Hot topics at ULearn 09

Hot topics at ULearn 09

CORE Education Media Release

8 October, 2009

Reactions to Education Minister Anne Tolley’s opening address about access to ultra-fast broadband, professional development and new technology were the key topics among delegates at the start of the ULearn 09 conference in Christchurch yesterday.

ULearn09 is an educational conference in Christchurch focusing on innovative teaching and learning for the 21st century that attracts about 2000 delegates and features 400 national and international speakers.

Christchurch-based educational research and development organisation CORE Education runs ULearn 09, which started yesterday and ends tomorrow.

Minister Tolley said the Government was committed to providing ultra-fast broadband to all New Zealanders, and lifting educational achievements for all students 
The Minister also made a commitment to join more schools to the national education network trial, and to upgrading school networks including the school door to the school gate.

However some delegates felt the minister’s comments dealt only with infrastructure and did not focus enough on professional development.

MoE Senior Consultant eLearning Douglas Harre answered those criticisms by using a roading analogy to explain the focus on infrastructure.

“It’s a bit like getting driving lessons and a car without the road.  People don’t really think about the roads.  The broadband most schools have is like a gravel road.  And the money the Government is investing is a 50 lane highway,” he said.

Mr Harre was enjoying the chance to talk to and meet vendors face to face via the ULearn trade exhibits.  

“We get to meet a lot of people that might have just been voices on the phone previously, get feedback from teachers and talk to them about our programmes.”

ULearn 09 Conference Manager Gwenny Davis said considering that there were 48 simultaneous breakouts each with their own IT (information technology) equipment and rooms and 400 presenters, plus around 1750 delegates and 250 trade exhibitors, things were going incredibly smoothly.

“Because a lot of our sessions are about IT and it’s a really big conference, we’re pushing the boundaries and capabilities of the venues.  And we’re walking the talk with delegates by getting them to book breakouts and dinner seats, pay bills and give feedback online.”

At his third ULearn conference, presenter and eLearning facilitator David Kinane was finding the conference quieter and calmer this year.  He felt it was a year of consolidation.

David is to deliver a breakout session entitled 90 tools in 90 minutes at ULearn tomorrow (Friday). 

“We’re always out for the next new thing.  Everybody migrates and forgets all the cool stuff that’s gone before,” he said.

First-timer Wellington resource teacher for the Blind Low Vision Educators Network of Cathrine West has been loving the conference.
“I’ve just been on the geocaching session, it was so much fun! And the guys in the trade hall have been amazing.”

Cathrine was at the conference because she was interested in finding ways to ensure her students could access the same types of technology as their peers.

“I need to keep up with it!  The kids are finding solutions for themselves though,” she said.

Melbourne High School Director of ICT and President of the Victorian IT Teachers Association Adrian Janson runs a similar but smaller annual conference in Victoria, Australia.

“At ULearn I’ve deliberately gone to the sessions I’ve not known anything about and that’s been good.” 

His visit came about after the Education Department in Victoria offered support for people to present at ULearn.   He was presenting on programming for x-box and had made some useful connections.

“The vibe here is really great.  People are really friendly, open and happy to share and collaborate.”

Trade exhibitors Simon Evans and Amanda Papp-Goodhue from Breathe Technology had been talking to delegates at the Bloggers Café support by Breathe at ULearn 09.

“We’ve had lots of inquiries about eportfolios and green screening and our GPS workshops have been very popular.  So far it’s been very worthwhile,” Amanda said.

A manufacturer of sound field systems from Portland, Oregon in the US was pleased he had taken the time to call in to ULearn after a successful sales trip in Australia.

“It’s always very good to meet with our partners and potential users of our equipment,” Thomas Roth of Lightspeed Technologiessaid.

He had been able to talk to a New Zealand Ministry of Education representative about his products designed to improve audio technologies in classrooms to improve wellness and reduce stress for teachers and improve learning for students.

CORE Education’s e-learning director Derek Wenmoth believed there was a maturing community connection evident at the ULearn conference.

“A few years ago ULearn was just for the IT enthusiasts. Now we have those who are focused on technology, on curriculum, on management and they’re talking and working with each other.  So our range of workshops reflects all those interests.”

ends

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