Category: Teachmeet

TeachMeet – Be Inspired

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Back in September I was fortunate enough to attend both the Scottish Learning Festival and the most recent TeachMeet. A TeachMeet is an unconference, there is no organising committee and anyone could arrange one or attend – all it takes is a date on the wiki. People sign up to talk about technology in classrooms and it’s free. It is driven by the passion and enthusiasm of those participating.

Learn something new, be amazed, amused and enthused. This is an informal gathering of those curious about technologies. Anyone can share cool ideas they have or great ideas they’ve trialled in their classrooms.

Participants can talk about any topic, following some simple rules (defined by the participants of course) in 7 minute or 2 minute (nano) slots. My first TeachMeet in Glasgow saw me open the show with the first 7 minute presentation. In January of this year I took part in the FlashMeeting (online coverage) for the TeachMeet at BETT 2008, however the experience of meeting people face to face has no substitute. 

It was such a positive and inspiring experience in Glasgow that I decided to try and organise something closer to home. I enquired with Stuart Sutherland about whether we could host a midlands TeachMeet at the National College for School Leadership in Nottingham. In my opinion this is a venue that is befitting the inspiring nature of TeachMeet and I am thrilled that the NCSL have agreed to support TeachMeet Midlands which will take place on the 15th May 2009. Just pop your name on the wiki if you can make it.

It seems that there has never been a more abundant time for TeachMeets and if you cannot come along to Nottingham in May then you may be able to attend one of the others in the pipeline.

I have even mentioned the idea of taking it to Australia with me at Christmas and organising a TeachMeet Adelaide and Sydney, but I think I might just enjoy my holidays (Unless someone wants to help!)

In my opinion nothing comes close to the energy and passion for learning technologies you experience at a TeachMeet and in every way it is as Ollie Bray once said “My best continuing professional development”.

All of the TeachMeets are dependant on support from sponsors for food, drink, venues, wifi etc. If you think you can help with any of the events above and would like to partner the most inspiring professional development events currently available, then your support would be appreciated.

Sign up and be inspired.

EDONIS Thesis Project – Can you help?

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David and TomWhen I visited the Scottish Learning Festival last week I was very fortunate to be met from the plane by David Noble of the extremely popular Booruch podcast. David and I have been online working colleagues for a long time now and he was in fact the very first person to bookmark this blog in delicious. At the TeachMeet event David presented in the breakout sessions about his thesis project which he is looking for support. He has always been very generous and supportive to me and so I would urge you to help David if you can with his project, which he himself explains about below.

I would like to invite you to participate in the edonis project which commences at the start of November. edonis (educators online impact study) will run for at least three years, identifying, for example:

  • Trends in educators’ use of online communication
  • impact on teaching and learning, and professional development
  • good practice
  • implications for the learning sector and government.

Your involvement would centre on:

  • Replying to a brief fortnightly emailed question
  • monthly; completion of a brief online survey
  • termly; responding to stimulus eg image, video, comment
  • yearly; participating in a one-hour online discussion relating to the findings of the study
  • a one-to-one interview with myself during the period of research.

There is a ‘community of practice’ running alongside my research (at http://edonis.ning.com), which is intended to facilitate participants’ learning through: regular reporting and sharing of data and findings; opportunities to network with fellow educations and participate in focused discussions; and access to the final version of the thesis.

The study will form part of my doctoral thesis, provisionally titled, “Educators’ use of the social web to support teaching and learning, and professional development”. Your participation will be recognised within the published thesis and with a yearly Professional Development (CPD/PD) certificate. At each stage of the study, you will be able to choose to annonymise your contribution.

If you would like to take part or find out more, please email me at edonisproject@yahoo.co.uk.

David Noble

I hope that you find the time to offer your support to David and I wish him luck with the project.

Image: “TeachMeet08@SLF: David and Tom” – David Muir

 

TeachMeet'08

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TeachMeet08%20SLF2008%20+date I am thrilled to be travelling up to Glasgow in a few weeks to take part in the 9th edition of TeachMeet alongside the Scottish Learning Festival. (Depending on a few things I may speak at the TeachMeet too)

There is a huge amount of innovation going on in Scottish schools, I am looking forward to attending an event where I can put a face to some names and meet the people I consider part of my learning network.

I will be at the SLF on Wednesday and Thursday attending a few seminars – I am particularly interested in meeting Ollie Bray and Derek Robertson to talk Nintendo DSs in the classroom. We are on the verge of beginning our own DS adventure in our Year 4 classes so I hope to glean some more ideas.

If you are attending the SLF or TeachMeet please let me know, it will be great to join up the dots and meet you. Anyone up for coffee in Glasgow Wednesday morning as I will be getting in pretty early?