Posts tagged ‘Conference’

CARN2020 – reflection on a virtual conference: day 1

The virtual conference
The ease of this remote conference begs the question why we had to wait for a global pandemic to do this. I wonder how future conference organising committees will view the pros and cons of face to face versus remote conference.  I suppose I missed the general chit chat of the day, physically catching up with people you know as well as the chance encounters with strangers. When running the NATELCA Y&C conferences, we were always mindful that feedback highlighted the delights of the break time chats and ensure the day had space for such collaborations. But how much do the benefits of remote counter-balance this?
A Big Theme for me today has been the ‘research ‘n’ practice’ mash-up, and a remote conference provides a ‘personal ‘n’ professional’ merging. I was certainly in the minority of people who had a back-ground on, when I had my camera on at all, and some commented on the Northern Lights. I’d like to say this was purposeful and had some fabulous meaning (how the Northern Lights are on my bucket list to see, or Philip Pullman is my favourite author), but the original choice was purposely pragmatic. I slept in, then I couldn’t find the log in details, so I was very flustered and realised I was not at my desk but sat in my kitchen, and no-one needed to see my laundry hanging over the aga (although always happy to talk about my aga!). The colours attracted my attention and the choice was made. Read more ►

CARN2020 – research ‘n’ practice

The keynote, Julian Stern spoke about the blending of the things, like ‘tuna ‘n’ sweetcorn’, mushed together, unseparatable, proposing that research and practice is a false dichotomy, it is research ‘n’ practice. This blog is a reflection on where my research ‘n’ practice is at in these challening COVID times.
Coming into half term, after possibly one of the hardest terms ever, where I have been so ‘head down-hurdle jumping-blockage jodging-submerged’ in the everyday practical difficulties of getting the CELTA off the ground the research has taken a back seat. Or has it? I have been ever mindful that it’s there. When not ‘working on it’ I am often thinking about it, when trying not to think about it I am thinking about it, those self-conversations about how it’s OK to have some down-time or the self-beratings for procrastinating or not getting enough done.
Central to all this is the worry is ‘am I doing this right?’ What else could/should I be doing? Where is the quality within my research, will it be accepted by the academic community, is it at ‘doctoral level’? There are so many things that I could be doing it becomes debilitating so I do nothing.
An immortal conversation disguised as an ordinary conversation Read more ►

A rough and ready post on #learnpod13

I am on a complete high from attending my second unconference today. Thoughts on the day:

Things that I knew already:

  • I like to go first. I was the first to pitch and thankfully in the first slot of the day.
  • The world is made of amazing people and I have the pleasure of having these amazing people in my PLN.
  • Meeting face to face is invaluable. Technology can enhance these relationships but face to face rules.
  • Socrative, Educreations and Show Me are good apps to have on a class set of iPads Read more ►

Memorable Moment #3 : FE Teaching and Learning Conference & CPD

FE Teaching and Learning Conference

FE Teaching and Learning Conference

conference recording

conference recording

This is the first time that I was approached by a conference to present something(rather than apply to present)so I feel particularly proud of that. It is also the most ‘formal’ presentation I have ever given. I am more used to running more hands on workshops at conferences than presenting to a room of people – and I certainly have never been recorded before!
To be honest the conference itself was not so memorable (sorry) but I did get to meet Toni Fazelli, the Chief Exec of IFL. In her keynote she asked if anyone felt supported in undertaking CPD by their organisation. I was the lone person to respond.

Conferences, expectations & ponderings #rscinspire13

attrition: CC Roland Tanglao

I think the way that I attend conferences is changing. Tutors on my Tech for Learning Delivery course were laughing last week at just how many conferences I’ve attended – and I suppose as an FE tutor, it probably is quite rare to have such opportunities.

Recently, I attended the RSC-YH e-learning conference in Leeds. I’ve been a fairly regular attender and presenter at this event over the years, and although I had the usual pre-conference nerves as I approached the venue, it was really lovely to walk in and recognise, and be recognised, by friendly faces.

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IATEFL Associates Day: first thoughts

i have been fortunate to have been able to attend Associates Day at IATEFL as a member of NATECLA. I had absolutely no idea what to expect from the day, there was no programme available – all I knew was that there was a ‘poster presentation’ activity in the afternoon where we could talk about NATECLA, and find about about other organisations.

My initial reflections on the day is – wow! So many committed, motivated and inspiring individuals, who have given up their valuable time (& sometimes own money) to come to Liverpool IATEFL. They are there as members of, and representatives of, Teacher Associations so very similar to NATECLA.

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FE Teaching and Learning Conference

FE Teaching and Learning Conference

FE Teaching and Learning Conference

The conference started very promisingly and I found that I recognied many of the themes from Toni Fazaeli’s keynote. She started with a brief history of IFL, and it was interesting to see that as the organisation returns to it’s voluntary body roots that membership continues to rise.

I often struggle when teaching is presented as an analogy, especially when this is an analogy to some kind of performance, but I liked Toni’s analogy to the hypocratic oath. She said that tutors always want the best for their students despite the stretch they feel from funding, managers, awarding bodies. & OFSTED who seemingly want different things. This certainly came through during the session on Passionate Teachers at the RSC-YH conference this June. Read more ►

blogging on the train 1 : designing a bottom-up, student-centred, syllabus-driven technology in learning course

 

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Three and a half weeks into a lovely, leisurely non-work summer I’m stretched out in first class heading for a weekend of Olympic Sport-foolery. Small nuggets of Brain Activity have been needling away, so thought I’d jot them down quick and get back to holiday mode.

 

At the forefront of this Small Brain activity is the Technology in Learning course I will be delivering from January. Discussions at the Doncaster un-conference (https://learnpod12.eventbrite.com/?nomo=1)  I attended last month centred around learner-led, bottom-up approaches to teaching and learning and one session was on how could the un-conference format be used in other ways.

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My first unconference reflection #1: managing your online presence

 

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I was thrilled to see @kevupnorth leading a session on this, as I’d seen his prezi from the Learning and Teaching Olympics two weeks ago & was sad to have missed his session.

 

I was initially surprised at the beginning of the session to find the same prezi being used and to realise it this was going to be a more traditional ‘talk from the front’ session, as opposed to the more discussion based sessions I’d attended earlier in the day.

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Passionate about teaching

At the RSC-YH 2012 e-learning conference I was one of seven people who spoke for 3 minutes about their passion for teaching in an ‘un-workshop’. Here, I want to share that passion in 300 words.

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Wordle from presentations on ‘passionate about teaching’

 

People. People are what make my job so important to me. Being in the classroom with ESOL students and playing a role, either as teacher or teacher trainer, in providing opportunities for communication, either planned or unplanned. In an observation last week one student told me how much she liked my dress and how the colour suited me. I love that, as nervous as I know it is to have an observer in the room for the teacher, I was approachable enough for an E1 language student to talk to me, in her 2nd/3rd/4th language, in front of the whole class. 

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