Maren Deepwell

Category: things I like

  • Reclaiming Halloween Radio

    Reclaiming Halloween Radio

    Earlier this week I got to join the folk from Reclaim Hosting for a spooky radio extravaganza! Across a couple of different timezones and radio stations, Reclaim Radio and DS106Radio, we ROCKED the airwaves.

    I love radio as a medium to have fun for virtual teams. It’s super engaging, not screen based, it’s synchronous and at the same time gives everyone space to do other stuff whilst listening. It’s also, when you have a team as capable as this, a pretty easy thing to do 🙂

    When we started planning for this, we offered different ways to get involved:

    • Share your favourite halloween tunes and we’ll play your tunes
    • Get on the radio with other Reclaim folk, chat about what you are working on, share scary stories.. And have fun!
    • Get on the radio as a host, spin up the tunes and invite special guests to chat with on air. 

    Not everyone wants to hear their own voice on air after all, and the whole point of doing something like this is that everyone can join in and have a bit of fun without feeling that they need to commit to a whole hour.

    Here is the programme we ended up with as a result:

    • 8:00am ET – Halloween Tunes with Meredith
    • 9:00am ET – Scary Special: Jim & Maren
    • 10:00am ET – Pumpkin Hour with Maren & Meredith
    • 11:00am ET – Halloween Tunes from the team
    • 12:00pm ET – Old Time Radio Hour: the Scary Stories of Suspense
    • 1:00pm ET – Radio Roundup with Amanda & Pilot
    • 2:00pm ET – Halloween Tunes with Jason
    • 3:00pm ET – Scary Tech (and Non-Tech) Stories with Amanda & Jason
    • 4:00pm ET – Halloween Tunes with Taylor
    • 5:00pm ET – Fright Night: Tunes from the Infrastructure Team

    The weird and the wonderful

    What I loved about the radio day was the variety of things that happened: from Italian horror movie soundtracks and The Cure to low-fi listening tunes, and from vintage story telling to news about what’s happening across the community, it was simply awesome!

    Folk joined in as they started to listen to the programme, saying hi on Mastodon and Discord, and sharing pics and stories along the way.

    I loved the radio shows on DS106 radio during the dark days of 2020 and 2021. Obviously my personal favourite was the Sunday Special that I was part of with Anne-Marie Scott and Tannis Morgan, but although a lot of fun was had, and at the time fun was a very scarce ingredient in life, it was very much radio of its time. Pandemic times.

    I remember hearing Jim and his family broadcasting from Italy, and us listening here in Wales, feeling like we were able to connect despite the long periods of lockdown.

    Our spooky Halloween radio show this week helped me reflect that whilst we still need to connect, and share and be present with each other, it is a huge relief to be doing so in context less dominated by the pandemic. We’ve learnt to value opportunities to have fun and be together more, I think, than we did before 2020.

    Just like the excellent GIF game that makes the Reclaim Roundup a must read each month, the radio brought together all the weird and wonderful scary tech (and non-tech) stories and tunes for a day to remember.

    What you didn’t see

    Part of my work with Reclaim as I see it, is about finding pockets of space and time in which this team of people who work so hard and who practice such heartfelt care about all they do, from answering support tickets to developing new products, get to have a moment to take a breath and revel in their achievements.

    Reflecting on success, feeling proud…, those things can be a lot harder to do than moving on to the next task, or pick up the next ticket. Just like in every other organisation I have ever worked with, here, too, is a never ending list of things to do. There is always pressure, always more that could be done, and new, exciting ideas on the horizon. I love seeing those glinting in the distance.

    What I have also learnt, however, is that there is ALWAYS something glinting on that horizon, and ALWAYS a long list of tasks and that it’s up to us to make the time and hold the space to say “YAY! WE ROCK!” every once in a while.

    I missed some of the Halloween fun (because timezones), but the next day I spent some time looking at the chat behind the scenes, the chat you didn’t see, and I was thrilled to see folk sharing photos of their front doors, ready for trick or treating, the chat, the banter and the GIFs. Those moments are what makes a team thrive, and they are what makes the memories that we will still recall long after the routine of weekly meetings is forgotten.

