Computing at School
4th Conference for Teachers 2012
University of Birmingham, 14/15 June 2012
Local arrangements
Venue
The conference is hosted by the School of Computer Science of the University of Birmingham.
Registration
Registration is required but free of charge. Sign up on EventBrite. Places are limited and will be assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Accommodation
As in previous years we recommend the Etap Hotel in the centre of Birmingham, which offers basic accommodation at a very reasonable rate. Contact them at 0121 622 7575 (fax 7576) to reserve a room, or use their online site. You can expect to pay around £41 for B&B.
If you want to be nearer to the campus, then you can consider booking accommodation in the University's Conference Park. Availability is quite limited, however, and you are advised to book early. The phone number for reservations is 0121 415 8400.
Pre-conference evening reception and "Bring and Brag" presentations on the 14th
The Computer Science building will be open in the evening of the 14th (Thursday) for a cheese and wine reception from 7pm onwards. Early registration will also be available. At around 8 o'clock, we will begin the "Bring and Brag" session in auditorium G31 in the Mechanical Engineering building, a short walk from Computer Science. If you arrive late you can either go to Computer Science to ask for directions, or find your own way by reference to the campus map. (Computer Science is marked "Y9" and Mechanical Engineering "Y3"; both belong to the "yellow" section of campus.)
Travel information
The conference will take place on the "Edgbaston Campus" of the University of Birmingham, in two buildings which are close to each other and close to the national railway station "University". The main artery from the city centre to the University (the Bristol Road) is busy at all times of the day. Therefore, we strongly advise you to take the train to reach campus. Here is how:
- The train line that serves "University" station is the one between "Lichfield Trent Valley" and "Longbridge" (or "Redditch"). The trains are frequent (about one every 10 minutes) and run until late at night.
- If you catch the train at "Birmingham New Street" (the main rail exchange) then the local train to "Longbridge/Redditch" usually leaves from platform 9 or higher. "University" is the second stop and the whole journey lasts no more than a few minutes.
- If you start from the Etap Hotel, then you should walk either to "Birmingham New Street" or to "Five Ways". The latter is the more pleasant choice: Leave the hotel through the main doors, and turn left onto "Great Colmore Street". Walk for about 600 metres and turn right into "Longleat Avenue". After another 100 metres you come to a T-junction with "Wheeley's Lane"; turn left towards a multi-lane thoroughfare. Cross it, turn right and you are looking at the entrance to "Five Ways" railway station. (Check this out on Google Maps and you'll see how straightforward it is.)
- If you have to drive on the day then use one of the many Park & Ride car parks. The web page gives a useful overview of your options. Note that "University" station is on the red train line from Lichfield Trent Valley to Redditch. There is a large P&R at "Selly Oak" station which is only one stop from "University" but it fills up quickly in the morning.
Once you alight from the train at "University" it is very easy indeed: The Computer Science building is just 80 metres away. Turn left as you leave the station and you will see the department behind a large (sitting) figure.
For generic travel information see here.
Other information
Registration, coffee breaks, lunch, and poster exhibition all take place in the Atrium of the Computer Science building. The plenary sessions are in auditorium G31 in Mechanical Engineering, a few steps away from Computer Science. This year, the workshops are also in Mechanical Engineering (because the Learning Centre, which we have used in the past, will be refurbished).
You will be able to ask for login credentials to use the University campus wireless network from the registration desk.
One workshop may use the workstations in the departmental student laboratory. This is a room directly off the Atrium. Login details will be provided.
The local organisers
- Sarah Collins: 0121 414 2791, s.l.collins at cs.bham.ac.uk
- Achim Jung: 0121 414 4776, a.jung at cs.bham.ac.uk