This week I’ve been:
- Sending out Issue #204 of Doug Belshaw’s Thought Shrapnel, my weekly newsletter loosely focused on education, technology, and productivity. This week it included links about online education, low-tech internet, and time management.
- Recording and releasing Episode 40 (‘Birthday Blockchain’) of the Today In Digital Education podcast, my weekly podcast with co-host Dai Barnes.This week, Doug and Dai explore thinkathons, Facebook, Snapchat, education as ‘farming’, learning circles, Amazon and Sony’s plans in education, blockhain, low-tech internet access, org charts, guitars, and more! You can discuss TIDE in our Slack channel.
- Adding people on Facebook. I know, I know. It’s just that Twitter is so much like Facebook these days in terms of business model and privacy that I might as well use the latter. At the end of the day, it’s just another channel that I’m pushing things out to, POSSE-style.
- Running Computing Club at my kids’ school. I’m delighted that Code Combat is going to be on the curriculum for all pupils in Year 4 after Easter, and that those in Computing Club will serve as mentors!
- Taking Monday 29th February off. I intended for this to be an extra Doug day to celebrate this year containing an extra day. However, I had to work Friday to get my slides ready for next week’s Open Badges in Higher Education event.
- Travelling to/from London and working with City & Guilds on Tuesday and Wednesday. C&G announced an investment in Filtered this week.
- Registering as a reader at the British Library. When they asked me what I’d be researching I gave them my “do you know who I think I am?” look.
- Putting together a collaborative proposal for a client. If it comes off, I’ll be excited to work with some talented people I’m privileged to count as friends.
- Catching up with John Bevan (included in the above) about co-operatives and The Hive by Co-ops UK – amongst other things.
- Sorting out an insurance claim that went awry after lawyers got involved. The short version is that someone crashed into me, I was ready to go to court, and the lawyers settled 50/50 without my consent. Everything’s been straightened out now with the insurance company, but I’m pursuing the legal firm.
- Reading more of The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday. It’s a great book and you should subscribe to his monthly newsletter. I also pre-ordered the new Google Ventures book Sprint : how to solve big problems and test new ideas in just five days after reading a post by Kevin Rose on Medium.
- Basking in the glory of becoming internet-famous. I now have my own parody account, @DogeBelshaw. I know exactly who’s behind it (hint: they’re the only person I’ve blocked twice on Twitter), which makes the whole thing even more hilarious. They really don’t know how to troll people. At all.
- Trying out the new WordPress.com native app for Linux. There’s Windows and Mac versions, too!
- Writing:
Next week I’ll be flying to Southampton on Monday, keynoting the above-mentioned conference on Tuesday, working with City & Guilds in London on Wednesday/Thursday, and taking a Doug day on Friday. Do say hello or email me to meet for a coffee if you’ll be in either of those places at the same time!
