In a bizarre and unexpected turn of events, I had a call from the good folk from ACEC a couple of days ago asking if I’d be interested in presenting something at the Friday keynote session. Apparently there was a spot available and someone suggested my name. That was great news for me, since I really wanted to go to ACEC… not only does it sound like it will be an awesome conference, but there are so many people from my online world who will be there that I want to meet up with in person. Naturally, I said yes.
The hard part is that I was told I can talk about whatever I like. That’s dangerous enough, but further complicated by the fact that I’ve been busy lately presenting some stuff for several other conferences and I don’t really want to just reuse the same stuff. I realise that I’d be talking to a totally different group of people so it’s not the overlap that’s the problem, but I’d just rather come up with something specifically for ACEC.
My problem is that I’m such a dilettante and I tend to dabble around in so many different educational ICT-related things, that I have no real idea about what I might focus on. And of course, Friday is the last day of what will doubtless be a pretty full-on conference schedule, so the chances of me saying anything intelligent about anything that hasn’t already been talked about by people way smarter and more eloquent that me is pretty slim.
I asked Tony Brandenburg from ACEC what he thought might make a good topic, or what gaps might exist in the program that perhaps hadn’t been covered. His view was that although the conference has plenty of great stuff from lots of great people, much of that was from overseas visitors so it would be good to have a bit more of the Australian perspective. “Just give us a brain dump of whatever is on your mind”, he said.
So, feeling a little daunted by the idea of it all, but really keen to have the opportunity to add something worthwhile to the ACEC conversation, I’m asking for some suggestions. If you read this blog at all, you know that I rave on about all sorts of stuff here. If you were going to hear someone speak on the last day of the ACEC conference, what sort of things would grab your interest? If you could drop any thoughts you have into the comments below, that would be greatly appreciated. I like the idea of a presentation for ACEC growing out of a conversation that starts here on the blog several weeks prior. To engage in some conversation here, which can then evolve into a presentation there, which can then be followed up with more conversation afterwards, seems to be a much more interesting way to do it.
I’m keen to hear what you’ve got to say… don’t be shy.
The ACEC Conversation Starts Here by Chris Betcher is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Daunting prospect indeed! If it were me, I talk to my strengths – what I’d seen and heard at the conference, 21st century teaching issues that the conference raised, how you see the art and science of teaching changing with the use of technology and perhaps a challenge to delegates to pick the ball, collaborate and bring everyone along for the ride, not just the early adopters who want to be there,
Has integration of IT into all KLA curriculums worked? if yes,
Why?
Why do we do it better than either US or UK, both of whom have IT curriculum integration which is non existent.
Chris,
Here’s three ideas, not sure of their worth to you but it is a brainstormin session via blog:
1) Distributed Leadership in the Digital Age – ‘who can I help, who can help me?’
2) People not tools – ‘How I connect’ (some anecdotes about your ‘journey’ – to use that overused word)
3) National Curriculum/ACARA – what I’d do to imbed ’21st century tools’
I really liked Glenn McMahon’s Education Officer for the Sandhurst Catholic Education office
suggestion that with all the Building Education Revolution (BER) money being spent we should have a Learning and Teaching revolution as well. Many schools have new buildings and infrastructure, so how can these conferences (or for Friday night – How did this conference) assist us to use them beyond the wrapping paper and box?
See –
http://sandhurstictnetwork.globalteacher.org.au/
Depth & Purpose! Conferences are fantastic places for gathering lots of ideas, new things to try, exploring what is happening in education but so often it is about how to do something or how to use a tool rather than the what to do with it.
I want to come away from a conference inspired not by the tools but by the possibilities and how can I use the tools to challenge and extend my students. I want to hear how others have achieved this. I don’t want to be ‘amazed’ by tools. I want to be ‘amazed’ by what our students can achieve.
I agree with Darcy. We have a prime opportunity in Australia with the nationalisation of curriculum to pay more than lip-service to technology and really embed it in curriculum so teachers can no longer say “Well, I can teach this just as effectively without technology.” I don’t agree with using technology for its own sake but if we focussed on the underlining technological literacies and not skills such as how to do a sum formula in excel we’d be teaching the kids to be better holistic learners. I think it’s worth talking about and the ACEC presents itself as the perfect forum.
I agree with Jonesy and Darcy . . . on the last day of the conference I would be interested to hear your take on what you have seen/heard and how it will influence your next step . . . and some thoughts/ideas/inspiration on ‘who can I help, who can help me?’ and ‘how can I connect’ (hope Darcy doesn’t mind the quote borrowing) . . . many teachers talk the talk but few teachers walk the walk when it comes to using technology to really connect and collaborate – we need to be more tech-smart in our use if we also want to encourage kids to be more tech-smart and connected!
Hey Chris…why not jump in you TARDIS and go forward to ACEC2012. What will we be talking about and what should we be talking about? By then the DER will be 5 years old, Audtralian Curriculum implentation well underway, national professional standards for teachers on place and some shifts in the technology platform being used in schools and homes.
What challenges will we still be confronting and what do you hope we will have overcome?
I can look back over the last three days myself but it would be great if you could help us look forward.
Chris,
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Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I have taken them all on board (although obviously I can’t even begin to try addressing them all.) I’ve come up with a few things that touch on many of the things you’ve listed, but perhaps not explicitly or directly. The talk is called “Change, Creativity, Curriculum & Community” and will basically be a series of stories, ideas and anecdotes that I think, when taken together, might have some sort of meaning.
Ah, who am I kidding, there’s sweet bugger all I could possibly say on the last day of ACEC that hasn’t already been said by people a whole lot smarter and more eloquent than me. Trying to keep everyone happy is the surest way I know to keep no one happy, so I’ll just be me and talk about the stuff that is making sense to me right now…. a vague blancmange of ideas that might hopefully just strike a chord with someone somewhere. 🙂
Cheers… see you in Melbourne.
I enjoyed your presentation at the ACEC2010 yesterday, as it helped me frame some of my concerns with the Australian Curriculum and will help me structure my response