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.
Technology and Learning