Professional development is a hot topic in schools when I'm working with curriculum leaders and principals, looking at how to effect long term, meaningful and sustainable change in schools. In the weeks following the ULearn conference in Rotorua, I've had several principals comment to me how significant it can be for groups of staff from their schools to attend a high quality conference together – providing opportunity for significant reflection and planning to occur as a result of the shared experience, and also providing impetus for ongoing development when these staff return to school. 

For those who understand the value of such opportunities, here's an event that is designed to help 'kick-start' the year by ispiring teachers with visions of what they can be 

This event isn't only about ICT – it touches on all aspects of the things we need to be doing or thinking about in order to ensure we provide our students with the very best education we can for the 21st century. 

Keynote speakers are:

Deanne Thomas and Wharehoka Wano who have had a long and diverse career in supporting Māori education in New Zealand, across primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions and settings. They are well known in the Māori Medium sector, and in the wider Māori communities for their work in education, technology, te reo Māori, the arts, and school leadership and management.

Frank Green – Chief Executive of Leigh Academies Trust and is Executive Head of The Leigh Technology Academy, Longfield Academy, and the Wilmington Academy. Frank is a National Leader of Education, and The Leigh Technology Academy, a National Support School. He is also a founding director of the IAA (Independent Academies Association).

Christian Long is an educator, school planner, technology expert, educational futurist, and passionate advocate for innovative learning communities.Christian founded "be Playful", a collaborative global design agency focused on the intersection between school planning and design, emerging technology, professional development, and future trending.

Kevin Honeycutt has spent 20 years in education, the last eight have been at ESSDACK, a non-profit educational service agency, working in the area of staff development around 21st century skills. He has been managing the ArtSnacks network for nearly four years, and has used it to bring art understanding to thousands of people from all over the world.

Registrations are now open for Learning@Schoo12 – providing two days of high quality professional learning, networking and refocusing. Register here.