BLC09 - Overview
- Conference Registration
- Monday and Tuesday from 7:00 am – 1:00 pm at the BLC Information Center across from the Plaza Ballroom on the Mezzanine Level
- Tuesday night from 4:30 pm – 9:00 pm in the Stanbro Room across from the Plaza Ballroom and next to the BLC Information Center on the Mezzanine Level
- Wednesday from 7:00 am – 9:00 am at the BLC Information Center across from the Plaza Ballroom on the Mezzanine Level
- During Main Conference Hours at the BLC Information Center across from the Plaza Ballroom on the Mezzanine Level
Welcome Reception
Join us Tuesday, July 28th from 6:00 – 7:30 pm in the Plaza Ballroom. Pick up your registration materials, meet and mingle.
BLC Orientation Session
This year, we invite all participants to attend one of two sessions dedicated to you. November Learning team members will answer your questions and present you with tips on how to get the most out of your time at BLC. These sessions will be held on Tuesday night from 5:10 pm – 5:50 pm and Wednesday morning from 7:30 am – 8:20 am in the Georgian room.
Main Session Breakout Rooms
The majority of our breakout rooms are located in the conference rooms on the 4th floor. Additional sessions, and the ballrooms, are located on the Mezzanine Level (2nd floor).
Each breakout room holds the following number of participants:
Arlington – 140
Beacon Hill – 85
Berkley/Clarendon – 150
Cambridge – 90
Charles River – 50
Georgian – 480
St. James – 65
Stanbro – 200
Stuart – 80
Terrace – 300
Thoreau – 55
White Hill – 115
Whittier – 40*
*The Whittier Room will serve as our Apple Computer Lab.
BLC Drop-in Center
The BLC Drop-in Center is for answers and practice. Bring your questions and ideas, pull up a chair and let a BLC team member help you pull it all together.
The drop in sessions will be held on Wednesday - Friday from 11:30 – 2:50 in the Longfellow room.
Conference Strands and Intended Audience
With each workshop title and description you will find one or more symbols. These symbols represent whether a session corresponds to a conference strand, is repeated in the program or is sponsored by a business partner. Look for the following:
(CT) – Critical Thinking
(CB) – Community Building
(NS) – Transforming and Designing New Schools
(LM) – Leadership and Managing Change
(PD) – Professional Development
(CA) – Content Area
(All) – All Participants
(T) – Teachers
(A) – Administrators
(TC) – Technology Coordinators
(CD) – Curriculum Directors
(E) – Elementary
** Sponsored by a Business Partner
® Repeated in the program
Wireless Connectivity
During main conference hours, wireless access is provided in each workshop room. In addition, Internet access is available in all guest rooms. The cost for guest room access is $10.45 per day for a standard connection and $12.45 per day for a VPN connection. We will have the Franklin room open each day until 10:00 pm where you can access the Internet for free.
Breakfast
A continental breakfast will be available at 7:00 am each morning in the Plaza Ballroom. 30 minutes before the start of the morning keynote, we will open the Imperial Ballroom. At this time, you can begin to take your seats for the keynote.
Lunch
On Wednesday, there will be one lunch period from 12:20 pm – 1:20 pm in the Imperial Ballroom.
On Thursday, lunch will be on your own and will be broken up into two periods. One will be from 11:30 pm – 12:30 pm and the other will be from 12:40 pm to 1:40 pm. There are many wonderful restaurants in the vicinity of the hotel where you can eat. See the concierge or the BLC Information Center for more information.
On Friday, there will be one lunch period from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm. To accommodate those who will be departing early for the airport, this will be a boxed lunch and will be available in the Plaza Ballroom.
Logan Airport – Friday, July 31st
The Park Plaza will be organizing all transportation to the airport. Attendees will need to see the concierge to reserve a spot on a shuttle by Thursday morning for departures on Friday. The cost for this shuttle is $14. If a group of people want to get together and take a cab, the cost is $25-$30.
Friday Luggage Storage
After you check out on Friday, you will be able to store luggage in a guest storage area while you attend Friday’s sessions. Visit the bell desk to check your luggage.
Duck Boat Tour
If you have purchased a Duck Boat ticket in advance, it will be indicated on your nametag. Your nametag is your ticket to board the bus. The “Ducks” will depart from The Boston Park Plaza Hotel on Columbus Avenue (the valet side of the hotel). Departure is at approximately 6:10 for the full tour, so you should be outside the hotel on Columbus Avenue at 6:00 pm. The tour runs for approximately 80 minutes. Afterwards you will be dropped off at the Boston Park Plaza hotel on Columbus Avenue. You may want to grab a snack before you head out on the tour.
Book Sales
Many of our conference presenters are published authors. Their books will be for sale on the Mezzanine level outside of the Georgian room.
Youth Orchestra – Wednesday, July 29th
Wednesday evening, Benjamin Zander, our opening keynote speaker, has invited BLC09 participants to join him and the Youth Orchestra of the Americas for a free concert at the Hatch Shell. The Youth Orchestra consists of musicians from South America, Central America, Canada and the United States. The concert will also feature a guest appearance by pianist Gabriela Montero who played in the quartet at President Obama’s inauguration. After the concert, Ben Zander and the 75 student musicians will be joining us for a reception in the Plaza Ballroom. Coffee, desserts and a cash bar will be available.
The Hatch Shell is an outdoor concert area located about a half mile from the hotel. There will be an area on the lawn reserved for BLC attendees. You can either go on your own or we will be providing a guide to show the route to the concert from the hotel lobby at 7:00 pm. The guide will only be responsible for providing the route to follow.
10th Anniversary Party – Thursday, July 30th
Join us as we proudly celebrate BLC’s ten-year anniversary. This event will be the social highlight of the conference week and will be held from 8:30 – 11:00 pm in the magnificent Imperial Ballroom of the Park Plaza Hotel. Light hors d’oeuvres, a dessert bar, a cash bar and a live band will be provided.
Dress is business casual to dressy. Jackets, ties and kilts are optional.
Special Thanks
Many thanks to:
- Promethean, Inc. for providing us with equipment to use during the main conference. Thanks also to their staff for assistance during breakouts, keynotes and Alan’s closing session.
- Apple for the Mac labs, additional equipment, and technical support.
- Xirrus for technical support for the wireless network
Conference Tagging
As you are blogging, saving bookmarks and uploading pictures online about the conference, tag these items blc09 to make them easily searchable. If you are using Twitter, use the hashtag #blc09.
Evaluation Forms
Evaluation forms are available at the BLC Information Center and in the breakout rooms. Please fill out and return these evaluations at the end of each day or send them to us at 12 Hathaway Rd., Marblehead, MA 01945.
In addition, we will have online evaluation forms available at http://www.novemberlearning.com/blc.
Your feedback is important to us!
Questions?
If you need help or have any conference questions, there will be a BLC representative in the BLC Information Center during main conference hours. In addition, BLC volunteers will be wearing blue November Learning shirts and will be able to help you. For emergencies call Jennifer Beine: 609-410-1117.