Category: Journal

Day 1 of BETT

OK so lets start with the usual BETT mishap, and this years one is a good one.   Basically had a breakfast meeting setup for during BETT, occurring in the centre of London.    So I departed my BETT hotel and headed out early in the morning, necessitating getting up around 6am.   And so it was I arrived early, found the location and took in some views of the Thames, before presenting myself at the venues security area, an area populated by around 15 security staff and me, their first visitor of the day.    But they had no reference of the event I was attending.   A quick look at the invite and it was dated the 24th March, tomorrow, I had just somehow got it in my head it was on day 1 of BETT.   I was not just early, I was 24 hours too early!     Now am not sure how I will ever top this one.

Networking

So, onto BETT itself.    The main benefit of the event is the networking side of things, and once again it provided on this side of things.    I spent a bit of time with the Association of Network Managers in Educations (ANME), spoke with Steve Beswick from Microsoft in relation to the Microsoft Surface Devices and inking and discussed cyber security and data protection with Tony Sheppard

I also said quick hellos to Mark Anderson and Al Kingsley on the Netsupport stand and to Abdul Chohan and Aarti Malani ahead of their session plus to Tom Dore from British esports (and am being careful to ensure I write esports correctly following Toms session) and Ian Stockbridge.     And apologies to others I may have missed off, in my foggy recollection at the end of a busy first day.   I will note I need to get better with my selfies, as despite the many hellos or quick chats I came away with very few selfies.

Esports and cyber

I took in Tom Dores talk on esports, which really highlighted the potential esports has as a vehicle to engage students and to promote soft skills plus also the digital citizenship skills and knowledge increasingly needed in this technological world.    This highlights my need to continue to encourage and support esports in schools.

I also took in two cyber security discussions, with the most significant comment being the need to discuss “Cyber Resilience” of schools rather than the narrower focus of “cyber security”, looking largely only towards preventative measures.   I also liked the 10 recommendations which one of the sessions finished on which included the need to adopt a “Continuous Improvement Cycle”, with this need echoed in the 2nd of the two sessions.   The need for the wide awareness of cyber risks among staff but more particularly as something discussed at a senior level, regularly, with this referring to daily or weekly rather than an annual discussion.

Interactive Panels

I wont make much of a discussion on this as sadly there were still quite a few companies hocking their interactive panels and projectors.   Not really that much of a surprise from a business perspective as, if you take them as useful, the market comprimses of every single classroom in every school, across the world;   As such I need to get over this issue;   As long as there is a market and a profit I suspect interactive panels will continue to show up at EdTech shows.    One interesting trend though this year, was the projectors setup to create large interactive floor surfaces or walls rather than your traditional board wall space.   It’s a minor variation of the interactive panel theme and I can see some interesting use cases with younger kids, but still feels a bit like old tech, just wrapped up as something new and shiny, and I note I saw i3 doing similar things almost 10 years ago now.

AI and Machine Learning

It came up in some of my discussions especially in relation to cyber security products, but as it was quite a busy day I didn’t really push anyone in defining how AI or machine learning was utilised within their products.   Maybe something to focus on in day 2.

Conclusion

Day 1 was a busy one.    My step count by the end of the day was around 15,000 steps, and being above 6ft tall, plus tending to walk at a brisk pace, this means I covered some surface area, in and around the chats and presentations.    Although BETT this year Is smaller, it didn’t really feel smaller.

Was it worth it coming down for BETT?    I would suggest it was however at the end of day 1 I wonder in myself whether I could have made more of day 1.    But that is an issue I am more concious of in myself these days, that maybe the search for continuous improvement leaves me always feeling a little disappointed no matter how things have gone.    Maybe I need to relax a little, network, have fun and just be content with having achieved all that I could achieve.

Some BETT Show advice

Its been a while since the last face to face BETT show, so I thought I would share what I hope is some useful advice in advance of the event.

Wear comfy shoes

There will be a lot of walking involved, although my understanding is that the event is smaller than it was previously, it still presents a significant bit of floor space.   As such it is important to be prepared and therefore to have comfy shoes on, and also generally comfortable attire.   That said, I suspect I will be in suit as per normal;  I once wore my suit on a trip with year 7 and 8 students to Blackpool zoo, so suspect this is simply a habit when working.

Bring a supply of Bru (or other drink!)

There are places to get a drink and a bite to eat but, in my experience, they can be busy, plus sometimes have limited choice, and tend to be expensive.    As such it’s worth making sure you bring something to drink with you, which in my case has to be “the bru”.   I will also be trying to get my usual Irn-Bru themed selfies as usual, but more on selfies later.

