It was now 12 years yesterday that I posted my first ever blog post (see here). Not sure where the time has gone but it has seen me move from the UAE and working with schools mainly in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, to working in Somerset at Millfield, but also working with the Digital Futures Group and Association of Network Managers in Education (ANME) trying to support schools across the UK and beyond.
My first post involved me sat on the bed in the evening on the 12th Feb 2013 posting my first thoughts. I am now 550 further posts on and my blog has afforded me the opportunity to share my thoughts, but also has forced me to structure my thoughts in order to write them down and has allowed me to keep a permanent record of how my thinking has progressed and changed over the intervening 12 years. I think sometimes we aren’t as conscious of how our own views and beliefs change and develop over time and with age and experience as we should be.
It has also been great to meet people and connect with people that actually have read some of my posts. This includes meeting online with discussion via social media, but also meeting in person at events including events such as BETT or the Schools and Academies Show (SAAS). I continue to believe that networking and sharing is important, and if we take into consideration the pace of technological change and the potential, or even requirement, for the use of technology in schools, it becomes all the more important. I keep coming back to the David Weinberger quote, “the smartest person in the room, is the room”, so I can but hope my posts continue to contribute to the room of global educators sharing online.
Here’s to continuing to post, to share and to the year ahead. And for those thinking about creating a blog or posting or sharing my advice is simple: just do it!
Technology and Learning