Kristianstill

As I know you will want quick access to this file and will be referring others. Sir Ken Robinson @ SSAT.

Look, I sincerely believe that the SSAT should make this SWF file available, but also in a high quality version for use in all SSAT (and other) schools and colleges, youth facilities and even in government offices. A DVD compilation. I have left this as a request with SSAT but ….. in this ‘big boulder’ world this small pebble might not come to fruition. Sadly at present the student performances are not available at all. So if you want a copy of the presentations….. here’s PLAN B

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Another inspiring student presentation with wow factor, I forget to mention the Pearl of Africa, impressive. A modern Step Up performance with great music and costume. An overview of the impact of federation was supported by series of shorter presentation by future leaders. Given the chance to lead early in their careers these presentation provided a number of take home messages for established leaders. For me the messages, although subtly different, were often repeated. Of course, this may have been the point?

This was supreme;y well supported by the final Keynote that had the audience agreeing, smiling wryly and nodding in agreement. This is one presenter to keep a track off! Richard Reeves was the highlight, the surprise package, of the SSAT 16th conference for me. Every bit a modern presenter. Great delivery, very enjoyable but also informative and a sophisticated presentation zen slide approach.

Now the highlight for me, was following the presentation I met with Jenny Lycett the web editor. The thought that a simple request may get the students performance uploaded to website was a positive end to my personal conference. There will be a fantastic resource to staff and inspiration to students at the possibilities available to them.

The conversation then progressed and we discussed how blogging the conference may help share the aims of the SSAT (I didn’t originally blog the conference for that aim, but for my own professional development). There was a potential opportunity for Hamble Digital Leaders to visit the Conference next year and cover the conference using some of the more current aspects of digital media, blogging as I have done, but also mobloging (blogging live) and Ustreaming some of the break out sessions. IMHO I was surprised that SSAT were not already considering Ustreaming this? All it would take would be low spec camcorders, operators (students) and the organisation of those students and the whole conference would be recorded and streamed live to a global audience. Did I mention it was free. Sir Ken could watch from California.

Just to challenge the SSAT here is a Ustreamed Keynote, where the presenter, Chris Lehmann talked about some of the fantastic ICT innovations and projects currently being used at The Science Leadership Academy.  Granted, the quality is not fantastic, but the message is and that message was – ‘that tools don’t teach. Teachers do.’ Enjoy.

A enjoyable start to the day with a  seminar style event with Sir Ken Robinson, only problem was the booking system delayed the start and frustrated a fair few delegates and of course restricted the time we had to hear him speak and confer with the audience. Technology, you can’t rely on it? Disappointingly, just ask the Minister if you dont believe me.

We then looked around the exhibition, I liked one or two products, in particular nComputing who were offer low-cost virtualization software /hardware to tap into the unused capacity of the classroom PCs and share it with other users. 1 PC acting as a host to 6 PCs.

Benefits are; creating desktop space, dramatically reducing your e-waste and recycling costs and a reduction in power, well your are only running 1 PC for 6 access points. All PCs are recognised by any classroom management software you have running.

Another interesting product was Vivo Miles. Vivo Miles is a very comprehensive rewards and sanction system and very current in its design and application. Plugins allow it to integrate with websites and they have plans to marry up with the VLE providers. A powerful way to raise standards but also for students understand and achieve economic well-being. Its a schools club card – complete with its own hole in the wall. What I will note, is that its visual presentation is excellent, a very web vogue, social networked, internet market place user interface will, IMHO engage.

Next Sir Michael Barber, again a very impressive public speaker offering an aliens aural feedback from a recent Earth inspection – the written feedback to be posted later. Outlining where perhaps organisational failing are impacting on education. Concluding with E(K+T+L) an the equation / solution left by the aliens to prompt thinking. That Knowledge plus Thinking plus Leadership underpinned by ethics is required for effective leadership, and from his tone, not only in education.

