FHS hosting Google conference calls for five day break
PHOTO Maya Mead
November 1, 2017
Instead of beginning the second semester, the halls will be filled with teachers and administrators taking courses on Google technology. A Google Conference will be hosted at Fenton High School for all Fenton Area Public Schools teachers and administrators, and surrounding school districts. This will give the students a second three day break in Nov..
“The conference is Nov. 8-9,” Principal Mark Suchowski said. “Students here will have parent teacher conferences on Nov. 6-7 and normally during parent teacher conference week we take Friday off. Students are also not in session Nov. 8-9, giving the students a five day weekend.”
Google Conferences will move around the state every year, to reach as many educators as possible. Nov. 8 will consist of in depth sessions about Google, while Nov. 9 will include a presentation from Keynote Speaker Alice Keeler and numerous breakout sessions after.
“The district got involved through our IT director, Kevin Powers, and our superintendent, Adam Hartley,” Suchowski said. “They had attended a conference before. One of the great things about it is that it is a statewide conference for Google users, so you learn in break out sessions about how to use Google in the classroom. You can learn as an educator or an administrator, it is just a great way to use the available technology.”
The conference features unique application of Google tools in the classroom, from Google Drive to Google Slides instructors focus on discussing and sharing ways that technology of any kind can enhance learning and engage students, according to MIED Tech.
“Teachers have a range of abilities and experiences in relation to technology and Google Applications,” English Teacher Heather Mulligan said. “The nice thing about a conference like this is that it offers a variety of learning opportunities. Teachers will be learn and share ideas about the best ways to utilize our technology in their own classrooms and subject areas.”
Students will benefit in, and outside of the classroom from the conference, making virtual application usage from Google more seamless.
