The Why…

For some time, in various guises, wiki pages, tumblr blogs, twitter, newsletters and the office whiteboard, I have been reflecting and writing about my educational experiences. I am regularly encouraged by my digital colleagues to share these thoughts with a wider audience and my tumblr blog was a real postive step. I would recommend tumblr blogs to all blog curious educators and most certainly PGCE and NQTs!

So why now turn to a blog? Two references really. The first is that to date, I have found it very difficult to seek guidance and support in my new position as Director or E-Learning. Most of my professional development has come via online sources, Ustreams, Online Conferences, blogs and podcasts. Typically from American educators located both within the US and at International Schools. Perhaps this blog will promote connections and even support future middle managers. Second, this past fortnight I have encouraged two students at my school to collect results and write as digital sports journalists. These students have been thoroughly committed and they deserve a better example.

So, I wonder to what extent that this blog will impact upon my professional practice and future decisions. I wonder to what extent this blog will promote professional dialogue?

Now before I publish this post, I should also note that I have a number of very valued UK based digital colleagues as well. I have read first hand how unforgiving the edublogsphere can be and I would not want to start this blog with a glaring oversight.

Finally, one of the very first successes I experiences as a digital educator was collecting and sharing lesson starters and closers – bookends to a lesson, so to speak and a few general classroom quizzes. I think I will create a page here on the blog, afterall, all teachers need a powerful beginning and end to a lesson, research has shown us that we forget most of the stuff in the middle. I look forward to your comments.

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