Midwest Summit 2014: Full Schedule

The Midwest Google Apps Summit is a two day, hands on conference that focuses on integrating Google Apps for Education in K-12 and Higher Ed learning environments. All presentations will be from the Google Education Trainers, Google Certified Teachers, Google Apps savvy educators and local Googley talent.

Midwest Summit Site
Midwest Summit Resources

9:45am CST

g(Math): The Drive Add-on All Math Teachers Have Been Waiting For

This session will go over how to use the add-on g(Math) within Google Docs and how to create a Google Form with math equations. Things that will be discussed will be how to create equations and graphs within a Doc, creating a Form with math equations and as well as it's current limitations.

Speakers

John Taylor

Math Teacher/Instructional Coach, Libertyville High School

John Taylor is a math teacher and technology coach at Libertyville High School in Libertyville, IL. John has taught math at LHS for 14 years and has continued to try new ways of implementing technology in the classroom. With the opportunity of being an instructional coach at his... Read More →

Monday November 17, 2014 9:45am - 10:45am CST
Glacier C/D

General, beginner, intermediate, advanced

9:45am CST

Redesign Space and Learning with Chromebooks

Are you ready for change? We will take you on our journey of change. We redesigned our passive elementary computer labs and changed it into a creative and energetic learning space. We went from bulky desktops to sleek Chromebooks and created an environment of more engagement, collaboration and project based learning. With the integration of Google Apps for education in our school district, students became more creators of their own digital content. A step by step process will be shared with participants to guide them through their own journey.The presentation will cover:

how to get started
training plan
student examples

Speakers

Lori Banaszak

Google Education Trainer/Technology Integration Specialist, Clarkston Community Schools

Lori Banaszak has been a Michigan educator for 18 years! For the past 14 years, she has been an instructional technologist in the local and intermediate school districts levels. She loves creating Google learning experiences for teachers. She always makes them hands-on, project-based... Read More →

Monday November 17, 2014 9:45am - 10:45am CST
Sandstone 3

General, beginner, intermediate, advanced, good for administrators, higher ed

9:45am CST

Using Google Apps to Manage Your Classroom

Jessica teaches educational technology and methods courses in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin Platteville. In her courses, she integrates Google Apps in a wide-variety of ways. In this session, Jessica will share ideas on how to use Google calendar, Drive, Forms, Custom Maps, Youtube, and more to deliver instruction and manage your classroom. You'll leave with great ideas, access to resources, and even shared copies.

Speakers

Jessica Brogley

Senior Academic Staff, University of Wisconsin Platteville

Jessica currently teaches courses in educational technology in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin - Platteville. Before joining the SoE, she was a HS English teacher, Instructional Technology Support Specialist, Digital Communication Specialist, and the District... Read More →

Monday November 17, 2014 9:45am - 10:45am CST
Glacier A/B

General, beginner, intermediate, good for administrators, higher ed

9:45am CST

YouKnow YouLove YouTube (Mostly)

Sick of the ads and the suggested videos on YouTube? Want to know how to organize all the videos you use? In this fun session, you will learn tons of tips on how to optimize your YouTube experience.

Speakers

Becky

Program Co-Chair, WEMTA

Monday November 17, 2014 9:45am - 10:45am CST
Tundra C/D

General, beginner, intermediate, good for administrators

11:00am CST

Connecting with Learners thru Classroom

Gone are the days of "my dog ate my homework" excuses. With Google Classroom, students are able to keep track of assignments that are due, in addition to turning them in online. This session will provide a guide for using Google Classroom as a tool for both the classroom teacher and for leading professional development sessions. Learn how to make Google Classroom a one stop shop for your learners.

Speakers

Tara Linney

EdTech Coach, Singapore American School

Tara Linney is an EdTech Coach at Singapore American School. Linney had worked in EdTech for 6 years, and in education for a total of 7 years. Linney's greatest passion is in integrating computer programming into the predefined curriculum.

Monday November 17, 2014 11:00am - 12:00pm CST
Tundra C/D

General, beginner, intermediate

11:00am CST

Engage Your Brain - Make GAFE Interactive!

