6) PaperlessNot only is the conference paperless (although some felt uncomfortable with this) but Glenn Jones of Western Province Prep School presented a session on using scripts to enhance the paperless classroom. This is definitely a growing trend and it will be interesting to see how teachers adapt to a paperless classroom.7) PersonalisationThe growing trend for people to choose different devices for different uses makes it vital that the 'internet' works for the individual and for each student and teacher. The trend is to customise the experience for each individual and allow them to decide how to make things work for them.8) GamificationWith badges, both electronic and stickers, handed out throughout the conference, the trend towards gaming the classroom has grown over the past year. Helen Robertson, the Content Coordinator at Mindset Network, did a great presentation on planning and preparation for the gamified classroom.9) Custom SearchingOne tip I picked up was on how to create a custom search engine for use on a blog or in class. Sean Hampton-Cole, who is Edtech Integrator / Senior Teacher at Crawford College Lonehill, shared awhole bunch of resources for his talk and among them are the instructions to set up a custom search engine10) The peopleOnce again, the greatest buzz from #gafesummit was the time I spent talking to and networking with teachers from all over South Africa and the world. Thank you all for coming to Dainfern College and see you next year!For the lowdown check out https://storify.com/ajegbers/gfesummit-za!

Guest Blogger James Petersen, @jpetersen023rd Annual California Summit Attendee and PresenterI had an opportunity to present at the third annual EdTechTeam California Summit ft Google for Education, and it was an amazing experience. I did have a few butterflies about presenting, since I was in the presence of some serious ed tech cerebral muscle. To be counted among some amazing luminaries was an incredible opportunity in and of itself, so I tried to bring the best of what I know.In my experience, the final session on Sunday is one of those sessions where the energy is low. Most people's brains are full, and that usually includes my own. I was lucky to have one of my lighter sessions (about Google drawings) scheduled in this time slot, and I enjoyed it. We covered topics that the attendees said they wanted to learn, and I had fun.This week, one of my attendees posted a link on Twitter, and thanked me in it. The link took me to a tutorial on creating a custom wallpaper for your smart phone using Google Drawings. I'd never considered this before, and I was amazed at how the learning continued after the session. It's touching to see someone take what you've shown them and extend the learning into new areas, and to share it back to the community.For me, this was one of the best aspects of the CA #gafesummit, and it didn't even happen during the summit itself. It served to highlight the amazing network of brilliant educators that attend these events. I consider myself lucky to be plugged into this community of energetic, enthusiastic and creative individuals.So, in summary, I need to say a big thank you. Thanks to EdTechTeam for putting on this event and inviting me to be a part of it. Thanks to the presenters from whom I've learned. Thanks to the creative thinkers who encourage me to think critically about my teaching practice. And finally, and most importantly, thanks to everyone who came to my sessions. You always remind me after these events just how powerful an idea can be.

Guest Blogger Nathan Manderfield3rd Annual California Summit PresenterThe EdTechTeam California Summit in Palo Alto, CA was my second Google educational Summit. I attended my first summit just months earlier when EdTechTeam hosted a summit near my home in Indio, CA. My experience at the summit in Indio was incredible. The energy, the variety of speakers, the ability to collaborate with like minded people, and the demo slam at the end of the first day all stuck with me. I left that experience with not only a ton of ideas, but also a desire to attend a summit as a presenter. I applied to present at the California Summit and was thrilled when I was accepted.I spent the first part of my summer preparing two sessions to present: The Magic of Project Based Learning and Ten Tips Tricks and Take Aways. I also prepared something extra special for the demonstration slam at the end of day one. I have to admit going into the California Summit I had mixed feelings of anxiety and excitement. I was excited to be around so many talented educators and ideas. At the same time I was nervous about presenting at such a big conference. It turns out I had nothing to be nervous about. Both of my sessions were amazing. I began each session with a little magic (my summer hobby) and the audience loved it. Each session was interactive and I received fabulous feedback. At the demo slam I presented Kahoot. Kahoot is an on-line platform that allows you to build your own custom quizzes and then turns any internet connected device into a buzzer to play the game. Part of each demo slam is presenting your idea or application in a fun way. I decided to take my slam back to the 1980’s. I dressed as Miami Vice’s Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) and presented Kahoot with a 1980’s trivia quiz. I came out to my own theme music and even used a little magic to do a quick change towards the end. Finally, it is tradition at the end of the slam to say, "Slam". I decided to let Onyx, a 1990’s rap group, do it for me, so I left the stage to their song "Slam". I had a blast. When I wasn’t presenting I went to other sessions ranging from design thinking to online portfolios. Each session inspired me to take my teaching to a whole new level. The energy and "moonshot" thinking at the conference reinforced the bright future we have in education.My two days at the California Summit were amazing. I learned so much and made connections that will last a lifetime. I am excited to share what I learned with my students this fall. I plan to stay connected to the EdtechTeam and present at future conferences. Whether you have the opportunity to go to a Summit as a presenter or a participant the experience is truly out of this world!Catch one of our upcoming California Summits to have a time like Nathan! Marin, San Diego, Napa, Los Angeles coming up this year!

