updates

Just a reminder to presenters to please post your presenters’ material on the ULearn08 site. If you have any problems with this, please contact Angela angela.page@core-ed.net or Suzie ictpdonline@core-ed.net

The keynotes and spotlights were all videoed and most will be available for you to view online the site once they have been edited. We’ll keep you posted!

We are working hard to bring you the current news and important updates for the day.

We hope that you found our newsletter at the Registration desk this morning! If not then please look for it tomorrow.

Look out for the student media team who are looking stylish and happy in their blue and yellow ULearn t-shirts.

The media team will be capturing the spirit of ULearn08 on video. If you are approached by a student for a short interview, don’t be shy! Everyone who takes the time to support our media team will go in the draw to win a prize You can check out what their up to on their team’s wiki.

There is also a wonderful team of student runners supporting each room. These are the people to ask if you have a question or need support for your presentation.

Make sure your laptop is ready to join the ULearn network.

You will need a laptop that has a wireless card in it, all current Tela laptops are suitable.

Windows
On Windows laptops, you will need to make sure that the wireless card is turned on, there may be a small switch on the case of your laptop that needs to be slid to the on position.

Your laptop needs to be set up so that the wireless interface will look for a DHCP server to provide it with the IP addresses it needs for the ULearn network. If you are unsure how to tell if this is the case then visit this page to look at the help sheet. Please make sure that you write down what your current settings are so you can put them back for when you return to school.

The ULearn network does not have a proxy server that you need to authenticate to so you need to have proxies turned off for ULearn. If you are unsure how to tell if this is the case then visit this page to look at the help sheet. Please make sure you write down any proxy settings so you can put them back for when you return to school.

Macintosh
There should be an Airport (wireless) menu near the right-hand side of your laptops menu bar. It looks like a fan shape with four bars that indicate signal strength by changing colour between black and grey. Click on the Airport icon and make sure that the Airport is turned on.

Your laptop needs to be set up so that the wireless interface will look for a DHCP server to provide it with the IP addresses it needs for the ULearn network. If you are unsure how to tell if this is the case then visit this page to look at the help sheet. Please make sure that you write down what your current settings are so you can put them back for when you return to school.

The ULearn network does not have a proxy server that you need to authenticate to so you need to have proxies turned off for ULearn. If you are unsure how to tell if this is the case then visit this page to look at the help sheet. Please make sure you write down any proxy settings so you can put them back for when you return to school.

Secondary Sight: Towards inclusive and flexible education

Secondary Sight supports the future of an online, personalised, flexible and inclusive education model for all and will be giving a presentation at ULearn08.

We want to help you maximise your valuable time and effort. We want to ensure that what you produce is accessible to and usable by all students.

Come and join us at ULearn!

Where: Christ’s College Art History Room
When: Friday 10 October from 11:15 to 12:45 (Breakout 7)
What: Secondary Sight interactive workshop
Who: Kylee Maloney – Access Consultant
Kathy Olsen - project founder
Ryan Kean – student
Dylan Neale – student

During this session you will:

• get a mini tutorial giving practical advice on how to create accessible and usable documents;
• be given a tour around the Secondary Sight website so you won’t forget where to find the resources next time you need them;
• hear from blind and vision impaired students about their experiences and how to plug access gaps;
• see assistive technology in action!

Join us at ULearn and help us realise our dream of totally inclusive education! We’d love to meet you!

For further information, please contact:
Kylee Maloney
E: kylee@timeless.net.nz
P: 04 2359 559
M: 021 0501764

As an increasing number of teachers and principals like to run their scheduled VC class or meeting during conference time, our friends at asnet Technologies are providing a Polycom videoconference system for your use for the duration of the conference. This will be in the asnet Technologies Meeting Room 1, upstairs in the Christchurch Convention Centre, and is available for bookings OUTSIDE scheduled breakout times.

Note that during breakout times, the videoconference system at asnet’s stand (40 and 41) will be available to you on a ‘first in, first served’ basis. Please make all bookings by contacting Denise Hansen on 027 476 5370 or emailing her at deniseh@asnet.co.nz

As this is a popular and free service, if your needs change, please let Denise know.

Recently, a group of educators met in Auckland to spend the evening sharing together and exploring various aspects of ICT in education. This was an unconference event similar to the planned unconference sessions for ULearn08. Check out the impressions of the evening from some of those that attended and see the power of this type of event. The Voicethread below is an example of an web 2.0 application that you can use to activities to life with voice comment, that might have previously been a set of photos with captions.

Remember to register for one (or both!) of the unconference sessions on Friday 10 October. The unconference will take place during breakouts 6-7. The more people who participate and present, the better this event will be.

An unconference offers the flexibility to talk about topics of interest for a short time, and to engage in informal discussion about a range of ideas. There will be several discussions occurring simultaneously and, from within this ‘organised chaos’, productive and professional dialogue emerges.

Here’s how an ‘Open Space’ unconference works:

1. Whoever comes are the right people.
2. Whatever happens is the only thing that could have.
3. Whenever it starts is the right time.
4. Whenever it is over it is over.

And, finally, the Law of Two Feet is a guide to people attending an unconference: “If you are not learning or contributing, it is your responsibility to respectfully find another place where you are.”

We look forward to seeing you and your colleagues at our very first unconference!

ULearn08 features sessions by our two youngest-ever presenters!

Michael Griffin is a Year 9 student at Lincoln High. He was a student tech helper at ULearn07 in Auckland and is a young, practising, digital native. He is being employed at his old school as an ICT assistant.

Liam Merton is a Year 9 student at Otumoetai College. He enjoys PE, English and excels at sailing. He also enjoys using UMAJIN Creative.

Michael and Liam will be presenting two taster sessions during breakout 4. Their session abstracts are as follows:

1. One digital native demonstrates creative collaboration with technology. Michael Griffin is a capable young high school student. Here is your chance to see a digital native in action. Michael podcasts regularly and is also a UMAJIN Creative enthusiast. (Presented by Michael)
2. ‘Blue screening’ in UMAJIN. Creative  ideas for using it with a range of classroom technologies. We will introduce UMAJIN Creative as easy to use, Kiwi-made software, demonstrating the UMAJIN Creative interface and how easy it is to “blue screen” your digital photos. UMAJIN Creative has some cool effects that kids love to use and we will show you some of the documents we have made and explain ways teachers can use it in class room on HP Touch Screen Laptops, Smart Boards and for writing up class projects. (Presented by Michael and Liam)

Come along during breakout 4 to see and hear these two digital natives in action!

ULearn08 is now four weeks away! Beginning on Tuesday 7 October with 14 pre-conference workshops, the full ULearn08 conference runs from 8-10 October. In the days leading up to ULearn08, here are some things you could do to ensure you’re prepared for the conference:

• subscribe to this blog. It will give you information and updates relating to ULearn08, as well as reports of what’s going on during the conference. There will also be updates posted by the student media team during the conference.
• select and register for breakouts, using your Centre4 user name and password
• print out a copy of your breakouts and keep this in a safe place so you know which workshops you are registered for
• upload your presenters’ material and supporting resources if you are presenting a workshop
• think about a topic you could speak about at the unconference during breakouts 6 and 7 (on Friday 10 October)
• email Sherry <sherry.chrisp@core-ed.net> with your idea for the showcase to the future
• bring your camera and upload your digital photos to Flickr, tagging them with our conference tags - ulearn or ulearn08