Maren Deepwell

Author: Maren Deepwell

  • Blogging my way into the new season

    Blogging my way into the new season

    It’s autumn and I have a lot to blog about. I haven’t yet published my usual mid-year look back at the posts I have published so far this year. Instead, I’m keen to chart what’s on my mind to blog about.

    Some of these might find their way into a post, some might not. The purpose of this post is to record my thoughts, empty my mental list of topics and enjoy the process of blogging.

    Here goes:

    • Evergreen posts: I am NOT a fan of not including dates on posts, and yet more and more themes automatically omit this information. Partly, apparently, to make readers feel that posts remain current and also to aid a clean, minimalist look, but I imagine mostly for other reasons. I have lot of thoughts on this in terms of open knowledge sharing, accountability, being able to reference posts and so forth.
    • Reading adventures: My love for reading is constant, but my habits do change and this year what I’ve been reading has shifted thanks to joining a local book club which only reads Welsh authors/stories. That in turn has inspired me to revisit books I read when I was younger and re-read them to see how they land with me now. I have a few authors in particular in mind, including Stefan Zweig, Jospeh Mitchell, Flannery O’Connor and Mary Oliver.
    • Georgia Ruth: A few weeks ago I went to a very unique musical event with Georgia Ruth, a Welsh artist whose music and book I really, really like. It was a local venue, a converted church that featured not only a graveyard but also a pizza oven (my ideal combination!) and Georgia Ruth performed solo with her harp.
    • 3 years at Reclaim: Thanks to Slack I realised it’s been three years since I first started working as a consultant with Jim and the team at Reclaim, and it’s been such a joy to me to have not only such lovely people to work with, but also many different projects, from podcasts to productivity tools, and from conference organisation to industry case studies. I was a big fan before we started working together and I am still a big fan now.
    • Reclaim case studies: I also want to blog about working on two case studies over the summer, based on interviews with the teams behind two stunning projects, which inspired me greatly and which show so clearly how open web projects can not only survive but thrive in our age of automation.
    • Ascilite conference prep: I’ve started to prepare for my keynote in Brisbane next month (and I can’t quite believe I am REALLY going) and it’s made me look back at just how long Ascilite has been part of my professional life. I think it’s been about 20 years, and maybe an open journal project I worked on for ALT back when I first started.
    • Music is hope: I love Ted Lasso, and inspired by the “Football is Life” I want to blog about how listening to new music gives me hope about the world. I used to listen to my favourite music and albums over and over again, and even with the advent of playlists I never used to stray far from my favourite decade(s). This changed when I married a man who not only loves music but also collects vinyl. He inspired me to listen to new artists and discover bands and records I love, and who are creating new music now. It REALLY means a lot to me that artists are making albums now that I love as deeply as I loved records when I was 17. Music is hope.
    • Autobiography project: I am thinking about writing down what I can remember of my first decade in the UK. I have hardly any photos of that time, 1997-2007, and I am curious what I can recall and piece together. I am not envisaging that to be a public undertaking, but it could be a fun personal project for next year.
    • My dad. He turns 85 later this year and I have blogged about his legacy and influence on my life before, and I have more I want to reflect on.

    Ooooooops. That’s turned into a longer list than I had expected. Clearly I have more to blog about than I had thought. Must get to it 🙂

  • Newsletter, October 2026

    Newsletter, October 2026

    Hello and Happy World Postcard Day! As I am writing this month’s newsletter, the new academic year is in full swing and I am enjoying the quicker pace of work and projects:

    On the podcast, I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Dr Glenda Cox about open practice and leadership, drawing on her experiences as UNESCO Chair in Open Education and Social Justice.

    In other podcasting news, I’ve recently started co-hosting a new show together with Alexis Block, called Faces of Reclaim! We’ve just recorded the first few episodes and these are absolute gems of open practice and open platforms.

    Also, preparations for my session at the ALT Annual Conference in Cardiff this month, and the Ascilite Conference next month are gathering speed.

    The most read post of the past few weeks has been a reflection looking back at my CEO Days, which I really enjoyed writing.

    Fresh podcast episodes

    Find us on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Castsor via RSS Feed .

    Recent blog posts

    Have a good month… and as always, thank you for reading.

  • Expanding the podcast empire

    Expanding the podcast empire

    I love a good podcast, and this week sees the launch of a brand new, shiny podcast called Faces of Reclaim!

    Episode 1 features the amazing due Laura Gibbs and Sam Hooper, and is hosted by Alexis Block – with whom I am collaborating on this project.

    Alexis had the vision for the show, and as soon as we started to talk about it, I wanted to get involved! Recording the first few episodes with Alexis has confirmed that this is such fun, and rewarding in all the best ways: it’s sharing open practice, shines a light on the people behind the projects (hence the name “Faces of Reclaim”) and we get to take a deep dive into the corners of the web that I love the most.

    So here’s what’s in store (and Episode 1 is out now!):

    We are VERY excited to share the first episode of our new podcast: Faces of Reclaim! Coming to you on the Reclaim Podcast Network, alongside “On Writing” and the RetroTech Podcast.