When students can interact with lesson content their brains will be engaged! In this session we will discover and create interactive Google Slides, Drawings and Forms. You will learn how to create "whiteboards" in Draw, make Slides with "hot spots," and create choose your own adventure stories with Forms and Slides. We will also discover how to design basic "stop animations" in Draw and Slides.

Speakers

Renee Nolan

Ed Tech Coach, Fond du Lac

Renee is an Innovative Technology Coach for the Fond du Lac School District in Wisconsin. Previously, she was a middle school science teacher for 20 years in the district. Renee is always looking for new ways in which students and staff can embrace 21st-century skills with digital... Read More →

Monday November 17, 2014 11:00am - 12:00pm CST
Tundra E/F

General, beginner, intermediate

11:00am CST

Our Learning Pilot with Google Nexus Tablets

Last school year we participated in a Learning Pilot in Craig Heinze's First Grade Classroom. We were fortunate to be chosen to participate in a 1:1 pilot of Google Nexus 7 Tablets. We were able to gather enough non-district allotted funds to purchase the tablets and to participate in the pilot. We will share our journey of our trials and tribulations and what we have in store for our K-2 grade classrooms for this coming school year.

Speakers

Craig Heinze

First Grade Teacher, Merton Primary

Craig Heinze has taught for over 20 years. He is currently a first grade teacher with a 1:1 classroom. This is Craig's second year with Google Nexus 7 Tablets. He has always love using technology as a tool in the classroom.

Tina Heizman

Director of Information Technology, Merton Community School District

Tina works as the Director of Information Technology for the Merton Community School District. Merton was one of the first districts in the nation to adopt Chromebooks. Merton is also implementing Google Nexus 7 tablets in grades Kindergarten through 2nd grade classrooms this year. Tina... Read More →

Monday November 17, 2014 11:00am - 12:00pm CST
Glacier A/B

General, beginner, good for administrators, technical

1:00pm CST

A Day in the Life of a Screenager in a 1:1 Classroom

Want to see how high school students are mashing tech tools with assessment, questioning, and cooperative learning techniques? Come see examples of how this is being used in a classroom and hear from students about their experiences.

Speakers

Allison Gest

Science Department Chair, Maine District 207

I am a Geology Teacher and Science Department Chair at Maine East High School in Park Ridge, IL. I am also a Google Education Trainer. I have students use all kinds of technology, especially GAFE on a daily basis in a 1:1 chromebook environment. I help provide professional development... Read More →

Monday November 17, 2014 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST
Tundra E/F

General, advanced, beginner, intermediate

1:00pm CST

Be an explorer with Google’s Geo Tools

Google’s geography tools help us interact with content in ways we used to dream about. Google Maps & Earth have been used in classrooms all over the world to help better understand how we can relate ourselves on a more global stage. Street view and off-road field trips help us experience places that we’ve never been. We will talk about the latest updates to Google’s classroom geo tools, and dive into creating interactive presentations on the cloud-based tool Google Maps Engine.

Speakers

Eric Simmons

Director of Technology, Princeton Public Schools

Eric is the Director of Technology for Princeton Public Schools in Princeton, Minnesota and a Google for Education Certified Innovator. A former social studies teacher, he leads technology leadership and instruction in PreK-12 settings. His recent interests include leveraging digital... Read More →

Monday November 17, 2014 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST
Tundra C/D

General, beginner, intermediate

1:00pm CST

Designing Personalized Learning

Are you looking for ways to personalize the learning going on in your classroom? Would you like to see how Google Apps can help facilitate this goal? Join this session and witness how Google Apps transformed a traditional 7th Grade Computer Apps class to a Self-Paced, Mastery focused course that allows students to learn the way they want and demonstrate that in a way they want.

