September 2009

You will be able to book a table for your group online at http://www.core-ed.net/ulearn/dinner under the Information tab.  The system is new and will be available from Thursday this week.

You will be given the opportunity to hold up to 10 seats (one table) for 24 hours (reducing to 6 hours once the conference begins) whilst your colleagues login and claim their place.  This is another reason to bring your username and password to conference.

If you are not a group, there is really no need for you to book at all, but you are welcome to do so.

Note that if you are concerned about making this process work for you when holidays are coming right up, then here’s what you should do now.   Collate a list of usernames and passwords for all those who want to sit together and give them to a leader/organiser of your group who can book you all in together.

Do not panic – there are loads of tables.

Four finalists for the Microsoft Distinguished Teacher (MDT) Awards have been selected and invited to present posters for judging at Ulearn09.

The four finalists are Jan Anderson from Methven Primary School, Mary Robinson from St. Cuthbert’s College, Steve Martin from Howick College and Andrew Churches from Kristin School. Two of the four will be presented with the Microsoft Distinguished Teacher trophy by the Hon Anne Tolley, Minister of Education, at the Ulearn09 opening address on Wednesday 7 October.

As well as the trophy, the MDTs receive an invitation to attend the 2010 Asia/Pacific Regional Innovative Teacher conference with the chance to win the New Zealand Most Innovative Teacher Award and travel to the International Innovative Teacher conference; training in the use of Microsoft software, services and programmes; support including teacher release to attend workshops and conferences and kit all to the value of $8,000. The MDT posters will be on display in the Convention centre foyer (off Kilmore Street) from Wednesday morning.

The registration desk will be open on Tuesday 7th from 4:30pm to 8pm and on Wednesday 8th October from 7:30am onwards.

While people attend conference presentations, panels and lectures to learn something from the people at the front of the room, there is a lot of potential for creating spaces where audience members can interact with each other and the people presenting. A backchannel does this by providing a web-based interface for audience members to identify themselves, post questsions, and comment on other people’s posts.

At ULearn this year we will be using CoveritLive as a backchannel in each of the 3 keynotes and 7 spotlight sessions.

You will not need to download any software, or set up a username or password to participate. You will be able to  just write your comments straight into the discussion window.

All CoveritLive sessions will be hosted in the media section of the ULearn website, and will remain available for reading for a short period after the conference.

Our welcome - the Powhiri. Photo by Ewan McIntosh.

This is on Tuesday morning, 6th October, at 8.30am.

Please gather outside the Convention Centre on Kilmore Street at 8.20am.  This will be followed by a traditional cup of tea.

Wireless Internet will be available to delegates across six of the eight venues.  Please ensure your laptop is able to connect to an ‘open wireless network’ (DHCP with no passwords). To check your computer can do this try connecting it to a Telecom Hotspot, CafeNet, or other wireless access point. If you can, you should be able to use the conference network.
It is important that you have administration rights (user name and password) for your computer to allow the ULearn09 technical support team to assist you should you need it. Tech support will be available at the conference.

Wired (RJ45 ethernet cable) or dial up Internet connections are not available for delegates at ULearn09. A wired Internet connection will be available for presenters in all rooms.

Many of the workshops  are tagged BYO computer and require you to bring your own to the session. The software and configuration required is stated on the workshop abstract. Some workshops also require you to bring other hardware ( cameras etc)

Conference dinner theme

The dinner, sponsored again this year by Toshiba, has the theme of ‘Let the sun shine in’. If you want an extra ticket for a spouse or friend, please send $78.75 ($70 + GST) to Core Education at P O Box 465 Nelson.  This includes bus transport if required, entertainment, some wine and a three course meal.  Advise us which delegate needs this ticket and it will be placed in their registration envelope on arrival at the conference.

Student media team interview a conference delegate.

Terry Freedman published a blog on the role of kids in conferences

http://www.terry-freedman.org.uk/premium/articles/article_1492.php.

Ulearn has always prided itself on encouraging young people to participate in conferences in “meaningful ways”.

This year eTime will again provide support for the Student Showcase sessions in breakout 2 and 3 on Wednesday in the Town Hall Cambridge Room . These are two highly interactive breakouts where conference attendees have the opportunity to talk directly with digital learners – students from a number of Canterbury primary schools who are supported in their learning by eTime will be demonstrating, sharing and answering questions about their ICT supported learning experiences.

We will also have a large group of students in the Conference media team. This group will be interviewing delegates, filming keynote and spotlight presenters and developing newsletters, podcasts, and vodcasts. Many of these students come back year after year.

This year we also have many student presenters providing their “Life on the other side” view.

Christ’s College and St Margarets students also support presenters acting as hosts and tech crew for the 400 + workshops.

Altogether these students are actively involved in all areas of Ulearn.

The organisers are still looking for some more “Showcase to the Future” sessions which will run across breakouts 1-3. Each session will comprise of 7 x 10 minute presentations. If you have ONE or more good idea/s which you are excited about, come and share the stage with the other 6 presenters during the session.

Some examples might be…New innovations and future technologies, new and innovative use of software, totally stunning websites, web 2.0 applications that everyone just has to know about, transformative classroom strategies that work … Email Sherry Chrisp at  sherry.chrisp@core-ed.net with your ideas.

Do you want to know what is happening as the conference gets closer? Join the Conference Blog, Twitter and Facebook page for updates as they happen. RSS is your friend, add us to your aggregator and never miss a post.

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/ulearn

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ULearn09

Blog: http://blog.core-ed.net/ulearn/

This year through out the four days of the conference you will see lots of delegates acting as Volunteers around the venues. Their role is to keep things running smoothly and help out where they can. You will see them helping out as ushers, security, registration, on the technical side reconfiguring computers etc.  The committee would like to send a special thanks to all those who have volunteered.

If you would like to pitch in and help around the venues then please read this page and then email Sherry Chrisp at sherry.chrisp@core-ed.net with your preferred day and Team