Maren Deepwell

Category: Updates

  • A moment of celebration

    A moment of celebration

    It’s my birthday at the end of this month, and I want to make the most of this moment of celebration in my life.

    Looking back

    The past year has been one of change for me, and A LOT has happened. Having so much going on makes it hard to recall and celebrate what I have accomplished and enjoyed. To make some time for reflection, I have looked back at photos from the past year, month by month, and picked one from each month from July ’22 to June ’23 that shows me doing something that I really enjoyed, a moment that stayed with me. I purposefully chose photos of only me, rather than including family and friends.

    What I noticed looking at those twelve photos is 7 of 12 photos are outside, on the beach and in the woods…, four pictures include the dogs (no surprises here), although there’s no pizza visible in any of the shots (atypical), ice cream and holiday cocktails do feature. They reflect the things that are important to me and things that I enjoy.

    I also made a list of things I’ve achieved in the past twelve months, which includes publishing my first book (a lifelong ambition), started running again, going to see live music and supporting my parents in a move from Britain to Germany.

    Looking at my list (20+ things in all), I had not appreciated how recently lots of things happened. Some of the things that I did last autumn seem much longer ago and similarly, some of the things I started to work on as recently as February now seem well established.

    • Most fun of all, this past year, has been embarking on more travel and holidays again, especially the trip to Greece with my partner, which was definitely the highlight of my year.
    • Most unexpected was becoming excited about seeing ice hockey locally in Cardiff!
    • Most hard won… that’s probably a tie between getting my first book published and completing my coach training and 50+ practice hours in my evenings and weekends.
    • Most creative… starting my first podcast and developing a podcast based course.

    Charting my course

    I have a five year plan that I find extremely valuable. I used a lot of the tools I trained in as a coach and applied them to my own values and vision, resulting in a comprehensive plan that covers everything from adventure to career, health and family. Some parts of the plan are mine alone, others focus on goals shared with my partner.

    On the career front, major change is happening: after 15 years in the same organisation, I am now only three months away from starting a new self-employed career, so that’s an exciting and somewhat scary prospect.

    I didn’t accomplish everything that was on my plan for the past year, some goals changed or were abandoned all together, but overall I followed the direction I set out in and I am really happy with my progress. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved.

    Here’s to what’s next

    The past twelve month felt hard. It took so much energy and time and effort to achieve the things I wanted to achieve, to move ahead with what’s important to me. It had huge moments of joy and fun and yet it felt like a grind a lot of the time.

    It feels good to let go of all that effort. Those days are behind me, the effort spent and the goals accomplished. Having done what I set out to do, now I am set for a year of… creativity.

    I’m going to do less heavy lifting and succeeding by sheer determination alone and find more balance. I am looking forward to re-imagining my daily and weekly routine as I start a new chapter in my professional practice, and I am excited about bringing creativity to all aspects of my work and play. I will prioritise my physical and mental health and enjoy the outdoors on walks and runs and in all seasons.

    Here’s to year year that lies ahead. A brand new chapter.

    Photo credit: Photo by Amy Shamblen on Unsplash

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  • ALT appoints new Chief Executive: Billy Smith

    ALT appoints new Chief Executive: Billy Smith

    We are delighted to update members that the Association has appointed Billy Smith as our new Chief Executive. 

    Since the announcement of this leadership transition in February, the recruitment panel, chaired by ALT’s Chair Helen O’Sullivan, has worked through a rigorous and competitive selection process that involved the staff team, Trustees and ALT’s HR and EDI advisors.

    Helen commented: 

    “Billy immediately stood out from the strong pool of applicants through his strong commitment to the values and principles of ALT as a membership organisation. His energy and enthusiasm impressed the Panel and we are confident that he is the right person to take ALT forward into the next phase of our development.”

    Billy will join the team in early August and formally take on the role of Chief Executive at this year’s Annual General Meeting, which will take place on Wednesday, 6th September 2023 during our Annual Conference in Warwick. The AGM will also be our opportunity to say thank you to Maren Deepwell, who will step down as Chief Executive on that date.

    We invite you to warmly welcome Billy together with our Members, staff and Board of Trustees. 

    Read the full announcement on the ALT website.

  • Career transition coming up

    Career transition coming up

    It’s a exciting week as I have news to share about my upcoming career transition. After 15 happy years at ALT, the Association for Learning Technology, I will step down as CEO this September to focus on my work as a coach.

    I would like to say a BIG thank you to all Trustees and staff during this period of transition. It has been a privilege to serve as ALT’s CEO since 2012 and lead the Association through times of great change. My work for ALT has been deeply rewarding and has offered me a unique opportunity to develop as the CEO of a leading educational charity. 

    It has been an absolute pleasure to be part of half of ALT’s history (having joined originally in 2008 on a maternity cover contract) and I very much look forward to being part of our community celebrating ALT @ 30 this year.

    Read the transition announcement

    Here is today’s announcement from the Chair of ALT, Prof Helen O’Sullivan:

    Dear Members

    Our current CEO, Maren Deepwell, will be stepping down from her role later this year to focus on her own business. 

    Maren has played a key role in developing and strengthening our Association for over a decade and the transition to a new CEO is a big and vital one for us. We have a robust transition plan in place and all of our activities will continue as usual, focussing on our events and membership activities.

    I am sure that many people will want to celebrate Maren’s work and contribution and wish her well on her new adventure in the coming months and we will make sure that there will be a lot of opportunities to do so.