Have a plan

I think this is the most important piece of advice I can give.    With Bett I feel you get what you put in.   If you go without a plan, you are likely to get little from the event, or at least will get less than you could have got.    As such look at the programme of presentations, look at the stands, consider the colleagues who will be there and then consider what you want to achieve.   With this information you can now plan your trip, which stands you will visit, what speakers you will go and listen too, etc.    You can make sure that you get to the speaker sessions relevant to you and your school, avoiding the disappointment of a missed session.   That little bit of effort in planning your visit will pay off when you reflect back on what you have got from the event.

Selfies

The BETT Show is also a great opportunity to get some selfies in;   Now I have never been too good at this so it is something I need to work on.    When do you interrupt a little networking discussion to ask, “Can I get a selfie?”   The key benefit of a couple of selfies, is the ability to use them as a conversation starter online, and to engage with other EdTech people via social media.   Its also nice to keep a record of who you met and bumped into to reflect back later in the year or further into the future.    Am increasing aware of the need to gather photos as a record of my endeavours to help when my memory fails me.  

Enjoy and network

Above all BETT is a technology show, with people there to share their thoughts, to share their products and to generally explore technology in education.    As such take the time to network and meet people, discuss your thoughts and ideas and seek the views of others.   Enjoy the fact that for the duration of the BETT show there are people from all over, all located in the same building because of their shared interest in how technology can be used to support, enhance and redefine the educational experiences of our students.   BETT is the home of the EdTech crowd.

Conclusion

I have in the past been disappointed with BETT but in recent years I have come to realise it isnt about all the stands and the presentations, that which disappointed me, but about the people you meet and interact with while there.    Its about networking, and about a little fun.    So, with that in mind, I have a plan, my comfy shoes are ready, the Bru will be packed, and I will be off once more to network with as many EdTech enthusiasts as possible.

Look forward to meeting some of you on the BETT show floor, do feel free to stop me and say hi if you see me and if we don’t bump into each other, I just hope you have a great visit!

BETT Show 2022

It’s the BETT conference this week.   Last time I was there was 2020, as the last couple of years have been without it, without the biggest EdTech event in the UK calendar, so this one will be a little special.   As such I thought I would share some thoughts in advance of the event.

Lost again?

Let’s start out with the inevitable for me;  getting lost on the tube, missing a train, etc.  Will this year be the year I manage to get to and from BETT without any drama, or will it simply be another year, another transit related mishap?

esports

One of the things I am looking forward to is the inclusion of esports in this years event.   I see great potential for esports within education so it is nice to see that esports will have a visible presence at BETT.  Am particularly looking forward to catching up with Tom Dore and seeing his presentation on “Esports: What educators need to know that your students know already!”.    The potential is there, it is now just for schools and colleges to get on board.

Meeting and networking

For me this is the big reason for going to BETT.  It is the opportunity to meet up with colleagues from schools and colleges across the UK and discuss the possibilities and the challenges in relation to the use of technology in schools.    It is this sharing of thoughts and ideas, along with the common goal of BETT, that of supporting the effective use of technology in education, that brings me to the event most years.   

Cyber Security

I have spoken and wrote a reasonable amount on cyber security in schools over the last couple of years so it was with interest I noted a number of presentations on the very subject at BETT.    I will be eagerly attending a few of these to get an insight into others approaches and thoughts, to see how these align with my own and where there might be areas for me to build on and improve.   Cyber security is a growing concern for schools and I think the presence of a number of presentations on the subject just highlights this, but also that this fact has been recognised.

Interactive panels

I mention interactive panels, as my ongoing dislike for them continues although the reducing price point of them makes them a little more palatable.   The issue I have had with BETT over the last few years has been the number of companies showing off their interactive panels or interactive projectors or the new software they have for use alongside interactive display devices.   My issue with this is that SMART started selling interactive whiteboards around 25yrs ago, so in a tech conference I wouldn’t expect 25yr old tech, which in tech terms is an age, to be taking up such a significant part of the event arena.   Now I hope this year this won’t be quite as big an issue, and especially given I believe the BETT event has a lesser floor space than in previous years, however only time will tell.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

AI  and ML have been buzz words of the last couple of BETT shows however the reality is that the solutions reportedly using AI often weren’t.  It is my hope therefore this year to maybe see some interesting ideas or applications of AI and ML, beyond the speculative future gazing as to possible uses, or the mis-marketing of use, where it isnt.    I will however be honest that I suspect this hope will likely be dashed.