Guest Blogger Ashley FulmerAttendee of EdTechTeam Orange County Summit ft. Google for EducationCross-Posted from: Mrs. Fulmer's Science BlogThis weekend, I attended the EdTechTeam GAFE (Google Apps for Education) Summit in Orange County.  I just had my 2nd baby, Nolan, and have been out since May 12th.  I have not been officially working for almost 3 full months.  Yes, I have been on Twitter, I read a book about PBL, and did a small amount of planning, but nothing like I have done the past couple of summers.  This summit was two days of intense training and amazing keynotes.  Talk about getting back into the game!  In my last session, the presenter stated that she believed every teacher should blog and she challenged us to start blogging.  Challenge accepted!This morning's keynote speaker, Jennifer Magiera, shared her story and the way she's been so innovative in her classroom, which was truly inspiring.  She had her students creating videos, screencasts, music videos, interacting in Google hangouts, writing grants, and so much more.  Talk about authentic engagement and active learning!  At one point, she talked about how excited she was about technology and she would want to share both her enthusiasm and the new technology, but some teachers would literally run away.  I think  that I am a lot like her in this aspect.  I get so excited about technology, but I have to remember that not everyone is as excited as I am.  For example, when I flipped my classroom, I read about an entire high school that flipped and saw some major changes in the percentage of students passing classes. I was sold and suggested we flip our entire middle school.  If a high school in Detroit, MI could do it, why couldn't a middle school in Riverside, CA? My very wise administrators said no and told me to take baby steps.  Start with one colleague, then go from there.  I am realizing that teaching your colleagues is no different than teaching your class.  The keynote shared this as well.  I really want my colleagues to embrace technology like I have, but I have to remember that they are individuals and need to be invested in order to fully embrace and learn, just like our students! She ended the presentation by stating that these innovations did not just magically happen over night.  They took time and there were lots of failures.  She also stated that we should get out there and present.  So, as I drove the Ortega Highway home, I made a goal for myself to present at a conference within a year.  I don't know what I will present or how, which makes me nervous and anxious, but that's my goal.  Hopefully, my name will be in the program of ISTE or CUE or some other conference and I, Ashley Fulmer, will be a presenter!

