Month: January 2024

Digital Divides ?

The BETT Show got me once again thinking about the digital divides, and I am very careful to use the plural here as I believe there are many digital divides currently acting on our students.   Now I have been challenged in the past over the existence of a digital divide (note the singular here which I think is important) with evidence of widespread access to devices being one of the key points of challenge.  One piece of research, for example, suggested as many as 98% of UK 16-17yr olds owned a smartphone.    Based on this data almost all children have access to both a device and also internet access suggesting ubiquitous access and no digital divide however, although this may tick off the divide related to access to a device and also access to the internet, what about the other divides?

Its not the device that matters!

When looking at school technology strategy we have long identified that a strategy to simply put a particular device in staff and student hands doesn’t work.    Its not about having the device, although this is an important foundation, its about considering what it will be used for, how its use will be included in teaching and learning, what support is available in terms of technical support but also subject related technology use support, the overall culture of the school in relation to technology use, the confidence of teachers in using technology, etc.    In terms of students and the digital divide, there are similar issues.

Have it, but don’t use it here

One obvious divide for students relates to school technology strategy.   In some schools technology has a key part to play, so 1:1 devices might be available, class sets, or BYOD might be supported, but generally it is a case of technology is encouraged.    Other schools may have far more limited technology and may ban the use of mobile devices;   All of a sudden our ubiquitous access to devices and the internet isnt nearly as ubiquitous if students arent allowed to use their devices and no devices are provided while in schools.   Those students who are encouraged to use technology in school, across their lessons, benefit from lots of learning opportunities in relation to technology, while for those without, these opportunities don’t exist.

Supportive networks

For some students, use in school provides them teaching and support in relation to technology and its use through advice from teachers, support staff such as IT staff in schools plus also from their peers who like them are using technology within the school.    This support helps, and ongoing use also helps as it allows students to build confidence in the use of technology, which then supports experimentation with new technology or new functionality within existing platforms.    But this support isnt uniformly available with some students receiving far more than others.   And the issue of support extends beyond the walls of the school to home, where some students will benefit from engaged parents willing to discuss technology use, the benefits and risks, where for other students they may be left to their own devices, which may devolve towards doom scrolling social media apps.

Digital Citizenship

And in some schools there will be robust discussion of social media app and the broader issue of digital citizenship. Students will therefore be more aware of the risks and challenges associated with social media including issues around big data, influence, bias and echo chambers, etc. This will be in addition to the meagre amount of discussion which may be supported in PSHE lessons or within the computing science curriculum which might be all some students receive. Plus, where there is robust discussion, there is a greater chance for students to ask questions or seek support.  

Maybe you need more than a phone

We also need to recognise that the smart phone isnt always the best tool and sometimes we need a bigger screen, a keyboard and a mouse.   So, although ubiquitous access to a smartphone is a good start it isnt the solution.    A study looking at device access for homeschooled students in the UK found that slightly more than half of students had to share a device with others in the household for example.    Again, we have some students who benefit from their own device which they can personalise, use and build confidence with, and other students who do not have this benefit.

And then there’s the new tech; GenAI

So, from the above I hope I have highlighted some of the divides impacting on students and this is now further compounded by new technology such as GenAI.   In some schools this is being discussed and students are being encouraged to learn about and use GenAI solutions, but in other schools GenAI is out of bounds and banned, or the students simply don’t have access to the basic technology to properly explore GenAI.    For those students learning about AI, they are likely to be more confident and familiar with GenAI solutions they encounter as they exit school and either continue their studies or enter the world of work, whereas those who have been deprived of the opportunity will be presented with a steeper learning curve.

Conclusion

For me there are definite digital divides and I feel current development around GenAI is only going to widen these divides.    Access to a device and internet, the ubiquitous smartphone, is a good start but it is akin to giving devices to teachers with no professional development or support.   They might get some use of the devices but never what is truly possible.  And looking at students and the smartphone I suspect what they might get out of their devices will be a lot of YouTube and TikTok content rather than something more meaningful.   

We very much need to seek to address the digital divides and for me the place we need to start is with the basic building blocks in terms of infrastructure and devices in schools.   Only once this is reasonably consistent across similar types of schools can we then move on to tackle other digital divides.

