I am sitting in my hotel room in the Novotel, Christchurch in Cathedral Square…blah, blah, blah…!  You don’t want to know that really, do you?  Well I’m telling you anyway.  We are into our third consecutive sunny day, it is a little chillier down south than it was in Hamilton, but out of the wind the sun is still warm and it is a welcome change to have some warmth on my back after a couple of unseasonably wet months.  I am here in Christchurch to attend the uLearn conference – a conference dedicated to blending pedagogy and technology, to making the most of the technological opportunities available to us as educationalists and a chance to see how it can be used best to help our students learn more effectively.  I am looking forward to being inspired, but also a little apprehensive that I will also come away with my head spinning and thinking how on earth I can incorporate all the wonderful ideas into a busy teaching schedule.   First of all need to work out how I can get some free or at least cheaper internet access – $30 for 24 hours here in the Novotel – seems a bit pricey!  Might have to go downstairs and fight for the public computers!

Back from dinner – Sticky Fingers – twice in one day but good food and a pleasant place to be.  I managed to get at least my daily quota of iron from a dozen mussels in a white wine creamy sauce and a side dish of asparagus – delicious.  Spent the last couple of hours sorting out the videos I took of the girls discussing zoos, singing “Ah les crocodiles” and selling their houses – some great stuff from them, just need to upload them to Dionet now!  Interrupted in my flow by “un tremblement de terre”!  Very weird feeling, text from Nigel to say it was 5.2 on the Richter scale – lasted a few seconds but the hotel is still standing!