Speakers

Josh Gauthier

Josh is a Technology Training Specialist and former Business and Information Technology Educator. Currently working with grades 5 through 8 in the School District of De Pere(Wisconsin), Josh is ever passionate about the role that technology can play in increasing opportunities for... Read More →

Monday November 17, 2014 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST
Tundra A/B

General, advanced, beginner, intermediate

1:00pm CST

Using Google Apps to inFORM Teaching and DRAW Conclusions

Formative assessment is a useful strategy to monitor student learning, provide feedback, and guide instruction. In this session we will focus on how to use Google Forms and Google Draw to support this strategy so you can gage what your students are learning, increase student motivation and engagement, and help students use feedback to move closer to their learning goals. We will look at specific examples of how teachers are using formative assessments with Google Forms and Google Draw and show you how you can answer the questions, Where Am I Going?, Where Am I Now? and How Can I Close the Gap?

Speakers

Amanda Pelsor

Instructional Technology Coach, Park Ridge - Niles School District 64

Amanda Pelsor is an Instructional Technology Coach in the suburbs of Chicago and a Google Education Trainer. She works with teachers to improve instruction and effectively implement technology. Her focus is getting the best outcome for students. Amanda believes that connecting with... Read More →

Caroline Schaab

Library Information Specialist, School District 64 - Field School

I am passionate about making a difference.

Monday November 17, 2014 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST
Sandstone 3

General, advanced, beginner, intermediate

1:00pm CST

Using Google to Enhance Literacy Instruction in All Content Areas

Are you looking for ways to enhance literacy instruction in any content area? Look no further than Google’s powerful tools! In this session we’ll investigate the creative outlets, content resources and critical thinking aids that Google offers to everyone. We’ll find tools that will help your students foster creative expression. We’ll contribute to your bag of quality content resources and pass on tips for better searching techniques. We’ll take a look at Google Apps for Education, Google Draw, Blogger, Google Research Tool, Flubaroo, Google Books, Google Cultural Institute and MORE! Join us to explore the exciting things you can do with Google when planning literacy instruction.

Speakers

Jane McMahon

Instructional Coach and Gifted and Talented Coordinator, Baraboo School District

I am currently serving as a K-12 instructional coach. I was an English teacher in Baraboo for 25 years and recently served as Wisconsin's 2014 Wisconsin Teacher of the Year. I am an avid photographer, fly-fisherwoman, and baseball fan.

Kelly Steiner

Middle School Library Media Specialist, Baraboo School District

I am in my 18th year as the Library Media Specialist for Jack Young Middle School in Baraboo, WI. I taught Social Studies and History for eight years before that. How has it been 24 years? Being a Library Media Specialist allows me to continue growing as a teacher, but I also get... Read More →

Monday November 17, 2014 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST
Wilderness 4

General, beginner, intermediate, advanced

2:15pm CST

Coding in the Curriculum

Coding is a hot-button topic in today’s world of education. Integrating coding into the curriculum is an important part of preparing students for jobs that don’t exist yet. Understanding the process of teaching such a task can be rather daunting. Figuring out where it fits within the already-defined curriculum is another challenge in and of itself. In this session, participants will learn about the ways in which coding integrates within the ELA and Math Common Core State Standards. Participants will get hands-on experience with a few different coding platforms. Through this session, participants will be invited into the “Coding Connect” community, created by Google Certified Teachers, with a mission to connect coders with educators.

Speakers

Tara Linney

EdTech Coach, Singapore American School

Monday November 17, 2014 2:15pm - 3:15pm CST
Sandstone 8/9

General, beginner, good for administrators, intermediate

2:15pm CST

GooglyRific Google Presentations

In this super-fun and useful session, you will learn tricks of how to use Google Slides to its fullest potential - from embedding videos to editing images to making it visually interesting, we will cover it all!

Speakers

Becky

Program Co-Chair, WEMTA

Monday November 17, 2014 2:15pm - 3:15pm CST
Glacier C/D

General, beginner, intermediate, advanced, good for administrators, higher ed

2:15pm CST

It's a PLN

Professional educators recognize that learning extends far beyond the confines of the academic calendar and campus. Discover how social media sites such as blogs, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Pinterest can provide inspiration, professional development, and valuable resources. Develop your own Personal Learning Network (PLN) to share ideas and collaborate with like-minded experts in your field.