    CTA Image

    Episode 1: “Vade Nobiscum” with Laura Gibbs and Sam Hooper

    It’s the launch special of Faces of Reclaim! Tune in to hear from two very special guests, Sam Hooper and Laura Gibbs, and their project Vade Nobiscum, their open online library of Latin texts, audio, and learning resources.

    This is not only your chance to hear about the a project that could take you on a Latin reading and listening and learning adventure, but also learn about the team using open source technologies used to make it happen.

    To celebrate the launch of the podcast, this episode was recorded LIVE at the DS106 Radio Summer Camp.

    The podcast is now available via Castopod, and you can subscribe via the RSS feed; and also on YouTube. Coming soon to Spotify and Apple Podcasts, too.

    BIG kudos to Alexis, and thank you for a great collaboration, and to the whole Reclaim Team for being game for a new podcast! Enjoy!

  • Getting ready for ALTC 2026

    Getting ready for ALTC 2026

    Croeso i Gaerdydd! Welcome to Cardiff!

    It’s not long before ALT’s Annual Conference 2026, and this year the event is coming to Cardiff – and I am very excited to be speaking at the conference for the first time since 2023 when I stepped down as CEO of ALT.

    I am looking forward to the opportunity to share my work and get feedback from peers, and the workshop I am leading is called “Leadership Capabilities for the Future of Education”.

    Below is a quick preview of what’s in store, and the session takes place on Wednesday, 21st October at 12:10. Looking forward to seeing you there 🙂

    Workshop Preview

    Inspired by the conference theme “Digital Ecosystems for Lifelong Learning”, this workshop offers a reflective and practical approach to developing digital leadership capabilities for managers and leaders.

    Digital capabilities are not only relevant for learning, teaching and research, but also for the way we work and lead more generally as in Higher Education and other sectors the way we work continues to become more flexible, blended and hybrid. 

    Leaders at all levels play a crucial role when it comes to translating the affordances of flexible, lifelong learning in organisations from strategic aim to lived reality. This workshop offers dedicated time to deepen your practice and pick up fresh inspiration for developing as a leader. 

    Workshop outcomes

    • Develop greater awareness of and reflective approaches to your leadership practice;
    • Learn about practical leadership approaches to digital wellbeing;
    • Explore resources for individuals and teams to reclaim the pace of digital productivity.

    Workshop agenda

    • Introduction and context (5 min): Quick introduction to help situate the workshop in the wider context of digital leadership and in relation to the conference theme. 
    • Part 1: Leading hybrid, remote and flexible teams (15 min): participants will be guided through a reflective exercise to gain insight into their current practice and its impacts. 
    • Part 2: Practical leadership approaches to digital wellbeing (15 min): anchored in digital capability frameworks, work together on translating digital wellbeing theory into practice and discuss how you could apply this in your own context to foster physical, mental and social wellbeing at work. 
    • Part 3: Reclaim the pace of digital productivity (15 min): explore practical approaches to managing digital noise and notifications, and to lessen digital overwhelm using best practice examples (and worst-case experiences, too). 
    • Closing reflections (10 min): participants will undertake a brief reflective exercise individually and share their closing thoughts in response to reflective prompts. 

    Free printed resources will be provided to use on the day and digital versions will be available to take away. This is an interactive session, so be ready to take part in group activities and discussions. All group activities can be undertaken in a solo capacity if preferred.

    Who should attend: This is a masterclass workshop designed for emerging and established leaders and anyone interested in developing their leadership capabilities. 

    References

    • Global Trends Towards Flexible, Hybrid Working and its Impact for Digital Leadership in Higher Education, A report by Maren Deepwell. Commissioned by the N-TUTORR National Digital Leadership Network, 2025; 
    • CIPD. (2023). Flexible and hybrid working practices in 2023. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
    • Digital Leadership Skills for the New Era in Education, Dr Lynne Taylerson, Digital Learning Institute, 16 April 2024;
    • Leading Virtual Teams – Field Notes from a CEO by Dr Maren Deepwell, was published in 2022 as an open access publication by the Association for Learning Technology, UK. 
    • Digital Learning in Higher Education – COVID-19 and beyond University of Wolverhampton, June 2022. 
    • UNESCO. (2024). What you need to know about UNESCO’s new AI competency frameworks for students and teachers. UNESCO.
  • Happy World Postcard Day!

    Happy World Postcard Day!

    World Postcard Day, celebrated annually on 1st October, might be a marketing initiative launched relatively recently, but it’s a great excuse to write a postcard, and thus I am on board!

    Regular readers will know that I am an avid pen pal, not only when it comes to family and friends, but also in my coaching and leadership work. For several years I even ran a postcard based leadership coaching service, AKA Long Distance Leadership Postcards 🙂

    Positive Feedback by Post

    One of the activities I designed around Postcards is called “Positive Feedback by Post” and it’s exactly that: a short, positive message you hand-write and give or send to the recipient.

    Write about as much as might fit on an actual postcard, and simply focus on something that’s made a positive difference:

    “Thanks for making me tea yesterday when I was really tired. I really appreciate it.”

    “You speaking up in the meeting helped me find my own voice. Thank you!”

