In July, Mary Mullikin, family and consumer sciences teacher at Vista Ridge High School in El Paso County Colorado School District 49, attended a three-day academy in London called the Google for Education Certified Innovator program.According to the programís website, the Google for Education team has developed three different certification programs to meet the professional development needs of educators around the world. The programs are Google Certified Educator, with levels 1 and 2 certification, Google for Education Certified Trainer and Google for Education Certified Innovator.The website states that Google for Education Certified Innovator program was ìdesigned for education thought-leaders who create new and innovative projects using Google for Education tools.î Teachers eligible to apply for the Innovator program must have completed the Google Certified Educator Level 2 program; the criteria for applying also requires that teachers identify a challenge in either their own classroom or their school that they would like to solve.Mullikin said she and the other 35 teachers from around the world were selected from a field of 1,800 teachers who applied for the program. The teachers brought the challenge they had identified to London, where they worked individually and together to develop a solution to each oneís specific challenge, she said.ìSome people were creating apps; someone was creating a website,î Mullikin said. ìOne of the innovators was going to write a book. The problem I identified was that students do not have access to personal finance (education) in a way that is engaging to them. Kids either do not have the opportunity or it is not exciting. I decided that the best way to address the problem of (understanding) personal finance is through a game.îOver the next year, Mullikin said she will be working with her Google for Education mentor, a former Google for Education Certified Innovator based in California, to create a prototype of her game, which she called ìAdulting: The Game.î Eventually, she would like the game to be used in classrooms throughout the country as part of the curriculum.ìIt is a fun way for kids to learn finance in an engaging way,î she said.Mullikin had to fund the trip herself, but said she turned the experience into a week-long trip and was able to explore London a bit. ìIt was something I wanted to do with my time and thought it was important, so I was willing to pay for it,î she said. D 49 helped by picking up the tab for one night in a hotel room, Mullikin said.With so much change occurring in education over the past few years, Mullikin said it is important to keep up with where education is heading, especially when it comes to technology. Participating in the Innovator program allowed her to make connections with educators around the world who had great ideas that she can implement in her own classroom, Mullikin said.ìAt the core, it is always about the kids and doing what is best for the students,î she said. ìI am always thinking about how I can give my students these really important pieces of knowledge in a fun and engaging way. This (Innovator program) is not just another thing to add to my resume; the reason I do this is to do the best thing for my students and be a better teacher for them.î