Conclusion

The BETT Show 2022 will once again bring EdTech enthusiasts together in a single building to share thoughts, ideas and solutions.   I will be there, and am looking forward to catching up with colleagues from other schools and colleges.   I will also be trying to take in as many of the speaker sessions as I can.  

I am once again looking forward to BETT.   Here’s hoping I won’t be disappointed (and that I don’t get too lost on the way there or the way back)

9 Years of blogging

Feb 12th 2012 and I was sat on the bed at night, creating my new blog.   My first post was a short one, but little did I know that I would still be blogging some 9 years later.   374 posts have passed under the bridge since that evening at home in our villa in the UAE.   Now I sit at home writing this, some 1000’s of kilometres away from where my blog began, now living in Somerset rather than Al Ain.

My blog has never had a huge readership; to be honest it barely has a small readership; however, I have found the process of writing useful for myself, forcing me to order my thoughts before typing them out.  At a recent virtual event, someone commented about where I find the time to blog in addition to my normal workload as a Director of IT.   There is only a limited time in the day, and this will never change, so I try to avoid concerns about the lack of time.  Instead, I have always sought to prioritise, and that includes putting some time aside to write my blog.   Often this has involved stealing a small amount of time here and there.   As I type this, the Amazon TV series Reacher is on in the background, and I am half watching it as I type this.    Given I try to just get my thoughts down, rather than seeking to create a literary masterpiece, this works for me.   Most of my posts have been written in a single sitting rather than being reviewed and edited, which explains, and hopefully excuses, the number of typos, grammar errors and sentences which read poorly.

The other benefit I have found from blogging has been the fact it creates a record of my thinking.    As such, when I look back it provides a window into my thinking at a particular moment in time, in the past.  I have found this useful in charting how some of my views, opinions and beliefs have changed over the last 9 years.   We seldom admit or even appreciate how much our views and beliefs change, however having a written record, has helped me to realise how much and where I have changed, and where I have not.     I think in future, when I look back on the period 2020 – 2022 and the pandemic, I might find particular value in the records of my thoughts and from this there might be a number of learning points which I can take away.

I also hope that in blogging I am contributing to the wider world, to the education and technology discussion.   Ultimately is this not something we all wish for, to have achieved something and left something behind.   I hope that at least some of my thoughts have contributed something meaningful to the discussion, and I hope to continue to do so.

Blogging isnt for everyone, and to be honest I never really thought it was something I would get into.   That said, I would recommend that if you are thinking about it, just do it.  Don’t worry too much about who will read your posts, about what you will write about, etc, just be yourself and share your thoughts.   The more people sharing in my view the better, especially as we continue to work through the difficulties presented by a global pandemic.

So, with this, that’s 375 blog posts in 9 years.   Onwards to another year and I look forward to continuing to share my thoughts.

A day in the life of a Director of IT

The below post was originally shared via the Association of Network Managers in Education (ANME) on 20th December 2021

Different schools use different job titles for the work that I do, and in addition, the specific tasks and requirements differ from school to school based on size, context, budgetary constraints and a variety of other factors. As such, I thought I would share a brief outline of a day in my life.

So, it’s Thursday, December 2nd and the day kicks off for me around 8:15 am when I arrive at the office and get set up for the day. My first port of call is to get email on screen plus my collection of daily web pages including my To-Do list, our help desk and other apps I need on a daily basis. One of the first things I look at is any alerts in relation to suspicious user account activity to see if there is anything that might merit my involvement plus also to make sure anything which requires logging is logged ready to be reported to SLT.

My next activity was a quick chat with our Network Manager in relation to some Wi-Fi usage data I had been looking at. We started gathering the data and analysing it in response to some general student complaints regarding Wi-Fi connectivity, however, the data doesn’t quite support the existence of a general issue, albeit individual students may have specific issues in relation to their devices, connectivity, or services which they are trying to access. Rather than requiring general action, these issues will require contact with the students to try and identify and resolve their specific, individual issues.

At 9:00 and my first meeting of the day, with our Director of Finance. There are a number of current projects which make up the agenda for our discussion plus a discussion of cyber security issues and some recent infrastructure challenges we had been facing.

As is generally the case, the meeting is a packed one and, in this case, even runs beyond the allocated one-hour slot. Immediately following the meeting, I spend a little bit of time digesting the discussion and noting down any actions, making sure these are added to my To-Do list as appropriate.