References

UK: children owning mobile phones by age 2023 | Statista

Over half of home-schooled children in the UK have only shared access to computers – Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) (essex.ac.uk)

BETT 2024 – Initial thoughts

So travel on the annual Bett Show pilgrimage began on Tuesday evening, still suffering  a little from a flu bug I had come down with over the weekend, but this time with a bit of company from my son for the travel down.   My usual scatterbrain was in effect first thinking I had left my headphones at home when in fact they were in my jacket pocket.   So boarding train 1, then 2 and all seemed to be going ok when scatterbrain kicked in and I realised I had left my water bottle in the cars central console;  Not great considering I have a bit of a tickly cough which I hoped the water bottle would help with.  Oh and a full water bottle is a Bett 101 requirement.   As the BETT conference progressed I was that busy and engaged in so many interesting and thought provoking discussions that I became unaware of my cough.   By the end of the 3 days, and 5pm as I sat waiting for a train, I was knackered however I had thoroughly enjoyed and found useful the whole event.   The energy, positivity and community spirit was exactly what I think I needed after what has been a difficult period of time for me on a personal level. Possibly for me it was my best Bett ever!

As I posted the other week, Bett for me isnt really about the trade show but about the networking and discussions, plus the various presentations.    And once again this was true.    This year was all the more interesting and fun with the opportunity to meet a number of people I would consider as legends including Ross McGill (TeacherTookit), Tony Parkin and Amanda Pickard to name just a few.   These are people I have followed from afar, occasionally interacting via social media but I had never met them in person despite being in the same venue (usually Bett!) at the same time on numerous occasions.   As such meeting with them and having a bit of a chat was great although being so busy and focussed on the chat meant I missed the opportunity for selfies, actually finishing the conference with only a couple of selfies;   Abid Patel would be disappointed by my poor performance!    On top of these legends there were catch ups with other edtech stars including Sarah White, Bukky Yusuf, Mark Anderson, Emma Darcy, Darren White, Abid Patel (the selfie king!) Gemma Gwilliam, David Horton, Miles Berry, Tom Dore, Kalam Neale, Patrick Hickey, Al Kingsley, Kat Cauchi, Ian Phillips, James Garnett, Jonny Wathen, Alessandro Bilotta, among many others (I wish I could list all but that would likely turn into a post in itself so apologies to those missed off).   There was also a gaggle of ANME Ambassadors (Based on some of the laughter at times, I think gaggle seems like the most apt collective noun here) to spend time with, share thoughts and ideas with, and to walk around the show with the giant read Swag Bag.  It was pretty full on but with each meeting and chat, even where only brief, I felt that bit more positive in relation to the technology in education space and the energy, purpose and drive of those working in this space.   The potential for technology is there and there are also the people and increasingly the networks of support and advice.    Maybe through this we can see the reform of an education system which has changed little in over 100 years?    Maybe we can also seek to address the digital divides which increasingly exist?

Divides

This was a subject for some discussion over the 3 days however am not going to write much here as I would like to focus on this topic as a blog in itself at a later date.     The key however is that in education there are definite and widening digital divides.   This might be access to reliable fast internet for staff and students in a school or college, it might be a future thinking digital strategy or student devices, it might be training to support teachers in using technology, access and encouragement to use AI or IT support staff to keep the tech running and maintain cyber security;  The divides are many and I feel they are growing currently.   Dan Fitzpatrick mentioned them in his brilliant AI talk, with AI being another divide between those that have and those that have not.   A lot of those people I talked with are those who have moved things forward, are aware of the issue and working towards addressing it however the challenge going forward is how we help and encourage those schools who are yet to fully engage in the importance and power of technology.  Now I note, when funds are limited and when other cost pressures continue to arise putting a focus on technology may prove to be very difficult however we need to engage, be aware and try and take positive forward steps.

Balance

I have talked about balance on many occasions in that any positive change likely has some costs, and that there is always some sort of balance involved.    So it was great to hear Darcey Bussel kicking off Bett and talking about technology but the balance with health and wellbeing.    Yes technology can make us more efficient but is efficiency the ultimate outcome for human kind?   If we were meant to be more efficient why dont we work 7 days or work longer each day?  In relation to technology it makes me think of email;  It made us more efficient in our communication but in doing so just meant we communicated more, sometimes when we didn’t need to or where emails were the wrong communication method.   So we now spend more time reading emails and maybe the net effect is that we are less efficient.  But maybe being human is more than this, maybe human flourishing isnt simply about efficiency, and maybe the only reason efficiency matters is to allow us more time to focus on what matters, whatever it is that enhance our lives and the lives of those around us.  

And as to Darceys opening session which involved getting everyone in the audience up and dancing I note this wasn’t something I was comfortable with, although I did feel better for it, plus I had committed the Bett sin of failing to wear comfy shoes;  I should know much better than this.

