Reflection on "When a Blog is a Travelogue"

 Saturday, June 22, 2013 6:40pm -Originally posted on MOC web site

A blog by definition is “a personal website or web page on which an individual records opinions, links to other sites, etc. on a regular basis.” Oxford Dictionary.

Sometimes I think I do write an opinion piece however most times it is just an electronic newsletter article. My piece tonight is unashamedly a short travelogue, written in a fair bit of haste as I have still not packed (ugh) and we are leaving first thing tomorrow. 

However the delay was worth it as I spent the day cheering on my beloved football team to victory!

The trip is funded through the $20,000 grant prize I won last year. The prize must be used for professional development. I have already used about a third to fund the attendance of four staff at EduTech in  Queensland earlier this month and a membership for the school of TED. I have blogged a number of times about talks I have heard through TED - Ideas Worth Spreading

The first stop is San Diego, California, USA where I will engage once again with High Tech High (HTH).  This trip is very special. Since our initial visit in January 2012, six teachers from MOC have engaged in the HTH Leading Schools Certificate program.  I am going to see their presentations, watch them graduate and also discuss with HTH leadership what more might we be able to do together?

Whilst in San Diego I am also going to talk to officers of the Del Mar County District Education office on their use of Chrome Books.  Del Mar County have deployed significant numbers of Google ChromeBooks.

Whilst we are proud of being an Apple Distinguished school, the world of technology in education is moving at a phenomenal pace and the new very cheap “browser movement” cannot be ignored. As a school that needs to purchase over 100 laptops a year ($120,000) and where parents are not asked for any contributions- any  option that may enable significant savings must be explored.

From there the next stop is Bayfield, Canada – the home of Virtual High School (VHS).  Virtual High School (VHS) began in 1996 and has grown enormously offering extremely high quality accredited online courses. In 2012, it served about 4600 students and they opened their elementary school.

I am delighted that I will be able to meet with Principal Stephen Baker to hear about how VHS is adapting to provide an innovative educational experience to students around the world. Please click here for Stephen Baker's TEDx Talk

Whilst in Bayfield it appears I will Skype in to a meeting of the Group of Eight (Go8) to talk about the Children’s University and why I am so keen to have it develop at MOC. The Go8 is a coalition of leading Australian universities.

Then on to Boston, Mass., USA to attend the 2013  Building Learning Communities (BLC) conference. BLC is an annual conference bringing together a diverse ensemble of keynote speakers and attendees to forge new relationships and strengthen existing ties for more meaningful teaching and learning enhanced by technology. BLC is a showcase for leading edge  innovative and practical learning resources.

After that I go back to school! I am attending a course at Harvard University. The course is the Future of Learning offered through the Graduate School of Education. The course will look at how societal changes and technological advancements in the early 21st century affect educational practice and the way students learn. Globalization, the digital revolution and advancements in our understanding of human biology all present new opportunities and challenges. How can schools prepare students for increasingly diverse and global futures? What is worth teaching, with unprecedented amounts of online information? How can educators best integrate emerging research on learning and biology?

I have already had to do home work!

Anyway I will blog, tweet (@SymoLyn) about the trip until I return in August!