Reflection on the first session of the PDA Course

This is going to be brief. The team is made up of 7 (one joins next week). We all worked very hard and all wish to start to make a difference to learning and teaching. Our first focus is to find some low hanging fruit to prove our direction is effective.

Now the scene has been set we have all started putting the communication conduits in place. This is now done at a basic level.
We are utilising new email addresses to ensure separation from personal and work identities. Exciting times... will reflect again later in the week after I have taken it in a little more.

Communication and walking on egg shells

I am entering the phase where my work on improving communication is starting to produce what were previously hidden thoughts and views from those that may have felt excluded from the decision making process in the pass. The perception (may be real) of being excluded has encouraged many to put forward ideas and therefore is now actively challenging the 'status quo'.

This of course is exactly what I would like to see... the beginnings of a professionally based improved communication conduits which produce high quality reflective debate on important issues that embodies the soul of learning and teaching.

However, I recognise that I will be experiencing a period of time that may resemble a feeling of 'walking on egg shells' until common ground is identified from discussion, debate and reflective action plans.

Why have a PC?

A long time ago when I was studying for my first degree I suggested (with many others) that mobile phones and televisions will be the norm to receive information learning technology (ILT). I would like to update this statement by suggesting that qualification based learning via mobile phones and televisions will also become the norm over the next twenty years.

The reason for my (brave?) statement is based on a comment my school aged son made during a session on his PS3. The comment he made was... I can play games, watch iPlayer and browse the Internet all from the PS3... so bring on the learning!

Reflection - 'Twitter for the Teaching Professional' session

The first Technology Enhanced Learning Series session had to be moved to D438. The room is laid out with PCs, but the room is not designed for teaching as it is normally used as open access for students. The session had six staff members attending which is one more than I will be able to accommodate in the normal training room.

The session plan had to be changed as it was not possible to have a digital projector and screen. I enrolled all the staff onto the new Community of Practice site on Moodle to allow the staff to view the presentation I was going to project onto the wall.

Not so good...
The session was a lot slower than I had hoped as Twitter did not make the new users available for others to follow during the session (took too long). This meant that I had to re-assess how I was going to teach it. I decided to use my own Twitter account to show the type of professional people I followed and how to find others. One staff member quickly found my link to sceenr and downloaded it... worked well.

Good...
The Technology Enhanced Learning Series is now launched.
Twitter is understood by more staff especially how easy it is to protect yourself and if necessary delete the account.
The Community of Practice Moodle site is also launched with staff members registered.

Reflection...
The main positive outcomes of the session were to allow the staff to see the how easy it was to setup a Twitter account (and also to delete it if necessary). I was able to highlight how I use it with my professional peers. The Community of Practice site is now live and more staff are aware of both the Child Protection Policy and the Safe Guarding Children policy. I will now encourage the attendees to share their Twitter names and get them linked to each other.

The most IMPORTANT lesson I personally learnt was to set-up a set of accounts for Twitter and Facebook etc for staff to use in these sessions. They may then setup their own personal accounts at the end or after the session.

Hic-up

Well just as I was catching up I got caught with a virus. Back to stage one and re-implementing my system of jobs first thing in the morning. Need to check on LTU workshop for Wednesday to ensure I have computers.

Catching up.

I managed to produce the overarching framework for the Advance PDA role at the weekend. I'll wait for reply and the (I guess) necessary changes. Next on my list is my Module A plan for PG CHEP. Try and start that tonight.

So far so good

Yesterday was very enjoyable. I am just hoping it is not my own reaction to change that is producing this improvement to the day. I do feel better when I go home and I did not feel so pressured about work during the evening as I have everything slotted into its own date and time to be completed.

This change of focus has helped me realise that I will not be able to meet two deadlines... CHEP assignment a and Adv PDA framework. However, I have the workload sloted into my calender (includes weekends) and therefore I have a good idea when they will be done. I have been able to advise LSIS and Uni of Essex of the situation and that this is temporary while I cope with my recent increase in workload (temporary) to help another department.
I have just removed everything that is not current from my noticeboards and my desk and area looks a lot more professional.