As another academic year begins I thought I would have a quick look back over the photos I have taken throughout 2022/23 to see what highlights I might be able to pick out. The below image is some of the highlights:
August 2022 saw me having a family holiday abroad which was a pleasant way to relax and prepare for the year to come. Following the usual busy first half of the autumn term I found myself visiting Meta’s London offices for an online safety event, the first time I had ever visited their offices, before then travelling up to Birmingham for the Schools and Academies show where Abid Patel presented me with an Irn Bru Xtra just at a point where my supplies of the Bru were running low. Timing is everything! It was a busy couple of days and a lot of travelling but worthwhile in the end. Later that month I then led the South West ANME meeting; I think this was the first ANME meeting I had led. It was enjoyable to contribute to discussion and to share with other schools from across the Southwest. It would be nice to see more school involved however the geography of the Southwest makes this challenging.
January saw myself and Ian Stockbridge begin our In Our Humble Opinion (IOHO) podcast after over a year of discussion without getting anything off the ground. Having started the podcast the Microsoft event in Reading proved an ideal opportunity for Ian to sport his IOHO branded T-Shirt. March saw me in London for the BETT event, however also using the opportunity for a day off to spend in London, including a quick visit to Madame Tussauds for my selfie with a Stormtrooper. May saw a trip up to Leeds to present at an Elementary Technology event alongside Kalam from British esports, discussing esports and schools. A great event albeit my journey up to Leeds wasnt short of my usual challenges with significant train delays. I was then involved in a similar esports session, this time with Tom from British esports, along with a cyber resiliency session at the ISC digital event in June. It was great to present, but also to be involved in the organising of an ISC digital conference especially given the extended delay between the previous ISC event and this one. Here’s hoping that the ISC event once again returns as an annual event.
The end of the academic year finished with the 2nd LGfL event in London and a good opportunity to catch up with some of the ANME team, among many others. I then, as the holiday period began, took a trip with my wife to London for a few days relaxing and exploring London, including engaging in a bit of Morph hunting. I will admit to finding wandering around London with a limited plan other than to amble around and have a few drinks, very relaxing. The weather was also surprisingly nice which makes all the difference.
To be honest, the photos above are only a small number of highlights representing a busy academic year. Here’s to 2023/24, new challenges, new opportunities and another positive academic year. I wander what photos I will have to look back on a year from now?
Technology and Learning