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Maren Deepwell Posts

CEO Report to Members, January 2023

Dear Members This is a special year for our Association as we celebrate thirty years since ALT was established in 1993. As we prepare to mark this important anniversary as the leading professional body for Learning Technology in the UK and as an independent charity serving our membership, we want to focus on how we can build on what has been achieved as well as what’s ahead. Help shape what’s next Our work across sectors,…

Music therapy, hope and joy.

Over the past few years I have been listening to A LOT more music. I have been to see live bands once again, I have bought newly released records on vinyl (for which I blame my partner entirely), and I have listened to hours and days of music online. After a less musical decade in my thirties, my forties have seen my passion re-ignited. Therapy I have learnt a lot about how I can best…

The world is bigger than my desk. 

As I am writing this, I am on a delayed train with wet feet, hoping to still make at least some of the meetings that I got up in the dark for this morning. Working from home permanently does have downsides, but on days like this it’s hard to feel that wading through flooded roads to the train station before 7am is worth it.  The folk around me on this train are frantically trying to…

Taking a break was worth it.

Today is my first day back at work since 22nd December, and in between I had a complete break. It took quite some doing, but I actually managed to step back from all responsibilities in that period, including those outside my role as CEO, those related to family and friends, volunteering, CPD, goals I set myself and so forth. Prior to the end of December, I had over-extended my energy. Usually, I am very good…

Blogging for 2023: private and public posts

… and we are off. The first, shiny new blog post of the year is here! I hope you had a restful end to 2022 and are looking forward to what 2023 may bring. I am still on holiday, having taken some overdue leave and I am enjoying the extra rest. It’s giving me time to catch up with my thoughts, do some exercise and celebrate my partner’s birthday with a trip to the coast.…

2022: My year in 10 milestones

It’s Winter Solstice today and over the past few years this has become the date on which I write my review of the year. For me, these reflections are a helpful way to wind down from work and move to focus on things away from screens, to get outdoors, walk the dogs and enjoy the luxury of not having a schedule. Posey, who is asleep in her basket next to me, has been my work…

Connections lost and found

This blog post is a signpost.. one of many “I am leaving this platform… follow me on here” messages that folk are sharing at the moment in the wake of the continued [insert your own word here] on Twitter. So if you’d like to connect professionally, follow my updates or learn more about my work, here’s where to find me: Read, listen, subscribe Monthly newsletterI send out a monthly email newsletter with updates about my…

Deckchair days

Since the summer I have a deckchair in my office. And I love it. It’s a space saving and relatively cheap piece of furniture that offers an alternative place to sit, relax and read. It’s strange that I never thought of having one before. Once I put it up in my office, I was immediately convinced. Of course, not everyone has a home office and not everyone has the space for an additional piece of…

Virtual Team Adventures in Asana

Our team is currently moving to Asana. “Asana is a web and mobile “work management” platform designed to help teams organize, track, and manage their work.” This is a big moment, as we have tried and not adopted various other similar tools including Basecamp, Trello, Google Tasks and Project Management tools within Google Workspace. However, things are finally moving into place, and with a couple of colleagues alreday familiar with and/or inspired by the platform,…

Blogging about blogging

It’s Monday and the temperature outside has plummeted to (for UK standards) freezing temperatures. Since the start of this month I have blogged more often again, aiming for a post on most weekdays. In the best tradition of the medium, I am going to blog about blogging today. Why now? During the recent [insert your own word here] on Twitter, and a subsequent re-activation of my Mastodon account, I was reading some really interesting reflections…