BOOM! This month I am excited to share that I have completed the first draft of the book. It’s actually more like draft no. 3, but up to now I hadn’t ever written the conclusion, and now I have.
Now my 48,570 words or ~160 pages of work in progress have been shared with internal reviewers for comment and feedback until early May 2022. If you’d like to help review the book, please let me know and I’d be happy to share the complete draft with you.
There is still a lot of work to be done, but reaching a point at which I have a complete book feels like a great milestone.
Coaching update
In very exciting news I finished the first coach training course this month and thus I am a step closer to getting formally accredited as a coach. One of the things I am working on is a set of coaching style questions to help reflection on leading virtual teams… so watch this space for more updates soon.
Remote working radio… with special guest Lauren Hanks
I am very much looking forward to doing a special remote working radio show this month, with a special guest, in order to share current thinking in the run up to session we are hoping to run at the OER22 Conference in late April… join me and Lauren:
Wednesday, 13th April 2022 14:00 BST on DS106Radio
As this is a special episode, you can expect more conversation and fewer songs.. (and unfortunately no special requests).
Writing buddy update: Posey has helped me think through finishing the complete draft.
This week I am chairing a discussion about ALT’s development of a framework for Ethical Learning Technology with a wonderful line up of speakers: ALT’s Chair, Professor Helen O’Sullivan, Javiera Atenas whose work helped shape the framework and our President, David White. Each will bring a different perspective to the conversation, helping us explore why taking an ethical approach to digital education is important for leaders, professional and academic staff and, first and foremost, students.
Since it’s initial launch in September last year, ALT’s Framework for Ethical Learning Technology (FELT) has continued to develop with input from Members and the wider community. The first part of the work is that we are collecting case studies and examples of policies from across sectors to help establish a baseline of practice and also of gaps in practice, of questions or problems to which we don’t have robust answers as yet. The second part of the work we have focused on is the development of resources that help individuals and teams translate the framework into practice. The first resources, our FELT Reflective Self-Assessment, launched at the end of 2021:
You can use this assessment tool to reflect on a particular project, a new tool or platform or you can use it to focus on a particular aspect of your work. We encourage all Learning Technology professionals to undertake this self-assessment to reflect on their professional practice in relation to FELT’s four core areas. Based on the outcome, you can then move on to complete individual sections focused on particular aspects of your practice. The self-assessment is mapped to the CMALT accreditation framework and this is indicated throughout the assessment.
These resources form the start of our efforts to put the framework into practice, and the session this week will enable us to share these more widely as well as exploring why it’s important in different contexts.
As many of us are emerging into some sort of post-pandemic way of working, we need to make some space for considering the ethical dimension of digital practices in our strategies and the FELT framework can offer a practical starting point for exactly those conversations for institutions, teams, with students and with industry.
… and returning to in person conferences
Like many, I am just about to make my first steps back to in person conferences. It feels like closing a loop, the “what I last did two years ago” loop. Part of my role as a CEO is to represent my organisation and share the work we do and the voice of our Members on the best possible platforms. For the past two years, that has been a lot harder than it used to be, and there is a whole dimension of networking and influencing that has been absent from much of my day to day work during the time of online only events.
Like many, I have mixed feelings about the return of travelling for work, partly because here in Wales we continue to have more restrictions in place than is the case in England. But mainly I am grateful to have the opportunity to represent my organisation again, to have the option of generating engagement (and income) through running events both in person and online and, most of all, to reconnect with colleagues who inspire me and who contribute to my enjoyment of my work.
Given how much of my professional practice is online, I know what really, really great virtual work looks like. I experience it every week. And I also know how much effort and time and resources it takes to make it happen, and that relatively few people have either the skills or the set up to make it work consistently.
So I am looking forward to returning to the comparatively ‘easier’ way of connecting in person. And, in just over a month, to dancing with penguins…
January was extremely busy for me and I am glad that I took a week’s holiday from my day job and focused on writing. It was the first time since my PhD years that I spent so much time focusing on writing, and I really enjoyed it.
