Welcome to my blog

Welcome to my blog.  Probably like most people I never thought I would really be a blogger, but I think I have a reason now. 

Six weeks ago I started a new job as the Executive teacher in charge of ICT’s in a new school (I had been at my previous school for 15 years, the last 2 as Executive/ head teacher of Science).  While I do have a diploma in IT, this role is more about leading the school with ICT’s into the future.  It’s very exciting and challenging, when I did my study it was all PC’s and the exciting part was looking at linux as an alternate operating system decided that this was just not going to cut it. To take a school, the staff, the parents and the students into the next generation of education Ii would need some currency.  My initial thought was “get another degree”, study a Masters in ICT Education or something similar, sounds like a good solid plan, but the more I looked into it the less likely that seemed like the solution.  I spoke to a number of people and they said it’s all happening online, my worst nightmare – I didn't want to put myself out there in the Twitterverse and listen to all the non relevant stuff.  But I have, and it’s not too bad, pick who you want to follow, disregard the rest.  I decided to make Facebook for my personal stuff and twitter my workthing, I have also started using Linkedin but I am still not sure if I “get it”.  The other place I was pointed to is “Zite”, an app that puts together articles in the areas that you select.

So how come I’ve decided to be a blogger?  On Friday I was talking to some people about education and professional learning and I suddenly articulated something that I had thought about before but never really been able to spell it out:

                “Professional Learning is only as good as your reflection and ability to share it”.

So since deciding that I wasn’t going to “study” at a university I have read an enormous amount, and that is all good, but how do I put it together and how do I get it straight in my head.  I need to reflect on what I read, I need to think about how it affects the things I do and want to do in my school and I need to share those Ideas, that’s where this blog comes in.  A space to reflect and share the things I have read and the professional conversations I am going to have.