Conclusion

I had wondering about maybe giving BETT a miss this year however some scheduled meetings led me to conclude I needed to attend for at least 1 day.   Previous experience told me, if making the trip down, 1 day is never enough to make it worthwhile so it became 2 days and then I found out about Dan Fitzpatricks talk on Friday and this made me decide to go for 3 days.   I wasn’t sure it would be worth it, but in hindsight it was the right call as it was a manic, fun, busy, engaging and thought provoking 3 days.   Now I just need to allocate some time to sit down and work out what my actions are following Bett 2024 as the event isnt the end, it is the actions which come from it, the relationships and networks which we are building and the resultant impact that this all has on education and most importantly on the students in our schools and colleges.    For all the technology it is still about our students, their learning, the opportunities we can provide and the skills and experience we can provide to support them in their lives beyond school.  

And so I will sign off in writing this post although I am planning at least one further Bett follow up post and I suspect many future posts will also have origins in chats from Bett 2024;  I will finish here though before Bett fatigue sets in!

BETT 2024

And so the BETT 2024 conference looms next week and I will once again be visiting and once again my reasons are the same.  I am not so much going for the tradeshow element of the event, although I will take a wander round and speak to vendors to find that something new and interesting which will be impactful in school, my main focus will be on people and sharing.    One reason for attending BETT will be to listen to some of the brilliant people sharing their thoughts, ideas and wisdom including Georgina Dean, SJ White, Donald Clark, Dan Fitzpatrick, Laura Knight, Dr Neelam Parmar, Al Kingsley and Stuart Walker, to name but a few on my plan.    I will also be there to have planned meetings with individuals such as Emma Darcy, Gemma Gwilliam, Abid Patel, Ian Stockbridge, Jonny Wathen and James Garnett.   I will try to get involved including recording a little podcast content on the NetSupport stand plus will hope to have some less planned but equally valuable meet ups with the likes of Mark Anderson.   Additionally, I will be trying to spend a little time with the ANME ambassadors offering support where possible to the IT staff working in and across schools.

Although my aim is not really to attend the tradeshow, all of these meet ups, the discussions and the resulting thinking and actions which come from these meet ups are only possible by the tradeshow and by BETT as a whole pulling so many education professionals into the one venue for up to three days.    As a result this year, although I have already planned most of my itinerary I am going to try and make a little bit of an extra effort to give the tradeshow more of my time, compared to previous years, as I suspect if the tradeshow was to collapse we might also see the BETT event, that annual technology and education pilgrimage disappear and with it the potential for so many educational professionals to benefit from coming together, meeting, socialising, sharing, discussing and debating, something which I can personally attest to having benefited from ever since returning back to the UK back in 2015.   

So with that am going to share some advice (and hope that I myself will actually take it this year!):

  1. Come with a plan;  Decide which presentations you want to see, who you want to meet, etc.
  2. But leave time for yourself to stop, consolidate your thinking and plan future actions;  The benefit isnt in attending sessions and meetings, but in what you do as a result of them.  Give yourself time to consider your next steps.
  3. Wear comfy shoes and clothes;  Not sure I will be able to convince myself to go casual rather than wearing a suit but I need to seriously consider it.
  4. Bring liquids;  I carefully say liquids as for some that will be coffee, water, or other drink.   For me it will be……….well I shouldn’t need to say, so will leave that for you to work out!  
  5. Get some selfies;  Another one I am not good at but is great to get some selfies as a record of the event and the conversations.   Is very useful from a reflection point of view although am yet to work out when is the best time in a conversation to ask the selfie question.

For those attending BETT I hope you all have a great event and if you see a tall Scotsman wandering around holding and drinking from a can of Irn-Bru, that’s me, so do feel free to stop me for a chat.   The more me all share and discuss things, the better collectively we all become.   

BETT 2024, here I come!

2024: Pledges for the year ahead

I do wonder about writing pledges this year as is there any value in it?    Are the pledges sufficiently inspiring or innovative?   Do they motivate me or does failure to progress against some of them at the rate I had hoped lead to demotivation?    How accurate can I be in terms of making predictions as to what I will or won’t have done by this time a year in the future?   Does setting some pledges lead to narrow focussing on these meaning I may miss other opportunities or may not fully take in what I have achieved?    Why is early January any better a time for setting pledges than any other point of the year?

In all of this I recognise the world is a complex and ever-changing place, and that my views and priorities are also complex and ever-changing.    I recognise the important of short, medium and long term goals and that maybe pledges set in January have a place within these goals.    Also, everything we do exists in a balance so any benefits which might be associated with having pledges need to be weighed up against corresponding risks or drawbacks;   A pledge which might serve as a motivator when things are going well, might equally prove to be a demotivator in periods of struggle.    January also marks the start of a new calendar year, so with a new year maybe it is a good time to set targets and pledges, a new beginning as such. So given this, I think for me personally pledges do have a place and are worth doing.

