Weeknote 02/2017
This week I’ve been:
- Inundated with requests to run workshops, deliver keynotes, and become a critical friend to projects. From London, to Rome, Toronto, Belfast, and a place I’d never previously heard of in Germany, it would seem that everyone’s back to work and wants my services.
- Putting together proposals for the above. Pricing is hard, especially when the client only sees the delivery and not the preparation.
- Getting back into rhythms, including sending out the latest issue of Thought Shrapnel, my weekly newsletter. I was delighted when so many people kindly bought me a coffee in recognition for the value they get from it. Dai Barnes and I also recorded the first episode of the Today In Digital Education (TIDE) podcast of 2017.
- Trying to take it a bit easier, partly because I’m still getting up-to-speed after Christmas and my digital hiatus, but also because I’m travelling on and off for the next few weeks.
- Helping a client through our ongoing relationship where I provide critical friend services. I find these conversations extremely valuable, and it seems my clients do, too.
- Finalising the details of the I HAVE A DREAM ABOUT BADGES webinar we’re running with Educators Co-op next Monday at 16:00 UTC. Details can be found on We Are Open’s webinars page.
- Following Nigel Slater’s spiced lentil soup recipe, which actually turned out quite well. Along with practising the piano most days, I’m trying to cook at least once a week this year.
- Celebrating my grandmother’s 93rd birthday and my daughter’s 6th birthday. They were quite… different in the energy levels required, shall we say!
- Making minor tweaks to my Dynamic Skillset website.
- Planning an upcoming ‘Badge Bootcamp’ workshop that We Are Open is running in London on February 15th. We’re not officially launching this until Monday, so I can neither confirm nor deny that clicking here will help you get one of the Early Bird tickets.
- Trying to retain my Zen-like calm when dealing with PayPal, who have placed obscure, Kafka-esque restrictions on our co-op account in recent weeks, for no apparent reason. We’ve finally got it sorted. Hopefully.
- Creating a ‘what is a co-op?’ page for our We Are Open website. I need to update the placeholder kitten images, but you can see what I’ve done.
- Re-drafting the script for Chapter 3 of #uppingyourgame: a practical guide to personal productivity. I actually wrote the original back at the end of November, but Google Keep lost it due to a syncing conflict. Suffice to say, I am now no longer using Google Keep.
- Writing:
- Is it defeatist to concentrate on what you’re good at? (Discours.es, 13th January 2017)
- A (partial) badge issuing platform comparison (Discours.es, 11th January 2017)
- Democracy vs. digital capitalism (Discours.es, 8th January 2017)
- In praise of internet institutions (Discours.es, 8th January 2017)
Next week, I’m working from home on Monday at Tuesday, travelling on Wednesday, and then working with Victoria College in Jersey on Thursday/Friday.
If you’ve got something that you think we might be can help with, please do get in touch! Email addresses below:
Image CC0 Christoffer Engström