Guest Blogger Michael WackerDirector of Professional Development, EdTechTeamThough recently my direct role within schools and districts has changed, one thing remains the same: I am UNBELIEVABLY excited at this time of year. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE working and strategizing with teachers, coaches, admin, and leadership. This drives so much of my work, my passions for learning, and my support and belief in children and teachers.  Photo by Ken SheltonMy excitement and inquiry of why I felt so excited this month came down to a simple question with a follow up:"Why is New Year’s Day a Holiday and What if New School’s Year was also a Holiday?"What makes the New Year so beautiful can be summed up by folks way smarter than, me."This unique tick of the clock has always prompted us both to celebrate, and to step outside the day-to-day living we're always so busy with, and reflect; to look back, take stock, to assess how we did, and resolve to do better going forward."So, I immediately thought to myself, YES! My friends, this is the time to slow down and absorb the awesomeness that is back to school week! The energy is truly palpable in our social echo chambers but also our externally internal community, which is to say, everyone is affected and influenced by "back to school." You can feel it in your child’s school. You can feel it in your social media spaces. For me, I sense it in my bones and I feel the energy and excitement from mamawack (a former AP with a different set of experiences and of course the littlies!Photo by Ken Shelton It’s important to note that I understand completely that my excitement does "look and feel" different than it did when I was teaching in a classroom. It is true, I don’t get the direct enjoyment of my favorite back to school teacher roles of: prepping my classroom, working with my team, hanging out at the "meet and greet" ice cream social meeting parents and siblings, building community connections (I miss that the most.) But today, while my peers and amazing educators prepare and brainstorm next iterations of lessons, objectives, and assessments, I find myself super excited about the new year! I'm fresh off a micro math session with my kiddos and about to head to Redondo Beach Unified in California to help kick off their new teacher induction and development. Redondo has done amazing work the past year preparing their schools, children, and teachers for the next iteration of teaching and learning; or as we on the team like to think of it as, being "future ready." Jennie Magiera shows off Future Ready Schools support. Photo by Ken Shelton. We have spent time working with and cultivating "Courageous Leadership" from central office to the classroom, focusing on change. The work we’ve done with principals and leadership has been huge in gaining support. Primary to all of the professional learning has been about making sure we are "Empowering Teachers" cultivating and supporting (for far too many the first time) professional development and learning opportunities for the "rock stars" the teachers evangelizing and inspiring their peers through their innovation and passions. There has been a focus on "Student Agency" by having professional development and learning opportunities for the children. Walking through the nouns of devices and platforms was a start, but beginning to brainstorm the possible was an awesome experience, especially asking children out loud, "What are you going to ask with access to all of the information ever?" It was a fun couple of days and I believe this type of student agency and support even external of the school is a must for every systemic change in education spaces, no matter the size. One key for the community and teachers, particularly here, was the timeline and ability to do a slow, transparent, and well-designed rollout.We also have spent time allowing and building the growth mindset spaces for the early adoption by teachers and leadership. This inspired and created incubators of sorts for innovation in the district micro-pockets of teachers and schools excited about what was possible, next. They have built the bandwidth to support three devices per child. What is really exciting for me is the next iteration or 2.0 focus on their "new" teachers in a newly designed platform. Induction is rarely differentiated. Inspired through the spaces and learning opportunities and who knows, maybe we have even more pockets of excellence to learn and share from. And this gets to the heart of change. How do you support and sustain an iteration of an age-old model? In working with their leadership team the past year, one thing is certain, they value their teachers' input a lot.To create this change systemically: we must inspire, ignite, and bring folks on board with us. This looks different in varying locations, schools, and districts, but empowering your new teachers is a great place to start. And for what it’s worth a great place to stop as well. So, As I prepare to plan and design a fun day with my future friends in Redondo, I find myself authentically excited and pumped up about the upcoming school year. I am excited! I am so lucky to work in education and be able to feed off of the energy and excitement from the teacher leaders in Redondo and everything they have been working towards, become energized by the buzz of walking the halls of my kids’ school at back to school night this week, and of course have a bunch of fun exploring and discovering some ways to empower and inspire the children of Redondo with the "new" teachers of Redondo tomorrow, Eileen Czesk, Stu Woodward, Shawn Lemmer, Amanda Steinacher-- and the vision from Annette Alpern and Derek Kinsey. 1. "Why We Celebrate New Year's Day: Survival | Psychology ..." 2013. 18 Aug. 2014