So what are my pledges for the year:

My focus for the year ahead is very much about me as an individual.   It is also, in parts about self reflection and answering some questions about myself rather than doing X or stopping doing Y.   Now whether this approach will work and help me, I am unsure, but this is maybe a question for a year from now.

Doom scrolling

Over the Christmas period I noted periods of doom scrolling and also of passive TV watching.  Now I think a bit of downtime is fair, and some scrolling through social media or binge watching of TV has its place however this is something I want to do a little less of in the year ahead, focussing more on activities which involve human social contact or other less passive activities.    The average screen time my phone showed for the last week in December was 3hrs 20mins which feels for me to be on the high side so I would like to see this drop to below 3hrs by March and then get down to 2.5hrs per day, although I note the high average may be the result of the festive period and other issues so it may be I achieve this goal quicker than I plan.   I note that the main aim is not so much the actual screen time but more about me feeling more comfortable with my usage as a part of my life in general.   I feel at times I am drawn to check my phone more out of habit or compulsion than out of any reasonable need.   Linked to this I want to get out and about more, building more opportunities for social interactions with others rather than sitting consuming content as an individual, influenced by the algorithms of content solutions whose aim is to keep me staring at a screen for as long as possible.

Fitness

This is on my pledge list once again as I feel fitness is an important part of life.    My 5km running has continued although not with the consistency of previous years and also not with the same pace.    As such for the year ahead I want to try and build on the consistency and build on the pace.    My thinking therefore is to aim to achieve 2 runs per week through most of the year, so with that I should be able to achieve 500km.   I would also like to try to build up to a longer social run this year, likely something around the 10km or similar mark as I suspect a half marathon is a bit beyond my abilities;  Maybe a park run or two possibly?   It would be good to maybe get at least one social run before the end of June and the middle of the year, and hopefully a 2nd longer run before the close of the year.    I also want to consider other exercise beyond just running so maybe looking to a cycling or rowing machine;  I considered the gym but have never been much of a gym person hence have discounted this in favour of continued solo running, home gym and some social running.

Exploring

The last 8 years in Somerset are the longest I have spent in any one location outside of my childhood and teenage years.   Now I have been abroad during this period however have generally opted for the same holiday locations rather than venturing outside my comfort zone and trying something new, so this year I want to explore and try new things.   Now this relies on having the money to do it, however assuming I can make this side of things work I would like to explore 3 new locations or maybe countries in the year ahead, giving myself some new memories.  I have lots of thoughts as to places to go, so the key now is simply putting the time and effort aside to actually make it happen.

Happiness

This relates to a very big question of what makes me happy, which is something I would like to answer in the year ahead.   I remember reading something about a study where people were asked about their perception of their happiness in holiday or leave periods versus work periods.  Unsurprisingly perception was that most were happier in holiday periods, however the researchers didn’t leave it there and instead sought to measure happiness randomly during periods of work or leave, and this is where the results showed a surprising trend;  that although perception looking towards the future was that holiday would be a happier time period, people actually recorded generally higher levels of happiness when engaged in work, when assessing happiness in the moment, than when sat in periods of holiday or leave.   Now for me my work keeps me busy and engaged and provides me a sense of autonomy and challenge, all which mean it does keep me happy, so the question here is focussed on what makes me happy outside of work?   What should I spend my downtime doing?   How do I achieve autonomy, challenge and a sense of achievement when not working?     So, this is the question for me to address in the year ahead, what is it that makes me happy.

Achievements

2023 was a very busy year and I feel I achieved a lot mainly in terms of my job and also my wider involvement and contributions to education and technology discussions.   The autumn term of 2023/2024 was particularly busy.    This is something I want to build on, to continue to contribute to technology and to education but beyond my day job, sharing ideas and thoughts as to what works but also as to what, in my experience, hasn’t worked.    Now this will be through continuing to blog, maybe a podcast again, engagement in social media and speaking at events and conferences.   One thing I would also like to explore is maybe writing a book.   Now am not sure if that particular aim maybe just a little beyond me but it is something I would love to explore in the year ahead.

Conclusion

2024, a fresh year and, to be honest, due to events of 2023, it will be quite a bit different for me.  This difference is something I will need to adapt and adjust to, although at the moment am finding it difficult.  But it is also an opportunity to push myself forward, try new things and hopefully get to end of 2024 in a better, happier and more positive place.   It’s the old “positive mental attitude”!  

So with that, onwards to the rest of 2024 and I hope everyone reading this has a great year!