    It was a privilege and an awful lot of fun to be part of our Halloween Radio programme, so you won’t be surprised to hear that there might just be some more in store come the end of the year. Maybe there will be an opportunity to make a song request, or send in edtech holiday greetings… whatever we decide to do – I hope to see you on the airwaves.

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  • Happy Hybrid Halloween… or the spooky side of virtual working.

    Happy Hybrid Halloween… or the spooky side of virtual working.

    It’s my third week as a hybrid organisation of one, and I am enjoying the new working routine! It’s very busy and also tiring to have so many new things to deal with each day, but it’s very much what I was expecting.

    What I am missing at times is of course the colleagues I have worked with for many years, and in a more abstract sense, a bit of fun and interaction that comes with being part of a team. From the research I have done about hybrid working and virtual teams, I know that it takes a lot of effort and intention. So I set about making my own fun.

    Regular readers will be very familiar with Posey, my dog, who for the past three years (well, nearly) has kept a faithful vigil next to my desk. Together we get through long conference days, difficult meetings, research reports and course design. And Posey is a dog who knows how to make her own fun. Sometimes just by rolling round on the carpet in the sunshine, or with her favourite cuddly toy.

    But back to Halloween and hybrid working. In case the connection seems tenuous, I think Halloween is a good example of the kind of thing that in a co-located working environment is hard to miss. Cafes and canteens may have seasonal treats or pumpkin flavoured everything. There is likely to be talk of trick or treating… plans for the holidays and so on. Interaction like the ‘Secret Santa’ gift exchange is hard to replicate when you are in a team that’s distributed across the globe or when, like me, you are a team of one.

    The ‘spooky’ side of home and hybrid working is that it can often feel quite lonely or isolated. Sometimes you don’t talk to another human being all day, and when you finally step away from your desk it’s dark outside. Days can easily blend into each other into one long grey slog.

    Marking days like Halloween or a change in season provides me a bit of inspiration to have some fun, be silly and join into activities that I wouldn’t usually, and which can make my day more memorable.

    This year, I am organising some radio with the wonderful folk at Reclaim Hosting, as part of my work with them. Get ready for Reclaim Halloween Radio on DS106radio come October 31st! I have some small decorations in my office as well, some autumn blooms and a small pumpkin and… fun tights to wear in orange and purple. Some of you may roll their eyes here, but those of us who appreciate those things will understand. In my mind, everything that helps inject some fun into my day is fair game.

    A water colour drawing of pumpkins

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  • Step away from you screen…

    Step away from you screen…

    … and come walk with me. How about a day along the windswept West Wales Coastal Path? The title image for this post is taken at the tip of the St David’s peninsula around this time of year. Let’s have a day buffeted by autumn winds surrounded by colourful heather, looking out to the endless horizon. I would love to have a day like that today.

    In reality, although that part of the Coastal Path is only just over two hours from my desk, I am much more likely to take a walk along the Taff Trail with the dogs today. Not quite as dramatic when it comes to scenery, but my daily miles are a wonderful daily escape, a practice for my body and mind that benefits my wellbeing as well as my productivity.

    Walking is a big part of my life. It’s a necessity when you have two big dogs that want to cover 3-5 miles a day. It’s a hobby, as I walk, jog and run my way to greater physical fitness. It’s also where I like to think, reflect and have important conversations. Over the past ten years, it’s definitely become a kind of superpower that gets me through tough days.

    I like walking on my own, with the dogs, with someone else, sometimes with headphones in, sometimes in my head, alone with my thoughts. During my postgrad years I developed an academic interest in walking, and some of my PhD thesis was based on ethnographic walking and a phenomenological exploration of place and landscape, so it’s fair to say that I’ve read quite a lot a about walking as a practice, as a method of enquiry, as a way of life.

