How to make the most of a virtual conference

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2020 has been a year of many firsts for the education community. Here at CORE we are taking our uLearn20 conference online for the first time. It is an epic and exciting undertaking, and offers an opportunity for us to explore new ways of learning collaboratively by distance.

If you have been to uLearn or heard of the conference, it might be hard to imagine how three immersive days of boundary pushing, face-to-face learning could be transformed into a valuable virtual experience.

To help expand our collective understanding, I asked two leading connected educators, whom I admire immensely, Tessa Gray and Anne Kenneally to share their insights on the merits of virtual.

From left: Chrissie Butler, Tessa Gray and Anne Kenneally
From left: Chrissie Butler, Tessa Gray and Anne Kenneally

Chrissie: Nau mai, haere mai Tessa and Anne. Thank you for agreeing to this little interview. I think to kick off could you introduce yourselves and just give us a bit of a heads up on your “virtual” credentials.:

Tessa: Ngā mihi nui a koe Chrissie. I’ve long thought educators do amazing things in the shadows, that’s why I believe in the power of educators and kaiako sharing their expertise with each other. For many years I’ve worked in social learning networks and online communities and learned about their collective good. I share the love of virtual mentoring in the spaces I work – the Ministry of Education’s communities of practice for both Enabling e-Learning and Kia Takatū ā-Matihiko and more recently for CORE Education’s own community of practice, edSpace. When I’m not virtual, I’m facilitating PLD support in schools across the central North Island and I spend most my weekends with family enjoying what Aotearoa has to offer.

Anne: Kia ora, I’m a facilitator of happiness, in the CORE south team. I am a connected educator, privileged to have a large network of friends, colleagues, mentors and mentees across Aotearoa and globally. I work face to face and virtually with educators around the south of Te Wai Pounamu and out in Rekohu, Wharekauri, Chatham Islands. Some of my favourite times are my virtual mentoring sessions, walking alongside educators, creating better tomorrows. I took a year out with a study leave and travelled Aotearoa, meeting educators, connecting and learning in classrooms, and realised the potential of an online connected world. Now more than ever we NEED to connect online with our peers across Aotearoa, and develop our support networks.

Chrissie: Thank you both. So let’s get started. First question: Why go to a virtual conference, when there is already so much great content online that you can view whenever you want?

Anne: I asked myself that until I attended our recent Deep Learning Lab. My most profound takeaway was the incredibly rich connection I experienced joining in from my very own home. From large audience keynote experiences, to workshop sessions, to panel discussions, and virtual drinks, there was something for us all. We were able to pick our path to connect in ways that met our needs, from large groups to intimate sessions. I came away feeling truly connected and networked in my recent learning experience. The value for me was in connecting, reconnecting, discussion and sharing the rich content we were immersed in.

Tessa: Āe, I’d have to agree with Anne, there’s a real sense of empowerment when you get to choose your own learning pathways, explore those things that you love about the profession, while having your own ideas extended and repositioned – all the same goodness but from the comfort of your own lounge. More importantly, there are multiple opportunities to engage formally and informally with other uLearn whānau sharing similar learning experiences.

As well as Twitter, you can also get involved in the backchannel chats and facilitated discussions. We’re social creatures after all, and having that ability to connect and reflect is hugely important when debating or consolidating new learning concepts. We don’t normally do that in a vacuum, so a virtual conference like uLearn enables us to broaden our thinking alongside (and with) other like-minded educators across Aotearoa.

Chrissie: Second question: What kind of impact could participating in a virtual conference have on a teaching team?

Tessa: Sometimes educators have missed out on attending larger conferences, due to limited PLD funding. A virtual experience like uLearn20 creates more equitable and affordable opportunities for teams of educators to undertake professional learning. There’s an opportunity for everyone to hear similar messages, while also pursuing personal PLD choices. Again these pathways can be strengths-based or an extension out of one’s comfort zone – from the comfort of their own home, of course!

