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Dist. 47 educator becomes 'Google Certified'

Crystal Lake School District 47's technology integration specialist Corey Holmer recently returned from Atlanta, Georgia, with a prestigious badge of honor as both a Google certified teacher and trainer.

Google Certified Teachers (GCT) are exceptional educators with a passion for using innovative tools to improve teaching and learning, as well as creative leaders and ambassadors for change.

The Google Education Trainer (GET) badge is an official "stamp of approval" from Google, authorizing recipients to provide professional development and support to schools using Google for Education tools.

Holmer, a middle school teacher-turned-integration coach, has been with the district for six years and was selected as one of 35 educators from a nationwide pool of applicants to attend the two-day intensive Google Teacher Academy at the end of June. The academy chooses participants who have met rigorous submission requirements and demonstrate innovative and exciting ideas in their classrooms with technology.

"I am inspired to mirror Google's spirit of innovation by building the capacity of others to leverage technology, improve communication, and spark creativity," says Holmer. "I decided to move from teacher to technology integration facilitator because of my experiences with GAFE (Google Apps For Education) as an essential tool and wanted to expand its use within my district."

During the workshop, attendees receive hands-on experience with Google's products and technologies, learn about innovative instructional strategies, and receive resources to share with colleagues and other educators in their local regions and beyond.

Holmer says, "I now use GAFE to ignite collaboration between teachers and students, and am inspired to embed Google's philosophy into the work I do in my district. Ultimately, my goal is to revolutionize education."

Holmer, along with other district employees and recognized education technology experts Kristin Ziemke, Jennie Magiera and Chad Kafka, will be speaking at the district's upcoming Transliteracy conference in August.

The Google Certified Teacher program was launched in 2006 with the first academy held at Google headquarters in Mountain View, California. The program has since held several academies across the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, expanding the ranks of Google Certified Teachers to more than 800 educators worldwide.

The Google Teacher Academy is produced by Google in collaboration with Computer-Using Educators (CUE, Inc.), an educational nonprofit organization. For more information about the program, visit www.google.com/edu/gta. Follow Corey Holmer on Twitter @Edtech_Channel.

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