10:30 and I am working on our annual IT Services perception survey. This is basically 3 surveys that go out to staff, senior school students and prep school students to gauge their experience and perception of IT Services and of our devices, infrastructure, etc. We have been gathering this info now for around 5 years and it is the longitudinal nature of the data, rather than the in-year data which is most useful as it highlights trends over time. I spend a little time preparing the relevant surveys and the associated communications that go with them, plus make sure to keep a number of key staff aware of the planned release of the surveys.

Following this, my next task relates to phishing awareness. We recently ran several awareness tests on small groups of staff whereby we sent a fake phishing email to them to see if they identified the email as malicious or if they fell for the bait. I now need to write up a short report on the findings from the most recent test so this can be shared with SLT for their info. This process has been useful in identifying the type of phishing emails that staff tend to fall far, which then allows us to direct awareness training to this area.

My department weekly briefing is my final task before lunch. This is a weekly document rather than a face-to-face meeting and serves to share thoughts, notices, etc with the IT Services team hopefully also serving as a record of activities, etc and as a repository of useful info. It isn’t a long task to create these each week as I tend to follow a rough template. This week’s briefing turns out to be a slightly longer one, but this is mainly due to sharing some of the positive feedback I had received in relation to the team’s recent activities.

Following lunch, I have meetings with the Head of IT at our prep school and our Director of EdTech for our senior school. I work closely with both, where their focus is very much is on what happens in the classroom and the pedagogy, my focus is a little more on the technology, infrastructure, support services and cyber security. The key thing is together we are able to provide a guiding direction in terms of technology use within the school, each able to bring our different experiences and skillset to bear in discussions. Due to this, we make up a central part of the schools IT Management group which also includes SLT members and a number of teaching staff. This week’s discussions focus on the school’s technology strategy and expanding on it so staff have a clearer understanding of it, plus on the now-launched satisfaction surveys.

The end of the day (5pm) is now fast approaching so I spend a bit of time continuing to work on my end of term report. I try to provide a termly report which contains useful data in relation to our infrastructure, systems, user support, etc. The purpose of the data is very much about transparency and making sure that the SLT is always aware of all the work going on in IT Services even when everything is working fine. It also serves to identify trends, opportunities, and concerns. I find the report particularly useful in continuing to build awareness in relation to cyber security risks. As much as possible I try to use readily available data to avoid it taking too long to process however, the reports still do take a bit of time to produce. In my view, they are however well worth the effort in avoiding IT Services disappearing behind the curtain until the next issue arises.

Reflections

Looking back, it was a reasonably busy day with a number of reports being written. I suspect this was largely due to the fact we were fast approaching the end of term but also the end of the calendar year and therefore some of these reports needed to be in before everyone broke up for the winter break. Cyber security was certainly high on my order of thinking, however, this is increasingly the case. Our technology strategy, which we recently updated, was also high on the priority list.

I suspect, although Directors of IT, or those in similar roles at other schools, are all travelling in roughly similar directions in terms of technology use within their school or schools the route taken can differ significantly. As such my day may look totally different to your day, but that’s not a problem. The key is that we each know in which direction we wish to go, and are taking the necessary steps to get there.

Pledges 2022

Once again it is time to write my pledges for the year and I note this year a number of people online suggesting they won’t be sharing any pledges this year due to current pandemic situation being stressful enough, without adding the additional pressure of trying to meet some well meaning targets set at the beginning of the year.    I can totally get this thinking;   If you look at my review of 2021 you will get a sense of how I felt I “survived” the year rather than making progress, growing or flourishing as I would have liked to.    As such I considered not sharing any pledges this year however I have decided to stick with it and share.   I share my pledges, most likely for my future self rather than for anyone else, although I hope you find some use or insight in my thoughts too.   I share these targets with clear understanding of how the last two years have been challenging, unpredictable and [forgive me for saying it] unprecedented, and the year ahead already looks like it will be no different.   But I will share my pledges nonetheless, albeit I may adjust my expectations accordingly.

So let’s get started:

Exercise and Health:

I have done very well in the last year with my exercising and general fitness and in particular with running.   My plan for this year is to try to maintain this, and to again manage 750km worth of running during the course of 2022.   Now I acknowledge this will very much be dependent on my health as illness will impact on my ability to run however, I think it’s a fair target.   I also note the maximum distance I have run to date in a single session has been 8km.   By the end of 2022 I would like to be able to complete a full 10km running session, even if this involves some periods in the session where I may slow to a walking pace.  