Some practical ways to support teams of educators as a collective and as individuals, is to create shared documents for note taking, resource sharing and reflection. This can be shared with others and used post uLearn to continue to debate, share or trial new ideas. Educators can collaborate and lead learning in different ways internally; but they can also be invited to see themselves as thought-leaders and encouraged to submit abstracts and for future uLearn events.

Anne: I’m on the same page as Tessa. What an incredible opportunity right here in Aotearoa for teams to connect, collaborate, learn and grow in their own space. Teams can come together and join in discussion leading up to, during, and after uLearn20. Feedback from our recent Deep Learning Lab spoke of the growth of communication within and across teams. Your teams can design a uLearn20 experience to meet your needs. All of this without the expense of travel, accommodation and more. And for an absolute ‘wild card’ why not have a school sleepover to truly maximise the blend of an online conference with a face to face team building time.

Chrissie: Awesome. I can also see that a virtual space offers anyone flying solo a worthwhile space to learn too. Sometimes going to a big conference by yourself can be pretty overwhelming. But an online conference creates different opportunities to connect that are supported by the online facilitation. You can also dip in and out in ways that work for you, get involved in the kōrero or just choose to watch and observe from your kāinga.

But here’s the last question: Surely being online for a whole day will be exhausting? What will it be like?

Anne: Yes, it will be exhausting, beautiful, enriching and exhausting. It is also likely to be nurturing, nourishing and challenging. You are in control to an extent, and you need to take and make time to fill your kete. You need to tune in when you are at your most focused and take time to step away from your device, walk around the garden, breathe and then reconnect for another burst. Your kete, brain and your heart are likely to be full to the brim, and I would highly recommend planning a couple of device free days after ulearn20. Take time for you, time to relax and reflect.

Tessa: We all know what happens when you enjoy learning too much… before you know it you haven’t left the couch and everyone is wondering what’s happened to the dinner. The uLearn team is also aware of online fatigue and have designed a programme to support you getting the most out of uLearn with a variety of live and on demand options, including interactive and immersive experiences, research-based and presentation style sessions as well panel discussions; around 10 to 55 minutes in duration. All of Anne’s other advice for virtual and real time balance is gold! This is your learning – you decide how you want to get the most out of uLearn20.

Chrissie: That’s a pretty strong endorsement from you both. My own take on a virtual conference is from a very recent experience over lockdown (the first time round). I attended the virtual UDL Summit based in the US. To be honest, I was initially a bit skeptical. I really love being with people kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) and have found that much of the gold happens in the incidental conversations round the edges. But the UDL Summit was great. It felt like I was part of something for those couple of days and connected and plugged into this community of educators passionate about innovating for equity. The chance to view the curated content after the event and continue conversations with colleagues was also a real bonus.

So next stop uLearn 20. Thank you Tessa and Anne for sharing your experience and insights. I know you both will be very present both front-of-house and behind the scenes over October 7 and 8.

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Online conferences: an in-depth example of getting value for you and your team

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Derek Wenmoth, Principal Consultant, CORE Education
With Dr Wendy Bamford, Principal at Wānaka Primary School

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Used with permission from Wānaka Primary School

CORE Education’s Deep Learning Lab (DLL), held during the recent school break, provided many New Zealand educators with their first opportunity to experience a fully online conference.

Normally a two-day event in a physical location somewhere in New Zealand, this year the decision was made to take the event online, given the concerns about travel in a COVID-19 environment.

One of the schools in the New Zealand New Pedagogies for Deep Learning (NPDL) project is Wānaka Primary School (WPS). While staff had been a part of DLLs before, travel and accommodation costs from Wānaka to the venue often meant that only a small team could afford to attend.
This year Dr Wendy Bamford, principal of the school, saw an opportunity to involve more staff. In this interview she describes how this worked for her and her staff.

Derek: Kia ora Wendy, thanks for taking the time to chat about your experiences of the virtual Deep Learning Lab this year. Describe for me a little of what you thought when you heard this year’s event was going to be held online?

Wendy: Well, it would be fair to say that the Wānaka Primary School staff, especially the very ancient principal [smiles], approached the whole thing with a degree of skepticism. We’d enjoyed being a part of the previous Labs, and got a lot from them. With this one being online we were wondering how could an online conference work so that we were able to network, share ideas, interact with presenters and have our pedagogical beliefs challenged, so that we got the most out of it that we could?

