Everyone's a learner at conference

Working on their stop-motion animation creation at the Kids@Conference in Dunedin yesterday are ...
Working on their stop-motion animation creation at the Kids@Conference in Dunedin yesterday are (from left) Jayden Maumau (10), Taylor Meikle (10) and Locky Murray (9). Photo by Linda Robertson.
Allowing teachers to be pupils and pupils to be teachers is a key part of e-learning event Kids@Conference.

The two-day conference, which opened yesterday, has brought together about 120 primary-school children from all over Dunedin.

Participants are able to take part in four of the 13 workshops on offer, which include everything from using green screens to make movies, to trick photography.

Organiser Andrea Robertson said the conference always offered cutting-edge technology, and gave pupils the chance to become experts.

As only three or four children from each school were able to go, they were expected to return to their schools and teach other pupils what they had learnt, she said.

Teachers also had the chance to learn new skills, and were often guided by the pupils, who picked things up quickly.

When the Otago Daily Times visited, Locky Murray, of Elmgrove School, was busy putting the finishing touches on a stop-motion movie he made with Jayden Maumau, of College St School, and Taylor Meikle, of Green Island School.

He was excited about making the movie because it combined playing with toys and technology.

The idea behind stop-motion was not new to him as he had used it to make a movie at home with Lego a few weeks ago.

Mrs Robertson said the thing that amazed her each year was the quality of the pupils' work, and their enthusiasm. "It's professional-looking stuff they are doing."

One of the highlights today will be a visit by a John McGlashan College rock band that will work with the pupils to record music.

 

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