Another area I would like to work on this year is reducing my alcohol intake so managing a month period (so 30 or 31 days) without a beer.   I suspect this will be a challenge as for me a beer has always been key to relaxing or to helping with stress, however I am concious that reliance can have a negative impact on health.   As such I want to try to adjust what for me is a habit.

Wellbeing / Happy memories:

A key aspect when I reflect on the year past is those memories of positive or enjoyable events.   This year I want to build in more of these, so more occasions where I do something outside my normal.  This might simply be getting away for a break, or doing a new activity, or buying something memorable but the key thing is to generate positive memories which will come to mind when I look back on the year in the December 2022.     I have already started considering possible ideas here with a planned holiday already on the cards, and a possible idea to do something a bit different in Dec 2022.    That gives me at least 2 items but ideally, I want to have 6, so something to remember in each of every 2 month period.

Reading:

My reading has become a bit of a habit with 12 books minimum read per year, however it has become a habit which has lost some of the enjoyment and some of the learning, replaced by simply process.   I would like to get back to enjoying more of my reading this year and to again learning more.    As such I am only looking at reading 6 books this year but including some non-fiction in there for enjoyment and being more selective of the books I read for learning purposes.   I also need to be better at simply putting a book down where it isnt working for me.    I hope to look back in Dec 2022 and to have renewed my enjoyment in the reading I have done.

Contributing:

This is something I want to focus on this year, continuing my current contributions to Technology in Education and Education more generally but also to the IT sector as well possibly.    This will include my tweets and social media contributions, my blogs and my podcasts plus my involvement in different groups including the Association of Network Managers in Education (ANME).    I also want to try to develop new opportunities and ways for me to contribute and share with others.

Work:

Lots gets done during year and I think that can be my problem in that I don’t, at the end of the year, quite appreciate all the work and effort that has gone into all that has been achieved.   As such this year I want to take regular breaks to stop and reflect on all that is achieved and on the work required to make these achievements actually happen.   Very seldom is any task in my role achieved simply, instead they involve meetings with stakeholders, planning time, implementation, faulting finding and problem solving, adjustment and evaluation.   I need to be more appreciative of this work, albeit it sits behind projects or tasks which appear simple when written down on a bulleted list of to-do items.

I think in my work life I am also seeking some new challenges.    For this I already have some thoughts and projects which will help here including a project in relation to contributing and sharing as mentioned earlier.   This very much comes down to me making things happen and is down to a bit of creativity and innovation on my part.

Conclusion

For the last couple of years three words have been in my thinking being prioritisation, entropy and reasonableness.   When I look back from Dec 2022 on these pledges, I aim to have these words in my mind to ensure that the pledges here do not unnecessarily add stress to the days, weeks and months ahead.   If I need to prioritise other things, over the above pledges, if the world, my role, etc changes unexpectedly or if the pledges become unreasonable in the context 2022, then not meeting them is fair and totally expected.   That said, for me anyway, having the pledges provides an insight on my thinking as it is today, for me to reflect on once I reach the end of the year.   It provides an outline for a planned direction, again for reflection, even if I end up not fulfilling some of the detailed actions.    For me anyway, I think there is more benefit in writing this than there is a risk of this causing unnecessary stress for myself.   But this is an individual decision we each need to reach.

2022 is another year.    2022 is another opportunity to feel positive about my efforts.   And so with this in mind, I need to make 2022 the year I want it to be; This makes me think of Covey’s circles;  I shouldn’t allow that which I cant control or change, my circle of concern, to impact on my happiness and sense of progress.   I should however focus on that which I can control or change, my circle of influence.    And with that in mind, its onwards and upwards!

A [honest] reflection on 2021

Firstly, let me say I am glad to see the back of 2021.   The end of the year has been very challenging, and not in a good way, including significant family health problems in December and a bout of Covid over Xmas.  Looking back at the year in general I find it difficult to actually find much positive to reflect on.   As such will just be glad to see 2021 draw to close and will have my fingers firmly crossed that 2022 will be a better year.

Beer anyone?

So, reflecting on my pledges seems like a good place to start in reviewing 2021.   Back in Jan 2021 I suggested having a dry January or at least 1 dry month, free of alcohol at some point during 2021.   I will admit I never got close to this and as the year draws to a close am drinking more.   I put some of this down to stress however also admit that a beer is one of the few vices I have so think it is fair to have at least some, hopefully balanced, drink based enjoyment and relaxation.   This, however, is something I want to address in 2022 although am not sure a dry January is possible.