2023 in review

I previously shared a blog reflecting on the autumn term, a difficult term for me on a personal level.  I note I found great comfort and support in the friends and colleagues, both past and present, who reached out to offer their support;   The education community is a great place however it is often only in difficult times this becomes quite so apparent.     

Following on from this, and from the pledges I set at the start of 2023, I thought I would now share some reflections on the wider year, 2023, ahead of setting some targets for the year ahead.   To frame the review I am going to use the same headings as I did for my pledges back in Jan 2023; You can read my original post here.

Podcasts

2023 finally saw me working with Ian Stockbridge on a podcast.  This had been something we had talked about for a while but just never managed to actually make it happen however in Jan and Feb we finally put aside some time and launched In Our Humble Opinion, releasing 10 episodes focussed on cyber security within schools.   It was a fun and worthwhile experience and I feel I got quite a bit from it.   We did very much approach it as the two of us having a discussion which led to some interesting episodes although it also meant they suffered from being inconsistent in length.    As 2024 starts it would be good to pick this up again.

Time Management

I think the challenge of the increasing fleeting nature of time is one resulting both from education, where we rush from one half term, or one term, or one academic year to the next, combined with the fact I am getting older.   I don’t think 2023 saw me get any better at dealing with this as I still felt time disappeared and questioned what I had achieved.  In fact, sitting in January back at work it is as if the festive period simply came and went.    I think the way to deal with this is to try to create unique, new experiences, so maybe this is something for me to consider in the year ahead, although it was a consideration I raised back at the start of 2023.    I also think I need to accept that my sense of time is only going to see time pass more quickly as I get older, and also as we continue to add more tasks, complexity and jobs in the name of improvement and efficiency.   So maybe rather than seeking to do something about this issue, I maybe need to become more accepting of it.

Running

My running in 2023 was very inconsistent and I didn’t reach the 600km target I had set myself, nor the regular 10km runs I had hoped for.   I also saw my pace steadily decline to around 7min/km.   I did still manage around 450km which is ok and managed to get some consistency in Dec.    I think part of this was due to other commitments, part of it due to not having short term targets and partly due to low motivation levels.     Here it is all about balancing out my commitments and working out where running sits in terms of my priorities, and then simply getting out and putting the effort in.

Reading

As with 2022, I didn’t read as much as I would have liked to during 2023 although I will note I did read a few very interesting and useful books, including actually reading some fiction.   In the case of the fiction, the book was kindly provided by a colleague and my initial perception was that it wasn’t something I would enjoy, however upon starting to read the book I found I really got into it and thoroughly enjoyed it.   I think this highlights that you cant judge a book by its cover and that somethings getting over the initial perception can lead to positive outcomes, in reading but also in other areas of life.   New experiences as I mentioned earlier.

Holidays and Experiences

I think I did make more of an effort to create more memories and experiences in 2023 which was a good thing.   Trips to London, both for work and for leisure, were enjoyable, plus my trip to Amsterdam and a trip to Glasgow were all positive.    This is definitely something I need to continue in the year ahead however maybe go a little further afield.

Contributions to the wider Education and Tech Communities

I think I made significant efforts in 2023 to contribute to discussion and events related to education and more specifically technology use in education.    I was happy to be invited to speak at a number of events in Leeds, London, Amsterdam and Birmingham, although had to reluctantly turn down an opportunity in Glasgow.     I found it particularly busy in the Autumn term in particular with a number of speaking opportunities alongside a number of events I attended as a delegate.   I also got involved in a number of groups and projects including supporting an ISBA Digital survey, an ISC event and the plans for EdTechCentral.    My hope is that I can build on this in 2024 although I will need to be careful to find a balance such that I still leave time for other activities such as running, reading, etc.

Conclusion

2023 had some very positive events in it, such as a couple of days in London where I managed to get some personal time, attend one event and speak at another.    I also had EduTech Europe and the opportunity to speak in Amsterdam, but also the brilliant group of people I am now working with ahead of EduTech 2024.     2023 also saw my son turn 18 and an enjoyable afternoon taking him for his first drink (and 2nd, 3rd, 4th and a few more!).    The year also had some really low points, with these occurring in the closing months of the year.     Looking broadly on 2023 there is much to be positive about but the availability bias, focussed mainly on recent negative personal events makes it more difficult to find anything positive from 2023.   

2024 is now upon us, so writing and sharing the above marks me trying to draw a line under 2023 and start afresh.   But I do need to also try to take the positives from 2023 as there were definitely a few.   With that in mind, onwards to 2024 and lets see if I can make it a much more positive year.