It is wonderful to have reports out of the way. One of the positive points of this onerous task being completed is that I will now get time to blog more often. I do feel that I have neglected this task but I do have to complete everyday non-negotiables before embarking on enjoyable tasks such as my blog.Anyhow…………………….
Between Thursday June 16 and Saturday June 18 I was fortunate enough to attend the IWB Master class at Twin Waters Resort on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. This conference was directed towards those ‘seeking peak performance in using digital technology in the teaching and learning process’.
The Master Class took the form of 2 keynotes, 5 cohort sessions and a series of ‘unconferences’. An unconference is where delegates meet and decide what topics interest them and if there is enough support the topic is discussed further by a group of people who share that particular interest.
Interestingly enough the first key note speaker was Steven Bradbury, the first Australian to win a gold medal at the winter Olympics. Whilst I am familiar with his story I still thoroughly enjoyed his talk about the trials and tribulations of his career. I was very impressed by being able to hold his Olympic gold and bronze medals. For those not familiar with Stephen’s miraculous victory in Salt Lake City in 2002 check out this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=112CTYh05hY&feature=related
Chris Betcher (@betchaboy) was the second keynote speaker. I first met Chris at the Learning 2.010 conference in Shanghai last year where he was my cohort group leader. I am always impressed by what Chris has to say and write about the place of ICT in education. His keynote was informative, thought provoking and highly entertaining. Chris’ blog has links to the presentation he made at the Master Class. http://chrisbetcher.com/
I was involved in the 21st Century Teaching and Learning cohort ably led by Bruce Fuda (@Bruce1979). Early on there was some terrific discussions with fellow cohort members before deciding on a focus which we were to work on during the later sessions. My focus was on setting ICT benchmarks for staff members at AISHK. I appreciated the support Bruce offered as I attempted to construct a template for what I believed would be ideal for our staff.
I attended unconferences on the following subjects: vod and pod casting, creating IT monitors at school, social networking and 1 one 1 lap top programs (of which I was the facilitator).
So the question remains, what did I take away from this conference:
• At AISHK we are doing many things in the right ICT direction.
• An increased Personal Learning Network.
• The opportunity to talk and discuss with like minded educators.
• Some great ideas that I am keen to trial and implement: Compulsory social networking and web safety lessons for Year 5 students before they collect their new HP lap top, asking for donations of old digital cameras and ipods to gather class sets together.
It was a worthwhile conference. I was pleased at the level at which it was aimed. It was a master class and I will be encouraging colleagues to attend in the future (particularly if it is in the same beautiful location).
