I have written before about the importance of making connections before collaboration can happen.

(@edu_sparks took the photo)

Just as an update this is a reflection about this year’s uLearn. Sometime I meet educators who say ‘I hear the same stuff and I haven’t picked up anything new.’ My response usually is, ‘Are you presenting? If not then it is time to give back to the community.’

Co-Creating lifts the game of collaboration.

This October several collaborations happened. As an Across School Leader in the  ACCoS Kahui Ako, I ran a TeachMeetNZ with a focus on ACCoS. You can read all about that collaboration here with principals, ASL, ISL and classroom teachers involved. We even had a facilitator take part too. Then following that I attended uLearn with 3 Across School Leaders in our CoL who presented with me and we shared our narrative. You can read all about that here. We can talk about collaboration but when we co-create evidence of what we do then that is even more amazing. Here is a link to the abstract.

Links of resources from uLearn17

(@coreeducation took the photo)

Core EduCation have just updated their page of resources for uLearn. This helps with curating the experience. So from there I managed to locate some images to help with this blog on their flickr site.

During uLearn plenaries, I uploaded my own notes of Eric Mazur’s session and also of Brad Waid. I did not take any notes of Anne Milne’s session and cannot stress enough to teachers that they must listen to her plenary as she speaks openly about her experience being a principal and how she addressed the marginalisation of her learners. Anne wrote a great article here that also included what she spoke about in her plenary.

During the breakout sessions I attended the following

• Using the Seesaw App to enhance learning and connect with families
  • Presenter: Renee Morgan, Sarah Corkill, Casey Frew
  • • • Takeaways: My query why student’s work would need downloading as PDF? I then reflected on wondering if this was the pathway we need to be taking.

• The exponential future of education
  • Presenter: Kaila Colbin
  • • Takeaways: How fast things can change.
• Augmented Reality, emerging technology and the future of learning
  • Presenter: Brad Waid
    • Takeaways: update own knowledge of VR and keep tracking what is happening in this area.
• Night at the Movies ‘The heART of the matter’ movie screening
  • Presenter: Alex Hotere-Barnes
    • Takeaways: the importance of story-telling
• Raising the bar – with Abdul Chohan
  • Presenter: Abdul Chohan, James Petronelli
    • Takeaways: With the right people and tools magic happens.
• Building a collaborative culture – everyone with us – 2
  • Presenter: Jo Robson, Jo Wilson
    • Takeaways: Ideas for getting our ASL and ISL working together. I really liked how they structured their session to have us talking together.

Highlights for me

• • Presenting with three ASL from our ACCoS cluster. I felt really proud of how we managed to work together and pull the session together. A great discussion and a great sharing. I believe that the padlet we shared allowed us to see how far we have travelled on our journey.
  • Meeting Chad for the first time face to face. I met Chad several years ago via twitter and I was part of one of his google hangouts.
  • Celebrating my birthday at the uLearn annual dinner. I usually celebrate my birthday at uLearn but this year somehow the word got out. I attended the dinner with Sue from Epsom Girls Grammar School. As usual I took many selfies. I caught up face to face with several educators I talk to via twitter and I met some of the Core #efellows17.

(@SteelOtter took the photo)

• Presenting with Christine Trimnell‏. But really i was just there in a supporting role as she did a fine with her session on Global Projects – 21st Century learning in a digital world

(Rachel took our photo)

Takeaways for me

• Continue to push for documenting and sharing of what we do in our ASL roles.
• Work towards collaborative inquiry across our ACCoS Schools.
• I would love to run an ISL session like we do for Flat Connections and give teachers a taste of using the tools to collaborate digitally across our schools.

Special thanks to Newmarket School Board of Trustees and my principal Dr Wendy Kofoed who supported my journey to present at uLearn.

Extra special mention of the following ASL who presented with me

• Catherine Palmer from Kohia Terrace School – Across School Leader in ACCoS Kāhui Āko
• Erin Hooper from Cornwall Park District School – Across School Leader in ACCoS Kāhui Āko
• Sue Spencer from Epsom Girls Grammar School – Across School Leader in ACCoS Kāhui Āko