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Maren Deepwell Posts

Education and training issues we all share

“…On Tuesday 10 November I had the opportunity to give oral evidence to the Commons Select Committee for their digital economy inquiry. ALT had already submitted written evidence representing our members, and this opportunity to speak to MPs about skills and professional development in a digital economy was a rare chance to have our voice heard.”… Read my full FE News article here . Published 19 November 2015.

New term, new demand for upskilling staff across the board

“There are a lot of competing priorities, not least of all the new area reviews of post-16 education and training that Bobbie McClelland, Deputy Director at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), spoke about at the recent ALT Annual Conference – you can watch the briefing here. For many colleagues the start of the new term and a whole new cohort of students will likely have stretched the capacity to its limit, and…

Sharing my #CMALT portfolio: reflecting on the why and how

 I’ve been working in my #CMALT portfolio. Given that I haven’t yet submitted it for assessment (it’s not quite finished) you might rightly think that a blog post about sharing it is a little premature. Of course you are right – and I won’t actually share it until it has been assessed and (hopefully!) passed sometime in the future. But my intention to share it openly has definitely shaped how I have approached things and…

Drawing my way through my #cmalt portfolio

Compiling my portfolio for submission for CMALT,  ALT’s peer-based accreditation scheme, has been a long term project. Originally I started in 2011, but I didn’t complete it. Now I am close to finishing and planning to submit my portfolio (finally). As part of the process, I have made drawings for each section of the portfolio, usually one per section. The first few drawings I made close to a year ago, but I am still adding…

Looking back #altc… behind the scenes

As part of the organising team my experience of ALT’s Annual Conference is different from most. I’ve been really enjoying reading others’ reflections of this year’s event and that’s inspired me to share my own. So this is looking back #altc… from my personal perspective. The week before the conference is always hectic and full of anticipation. One of the tasks we help complete all together is making badges. It’s much quicker if everyone pitches…

Shaping the future of learning together #altc

 “August is usually the month where everyone is on holiday. For us, it’s the busiest time of year. So if you are keen to browse and think ahead of what this year’s Annual Conference of the Association for Learning Technology has in store, here is a personal preview. This year’s programme features an FE and skills track on Wednesday which I am really looking forward to (and if you cannot participate in person, you can follow…

You are #neverweird – thanks for a wonderful listen @feliciaday

Having finished reading/listening to a new memoir by Felicia Day – You are never weird on the Internet (almost) – I wanted to note my thanks. So here goes: I’ve never met you, Felicia Day, but I am grateful to you for adding your voice to the story of the Internet, of gaming, of women working in tech-focused industries and for sharing your story of incredible achievement against many odds. It’s inspiring to read how…

Balancing open practice and personal space

This post a been prompted by my ongoing work to complete my CMALT portfolio. CMALT is a peer-assessed accreditation scheme for Learning Technology and requires a portfolio to be submitted. I’ve been working on my portfolio for months and I haven’t finished it. Given that I have everything I need to  complete it and that I am finding the process rewarding, I have been reflecting on why I am not getting closer. The answer, I…

Fictional learning places #blimage

It’s been inspiring to follow people’s thoughts #blimage and with some encouragement for which I am grateful, I’m using this opportunity to make a contribution of my own. If you’re new to what’s happening #blimage I’ve included more info at the end of this post. I’ve not chosen an image for my inspiration, I have ended up choosing stories instead. I hope that still counts and for me the pictures stories conjured up in my…

Things I got #rhizo15 – thank you

 Over the past few weeks I’ve been participating in an open course on rhizomatic learning #rhizo15. Now that it’s sadly come to an end this week, here’re some reflections on my experience – not really just of the course, but how participating has contributed to my practice: Getting involved… well, I started a bit late and joined in at week 2, I think. I was curious mostly – that’s why I thought I’d get involved.…

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