    It’s always inspiring to read of great explorations or long walks, spanning a whole country for example. My own walking has stayed at a much more quotidian scale. I don’t really care whether I’m taking turns in my local park, walking through bustling city streets or trudging along the Coastal Path. What is important to me, and what makes it work, is that I get to reflect and process whatever is on my mind that day. If I have the company of a coach or a friend (or most commonly my partner), I have the added benefit of someone else’s perspective and the principle remains the same.

    When I worked with my mentor Margaret we used to meet up every few months for a longer session, and we always tried to make it a walk. Between these meetings all our work happened online, via email or a phone call, but whenever I really needed to think something through, figure out a new vision for the next three years or confront a difficult situation in my role as CEO, we would walk together and talk it through.

    Parenting books often suggest that the best way to have conversations with teenagers is not to sit around a table, facing each other, but to create a less confrontational atmosphere when you are side by side, driving in a car or walking somewhere for example.

    In a work context, particularly if you work virtually, there’re many situations in which you face each other, or a whole screen or room full of people. You face each other, stare at your own reflection, at someone’s bad hair day and so forth. It’s not often conducive to focusing on thinking and reflecting. Screens are distracting.

    Stepping away from the screen can feel hard. Technology is sticky, capturing our attention, and removing yourself from its constant nudges is a key reason why taking a walk is helpful. Walking is an embodied experience, you are moving through the world, experiencing it with your senses. All of which is helpful for getting a fresh perspective and to gain clarity.

    Of course, it’s not often possible to head out for a whole day on the Coastal Path. More often, a walk around the local area has to suffice, and in my experience it works just as effectively. With a bit of forethought you can even gain some of the benefits of a walk indoors. Whenever I don’t have the time to actually go outdoors, and I have a call I really need to focus on, I put my headphones in, put the screen to sleep and pace up and down in my office. Sometimes with my eyes closed, sometimes looking down at the floor or nowhere in particular. I am still moving, focusing, and not distracted by screens. It does take some practice and discipline to make this work, and it’s much easier to give yourself the benefit of actually going for a walk, but on days when you have 10 back to back meetings it may be the only option.

    I am really looking forward to exploring how to step away from the screen in my upcoming course on hybrid working. I am not sure if many people realise that walking can be a hybrid working superpower… but we’ll have fun finding out. Incidentally, I designed the course to be podcast based, focusing on audio rather than video content, so that folk who would like to walk along with me could do so as they work through the course. It’s free, so why not register 🙂

    Some of my coaching clients, for whom I also offer walking sessions, really enjoy having a session talking on the phone whilst exploring their local park and pathways. And sometimes, when we are able to meet in person, we get to walk and talk together. Those are always the most exciting days for me.

    I haven’t done any coaching on the Coastal Path as yet, but I have had many, many excellent conversations whilst exploring that beautiful part of the world. So.. if you are ever in South Wales or if you have a path near you that would make for a good place to think, get in touch.

    A photo of Rhossili beach in autumn

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  • Holiday debrief (in watercolour)

    Holiday debrief (in watercolour)

    It’s my first day back at my desk today after a two week break, and I am happy to report that both rest and fun where had! It’s been a while since I had two weeks off, and my top tip for my future self is to do that more often. One week is never quite enough to really relax, and I loved the extra days before and after travelling to Crete that the extra week afforded me.

    My partner and I did plenty of reading by the pool, mini golf, gym, lazy lunches and even longer dinners, enjoying the late summer vibes and Greek produce. Pretty much every picture has me eating or drinking or my face is hidden in a book. I took five books on holiday (I prefer taking printed versions abroad), and all were devoured.

    My other activity on holiday was to take A LOT of pictures of plants, and to turn some of them into water colours. Having not done a lot of drawing for a while, and I really enjoyed the creative, easy practice of making a drawing a day. It was awesome to indulge in my love of plants, and to learn more about the local plants along the way.

