Category: Journal

ISC Digital Conference 2024

I once again was privileged to speak at the ISC digital conference the other week, this time as the vice chair for the ISC digital advisory group as opposed to a member.   It was, as it was last year, a very useful and interesting conference, combined with an iconic location in Bletchley park.   I scribbled many notes from the various sessions and therefore wanted to distil those into a couple of key thoughts below.

Prof Miles Berry was his usual barrel of energy in his presentation, putting forward lots of interesting points for consideration.   Following on for the Oxford Academies Business Managers Group (OABMG) conference I attended the other week, Miles certainly was brave in his presentation, opting to actually do a live demonstration to illustrate the potential power of generative AI in terms of helping towards the challenges related to teacher workload.   I have attended so many conferences which discuss AI but it was so nice to actually see it in practice as Miles took a topic from the audience and worked through the creation of content for students, resources, lesson plans, etc., all in the space of minutes, but also highlighting that a teacher at their best could likely do better, but certainly not quicker.   This clearly highlights the efficiency and workload benefits of generative AI, but also the importance of seeing genAI as an assistant to be paired with our own human strengths.

Neelam Parmar then presented on developing an AI curriculum and there was one question which stuck very much with me.   What is AI?    Now why this stuck with me is both the inconsistency in terms of the use of the term and related terms (machine learning, deep learning etc.) but also in terms of the broader question it might hint to in terms of what is intelligence.    Can we accurately and consistently define what we mean by intelligence?    And if we cannot can we truly be confident in creating an intelligence, an artificially created intelligence or AI?    It’s a bit deep, but maybe this is a question we maybe need to consider, as it also hints towards considering the differences between human and artificial intelligence, and therefore the benefits and drawbacks of each.   I do often wonder how different an AI is to human intelligence in terms of how the human brain really works in processing the huge amount of “data” in the experiences and information we consume throughout our lives.   Is the key difference between AI that of emotion and the physical nature of our intelligence in relation to our physical existence?   

The AQA presentation was next up in terms of ideas which stuck with me, helping me feel a bit more positive in terms of where we are in terms of exam board engagement in relation to the use of AI in assessment and in schools.  I will admit to being disappointed that the Polish and Italian trial has been pushed back further to 2027, which I think is too far away, however, I get that it takes everyone to be onboard to move this forward so there are hoops exam boards must go through.  That said there were definitely positive noises in relation to analytical data on outcomes with school data being pulled in, and resulting info pushed back.   This goes to reducing the administrative burden but also to more effective use of the vast amounts of data schools gather.  It was also good to hear of AQA seeking to share a diagnostic tool for Maths;  Tools like this might just help us to find the best way forward in relation to adaptive, diagnostic and even summative testing.

I once again enjoyed hearing Tom Dore talk about esports and the potential benefits for schools adopting this.   It aligned so well with the earlier presentation which highlighted some of the softer skills which the World Economic Forum have identified as important for the future.  It is so much more than simply gaming, but involves communication, leadership, resilience, problem-solving and so much more, plus it often engages students who may be otherwise less engaged.   It was also so good to hear Amy-Louise Cartwright’s approach in her school and how they, albeit in their early stages of development, have already made progress and have plans for the future.  I loved the esports suite they have created, as although we have been involved here in esports for a while we have been using our normal IT labs, albeit with upgraded PCs capable of supporting the relevant esports games.

Conclusion

The ISC digital conference, like so many other conferences, is about getting schools and school staff together and sharing.   This year’s conference did exactly that, and that let me get my piece in as well which was nice.   It was also nice to be at Bletchley Park and its wonderful auditorium.   Now I will note my train ride to and from the venue was far from straightforward, but the trek was worth it, and I look forward to seeing where we stand in a years time, at the 2025 conference.   Will we have progressed significantly, be asking the same questions, or will the challenges have changed or even been addressed?   Only time will tell.

2024 + 2 months: A review

Ok so its now the end of February, that’s 1/6 of the year gone already and I am left wondering where the time has gone.   Now part of me thinks time is flying simply as we are all becoming busier, as we do more, try to be more efficient, try to do things better, while part of me also thinks its an age thing (but I am not keen to admit to the 2nd option).    I also need to acknowledge taking on quite a number of projects however I am finding keeping busy and the diverse nature of the projects to be fun and engaging and therefore keeping me in a more positive place than I was back in December;  That said I also need to ensure I do say “No” where appropriate.    So with 2 months from 12 gone I thought it might be useful to have a quick review against my pledges from the start of the year, so here goes…..