Time for a book

My reading in 2021 continued with more than 12 books read across the year.   This has been a pattern now for a couple of years and I do wonder if now I am reading just to meet the target rather than for the enjoyment or to gain new insight or knowledge.   My reading has very much been non-fiction so this is something I need to consider.   I think maybe adding some fiction to my reading list, just to mix things up might be a good way forward.

Running man

If there was one area where I think I did reasonably well in 2021 it was in my running.   By the end of the year I had run over 750km during the year, way more than the 500km I predicted.   I think I am healthier for it.   I will admit my runs lacked much consistency although I did achieve consistency where it counted in simply getting out and running in the morning throughout most of 2021.   Going forward I may need to find some new running routes possibly or some other way to keep my running fresh and interesting rather than just a chore.

In need of a holiday

Again, the pandemic put paid to any breaks or holidays away so when I look back the year seems to have gone reasonably quickly.  I suspect this is largely due to everything becoming routine so lacking in any significant memorable moments in order to mark the passage of time throughout the year.   I suspect this further adds to my feeling of 2021 as a bad year for me as there is simply little to look back on where I am happy to have achieved something or have enjoyed a specific event, break or holiday.

Connecting and contributing

This year saw me start sharing some little 10min podcast episodes in addition to my usual blogging.   I had been considering doing this for some time but never got around to it until late on in 2021.  This is something I want to continue to produce and hopefully build on in future.     I also finally got back to a face to face conference, in the schools and academies show, where I presented an EdTech focussed session.   The other face to face conference I was due to be involved in, was sadly cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic.     

2021 also saw a lost family contact reach out to me.   I had held off reaching out myself for reasons which are my own, however for them to reach out allowed contact to be established and hopefully this is something which can be slowly developed and worked on in 20222.

Take notice

I kept a journal over the course of 2021 and this is something I may reflect on in more detail in future.   I think if there is anything consistent that can be taken from my notes it’s a sense of frustration and a lack of progress.   I note I even mentioned feeling depressed with things on a number of occasions.   I think this about typifies the year as I see it.

Mental Health

This links to the point above.   A lot of 2021 felt like simply going through the motions.   It was busy.  Things got done.  But did I draw much enjoyment from things?   I think generally I didn’t.   It was generally “run of the mill” processes.   I wonder though whether the ongoing news broadcasting regarding the pandemic and the restrictive measures being put in place, and generally depressing news played into this, making me feel more depressed than I maybe had done in previous, non-pandemic, years.    I also wonder whether a certain amount of isolation on my part, with a limited friends group unlike when I lived in the UAE and had a large friends group, also plays its part here, only added to by the isolating impact of the pandemic.    I will admit that I need to consider my own mental health;   My exercising is part of it, however generating positive memorable moments, having enjoyable activities planned, and much more also goes into establishing positive mental health.   It may just be that doing this, in the current context of the UK and the world may just be that little bit more difficult.

Overall

When I look back to January 2021 I mentioned that I suspected 2021 was “Likely to start of[sic] challenging”.   I think the reality is that it didn’t merely start off challenging but continued to be challenging throughout the year, ending on a month of very significant challenges.   Am I happy on reflection with 2021?   Sadly, I think the answer is no.   It seemed to pass quickly which I believe suggests it was devoid of many memorable, positive moments.   If I was trying to sum it up in a phrase it might be that 2021 “wasn’t anything to write home about”.   I also acknowledge I considered myself depressed at various points in the year and this might colour my reflection.   I will also admit there were some positives, its just that they were subsumed in the general negativity of the year in general.

2022 is a new year.   It’s an opportunity to start afresh.   So with that, I will shortly close the door on 2021 and hopefully move forward into 2022 with an aim to make the year a better one.

Happy new year to all when it arrives and may you all have a great year, stay safe and remain well.

End of term 1, 2021/22

And so the first term of 2021/22 has came to a close.   As such I thought I would share some short reflections on the term.   I am also going to share some reflections on the year as a whole in a later post, but for now I would like to focus on the term.

The first thing I will admit is that time has flown by.  I can’t quite believe it is now the 19th December as I sit and write this, and that the first term of 2021/22 has already came to an end.

September 2021

As the start of the new academic year approached, the pandemic impacted on my IT services team, with a bit of a “pingdemic” resulting in a number of staff self-isolating, awaiting PCR tests.   Thankfully everyone came back clear and this happened before the year began.    This year saw me join the school Executive Group meetings.    This should therefore help me in the ability to see what strategic decisions are being taken at an early stage.   It will also help in giving me a forum to raise cyber security concerns at a senior staff level.    I also contributed to The Access Group’s Access All Areas programme, delivering a talk on cyber security in schools.

