The 500 teachers from Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico who attended the Google Apps for Education (GAFE) Summit at Canyon High School June 22-23 will implement new technology in their classrooms beginning the 2016-17 school year.

The summit, presented by EdTechTeam, was one of approximately 120 summits worldwide. Presenters demonstrated new classroom technology ideas as simple as Google apps and as complex as using drones in classrooms. Canyon High physics teacher Chris Roberts said the new technology will make classrooms both innovative and student-centered.

“I consider myself very tech savvy, but this technology will help me do what I do faster,” Roberts said. “Google is amazing because it seamlessly goes with what we as teachers already do and helps us do it more efficiently.”

EdTechTeam puts on about 120 GAFE summits  around the world, and about six take place in Texas. Instructors from Australia, Boston, Kentucky and California traveled to Canyon to present alongside teachers from the local area. Canyon ISD technology director and summit host Debbie Boyer said the wide variety of people at the summit was just as useful as the new technology.

“We want teachers to have new instructional technology tools to engage students,” Boyer said. “We also hope to make connections with other teachers and learn from each other while we are here.”

Teachers, technology directors and experts demonstrated new technology such as classroom drones, 360 degree cameras and 3D printers and taught teachers how to more efficiently work with Google apps they already use. Boyer said Canyon ISD students and faculty can expect to see changes as immediate as the upcoming school year with more Chromebooks and better use of Google apps.

“Teachers will use Google classroom and new websites they have learned about here to help students learn,” Boyer said. “It is not about the technology, it is about the learning. Technology is just a tool we can use to improve.”