One of Ponoka’s teachers is using his summer to further advance his own knowledge of technology and then bringing it back to Wolf Creek Public Schools.
Ponoka Secondary Campus technology instructor Kylie Kissel was one of 65 teachers worldwide selected to attend the Google Teachers Academy at the Google Complex in Mountain View, California. “It’s a big honor, they only take a limited amount of teachers every year.
Kissel heard about the academy in January and felt compelled to apply because of its benefits professionally and the opportunity to spread the knowledge secondhand throughout the division. “That was definitely a big point in my career so far.”
The application included five written exams, an extensive short answer questionnaire, and a YouTube video submission.
When his acceptance was verified through an email, Kissel, who claims he isn’t an overly excitable person, felt proud. “I was pretty excited. I jumped up and gave a little fist bump.”
In the next school year, Kissel will be taking on a new position as technology integration leader. He will work with other staff members to advance the educational use of technology within the classrooms.