Weeknote 45/2016

This week I’ve been:

• Dismayed at the outcome of the US Presidential Election. However, I’ve been taking it like a Stoic: there are some things that I can control and some that I cannot. The Trump victory belongs into the latter circle. I’m taking solace in the fact that this result, along the Brexit vote, might provide a new way forward for those who believe politics should be more three-dimensional.
• Attending VentureFest North East after an invitation from one of the organisers. There were over 1,000 people at St. James’ Park and I met some familiar faces as well as making some great new contacts!
• Meeting people to discuss all sorts of things, some of which I can share now, some not. It was good to catch up with Kev Jones about some upcoming work We Are Open co-op will be doing with Sussex Downs College. I also participated in an emerging, global, tech and learning think tank, which was an interesting experience.
• Recording and releasing Episode 68 (‘Digital Awareness’) of Today In Digital Education, my weekly podcast with co-host Dai Barnes.  This week we discussed digital awareness (main topic) as well as monitoring students’ web browsing, privacy in messaging apps, digital literacies, remote lessons, and biometrics. You can join the community to discuss this episode of TIDE in our Slack channel!
• Sending out Issue #236 of Doug Belshaw’s Thought Shrapnel, my weekly newsletter loosely focused on education, technology, and productivity. It featured, among other things, the limits of ‘brilliance’, the tyranny of surveillance, and advice on how to be prolific. Many thanks to Makers Academy for sponsorship!
• Flying to Jersey to work with Victoria College. I did some training on Google Classroom and discussed broader digital strategy issues. While was there, I participated in their (very moving) Remembrance Day services complete with 25-pound cannon going off right outside the building! I’m still recovering from the shock.
• Staying at the Hotel de France while in Jersey. Not only has it got one of the best spas in Europe, but the fitness facilities are some of the best I’ve ever seen in a hotel.
• Writing:
  • Reambiguation (Ambiguiti.es, 12th November 2016)
  • Utopia, pedagogy, and G-Suite for Education (Open Education Thinkering, 11th November 2016)
  • 7 approaches to educational technology integration (Open Educational Thinkering, 10th November 2016)

  • How to use a VPN to ensure good ‘digital hygiene’ while travelling (Literaci.es, 9th November 2016)

  • Cicero and Plato on appropriate leadership (Discours.es, 9th November 2016)

  • Digital literacies have a civic element (Literaci.es, 8th November 2016)
  • Close Deals Faster Using Evernote to Manage Sales Process Steps (NewCo Shift, 8th November 2016)
  • Seeing the world the way it really is (Discours.es, 8th November 2016)
  • Open Badges, BlockCerts, and high-stakes credentialing (Open Educational Thinkering, 7th November 2016)
  • On constancy (Discours.es, 7th November 2016)
  • Thinking out loud (Discours.es, 5th November 2016)

Next week, I’ll be mostly at home, writing. Let me know if there’s anything I can help you with!

Email: [email protected]

Image CC BY David Blaikie