    For now, our focus is on finding a new CEO for our Association, to lead us in our next chapter. 

    ALT is celebrating 30 years as the leading professional body for Learning Technology this year, which is an important milestone for our community. Having supported our Members through the global pandemic, we are pleased to see our annual turnover return to pre-pandemic levels as we close our financial year. 

    There are many opportunities for ALT in the coming years, as we develop our services in response to our Members’ needs… [read more].

    Helen O’Sullivan
    Chair of ALT Board of Trustees

    https://www.alt.ac.uk/news/all_news/message-alts-chair-ceo-leadership-transition

    What’s ahead for me after ALT?

    I am looking forward to the next six months as ALT’s CEO. ALT is in a strong position and I will do everything I can to support the Association in a smooth transition. There is much to do yet between now and September, so you will continue to see me actively lead the organisation in the run up to our Annual Conference.

    If you have been following my blog posts and podcasts, you already know that I have been coaching individuals and teams in the past few years, and gaining my professional accreditation as a coach. It’s work I really enjoy and a role that gives me the opportunity to work with emerging leaders in education and the not for profit sector. My work as a coach is closely related to my interest in leading virtual teams, an area many organisations are now focusing on.

    So, that is what I will be doing full-time from October and you can find our more about my work as a coach and join a free course on leading virtual teams that I am running later this spring.

    Over the next six months I will share more reflections about my time at ALT, and there are many wonderful people, inspiring projects and proud moments to look back on. For now however, I will be focused on continuing the work we do, serving our Members and preparing to celebrate our 30th anniversary in proper style.

    Interested in becoming ALT’s new CEO?

    I can heartily recommend working for ALT! So, if you are interested in leading a learning organisation with a wonderful staff team and a dedicated Board of Trustees, head over to the ALT website to find out more, arrange an informal chat and apply.

  • 2020 #altc – the year forged in fire

    I have been struggling to write any of my usual ‘year in review’ posts. I couldn’t find the words. But this evening I feel inspired and that is thanks to the community I work with, and whom I have shared much of this week at ALT’s Online Winter Conference.

    It’s been a year like no other in Learning Technology and one throughout which the professionals I work with and that ALT represents have moved right into the heart of keeping education going… when family tech support moved up to a whole new level and a year in which we have all faced our own Everests.

    No matter who you are or what your context is, wherever you may be, this year has forced us to face difficult moments and I find that rather than share my thoughts on the keynotes I have given and listened to or the research published, I want to focus on the compassion and care I have met with.

    From sharing resources during the early days of the pandemic to supporting each other in practical ways such as weekly webinars, everyone has done their best to get through the year and make the most of the opportunities we have had. From changing policy with initiatives like the Open COVID Pledge for Education to developing new practice in teaching and assessment, it’s been a year of firsts.

    To me, it’s been so important not to compromise on the values and professional principles we share even if in terms of practical execution ‘good enough’ has had to suffice.

    I have huge admiration for all the Learning Technology professionals who have helped moved everyone online in the great online pivot… and then worked even more to make a new academic year possible… and then worked some more to ensure that the direction we are heading in is shaped by the expertise and know-how they bring to the table.

    Kudos to you all. Those of you who are still standing, those of you who are having a well earned break and those of you who have prioritised caring for your families and loved ones and taken a step back from work.

    It was a very special privilege for me to join ALT’s President Dave White in presenting a symbolic community award to all and every Learning Technologist today… and that includes you! Congratulations!

    We at ALT work day in day out to champion professional recognition and advancement for those who have contributed so much to this year.

    There is a lot more work ahead, and I am looking forward to getting stuck in to new ethical frameworks, assessment practices, CDP and more in 2021.

    For now, there is a need to pause and reflect and be proud of what’s been achieved and I hope that today and this special community award contributes to that much needed moment of reflection and celebration.

    Fittingly, the award being forged in the fire of 2020, it will become an enduring testament to what’s been accomplished by us all this year across sectors here in the UK and beyond.

    To you all, I wish all the very best for what I hope will be a peaceful end to the year.

    Here’s to a better 2021… and I am looking forward to seeing Learning Technologists go from strength to strength at the heart of learning, teaching and assessment.

    In the meantime, I am going to avoid video calls, put wellies on and head into the great outdoors to walk the dog 🙂

  • #RaceForLife – a thank you

    RaceforLifeI’ve started writing a new series of blog posts about my experiences as a CEO. I’ve now drafted more than half of them and the process has made me reflect on the importance of my personal life. I don’t write much about my family in this blog and (I feel) for good reason. But next Sunday we are celebrating a milestone and it feels right to share it.

    I’m taking part in a 10k #RaceforLife on behalf of my family to mark my mother’s recovery and for us to give something back to those who saved her life. Being the primary carer for someone with cancer has been a challenge for me and as our lives started to become more normal again training for this race, my first ever such venture, has been an empowering experience that has helped us all to move forward.

    Over the past two years I had crucial support from everyone who works with me, especially the Trustees of ALT and my colleagues in the staff team. To them I want to say thank you.

    Also a big thank you to everyone who has helped us raise funds for Cancer Research as part of the #RaceforLife via my JustGiving page.

  • New home (reclaimed)

    This is a first welcome post for this blog in its new home, marendeepwell.com and a big thank you to everyone at Reclaim Hosting to help make the transition so quick and easy. Looking forward to getting started here in my new domain.