Derek: And what was the verdict?

Wendy: The very ancient principal has eaten her hat! It was amazing and thoroughly worthwhile was the WPS verdict. And given it was two days of inversion layer and a max temperature of two degrees, I for one was glad I could benefit from quality PLD without leaving my fireside chair.

Derek: How about the programme – how did that compare with the face to face conferences you’d attended previously?

Wendy: We were delighted with the quality of presenters, both national and global, who presented at the DLL. We were also delighted that the DLL catered for all levels of understanding and experience around NPDL. There was something for everyone and as the insights and live presentations were recorded, teachers could go back and look at all of the keynotes and workshops if they needed to.

Derek: How did you choose which teachers could attend this year?

Wendy: We didn’t have to choose – everyone who wanted to attend could! Usually we can only afford to send three to four teachers to the DLL and uLearn because of the high costs involved in travel…usually flights for us…and accommodation. We were able to encourage staff to attend as they had access to the DLL with only the registration fee as the cost and in the holidays so no reliever costs involved. We had a large number register.

Derek: What about those with family or other commitments who may have wanted to attend but couldn’t?

Wendy: One of my teachers was unable to attend the Thursday/Friday of the actual conference but hopped in and out as she could prior to and after the actual online date.

Derek: So the flexibility of online really opened it up for everyone?

Wendy: It certainly did! A number of my staff have young families and that is another benefit of accessing the conference online from their homes.

Derek: As principal, what were the big benefits you saw in having the event available to your staff like this?

Wendy: After attending the DLL, staff have high expectations of fabulous PLD at their fingertips without the hours in airports and staying away from the family. Bringing high quality global presenters in remotely allows greater numbers and greater varieties of insights and keynotes. It’s also more affordable, as the costs of hosting the speakers – their flights to NZ, accommodation etc. must be a lot less as well, meaning registration costs and the costs to CORE are reduced.

Derek: Tell me more about how your staff actually participated – did you all just sit at home in front of the fire and go online?

Wendy: There were a number of ways staff attended the DLL. We had a group of staff who were able to gather together at school, either in the staffroom or as a pod group, but we also have staff who live up to 45 minutes from school and they loved the option of not having to travel and to watch it from home. There was lots of communication between staff whether it was conversations held at school or digital means.

Derek: That sounds awesome – something in there for everyone! And I love the way you have used the conference to create a sense of ‘connectedness’ among your staff – regardless of how they participated.

Wendy: Yes, that was very intentional. On the first week back after the DLL all of the WPS staff gathered together and talked about the ideas and pedagogical practices that resonated with them. This stimulated further discussions and many are now keen to go back and look at presentations again as teams etc. as well.

Derek: So being online really suited you and your staff?

Wendy: Indeed – the major benefits I see are that more staff can be involved, a greater number and variety of presenters can also be involved and you can interact in a space and at a time that suits you.

Derek: So this experience has really changed your thinking about online conferences! Do you think your staff will be interested in participating like this again?

Wendy: Absolutely! Before the Deep Learning Lab I had only one teacher interested in attending uLearn and to be honest our PLD budget could only afford to send three or four. Now that staff have had a taste of the online DLL and the fact that it ran so smoothly, people could opt into sessions at times that suited them. There are a number who would like to be involved with the online uLearn conference.

Derek: What was it about the experience that made it so engaging for your staff? It sounds like it was much more than simply a series of ‘talking heads’ providing online keynotes and workshops?

Wendy: That’s it exactly. The opportunity to engage in the online forums, in breakout rooms, interact with the keynote presenters, insights and live presenters and the ability to revisit these at any time or enter into another insight and consequent forum ensured there is lots of thinking, discussion, rigorous questioning. We found at the DLL that staff newer to DLL revelled in the practical classroom ideas, resources and speakers, while the more informed and experienced practitioners looked for something to challenge their thinking and disrupt their beliefs.

Derek: So they’re keen to get to uLearn now?