    Here’s a peek at the result:

    Now that I am back, I’m busy getting ready for some new projects, including the next run of my podcast based hybrid working course. Join us from 20th October – register free now. Keen to learn a bit more about the story behind the course and how I came to be so interested in all things hybrid and virtual working? Listen to the story which spans from Germany to London in my art school years, and from Athens to Oxford as my work moved from Art to Anthropology and then Education, this episode sets out what I think is interesting about hybrid and virtual working, why it’s important and why now is the time to really find ways of working that work for you.

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  • #altc: a personal history

    #altc: a personal history

    It’s this time of year again! Time to prepare for ALT’s Annual Conference, pack your gadgets, conference shoes, pin badges, stickers, research notes and gala dinner outfit(s) and make your way to Warwick or indeed online (although in that case most of the above applies likely only to the top half of you which may be on camera 🙂 . Also, don’t forget to pack a piece of #edtech or #altc history for the onsite display/museum. It’s a collaborative effort and only as good as what we can bring together.

    I am VERY MUCH looking forward to this year’s editions of our conference, and I hope you are, too. It’s no small feat to run a successful conference for THIRTY years, and I am so proud to have been to quite a few (but definitely not the most, as plenty of others have been to more).

    Before we jump into the fun, here is the usual reminder to register if you haven’t done so, as the early bird deadline is approaching (6 August 2023).

    Why I love this conference!

    As you can tell from the long list of posts below, I am a big fan of our conference, and over the years I have reflected a lot on why that is – and why it matters. Having worked my way through the posts (and pictures) from 2008 to this year, I have come up with three things that I feel make a big difference to this event, and that to me make it very special indeed.

    Obviously, as the CEO of the organisation that organises the conference it’s part of my job to be its strategic cheerleader and ambassador (just as it will be Billy’s when he becomes the next CEO of ALT in a month’s time). Part of my role involves working closely with the Co-Chairs and our Conference Committee ( fantastic volunteers led with vision and great commitment by Santanu and Lawrie this year), our partners and sponsors (who always make a huge difference to the success of the event) and speakers, Trustees, ALT Members and staff not just during the event, but also for the months leading up to it. My year very much revolves around the conference project plan, as do my holiday plans (June, before it gets manic, and late September, to recover).

    Since I joined ALT in 2008 there’s been no quiet summer for me (or indeed my fabulous colleagues who work their socks off while most other people in education try to fit in some sort of well earned break). Instead, at this time of year my days get longer, my inbox gets busier and the quality time I spend with risk registers increases exponentially.

    Each year, things go wrong, and each year we try to improve and evolve aspects of the conference. We learn, we try again, differently, harder. I am all too aware that we don’t always get things right, and that there is always more we could do. And yet I have seen many other events come and go in the past 15 years, and ours is still here, still relevant and it still matters.

    Here is why I think that is (and I am looking forward to learning what you think):

    C stands for… collaboration, community and… criticality

    Over the years, our conference has become the thing ALT is most closely associated with. I meet many who call ALT by the hashtag, and in many ways I have always been delighted that in this context the letter ‘c’ can stand for not only the word conference, but also collaboration and community.

    In many ways, the conference is an engine of collaboration for our community, forging new connections and reinvigorating partnerships and networks across sectors. It’s where many projects start, and friendships are formed. I am always amazed by how much inspiration we bring together over the three days.

    Importantly, and not in common with all that many other events of this nature, the c also stands for criticality. And that element is absolutely crucial. As the professional body for Learning Technology we are obviously aiming to spread knowledge, to share expertise and to advocate for professional recognition, in short we want to make everyone more aware of how important our field is and how impactful the work of the professionals we represent is. We are also aware, however, that the intelligent use of digital technology in education requires us to be critical, to reflect and examine its impact, its history and theory and its wider context.

    I often hear first time delegates who are surprised (and pleased) that not every session at the conference is a glowing review or enthusiastic case study for a new tool or platform and that you are likely to step into just as many sessions who share lessons learnt of when things went wrong, or exploring ethical conundrums.

    This year’s keynote line up reflects this aspect of our conference very strongly and I am proud that over the past ten years we have used this international platform to amplify the voices of influential thinkers like Tressie Mcmillan Cottom and Audrey Watters.