For the week of the writing retreat, I set a number of aims:
Decide the title of the book
Write “about the book” and “about the author” blurbs
Edit the first draft of the book and write the conclusion, which would result in a complete 2nd draft.
I am pleased to say that I accomplished the first two, and that I have updated the information on the book page accordingly. The book will be called Leading Virtual Teams – Field Notes from a CEO by Dr Maren Deepwell and will be published in 2022 as an open access publication by the Association for Learning Technology, UK.
The book is subtitled Field Notes from a CEO because my years as an Anthropologist gave me a researcher’s mindset that I have never quite left behind. Although I have settled into a different mindset in my ten years as a CEO, no longer just observing, but leading, I still find myself just as curious about seeing the world from someone else’s viewpoint and doing my best to walk a few steps in their shoes. Leading a virtual team has challenged that ambition in interesting ways, and provided me with a new field for exploration.
I also made significant progress editing the first draft into a more coherent and complete 2nd draft. Of the 51,000 words I wrote since last summer, 47,500 have made it into the nearly completed version. The overall book will be ~55,000 words long.
What’s left to do is to finish editing Chapter 4, which I wrote first in July last year, and which needs the most work and also to rewrite the conclusion and expand it. I left the conclusion to last, dropping in fragments along the way, as I wanted to get a feel for what the book would be like overall, before finalising my concluding thoughts.
By the end of this month, the complete 2nd version will be finished and then the next steps await me: getting feedback from a wider circle of critical friends and readers, liaising with our publishing partner to progress the copy editing and deciding on a cover for the book, too.
Exciting times ahead, that’s for sure!
Talks and events
Join our monthly radio meet up on DS106radio. This time I’ll be talking about the writing retreat and share news on book progress on Wednesday, 9th February 2022 at 19:00 GMT on DS106 Radio – chat with me or submit song requests #DS106radio.
Coaching update
The first month of coach training has given me a lot of prompts for reflection. One of the fundamental coaching techniques I am learning more about is how to use powerful questions and as I was writing, I discovered that many of the reflective prompts and questions included in various chapters could be used in this context, too.
One of the ideas this has given me is to create a set of questions specifically about working from home and being part of virtual teams, that could be used in a coaching context, and could also be helpful in wider professional practice. I hope to share these in a future monthly update.
Writing buddy update
Posey has been an excellent writing buddy, and we have been taking regular breaks from the computer together as well as our regular afternoon walks. However, the best thing for her this month has been to finally be allowed in the office full-time.
At the end of last year I completed the first draft of the book and I am really pleased that despite everything that was going on last year, I managed to reach that important milestone. Along the way I made some changes to the structure of the book and now that the draft is complete, I can also see overarching themes emerging.
My plan was to continue editing the draft chapters over the holidays, but when I finally reached the end of the working year and having had my booster jab, I decided to take a complete break instead. It was much needed and I am glad to have had some proper time off.
My plan is to still fit in some editing this month before heading on a week long writing retreat at the end of January.
Talks and events
This month I am speaking at fewer events as many of the planned conferences have been moved to later in the year. In many ways this is a blessing as it gives me more time to focus on writing. At the end of December I looked back at the talks and articles I published in 2021 – and that were more than I expected.
One key focus for 2022 is going to be continuing work on the Framework for Ethical Learning Technology and I am looking forward to taking part in the THE Digital Universities Week and Ahead by Bett to share process and new developments.
Join our monthly radio meet up on DS106radio talking about the journey from learning online to working in distributed teams on Tuesday, 11th January 2022 at 19:30 GMT on DS106 Radio – chat with me or submit song requests #DS106radio.
Coaching update
I have had excellent coaching on my journey to becoming a CEO. My own experience has given me an understanding of how powerful the right coach can be and how valuable for developing your approach to being a leader.
In order to become an accredited coach, an ICF Associate Certified Coach, I am taking part in Katie Linder’s Higher Ed Coach Training. I’ll be blogging every month sharing my experiences and how this relates to leading virtual teams.
Writing buddy update
Posey celebrated her 1st birthday this month, so she gets featured 🙂
It’s the darkest day of the year, Winter Solstice, and for me the last working day of 2021. Yay! For the last blog post of the year here is a look back at what has been a busy year. Whilst it may not feel that way just now as we prepare for another uncertain festive season, this year has had a lot of highlights and much, MUCH, has been accomplished.
