"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success."- Henry Ford.
This quote resonate with me throughout [and after] this conference and I have to say that for me, these yearly uLearn events are just getting better and better...
Conference strands this year were:
- Transforming Learning and Assessment
- Transforming Professional Practice
- Transforming Leadership
Keynote Speakers: Collaborative notes
Keynote 1: Larry Rosenstock - It's time to change the subject
"We are starting to see more and more schools around the world that are atypical. They do not mis-predict which students can and can’t do. They do not segregate students through structures that we see in most traditional schools. The people running these schools recognise that the world is changing. These are special places that are preparing their students for the innovation economies that their countries so profoundly need."
'It's time to change the subject' blog post
CORE Education, uLearn Blog (Larry Rosenstock Keynote) - Submitted by Tessa Gray
Key takeaway: "We, as educators, must pursue the relentless creation of invention and reinvention"
Keynote 2: John Couch - New dimensions in learning
"If students are engaged, they will succeed and technology plays a vital part in their engagement."
'New dimensions in learning' blog post
CORE Education, uLearn Blog (John Couch Keynote) - Submitted by Tessa Gray
Key takeaway: “Education is what people do to you. Learning is what you do for yourself”
'It's time to change the subject' blog post
CORE Education, uLearn Blog (Larry Rosenstock Keynote) - Submitted by Tessa Gray
Key takeaway: "We, as educators, must pursue the relentless creation of invention and reinvention"
Keynote 2: John Couch - New dimensions in learning
"If students are engaged, they will succeed and technology plays a vital part in their engagement."
'New dimensions in learning' blog post
CORE Education, uLearn Blog (John Couch Keynote) - Submitted by Tessa Gray
Key takeaway: “Education is what people do to you. Learning is what you do for yourself”
Keynote 3: Michael Fullan - Early lessons from implementing New Pedagogies for Deep Learning
"Our work on School Leadership, Professional Capital and Coherence is becoming deeply integrated and embedded in the clusters and networks of schools that are engaged in implementing ‘new pedagogies'. He identified some early lessons concerning how leadership for deep learning differs when it comes to digitally accelerated innovations. There were also some surprising new findings about the role of students as change agents relative to pedagogy, school organisation, and even societal change."
CORE Education, uLearn Blog (Michael Fullan Keynote) - Submitted by Tessa Gray
Key takeaway: "The job of leaders is to help learners run better"
CORE Education, uLearn Blog (Michael Fullan Keynote) - Submitted by Tessa Gray
Key takeaway: "The job of leaders is to help learners run better"
Keynote 4: Karen Spencer - Beyond the echo chamber: The extraordinary possibilities of a networked profession
"Karen took us on a provocative journey to explore the rapid rise in innovative professional learning. From ‘done to’ staff meetings to collaborative, agile investigations into what’s happening for our learners, the way educators improve and grow has evolved rapidly in recent years. She explored new insights into professional learning, best ways to embrace change, and invited us to think about how we can transform what we do for our learners."
'Keep the fear off the set' blog post
CORE Education, uLearn Blog (Karen Spencer) - Submitted by Tessa Gray
Key takeaway: "Hold our ideas lightly"
"Karen took us on a provocative journey to explore the rapid rise in innovative professional learning. From ‘done to’ staff meetings to collaborative, agile investigations into what’s happening for our learners, the way educators improve and grow has evolved rapidly in recent years. She explored new insights into professional learning, best ways to embrace change, and invited us to think about how we can transform what we do for our learners."
'Keep the fear off the set' blog post
CORE Education, uLearn Blog (Karen Spencer) - Submitted by Tessa Gray
Key takeaway: "Hold our ideas lightly"
Day 1:
- Breakout 1 - Working towards developing student agency in maths with Jacqui Sharp
Key takeaway: "Before students can be expected to take responsibility for their own learning, there are procedures that need to be mastered. To facilitate this, tasks and workshops should be designed so they are student centred, personalised and challenging. Students grow control of learning through the choices and the reflections they make. Student voice is encouraged and articulates progress, which in turn informs the teacher about further teaching, learning and assessment."
- Breakout 2 - What agoggies and self-regulated learning with Mike Scaddan
Key takeaway: "We need to be teaching kids the skills of 'learning how to learn'. But keep in mind that all kids maturation levels are different so they will not all be ready to learn this at the same time. Heutagogy is developmental not necessarily age related. Technology can definitely help to teach the skills needed for self directed learning and growing assessment capable learners."
Day 2:
- Breakout 3 - A day in the life of a 1:1 iPad classroom (Y0-2) with Richard Williams and Sophie Church
- Breakout 4 - A roadmap for strategic leadership of digital technologies with Ray Burkhill and Viv Hall
Day 3:
- Breakout 6 - Supporting staff through change — professional learning models with Anne-Louise Robertson
Key takeaway: "Ask teachers why they are reluctant to change their practice. Helen Timperley suggested that engagement in PL is not an option, however we should keep in mind those teachers who’s mental models are such that they struggle to engage through fear, being overwhelmed, the context they find themselves in and balance that with the 'go getters.' Leaders need to model good practice, be sensitive and respectful of the learners’ needs and be warm but demanding just as we are with the students in our classes… What do we need to keep the fire burning..?"
- Breakout 7 - Building capability through Future Focused Learning
This year, I stood back and let a colleague, Hancine Samvelyan, be the main presenter in this workshop. I saw my role as merely supporting, as she decided what slides she wanted to use for the presentation. Her focus was on collaboration as a process.
Many participants felt uncomfortable and challenged within this workshop and the task, but I like the growth mindset displayed from a participant...
Other things happening:
- What you thought of Day 1
I actually love these conferences because you can always take something away. The workshop that I was at, was quite amazing. My one was about learner agency and it actually told me some steps on how to scaffold my kids to that stage. It was something I could go away with and tweak and modify, it was more for the older stages, but there were lots of examples and things that I can take and adapt to my student needs to help them get to the next steps.
Gala Dinner
#eFellows14
with Hancine
with Bede
with Nick
with Stephen
Wristbands received - I got 'em all! Yay!
~ “Continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field.”
- Dennis Waitley ~
