From the ULearn09 Conference Committee

It is our pleasure to invite you to submit presentations for the ULearn09 Conference. This is your chance to become an active participant and help us develop a conference for New Zealand's leaders and learners.

The three key theme of collaboration, innovation, and education cover a wide range of contexts, including e-communities of practice, curriculum, assessment, learning
and teaching, vision and values, pedagogy and practice, diversity, and student perspectives. They will provide the essence of the two strands, Leaders and Learners, that support the main goals for Ulearn09.

The Conference Committee is looking for presenters who can help or present in the following areas:

1. Equipment based hands-on sessions (90 minutes)
   Workshops provide an excellent opportunity to learn new skills, gain new knowledge, and explore topics in depth. Hands-on workshops have a limited enrolment. Participants will be actively engaged with computers or other equipment (eg PDAs, digital cameras, digital video cameras, mobile phones etc) as the primary focus of the workshop. Limited to 25-30 participants. A data projector, screen and whiteboard will be provided for these sessions.
   
   
2. Interactive presentations (90 minutes) requiring a high level of audience participation ( no equipment)
   The content of these sessions may be presented in a demonstration, panel discussion, or lecture format. However, participants must still be actively engaged in some form of individual or small group non-equipment-based activity. A data projector, screen and whiteboard will be provided for these sessions. Tables will be provided if requested.
   
   
3. Showcase to the Future Sessions (7x 10 minute sessions during each breakout)
   The "Showcase to the future" sessions will run across breakouts 1-5. Each session will comprise of 7 x 10 minute presentations. These sessions will highlight new innovations and future technologies, new and innovative use of software, stunning websites, web 2.0 applications that everyone just has to know about, or transformative classroom strategies that work ... A whiteboard, screen, data projector and internet access will be provided for these session. Presenters must bring their own laptop
   

4. Taster sessions (30-40 minutes during breakouts)
   Taster sessions are designed to give delegates a small 'taste' of a topic, concept, idea, or skill. They will use a show and tell format. Your audience should be able to go away with a clear overview of a new skill, product, or idea. For example, a demonstration of how you have used student e-portfolios to facilitate student/parent/teacher interviews, or an introduction to how you have used voice recording with your school or centre to enhance a blog, etc.
   
   Taster sessions are not intended to be mini-workshops and have limited audience participation. If you have learned a new skill or have developed a product that you want to share, this is how to showcase it. A data projector, screen and whiteboard will be provided for these sessions
   

5. Videoconferencing Showcase ( 30-40 minutes during breakouts )
   
   Two-way interactive videoconferencing technologies are providing exciting new opportunities for expanding classroom resources, breaking down access barriers, promoting multicultural diversity, and establishing innovative partnerships and meaningful collaborations. Recognizing this, Ulearn09 welcomes proposals that address meaningful and appropriate uses of videoconferencing to support and improve teaching and learning. Successful proposals might demonstrate creative models for integrating videoconferencing into the classroom; effective design and delivery strategies for distance-learning instruction; or the wealth of new resources, content providers, and collaborative opportunities.
   
   
   
6. Full Day Workshops ( 10am-4.30pm -Tuesday 6th October)
   
A selected number of full day workshop sessions will be selected to run prior to the main conference beginning on October 7. Workshops will provide an in-depth exploration of topics. These could involve the use of software and hardware but must have improved learning outcomes as their prime focus.


7. Unconference Sessions (90 minute sessions )
   An unconference is a conference where the content of the sessions is created and managed by the participants during the course of the event. It is a BYO session in which delegates can introduce a topic, discuss an opinion, or share a viewpoint about a subject.

   The principles of 'Unconference' sessions are :
   

   1. Whoever comes are the right people.
   2. Whatever happens is the only thing that could have.
   3. Whenever it starts is the right time.
   4. Whenever it is over it is over.
   And, finally, the Law of Two Feet is a guide to people attending an unconference: "If you are not learning or contributing, it is your responsibility to respectfully find another place where you are."

   Presenters do not need to submit an abstract for an unconference session.

Deadline for abstracts: 21 June 2009
Feedback: received by end of July 2009

The closing date for submissions is 21 June 2009 and all successful and unsuccessful presenters will be notified by the end of July 2009

The ULearn09 Conference Committee will consider all submissions and determine which submissions will be included in the programme based on the following criteria:

• congruence with conference key themes
• delivery that models constructivist views of learning
• the need to avoid repetition and duplication
  
• balance across strands and session types
  
• the ability to meet the broad guidelines as outlined above.

To submit in any of the above categories please follow the procedures outlined below.

1. Prepare your submission offline (ie title, abstract, bio, equipment)
2. Go to the online submission form
3. Fill in the online form (copy and paste prepared material)
4. Click on the submit button.
5. You will receive an automatic email sent to the address provided in the submission, giving you details of the presentation you have submitted. Failure to receive this notification indicates some problem with the submission process.
6. File this email in a safe place. ( remember that you will receive feedback by July 31st)
   
7. Provide a copy of your presentation and notes when requested by the programme committee.

Note: You will need to fill in a submission form for each presentation.

Presentation guidelines

Hands-on and interactive sessions

In preparing submissions, you are advised that workshops need to:

• be aligned with the three key themes
• be interactive and participatory, involving hands-on activities for participation allowing for dialogue between presenters and delegates. No more than 50% should be stand and deliver. Sessions should be designed to invigorate and inspire participants.
• be practical in modelling innovative teaching and learning strategies and technologies that support the conference themes
• provide school- or centre-based examples that relate to the range of educational institutions that exist within our communities eg large, small, urban, rural, area, early childhood, primary, secondary etc. Student work examples should be considered.
• be supported with high quality session notes. These can be housed on the conference website, if desired.
• enable delegates to leave a session feeling as if they have strategies, a plan of action, a product etc that is a clear outcome for them
• ensure there is adequate support for up to 30 people involved in activities in the sessions.

Contact information

For all conference information contact:
Gwenny Davis (Conference Organiser)
gwenny.davis@core-ed.net