Over 200 teachers are in Galesburg this week for the first ever Whatever It Takes Conference or WITcon.
WITcon is an educators’ symposium designed to give teachers new ways to use technology and find ways to change school culture.
The event is a partnership between ROEs 33 and 26, District 205, Carl Sandburg College, Western Illinois University and the Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools.
Lombard Middle School Principal Nick Sutton was a part of the team to spearhead the conference.
Sutton tells WGIL research shows learning happens best in environments that are student centered and one of the best strategies for doing that is to use technological tools.
“None of it is really guess work at this point of what you’re supposed to do to have kids be successful, the research is out there,” Sutton says. “What this is, it’s really a collection of people and presenters discussing with other like-minded people that just want to get better for kids on what you should ultimately do to have the best academic and positive results for the kids we have everyday.”
The conference started Wednesday and will end today at Carl Sandburg College. Yesterday was located at Lombard Middle School.
Speakers featured included Illinois Teacher of the Year Kim Thomas, Illinois Secretary of Education Beth Purvis and Anne Nash, representative from Google for Education.