Charles Leadbeater - web thinker / innovator highlighted the shareability of the web, and that term again, web 2.0. For the SSAT conference, I felt that the pitch was excellent, as web innovators / enthusiasts often engulf their audience with techno speak / babble. I wise decision considering the next keynote information….

‘The web allows them (Charles Leadbeater referred mainly to learners, which this context inferred students, but I am confident his view is broader than that) not just to publish but to share and connect, to collaborate and when the conditions are right, to create, together, at scale.’

His analogy of big organisations as boulders, including schools, being hard to move was coupled with the new technologies as pebbles more fluid and flexible, slowly swamping the cumbersome boulders. I enjoyed the analogy of User Generate Content (UGC) as pebbles, but I think the boulders are a little further up the beach than he perhaps presented, but that would have been a far less impressive communique. And yes, perhaps Google and little brother Youtube are the best pebble examples in the mainstream. In fairness he touched on others, World of Warcarft, Sims, Flickr.

(What would a seminar follow up with? Twitter? Social BookMarking)

Should any educator stumble upon the post FREE animation tools and some great examples! Now stickman may look simple, but our Year 7s and 8s spend hours creating and share it and there is a huge back channel / community sharing ideas.

Finally, the impact of generations and eras on leaders and leadership and Dr Graeme Codrington keynote. Although not obvious to me as an aspiring young teacher, this is very important. Ironically, it was as important to the seasoned professionals in the audience. It would appear, few of the professionals in the audience, either young or seasoned, had fully considered the imapct of their default settings on colleagues they worked with. Something to reflect upon. Dr Graeme Codrington has promised that these slides will be available but a short cut to the download section of his site.

So, another very good day. Now for the informal learning.

Its day one of the SSAT conference. The 3000 delegates. Impressive venue and the first two speaker set an enquiring tone. Sir Dexter Hutt, only introduced the conference but I felt that there was more I could gleaned from his approach to leadership and his experiences. IMHO it was a shame he was only introducing the Conference. A key reflection being that unless you change the ‘default setting’ for education, the outcome will rarely be changed. Change the default setting, the example given was to change the ugly 4 rows config of the ICT rooms classroom configuration, and outcome is changed. (I know I that Hamble College needs to challenge our classroom default setup, the ugly 4 rows configuration traditional in so many classrooms, to in turn impact on the way teachers and students and between student interact with one another, currently interaction is limited.)

The default system schools rely on, the way are schools are organised, doesn’t make it possible to make many special efforts, that’s why they are called ’special efforts.’

What would you have your to transform to permit more special efforts?

Sir Ken Robinson followed and the audience warmed to his ’slight of hand’ delivery and humour, did you know he now lived in California? And for the record he was never formerly known as Deardry or Angela? His key message was clear, he lives in California and creativity, ‘original ideas that add value,’ should be a central concern for educators. That creativity and intelligence are not divergent themes. (Ironically and only an minor observation, Sir Ken Robinson used the ‘default text font’ (TIMES NEW ROMAN text) in his Powerpoint, default habits die hard.) Again, a thoroughly thought provoking, expertly delivered, keynote. There are many possible soundbites to highlight, but…

‘The issue is not to reform education but to transform it into something else.’

So to the final point of the post. I am confident you are not interested in a second hand, vacious experience of the SSAT Conference. And thats is my exact reason for writing. Whilst we were listening to the Keynote from ‘up in the nose bleeds’ the video was being screen live on the back drop behind the speakers. So its being videoed LIVE. So it must be being streamed right? But it wasn’t? Why not?

Update:

I am pleased to say that the keynotes are available to watch? To reflect upon? To share with teachers all over the SSAT network? To share with our colleagues on our return? The presentations are being hosted and available for streaming, I am not sure for how long. Sadly the student presentation are not currently available. I have left a request with SSAT for higher quality DVDs be made available for purchase. I will keep you posted.

If you really wanted to get a copy of the presentation / video you should of course contact SSAT or read ‘When Right Click ‘Save Target As’ Doesnt Work.’ (A quick note SSAT presentation a SWF files, similar but a little different).