I fear the return to hectic activity tomorrow may prevent my doing what would be good. It would be good to go over what I heard and saw, and put the best of it up on this blog – or on one within Dundee, when that facility is ready. Even just the amazing links and possibilities I heard about. Ewan McIntosh was quoted and praised several times for his use of Web 2. and his inspiration of others to do so. It may be that my memories of the conference will be kept alive if I take the time to read the posts on the conference blog.

I have lots of meetings tomorrow, as well as a multitude of mail to deal with I’m sure! A Scholar trainer is coming to give a twilight last thing for business studies teachers. Next day he’ll be back to present to our secondary headteachers in the hope that once they realise how good Scholar is now, they will encourage their staff to make better use of all of its facilities. Folk don’t seem aware of the amazing back-end of assessment and reporting of which the system is capable, both to pupils and teachers.

Lots of chores to do after my week in the south…..

Bob Hill, who is becoming a blogger of some renown has been helping our new ICT staff tutors here in Dundee get their heads round the value and the mechanics of blogging – and it’s rubbed off onto me!

I suppose I’m a bit shy and the idea that I’m putting out stuff and expecting others to read and show any interest in it, is a bit uncharacteristic. I think to get past this, one has to just write for oneself and then any spark or exchange that comes of it is a bonus. If folk don’t like someone’s ramblings, well they hopefully will just not read again, rather than point out the writer’s failings!

Time to write/time to read is also a problem, but the possiblities of supportive feedback are worth a few moments.

 Over the months since this blog was begun, I have begun to get an idea of what my new (then) job is all about. I’m an ESO for ICT in secondary schools in Dundee. There have been so many people to hear of and meet, and so many places to look for information on our network. I really like the way schools are supported in Dundee. My last job was in a neighbouring authority to the west of here and it mainly tended (from my perspective anyway) to leave each school to its own devices.

Now the new term has begun and whereas when I first started I wasn’t sure how to spend my time, I find the days aren’t long enough. There are the mentors to welcome, the masterclassers to make feel valued, the Leadership for Learning participants to find, the meetings to set up, the trainings to book and organise. There’s GLOW to promote. ….and then there are all the IT skills I don’t have that I must develop, to try to emulate my fellow staff tutors who have computing department backgrounds! (I’m a chemistry teacher to trade!)

Well, this is enough for a first return to this blogging!!!! Wonder if I’ll manage to keep it up!

We had the Promethean team visit today, demonstrating Activote as well as new features in latest ActiveStudio and ActivePrimary… no Who wants to be a Millionaire quizzes, but still fun like last week. There were about a dozen in the audience and the handsets etc all worked which was encouraging! Not sure it would work so well with Powerpoint though.

Then we were set the “meaningful tasks”! I found the group work less satifying than the learning yesterday (I suppose I just have so much still to learn!) - but our group produced a really good resume of blogging and podcasting procedures and uploaded it as a blog. This will be a great reminder once back “home” of just what to do since yesterday was so full that a lot of the detail blurred!

We have online forums and discussion groups in my education area and  teachers have not been enthusiastic in their use! Maybe blogging will have more success.