Travel and Learn
One of the best sources for professional learning is traveling to conferences, since it generally proves not only a worthwhile experience in terms of the learning per se, but also a unique opportunity to network, meet educators from all over the world, see and review cutting edge products presented by sponsors and vendors, visit innovative schools and, in general, far transcend the contents of the conference itself so that the whole experience becomes an immersive and inspiring journey that has enormous payback upon returning to school.
Traveling with a group of likeminded educators and colleagues can only make the experience even more enjoyable and provide greater opportunities for learning, since to the already mentioned networking opportunities there is the added value of the group discussions and feedback occurring in real time during the learning trip.
The Learnerspace Travel and Learn service involves organizing trips to conferences for groups of educators, at a cost that is accessible, and providing a service that enhances significantly the learning experience. The Learnerspace will provide the following service:
- A 2-hour talk at any of the participating schools introducing the conference, related themes, educational background relative to the conference theme, conference logistics, educational trends and a general guide to the experience and the trip itself.
- Complete organization of the trip, including air tickets, hotels, transportation, conference registration, sightseeing.
- Help in preparing session proposals for those participants who want to submit papers to the conference, when appropriate.
- Visits to schools before or after the conference. These would be some of the most innovative schools, reflecting state of the art educational practice.
- Assistance to all participants during the trip and the conference. One person from The Learnerspace staff will travel to the conference (at a ratio of one every 10/12 participants) and accompany the group throughout, providing travel and conference assistance for the duration of the trip.
- Help in selecting sessions to attend. Each participant will receive, both before and during the conference, personalized advice as to the sessions, speakers and other conference activities so as to maximize the learning experience.
- Meet the speakers. Whenever possible, interactions with some of the conference speakers will be arranged for a more personal discussion on educational topics.
- Cultural visits and sightseeing excursions. Tours and other cultural visits will be arranged to supplement the educational experience with another type of learning.
- Post conference debriefing. Another 2-hour session for conference debriefing, analysis of conclusions and how to implement lessons learned at their respective schools.
Participants in the trip will also receive exclusive access to an online blog where information on the conference will be updated regularly, as well as tips and other advice to make the most of the trip and the experience. This blog will also serve as a platform for trip participants to remain engaged in ongoing professional discussions and shared learning.
Next trip: ISTE Conference 2018 https://conference.iste.org/2018/
The ISTE Conference is the second largest Education Technology Conference in the world, convening more than 20.000 educators from all over the world every year. The conference features engaging keynote speeches, as well as an enormous variety of workshops and concurrent sessions to choose from, together with a very large exhibit hall where hundreds of sponsors showcase their most innovative education technology products. There are also numerous other interactive experiences and receptions.
The conference will be held next year on June 24-27 in the vibrant city of Chicago, a cultural crossroads city, featuring some of the most beautiful architecture in the world, providing many opportunities for sightseeing and cultural visits. Chicago is also home to many advanced and innovative schools, thus offering alternatives for productive school visits.
Click here for more information on the ISTE 2018 conference trip.