ALT! .... I go there

I’m preparing to travel up to the ALT-C 2007 conference next week – it’s the Association for Learning Technology annual bash, held this year in the East Midlands Conference Centre, at the University of Nottingham. I’m editor of the Research Proceedings again this year, so all my hard work has already been put in – now all I have to do is attend, chair a few sessions, and hold a meeting for delegates in which I and my co-editors will discuss what makes a good conference paper (what does? Send your answers in please!). Oh, and there is of course the small issue of driving for 6 hours to get there - easy. The rest of the time I will be dropping in on the papers, demonstrations, workshops and lurking around the exhibitor stalls, trying to pick up new ideas, interesting tips and free pens. I’ll be meeting up again with old colleagues and friends (I am not prepared here to go into the difference), and also talk to some new colleagues and make new friends. I’m particularly interested in listening to the head of Google Research, Dr Peter Norvig, who will be providing the closing keynote address. I intend to blog from the event to keep apace of what is being said and done.

Me old mate Michelle Selinger will also be giving a keynote on the first day, and I have been asked by the Executive Programme Committee to act as her ‘minder’ for the conference – whatever that involves. Once thing anyone who knows Michelle will tell you, is that the last thing she needs is a ‘minder’. She’s quite capable of taking care of herself, but I guess I at least have to offer to play the role I have been given, until she tells me to sling my hook (probably within about 4.5 seconds). I will report back from the conference as time allows, and probably link into all the other ALT-C blogs that will no doubt pop up….