    “You stepping in when things got busy saved the day. Cheers!”

    Why not give it a go and write a small piece of positive feedback yourself. I bet you are going to make someone’s day 🙂

    Why keep writing?

    I’ve been a pen pal since my school days, when our school offered an International pen pal scheme to take part in. Ever since then, I’ve stayed in touch with friends made on holidays, colleagues met at conferences, long time friends and my family, too, through postcards and letters (and sometimes even parcels!).

    In fact, I have boxes of correspondence collected over the years. I keep birthday cards and everyday letters, and I usually keep the envelopes and stamps, too.

    In a life lived in a distributed world, it helps me stay connected, and to keep those connections meaningful. One postcard or letter equals many digital interactions, that’s for sure.

    And I also love the pace of writing and thinking a little more slowly.

    So here’s to World Postcard Day! Long may postal services keep delivering our mail.

  • CEO Days Revisited

    CEO Days Revisited

    Time flies… I can’t quite believe that it’s been three years since I retired my CEO trainers along with the job title and became my own boss.

    Little did I know what the future would have in store for me when I made that transition, and three years into the new chapter I still have that same curiosity but fortunately, some things have also become clear.

    Making a big pivot takes time

    A big career transition is a process and I didn’t hurry it. This sounds like an obvious truth, but every time I thought I had arrived somewhere, I realised that I was still in it. So I intentionally focused on enjoying or at least being present in the moments of transition and change. It wasn’t always comfortable and it took a lot of energy to gain the rewards of the process.

    It also took time for my life to take on a new rhythm instead of one shaped by the milestones of an organisational year: year end, conferences, travel and so forth.

    One day I released that I had stopped thinking about it, and instead had found a new cadence that determines my year now.

    Returning to ALT’s Annual Conference this year, which happily takes place in Cardiff in October, feels not like a return to old grounds but a new opportunity to share my work and get feedback from peers.

    Keeping what matters most…

    Making a big career transition is an opportunity to reinvent yourself, and in those heady first days I felt little desire to take things with me. I needed space and I needed to gain some perspective. Once I had that, I was able to keep doing what mattered most to me.

    All Things Open

    I started working in Open Education during my years as CEO and quickly developed a deep interest in and commitment to all things open such as open source technology, open educational practice, open research and publishing and open leadership. Indeed my work now focuses much these elements, and I continue to work in the Open Education Community more than any other.

    Running a Business

    I LOVE running an organisation, and my approach to leading my own company is in practice very similar to how I went about leading a charity. I still have an operational and strategic plan, I produce quarterly budgets and reports, I have impact measures, values and use open source technologies for IT wherever possible. Apparently, you can take the CEO out of an organisation, but I can’t take it out of me.

    It’s a huge asset, not just for my business, but also for coaching senior leaders and strategic consultancy.

    Travel

    Giving keynotes was one of the greatest joys of my CEO days, and especially towards the end there were some wonderful trips that I have the best memories of: like travelling to the ETUG Conference in Kamloops and to Hong Kong for a keynote at a CMALT event. Post-pandemic travel has been far less frequent, so I enjoy the rare opportunities all the more now.

    Later this year I am heading to Brisbane to give a keynote (and a leadership workshop) at the Ascilite Conference, and I am thrilled that this event, which has long been on my wish-list to attend, has invited me to speak.

    Collaborations

    Working with interesting people that bring out the best in me is one of the things I was very lucky to have from the very beginning: Jim Groom and the team at Reclaim, Emma Procter-Legg and her colleagues at Oxford, Lynne Taylerson and AmplifyFE colleagues, and later coaching clients and other consultancy projects.

    Working from home and running my own business with me as the only employee can certainly be a solitary pursuit at times, but these days my weeks are so busy that I find the quiet moments, like this Monday morning, a welcome change of pace from meetings and working in collaboration and I am grateful for both.

    “Amaze! Amaze! Amaze!”

    Ever since I listened to the audiobook version of Project Hail Mary, the alien Rocky’s outbursts of “Amaze! Amaze! Amaze!” have stayed with me, and become a shorthand for bouncing up and down with joy and amazement. It’s a good reminder to myself to find ways to truly celebrate the milestones*, whilst living in a timeline that encourages anything but.

    Instead of championing and celebrating my successes when they formed part of a single team’s efforts or in service of one community with a cause, I now get play my part in the work of a whole range of organisations, teams and individuals. I get to be part of projects that benefit more leaders, more students, more communities, and for that I am very grateful indeed.

    Three years ago I was sad to retire my CEO trainers, to say goodbye to working for an organisation that had been my home base for 15 years. Moving on has given me the bigger canvas I needed to develop as a leader and to take that next step in my career to think bigger, and create more impact.

    Thank you for an amazing three years, and thank you for the adventures ahead of me.

    *Milestones like recording my 150th podcast episode this summer, or passing 250 professional coaching hours. Or running successful projects and events. Getting the best feedback for teaching and training. Travelling to events and giving talks. And offering at least ten percent of my time free for pro bono work, and volunteering as a mentor for national initiatives. Running my own business in as ethical and sustainable a way as I can.