uLearn provides an opportunity for teachers and educational leaders to participate in, and contribute to, high-quality developmental professional learning experiences.
The conference is part of a learning continuum and ongoing cycle of development that helps build a national professional learning community across the education sector. This is critical for developing and extending the vision and capability of school leaders and teachers.
Additionally, uLearn delivers multiple options and elements to delegates, allowing them opportunity to find the solutions and outcomes they wish to achieve (both personally, and as a part of their school, kura, Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning, or networked group).
uLearn provides:
- a forum to exchange ideas, best practices, and expertise on school, or national education-related issues
- a range of perspectives on global and local issues affecting education in Aotearoa, delivered via sessions from prominent speakers
- opportunities to engage in, and directly contribute to, the future of education in our country
- access to workshops that showcase new ideas, tools, and useful resources, in bicultural and multicultural contexts
- an environment that encourages thinking, networking and exchanging ideas with fellow educators from around New Zealand and the world
- access to practical knowledge, examples, case studies, and success stories that directly impact on the teaching profession and education sector
- a forum that encourages contributions and provides opportunities to reflect
- support from a wider group of educators, who are striving for similar goals
- exposure to the latest resources and tools that help to actively engage with, and meet the changing needs, of 21st century learners
- a chance for staff from entire schools to build common understandings as a basis for collective understanding and planning
- a chance to reflect on progress made over the year.
Making the most of uLearn
There are many ways uLearn can contribute to professional learning, both for individuals, groups and entire schools. Some ideas you might consider:
- select workshops according to your school's needs and/or professional learning goals
- hold pre-conference discussions in your staff room based around key points of interest or readings from keynote presenters and spotlight sessions (follow up on these discussions once the conference has finished)
- set up a personal or joint action research project, using the conference themes as a starting point for building and developing understanding that is relevant to your school
- take part in activities via Connected Educator Aotearoa NZ, a global initiative designed to support and promote networked approaches to educational professional learning
- join the uLearn discussion thread within the edSpace community, designed to nurture your professional growth, provide a sounding board, and keep you up to date with all things uLearn
- join and participate in social media discussions.
Discuss with your colleagues what you expect to get out of the conference programme. Read about each of the Conference Strands and think about how you would respond to the focus questions that are posed.
Some additional guiding questions:
- What is your school/inquiry focus and what are your conference goals?
- In what ways are you planning to grow your professional practice?
- How can you support work towards your Kāhui Ako | Communities of Learning challenges?
- How does your school perceive student agency and how do you empower students as leaders of their own learning?
- What do ‘engaged learners’ look like and how do you measure the level of engagement?
- How is your school planning to create or utilise innovative learning spaces to maximum effect? How will you know if it is effective?
- How is your learning design inclusive for all students?
- Who is your community and how are you engaged with them?
- How might you foster relationships towards deeper long-lasting understanding?
- What does your school’s vision for digital learning look like?
- What does your understanding of learning with digital technologies look like in action?
- Are you a school leader, or an emerging or aspiring leader? How do you connect with other leaders, and grow leadership capability around you? What else is needed?
- How might you plan to become more culturally responsive for Māori, Pasifika and students from other cultures?
- What does effective teaching as inquiry look like at your learning space? What impact has it had?
- Is there a research project that you would like to know more about?