    #altc is not just for September

    There is no doubt that the conference is a huge highlight of the year for our community. So much happens in the conference week, from our Annual General Meeting (my last as CEO as I will be stepping down and handing over to Billy on that day) to the Learning Technologist of the Year Awards, to the CMALT Ceremony and the Honorary Life Membership Award as well as launching new initiatives like this year’s launch of the first ever apprenticeship ALT has formally endorsed and new projects for CMALT, our professional accreditation scheme.

    Each year, the conference brings together a huge concentration of activity and engagement, encouraging Members to get involved in a whole range of activities and groups and inviting newcomers to join ALT and discover the valuable support, connections and resources we share.

    And yet, unlike many communities that are grouped around a particular conference and only come together once a year, we work together on a packed calendar of events, publications, news and policy developments throughout the year.

    Our conference may be our biggest showcase, and yet there are so many other highlights throughout the year that it is hard to mention only a few. Preparing my handover for our new CEO has given me a renewed appreciation just how much we do as an Association and how many separate activities, groups, committees and milestones there are throughout the #altc year.

    That is one of the key reasons why this conference is so special: it’s not organised by a production company or an events department in isolation, bringing together well known names with no other connection than that they are suddenly on the same agenda together. Instead, it’s a community-led event, that is shaped by the work, and the thinking, that goes on day in day out. At it’s best, our conference is welcoming and warm, and ‘meticulously informal’ in just the right measure.

    The people who help organise it, the speakers who submit proposals, the participants who register… the majority of the hundreds of people who we see each September are likely connected to ALT already in one way or another. They may not be able to come each and every year, but they have voted with their feet since 1993… and they have voted to come back again and again.

    We foster empowered edtech professionalism

    When I closed my keynote in 2018, a wonderfully nerve-racking talk I won’t soon forget, I quoted a Public Enemy song lyric from Harder Than You Think:

    If you don’t stand for somethin’
    You fall for anything

    Public Enemy

    That sentiment still rings true to me today, nearly five years later, and forgive me if I quote my own words here:

    When we ask who shapes the future of Learning Technology – my hope is that we don’t leave it up to others. My hope is that we continue to participate in the conversation, that we make our voices heard and listen to others.

    When I first stood in this theatre in 2009 I saw great potential in what could be achieved by this community and I wanted to contribute to it. Nearly 10 years later I have seen parts of that vision come true, but there are much bigger things still to come.

    And that is up to all of us. So I invite you to share your hopes, your vision and make your own voice heard.

    My altc Keynote 2018

    What I saw first in 2009, and then talked about in my keynote in 2018 still stands today. This year, as we gather once again, I look forward to seeing the process of shaping the future of Learning Technology in practice, through the vision and the voices of our community.

    That is why I love this conference and I look forward to celebrating thirty years of this very special event together with you all, with our Trustees and staff, and with our new CEO, in a few weeks time in Warwick and online.

    My #altc blog post retrospective

    Image credit: Picture by Chris Bull for Association for Learning Technology ALT conference 2019 , Edinburgh.rDay two – Wednesday 4th September.rrwww.chrisbullphotographer.com

  • The year in blog posts… so far

    The year in blog posts… so far

    As I am half way through the year, I am taking a look back at what I have blogged so far, and in the best tradition of the form, to blog about blogging once again. And, if you missed one of these, now is a good time to catch up and bookmark posts for future reading.

    Blogging in numbers

    So far I have published 43 blog posts this year. The average per month is 7 per month. January was the month with the most posts (10) and March and April were the month with the fewest posts (5).

    Top 5 posts

    1. Post with the most comments: OER23 Conference: a whole lotta love
    2. Post that was shared most widely: The world is bigger than my desk. 
    3. Post that was read most widely: Thank you #EDEN2023
    4. Post that had the most successful podcast companion episode: What’s so important about open practice for hybrid leaders?
    5. Post that I enjoyed writing the most: A party without a cake is just a meeting…

    January (10)

    February (9)

    March (5)

    April (5)

    May (6)

    June (8)

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