Collabor8 4 Change, 17 November 2011 #c84c
Last night we had the privilege of attending Collabor8 4 Change (C84C), a unique free-to-attend un-conference for educators to share ICT tools, resources and practices that engage and inspire.
LapSafe® was part of a small group of organisations sponsoring Collaborate for Change, held in Havering, and arrived armed with goodies, free ICT security guides and ready to hold two table discussions about laptop theft in schools.
What is Collabor8 4 Change?
As its title suggests, the theme of C84C was collaboration; teachers working together to deliver continual professional development (CPD) in the face of Government cutbacks and changes in school guidance.
The event emphasised the importance of two-way communication and collaborative learning, rather than mimicking more traditional conferences where speakers simply dictate their thoughts to rows of paying visitors.
A magazine is an iPad that does not work
The evening was opened by the fantastic Russell Prue of Anderton Tiger Radio, who gave a short speech about how ICT is changing, not just education, but society.
Aside from Russell’s passion for ICT in education, our favorite part of his talk was undoubtedly the showing of this video – ‘a magazine is an iPad that does not work.’ As the video shows, today’s children grow up with technology from such young ages, and this needs to be reflected in our classrooms. As Russell explained, this is the 21st century and we are already late.
A forum for discussion
Following on from this energetic start, the evening progressed into a series of short table discussions centering on a range of subjects relevant to the field of educational technology. We ran two short sessions to share our expertise on mobile ICT security in schools, enabling educators to talk about their experiences, ask questions and offer their tips for keeping ICT safe.
Around 20 table sessions were held in total, covering subjects from games-based learning, mobile ICT suites and much more. After some very nice food, and the LapSafe® team eating perhaps a few too many cakes, the evening was finished off with a raffle to raise money for a Havering women’s refuge charity and the Uganda Volunteer Project Society of Middlesex University.
The only way is Havering!
We had a fantastic time at C84C; it is lovely to see so many passionate people willing to give up their free time to make a positive difference within UK education. Thanks to all of the organisers and attendees for welcoming our sponsorship; it was a brilliant evening to be part of.
For those that couldn’t make it, you can obtain a ICT Security Guide for Schools, by tweeting @LapSafe
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