My year as CEO of ALT
Twelve months ago, I had a mountain to climb as a CEO. ALT had never been busier than in the year of the great online pivot, but the pandemic had a huge impact on our operations and ability to generate income from our charitable activities. Being an independent charity has strategic upsides, but it also carries risks that a year long crisis like 2020 only heightens. Even as an experienced leader I felt worried about what had to be accomplished in 2021.
Since then, things may not have become easier, but we have achieved what we set out to do this year: we are in a more financially stable position, our staff team is growing and we have delivered more for our growing Membership this year than ever before. If you haven’t already had a look, the 2021 Impact report celebrates some of our recent achievements accomplished as a community in the past year, and our Awards showcase highlights just some of the excellent practice going on.
We have welcomed hundreds of new members in 2021, and as ALT grows it becomes ever more important for us to strengthen our voice and increase our impact. If you haven’t already, please do take a moment to complete our Annual Survey.
I really enjoyed seeing Members show some of what’s really possible in Learning Technology when we move beyond crisis provision, and our collaboration with ITN Productions helped us share our expertise with a much wider audience than before. Watch the programme and find out more.
2021 in photos
My team, our Board and all the colleagues I have worked with this year have been generous and imaginative under the continued pressure of a lot to get done and pandemic living. I am grateful that we continue to find ways to celebrate important milestones together and to reflect a little on all that is happening whilst we continue to lack opportunities to meet in person.
From pre-conference pizza nights to KaraOERke and from care parcels sent by post to snowball fights online, we have done what we can to keep our spirits up and support each other as a team.
I am so grateful to work in an organisation that continues to support us in a considerate way through these turbulent times and I want to express my deep thanks to Helen, our Chair, for all she has done this year to steer us through 2021. To you all, thank you!
Talks, keynotes and writing a book
Looking at my archive for this year, it appears that I have done more than I had realised. I have been able to contribute to some amazing ventures, attend many virtual conferences and work with inspiring leaders here in the UK and across the world.
Open Apereo 21 #ALT & #Apereo Screen side Chat: ‘Ethics & Learning Technology. Perspectives from the Pandemic’. With @bellaabramsIT, @drchuck, @14prinsp, @MarenDeepwell & @iandolphin24 – 8 June 2021;
FEresearch podcast episode episode 24 talking about the FE Community of Practice sector audit and AmplifyFE, hosted by Jo Fletcher-Saxon, 8 March 2021;
Alongside my work I have started writing a book on leading virtual teams, which is due to be published in 2022. The first draft is now complete, and you can read along with excerpts from draft chapters, come along to remote working radio sessions and sign up for regular updates.
I have really enjoyed working on the book as it gives me the opportunity to switch gears and focus my thoughts for a while.
My year with a puppy!
You will probably already have met Posey as I have posted plenty of photos of her over the past nine months. She has grown from a tiny puppy into a seasoned conference dog, who has her own conference badge and all. Posey is not a huge fan of work as it means there’s less time for play and walks, but she has been a huge joy and an excellent antidote to being at work for too long. She’ll be one year old soon and no doubt the next year will bring a whole new set of adventures as we start running together.
Posey
We’re heading to the beach
Today may be the darkest day of the year, but it also marks a turning point. Light is making its return, if gradually.
Everyone I know is tired and exhausted. Working in Learning Technology can feel… really hard in these times and the work never ends. We often don’t know what’s ahead. We try to support all the different stakeholders but thanks to most people’s experience of Learning Technology at scale being largely shaped by lockdown learning, there is a tension between what we hope to achieve as a profession and everyone’s desire to return to a world in which hugging and having coffee isn’t dangerous.
I am grateful that today is my last day at work for the year. I am looking forward to logging off and not looking at another email until it’s 2022.
Rest and replenishment is going to be my only focus and so we are heading to the beach to see the sunset.
To you I wish a peaceful end to the year. I look forward to seeing you on the other side. Or as we say in Wales…