Guest Blogger Liam ArbuckleBIS 6th Grade TeacherSouth Korea Summit AttendeeIt's hard to admit to yourself when you feel like what you believe in is very far away from what you are actually doing. Now I know that I am just at the beginning of my teacher journey but one of the vital things I learned about in the amazing year that was my Bachelor of Education was to reflect on my own teaching. I had this feeling of frustration gnawing at me for quite awhile. I was really enjoying my first few years of teaching but I felt that it was so much about my own survival rather than the amazing ideas I wanted to try out during my Education program.The fall rolled around and I found the most curious piece of paper in my staff mailbox. It said that I had been registered for a Google Apps For Education conference put on by the EdTechTeam and  hosted at an international school in the heart of Seoul. I live just outside of Seoul. Myself and a fellow teacher, Joe Hart, had been selected to attend this conference. We were very excited as we both try to utilize technology in our classroom. I have always loved technology but I had been struggling to use it in an effective way in my classroom. Being a self described "Mac guy" my reflexive response was skeptical but I was still very interested. I like billions of others rely heavily on Google search. Little did I realize that this was an invitation to a fantastic party that I was woefully unaware of.Joe and I planned what sessions we wanted to attend and tried to cover as much as we possibly could. We decorated our name tags with many things (yes including glitter) and off to the keynote we went. We shuffled off to an amazing keynote presented by Jim Sill. It was a great mix of humour and inspiration. Jim showed us some of the potential for youtube in the classroom. The next session I attended was presented by Michael Wacker and I thoroughly enjoyed his presentation which really showed off the power of collaboration. I then went to an informative session led by the very talented Holly Clark. It was a session on iPads in the elementary school classroom. Holly had this indescribable energy about her and you could tell how passionate she was about her teaching. I regularly send teachers to her website or twitter account. I was meeting people at a dizzying rate. I thought I was using tech in my classroom but compared to many of these teachers I might as well have been using an abacus. We ended the first day with what they called an Eduslam. This was a presentation under 5 minutes of something cool the presenters were doing in their classrooms. Again I felt like a total novice. The thing is I had never connected to so many teachers before. Especially, so many that shared my love of technology and the recognition that it could revolutionize education. The EdTechTeam really impressed me that day and helped me begin my personal teaching revolution.Our second day was kicked off by a rather interesting taxi driver that was loving the fact he could test out his English. Joe, myself and the cabbie shared such a great laugh and it was a fitting and wonderful way to have our second day of the conference start off. Laughing can erase the tiredness and my goodness it makes you feel lighter in your shoes. The conference began with an absolutely fantastic keynote by Jenny Magiera. I could have listened to her speak for hours. I definitely became a big fan and often reference her best practices. After that we went to a session led by Jay Atwood who to this day is one of my favorite Google guru's. Even though I felt in over my head talking about Google scripts it led me down the road to a better classroom. Jay made it seem so easy when in fact what he was doing was pretty darn impressive.Then I had a lunch that I don't think I'll ever forget. I have had a Twitter account for a few years but really didn't see the benefit of it. I used it to follow some sports writers and reporters that I enjoyed. Including some that write about my beloved but constantly frustrating Toronto Maple Leafs. During lunch on the second day I had my mind blown. I was having lunch with teachers that were really into using twitter as a means of connecting with other teachers. This lunch may have been one of those monumental crossroads of my life. I was eating lasagna if you were wondering. I realized that for all my love of tech I had done nothing to really connect myself or my students to the outside world. In one short lunch and thanks to the lovely Sonya from New Zealand and the positive ray of sunshine Amalia from the USA I had kicked my classroom walls down. There was an audible and distinct thud. It felt like freedom. It felt like the sun on your face after a very dark night. I will forever be thankful to my principal Larry Simpson for choosing me to go to this conference and to the EdTechTeam that put on the GAFE summit. Everything changed for me over those two days. I am sure that even my friends are tired of hearing about these two eventful days. I had found that I could now better bridge the gap of how I was teaching to the way I wanted to be teaching. I still have a long way to go.  I had learned how to connect and from there my teaching life would never be the same. I came back to my school a new teacher. I then proceeded to preach to my fellow teachers the need to connect; the need to kick those four walls down; the need to be where our students already live. I now feel like I can actually see other teachers. I have decided I like this no walls thing. Come hang out with Liam and other awesome educators at the 2nd Annual South Korea Summit on Sep. 27th and 28th at Seoul Foreign School!

Do you know a superintendent ready to take the #FutureReady District Pledge? If so, please pass this on: http://tech.ed.gov/futurereadypledge/Be sure your favorite "Future Ready" superintendent fills out the pledge... and then complete this official nomination form, if you haven't already:http://tech.ed.gov/superintendentsummit/submission/#moresoon