September saw the first of the schools IT Management Group meetings, a meeting which I chair.   The first meeting quickly showed how busy the start of term was, as I repeatedly called a member of staff the wrong name during the meeting.  Clearly my head was a little bit turned.   I was so embarrassed by this, and disappointed in myself.

October 2021

Stepped in to run one of the schools esports sessions given the normal staff member was self isolating.   Had significant help from the technician on my team who has been great in getting everything setup and in supporting our esports provision.   It was nice to once again get in amongst students playing competitive games, something I used to do some years ago when I worked in colleges.  Following the session I have decided to explore running further sessions as part of the schools activities programme to try and support and grow our esports provision, with this hopefully starting in the new term, in January.

I also spent a reasonable amount of time this month discussing with individuals I wanted to join me on a conference panel session focussing on cyber security in schools.  This included an ethical hacker, a representative from the NCSC and also a representative from the ICO among others.   Sadly, the conference was later cancelled due to the ongoing challenges of the pandemic.

Related to the above I also spent time generating some short 4 or 5 minute videos focussing on Digital Citizenship and cyber security for use with staff and students.   I have finally learned not to spend too much time getting videos perfect and not accepting minor errors or “ums” and “ahs”;   The video just needs to be good enough.    By accepting this I am now able to produce the required videos much quicker.

November 2021

Intermittent issues with the schools core network switches were a growing issue in November.  The issue had started towards the end of September however progress to identify the issue and resolve had been slow, largely due to wanting to avoid downtime associated with more aggressive investigation of the issue.   By November, the fact that the issue hadnt been resolved, may having been starting to give some people questions as to my competence, and I will admit I was beginning to worry too, however towards the end of the month this issue was considered resolved and I think the decision making, to avoid any more substantial downtime was proven to be the correct one.    Often the only way we will know if IT decisions are correct is in the future when we look back, so decision making in the moment can be difficult and unclear.

For a while now we have been hearing of Wi-Fi issues in some school locations however the info which comes to us largely lacks the detail to allow us to investigate and diagnose the issue.   As such I decided to take a different approach and started pulling data from our Wi-Fi solution on a hourly basis, to get a more general picture of its health.   By the end of the month, we had significant volumes of data where the results, although not eliminating the existence of issues specific to a small minority of students, highlight that Wi-Fi generally functions well for the majority of students.

I visited the Schools and Academies Show in order to present at the co-located EdTech Summit event.   The show itself was a little bit like a small version of BETT.   The main benefit of the event for me was simply the ability to once again meet people in person, so gave me an opportunity to touch base with a number of ANME members among others.    Sadly, as normal, my journey wasn’t without drama as I managed to get on the wrong train at one point!   Normal service was resumed.

December 2021

A family issue took a fair part of…..no, actually, all of my focus, through a good part of December.   This included a trip to A&E followed by 8 hours there including attempting to get some sleep while sat upright on a stool.   Not the best experience.

Had also been exploring a possible Board level advisory position alongside my Director of IT position.   The university concerned was looking for someone with a focus on cyber security so this seemed like an ideal opportunity for me however upon review they sadly decided that I wasn’t quite what they were looking for.   I will admit that this disappointed me as the opportunity looked like it would be an ideal and slightly different challenge for me.   As such I need to continue looking for whatever my next challenge might be.

Conclusions

It has been a busy and challenging first term.    Combined with this I have had personal challenges to deal with plus some disappointment.    I feel this has left me feeling a bit drained and down at times with Xmas music on the radio being the last thing I needed to be hearing, despite the fact it is now almost Xmas.   Looking back, despite the challenges I have managed to progress through them and to achieve a number of things which I should be happy or even proud of.    I think I need a break and to decompress, and that will be the main focus for the Xmas period.    After this I should be ready to begin again, to begin afresh, when the spring term begins in January.

And so to all I wish a very Merry Xmas and all the best for the new year!

EdTech Summit 2021

It was March 2020 and I was attending the JISC DigiFest conference in Birmingham.  Little did I know that this would be the last face to face conference I would attend for over 1 ½ years, and it would November 2021 before I would once again venture to Birmingham this time for the EdTech Summit and Schools and Academies Show.   Reflecting back, it was to a year and a half of significant challenges but also massive progress in how technology is used in schools.

