This weekend I had the opportunity to attend a workshop hosted by QSITE (Queensland Society for Information Technology Education) which was made possible by funding through Google CS[4]HS.
There were three workshops to choose from: coding, drones and developing maker space skills. Educators came from a range of backgrounds, including primary and high school, travelling up to 55 miles to take part.
It was a wonderful opportunity to learn skills from specialist teachers (who may not exist within our own schools), while also getting a chance to collaborate and share ideas. I find some technology a little intimidating, so this workshop helped to boost my confidence by giving me guided practice along with effective feedback.
The funding from Google not only provided the materials for educators to use during the workshops (as well as the delicious morning tea), but it also meant that educators were given a piece of technology to take back to their own schools. This innovative approach means that educators can begin to immediately implement what they have learnt within their local school communities.
Although Google is a global company, grants such as CS[4]HS allow them to have an impact on local communities around the world. I was very thankful for the opportunity to attend this workshop, to learn new skills, increase my confidence, and receive the tools to take this learning back to my own school community.
@mchomsky , @TraciC , @brittym I would be really grateful if you could share this post with the relevant department in Google so they can see the impact their work is having within regional communities such as mine. Thank you.