Speakers

Melinda Larson-Horne

EdTech/Educator Effectiveness Coach, Pewaukee School District

Melinda Larson-Horne is an EdTech and Effectiveness Coach in the Pewaukee School District with over twenty years of teaching experience in both English/Language Arts and World Language (French). As an instructional coach, Melinda's goal is to provide personalized professional development... Read More →

Monday November 17, 2014 2:15pm - 3:15pm CST
Tundra E/F

General, beginner, intermediate, advanced, good for administrators, technical, higher ed

2:15pm CST

Shake it up with GAFE and Thinglink!

Great news! ThingLink now supports a rich-media tag to embed a Google Doc right on an interactive graphic. Now it’s easier than ever to transform teaching and learning with ThingLink EDU and GAFE! Both tools are equipped with amazing features and capabilities to support endless possibilities. Combine the tools to design powerful learning experiences that maximize learning.

Speakers

Sue Gorman

Institute of Professional Educator Development, UW Parkside

I am celebrating 30 years as an educator My motto is Be kind. Be grateful. Be brave. I am an Apple Distinguished Educator and a Google Certified Teacher. I am a wife, Mom and Glamma-to-be.I am an administrator/educator working to inspire teachers to redefine and transform their classrooms... Read More →

Monday November 17, 2014 2:15pm - 3:15pm CST
Wilderness 4

General, beginner, intermediate

2:15pm CST

Use Google Apps to Differentiate for Student Needs

Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. We have all heard about using Google Apps in the classroom and how powerful this tool can be, but making this resource accessible for special education students can be a bit more challenging. Come to this session to learn how to use Google Apps to accommodate student needs. Participants will work with the Chrome Store, features within Google Apps, the Nexus 7, and possibilities for communicating with staff/parents.

Monday November 17, 2014 2:15pm - 3:15pm CST
Tundra C/D

General, beginner, intermediate

3:30pm CST

Building a Tech Ninja Program

Are your students really ninjas? Do they do your Chromebook repairs? Is there a wait list for your program? Here how we designed our program from the Shogun himself to create a student centered environment. See how these rogue ninjas became the leaders of their Daimyo.

Speakers

Mickey Chavannes

Director of Instructional Technology, Cudahy School District

I am the Director of Instructional Technology for the School District of Cudahy. As the director, I have spent the past two years designing and implementing K-12 technology curriculum using GAFE. We are in our second year of a grades 6-11 1:1 initiative with Chromebooks and will... Read More →

Monday November 17, 2014 3:30pm - 4:30pm CST
Tundra E/F

General, beginner, intermediate, advanced, good for administrators

3:30pm CST

Digitizing Middle School Science and Math

In the fields of math and science, we often hear people say - I can’t use that! We will show you ideas on how to use Google Apps as a tool to help students process information and show what they know. There are add-ons and extensions we will use just for teaching math and science - come and take ideas back to school.

We teach a class called Middle School Support, Science and Math to 6th and 8th grader in Edina, MN. We hope you will walk away with tricks and tips that you can use Wednesday.

Speakers

Dean Dahl

6th & 7th Grade Teacher, Edina

Dean’s a 6th grade and 7th Grade teacher at South View Middle School in Edina, MN. He teaches Design Robotics and Middle School Skills (an elementary to middle school transition course). Dean teaches in a 1:1 "Bring Your Own Device" environment, with most being Chromebooks. He is... Read More →

Meghan Haselbauer

Teachers, Edina Public Schools

Presenting with Mr. Dean Dahl. Life long dream! Come ask me questions about Google Expeditions and how we use Google Earth to enhance the lessons!

Monday November 17, 2014 3:30pm - 4:30pm CST
Glacier C/D

General, beginner, intermediate

3:30pm CST

Wearables Everywhere: What are they and how can they be used in Schools?

