NECC one year on.

One year one from my ACCE tour to NECC and I stop to look at how my world has changed. I spend so much more of my life online but I am also feeling more connected to people in a broader sense. Fellow bloggers are at NECC in Washington or watching from afar like me. I am trying to stay awake at night to catch sessions online and I am missing the social magic that came from meeting people whose work I so admire face to face. It only lasted four days but I still think about it all so much.Other bloggers are travelling the world and I keep connected by their blogs and tweets.

At the moment I am dithering around being a presenter- still so terrified of the gaps in my knowledge, but wanting to move on to the next level. I have just picked up the green chromakey and a stand from the post ofice and have organised lights and a spare computer so we can have the TV station actually working in the Year 8 centre.
I applied for a secondment position as an Innovator Trainer at the Ed Dept two weeks ago and actually got an interview, but not the job. I applied for another emerging Tech grant for using Ipod Touches in class and didn't get that either, but that is ok cos we did get one last year. I am still working on how to complete our PLP project with only three of us to work on it- this one is tricky but I will keep at it. I have requested being released from a two period class so as to do some regular coaching in others classes. I am trying- I am seeing ways into moving things forward and I am wishing I was over there for another drink of the Cool- Aid!!

The plan for the Year 8 Centre is to run the Murder Mystery unit as a cross curricular one in english, sose , maths and science. I will use the resources we have built up plus the ideas from the Sleuth English festival I ran as part of what happens. Incursions, dress up days and across the centre displays will be all part of what we do. Maybe a Detective TV edition?
This is a catch up ramble here and my thoughts are racing across a number of subjects and classes, so I apologise to any reader but that is how it feels in my head at the moment. I am organising two bloggers feasts - one for Judy O'Connell who pens the amazing Hey Jude blog and one for Julie Lindsay who is a co founder of the Flat Classroom project.

I am exploring podcasting with my classes and movie making as we finally get some access to the macbooks I got a year ago but haven't been able to use this year.The slidecast above is about Mahara - New Zealand free product that is directed towards use as a digital portfolio platform so I will be researching this one. I am trying to train myself to use ILife09 and IWork 09 properly and be able to teach and use them effectively. Adam Brice and I are hoping to set up EMUG an eastern region Mac users group and I just love the name and the possibilities. Off to a meeting about planning a conference now- yep life has definitely changed and I am loving it!