Wendy: I can’t wait for uLearn … and I can bet on the fact there will be a large number of WPS staff as well. If uLearn is set up like the DLL it will be the ideal portal for everyone from beginning teachers to experienced school leaders!

Derek: Thanks for your time, Wendy. I’ll look forward to catching up at uLearn online.

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Dr Ann Milne

Developing warrior-scholars, rethinking success

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Dr Ann Milne

A conversation with Dr Ann Milne (principal of Kia Aroha College, Ōtara, Auckland)

On a hot summer’s day in mid-January 2016, I sat down and interviewed Dr Ann Milne. We discussed her inspirations, who influences her thinking and practice, and what she’s working on presently.

 

E te Aumangea, tēnā koe. Thank you so much for making the time to talk with us about your educational work.

To begin, could you share a little bit about your background and your family?

Well I have four kids, twelve grandchildren, and three great grandchildren!

I grew up in Pataua, a small all-Māori community outside of Whangarei. I went to a tiny school where there was only one other Pākehā family. My parents both left school at age eleven and twelve. They didn’t rate teachers – my dad would call them “educated idiots.” In the end, they both developed successful businesses. Dad taught himself how to build houses, and mum was a hairdresser. All self-taught. A lot of my work-ethic came from them.

My paternal grandmother didn’t go to school; her parents were Scottish immigrants. She lived with us for many years and was selfless. In fact, she was famous for her manaakitanga! She always invited people to come and eat at our place, even when there was little food in the house to actually share. My grandmother always put others first. Her sense of manaakitanga has really stayed with me.

Who has inspired and challenged your thinking?

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EDtalks at ICOT 2013 – prompts to thinking

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Last week I attended the 16th International Conference on Thinking in glorious Wellington. It was an action packed week where delegates could experience four ignite talks, five world class keynotes, 5 inspiring performances, and 8 breakout sessions. By the last day I could see many weary thinkers, summed up by this tweet by Susan Feron:

Susan Feron tweet: ICOT 2013

My conference experience is like this … but multiplied! During the conference I was privileged to sit down and talk one-on-one with nearly 40 presenters and capture these conversations as EDtalks. I heard all about Lane Clark's new thinking framework, Cassandra Treadwell explained the exciting "So They Can" project in Kenya, John Edwards helped me to explore his concept of "Siren Voices", and Carol Burnes wove a story with such an eloquent choice of words that it was like watching an artist sculpting.

I was privileged to engage with so many diverse ideas, and so many generous people. Now the process starts of re-engaging with these ideas as we edit the EDtalks and bring them to you. In the next few months you will be able to revisit ideas you met in workshops, introduce yourself to new ideas that you couldn't quite fit in your conference schedule, or experience the ideas afresh if you missed out on the opportunity.

To start you off we have Steve Maharey's opening address for the conference:

Think: Education for creative, innovative, flexible people from EDtalks.

And we have the first of the Ignite speakers, Brendan Spillane:

Pull up a chair from EDtalks.

If you want to be informed when each of the videos are posted online you can follow @edtalks on Twitter, or for a monthly digest, sign up for our email update.

 

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Professor Guy Claxton EDTalk | Can schools prepare you for anything?

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New from the EDtalks crew …

Professor Guy Claxton is well known for encouraging teachers to think about building their students’ learning power, and now asks the provocative question, “Can schools prepare you for anything?” Professor Claxton spoke at the 2012 Graham Nuthall Annual Lecture in Christchurch where he explored this question in full. Traditional education aims to raise standards by any means, but we are coming to see that preparing young people for tests, and preparing them for life, are different goals. How do we deepen learning so that it systematically builds the learning dispositions that the next generation will need? As work on Key Competencies and 21st century skills evolves it is becoming clearer just what it takes to raise standards in a way that helps kids be ready for anything.

After the lecture CORE Education’s Keryn Davis had the chance to ask Guy about the key messages he had for teachers wanting to deepen learning and build learning dispositions.

You can find out more about Professor Claxton’s work at:

Visit EDtalks to find more inspiring talks like this one

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