The Wearable revolution has started! There's Google Glass and now Smartwatches. These devices are going to start showing up in your classrooms either on you or your students. This session details what these devices are, how they work, strategies for managing them in your classroom (discussion is encouraged), and some thoughts and ideas on how they may actually benefit you and your students in schools!! This will include live demos of a few different wearables such as Google Glass and Smartwatches that you may encounter in very near future.

Speakers

Ben Hommerding

Technology Innovationist, St. Norbert College

Monday November 17, 2014 3:30pm - 4:30pm CST
Tundra A/B

General, beginner, intermediate

8:30am CST

The Next Big Thing in Special Education: Nexus Tablet

The Nexus 7 has transformed the educational environment for special education students and allowed students who previously needed a staff member to complete any classroom based task the freedom to complete that activity independently. Using voice to text within Google Docs and the phrase, "Ok Google" has revolutionized the assistive technology spectrum.

Speakers

Jennifer Lotze

Educational Consultant, CESA 11

Jennifer Lotze is an educational consultant with CESA 11 in Turtle Lake, WI. She is a Google Education Trainer and works with educational professionals all over the country as they integrate technology into their learning environments. She presents to help individuals get the most... Read More →

Tuesday November 18, 2014 8:30am - 9:30am CST
Sandstone 8/9

General, beginner, good for administrators

9:45am CST

Formative and Summative Assessment with Google Add-ons

In this session we will explore 2 amazing Google Add-ons that are teachers best friend for efficient assessments - Flubaroo and Super Quiz. We will explore both tools and discuss differences and similarities. We will also discuss how these tools can be used for both formative and summative assessments, and how to deliver feedback to improve learning. This session will be hands on and participants will work through the process of installing and using both add-ons.

Speakers

James Eichmiller

Assistant Superintendent for Technology and Learning, Downers Grove Grade School District 58

Tuesday November 18, 2014 9:45am - 10:45am CST
Wilderness 2/5

General, beginner, good for administrators, intermediate

11:00am CST

Breaking down the walls of your classroom with Google+: Hangouts as Virtual Field Trips

Are you on Google+? Are you looking for a way to engage your students and connect with experts from other classrooms? Google Hangouts are an amazing way to provide your students with an exciting in class experience of traveling to interact with experts or other classrooms. We will look at various examples of Virtual Field Trips to explore opportunities for students. Participants will also be given the opportunity to join the Google+ Connected Classroom Community in order to participate in various Hangout Opportunities in the upcoming school year.

Speakers

Caroline Schaab

Library Information Specialist, School District 64 - Field School

I am passionate about making a difference.

Tuesday November 18, 2014 11:00am - 12:00pm CST
Tundra E/F

General, advanced, beginner, intermediate

11:00am CST

Creating the Charge: From Consumer to Creator

Digital citizenship is a key component to leading learners in becoming positive contributors to the online world. In this session we will first discuss how to approach digital citizenship in a positive light, prior to unleashing students on becoming creators in an online environment. Second, we will take a look at opportunities and ways to encourage students to become creators of digital content in the classroom using GAFE tools.

Speakers

Andrea Kornowski

Science Teacher, Kettle Moraine School District

Andrea Kornowski teaches AP Environmental Science at Kettle Moraine High School. As a Google Education Trainer, she also helps plan and facilitate the technology professional development in the district. In her free time you'll find her out in the field with her APES students, coaching... Read More →

Tuesday November 18, 2014 11:00am - 12:00pm CST
Sandstone 8/9

General, beginner, intermediate

1:00pm CST

Learning Management Systems

Let's say you've got some students who want to access all of your materials for class 24/7. Which you do. How do you get digitally organized and share those materials with your students? Come to this session and explore what Learning Management actually means. We'll discuss, explore, and find a system that will work for you.

Speakers

Dan Sitter

Information Management - Instructional Technology Coordinator, The School District of North Fond du Lac

Dan Sitter is the Information Management - Instructional Technology Coordinator for The School District of North Fond du Lac. He previously taught Social Studies in a full 1:1 Chromebook environment and has learned many strategies for effectively managing and applying technology... Read More →

Tuesday November 18, 2014 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST
Tundra E/F

General, advanced, beginner, good for administrators, intermediate