My trip to Birmingham this time was to present a session on the role of IT leads and IT teams in schools in supporting the use of technology to enable, enhance and even transform teaching and learning.    It was also going to be a chance to catch up with staff from other schools face to face for the first time in quite some time.    Notable in the catch ups were a group of ANME members plus Dave Leonard, Abid Patel, Osi Ejiofor and Tony Sheppard among others.

As to the event itself, a couple of messages or themes came out for me in the various talks I attended:

Investment

This was mentioned in the ministerial opening speech at the start of the schools and academies show.    Additional funding for schools.    For me some of this clearly needs to go into investment in technology to ensure we are ready for a future event like the current pandemic, but also to equip our students for the future and to allow schools to make use of technology to enhance and even reimagine the learning experiences students receive.    And linked to this point is the need for sustainability such that any technology put into schools has the required investment in the longer term to ensure the training, support and eventual replacement of hardware/software is all planned.

Collaboration

The importance and power of collaboration within schools and also between schools and other educational establishments was mentioned by a number of individuals.    I suspect the pandemic has encouraged collaboration as people share their experiences, their successes and challenges, along with their resources online for others to benefit from.   This is something we need to actively encourage and support going forward.    The best training is just in time training, and the best just in time training results from 1000’s of educators and school staff sharing and collaborating through the medium of technology.

Agility

The pandemic proved that schools, which generally are slow to change, can be more agile and change quickly to adapted to changing situations.    The pandemic forced such change.   Going forward though we need to be better at change, we need to be better at accepting “good enough” and we need to be like industry and seek greater agility.

Conclusion

As always I suffered my usual travel mishap as is customary, this time being rushing between trains following a train delay, and then managing to get on the wrong train.   This is the usual pain but on reflection the pain was worth it.   I got the chance to catch up with other IT and EdTech professionals, discussing a variety of matters, I got the opportunity to share my thoughts with an audience and to discuss my thoughts with a number of individuals following the session and I got to have a look at a variety of product offerings from various IT vendors.    I also benefited from the act of presenting which forced me to carefully think through and structure my thoughts in relation to technology and teaching and learning.  

Roll on BETT 2022;   See you there!

Scrapping BTecs

I recently read an article regarding the plans to scrap BTec qualifications (see article here) and thought I had to share my thoughts on this matter.  Let’s simply say I am not in favour of these plans.

I have long been a great supporter of vocational education having spent a number of years teaching in an FE college, where vocational courses were delivered, eventually leading their Computing/IT provision.  I have also been a unit writer developing unit specifications for BTec IT Practitioner courses and a Standards Verifier for a BTec IT course visiting schools to check the appropriate standards in relation to student evidence were met.   As such I will admit to possible bias and being invested in the BTec programme however I also think my experience has shown me the true value of BTec provision.

During my career to date, I have saw students who had struggled in schools with traditional examination based curriculum, such as GCSE, joining an FE college and progressing through the levels, with a number of students progressing through level 1, 2 and 3, and onwards to university and beyond.    Others would complete level 2 or 3 and then head out into the world of work.   The BTec courses provided this progression route and provided for those students who struggled with examinations.

I have seen students who had a singular focus on IT and technology, who therefore were not interested in a breadth of A-Level subjects, or who wanted something more hands on, rather than theoretical and examination based.    Again, the BTec courses provided for these students.

I worry therefore that some of the above will be lost with the new T-levels, that some of the experience and skill developed by those teachers delivering BTec courses will be lost in transition, that some of the various options and pathways will also be lost.    I am just not convinced the T-Level program is ready to replace BTec, and am not sure it will ever be.  

The work experience placement side of things on the T-Level gives me particular concern, as although I agree with the principle of greater amounts of work experience, when I was in FE I struggled putting 200 BTec Level 3 students in 1 week worth of worthwhile placement per year, never mind a significantly longer period, assuming the number of students remained steady.   If you cant find worthwhile placements, and the students then end up on placements with limited relationship to their core studies, then the placement has limited value, reducing the value of the course itself.   Now things may have changed, given I have been away from FE for a number of years, but this still gives me cause for concern.

I have also long seen the struggle to have BTec Level 3 qualifications viewed in equal terms when compared to A-Level.   This still hasn’t happened after many years of people trying, so I suspect a shift to T-Levels is not going to help this quest for parity between vocational and so-called academic qualifications.

I am very concerned with the proposed scrapping of BTecs.   I can understand why the government might wish to push their new initiative and the T-Levels, but I think they are missing the breadth of provision which BTec courses currently offer, plus the breadth of students who are learning and developing through BTec provision.    I do hope this decision is reconsidered and that the BTec continues for a number of more years at least.