Doom Scrolling

I think my doom scrolling on my phone has reduced which is good but I still feel I reach for my phone a little too much at the moment.   It’s the old issue of my phone and its notifications providing me with the dopamine fix, leading to checking my phone more often due to increasing dependency on this fix.   It is now less social media I am looking at and more the likes of WhatsApp;  Am not sure if that makes it better screen time or not, however the need to constantly check my phone feels like a bad thing.   That said for the time period from December to the end of February my average daily screen time had dropped to just below 2hrs 40mins which is below the 3hr target I was looking to hit so this seems to be good progress.   I will however need to continue to review this especially around my habits   

Fitness

My target was 500km for the year so with 2 months gone I am happy enough with 95km completed.  Projecting this out, if I kept up the current rate would get me above the 500km target by the end of the year.    I have also seen my pace improve and now am generally sat around the 6min/km which is a pace I am happy with.   At this point I still haven’t engaged with any social running such as a parkrun so this is definitely something I need to look towards, plus I haven’t looked at runs beyond the 5km range so again this is something for me to look at.

Exploring

So far I haven’t managed any real exploring, aside from a trip up to Sheffield to work with The National College;   There wasn’t much exploring done during the couple of days up there due to a focus on filming a number of webinars.    So this is definitely something I need to look to address with Easter likely to be the first opportunity although I suspect Easter will be focused on family rather than exploring so it may be that any exploring has to be put off until the summer at the earliest.

Happiness

This is always a difficult question to deal with;  At work our perception is likely we are happier when on holiday, but if we quantify our happiness, the reality is we are often happier when busy, engaged and operating autonomously at work.    I think I am a little happier at the moment than I was in late December and I suspect a lot of this relates to being busy and engaged in different and diverse projects and events.   But maybe this leads to a question about how I balance this out in terms of my downtime?    I am reading a bit more and spending time with the velociraptor (she’s actually a German Sheppard but having eaten 3 dining room chairs among other things I think the velociraptor reference is more than fair) plus am running regularly and there are a few other things in their early stages which are making me feel a bit better, but I suspect I have a long way to go in finding the balance I want to achieve.  My current book, Lost Connections: Why you’re depressed and how to find hope, is an interesting read which is helping, although I note I am not reading it as I necessarily feel “depressed” but more because the topic and managing our lives in this busy and technology driven world is something that interests me.   We will see how I feel about the book once I am further into it.

Achievements/Contributions

I think as with 2023 things are already shaping up well with the upcoming ISC digital conference, my work on the ISBA’s Technology Survey, work with the Association of Network Managers in Education (ANME), an event looking at esports within schools, my work with the amazing Digital Futures Group ahead of EduTech Europe 2024 and a number of other things on the cards.   The key in all of these events are the brilliant people they allow me to work with, collaborate with and bounce ideas off of, plus the amazing educators which I get to network and share with.   Oh and I can’t not mention the really enjoyable Cyber Security webinar I did only the other day with Mark Anderson and Abid Patel; Is always great sharing with these two amazing individuals, but I clearly need to continue to work on Mark in relation to moving over to Scotland’s favourite soft drink rather than coffee. Abid is on the Irn-Bru Extra which is at least part way there!

Conclusion

I think, two months into 2024, I am still trying to find my new normal but I am happier with that than I was.   Maybe my new normal isn’t a fixed place but something more fluid, but where I am more accepting and happy of this fluidity?    It is still early days for 2024 but I am positive about what lies ahead and that’s a good place to start from.   

As I often find myself saying; onwards and upwards!   

Connectedness and 11 years of blogging

I sit and write this in a hotel in Sheffield ahead of recording some webinars related to the DfE Digital Standards over the next 2 days.   Today isnt special for me due to what I am about to do, although I am very happy for the opportunity, but due to the fact 11 years ago, sat on the bed in my villa in Al Ain in the UAE I setup and published my first blog post.   And yes, there is quite a difference between a villa in the UAE and a hotel in Sheffield;  lets just say I am certainly not as warm as I used to be.

When I started my blog I was very much doing it for me.   It was an act of putting things down in writing which forced me to decompose my thinking which often led to me challenging my own perspective and views.    Part of the reason to start my blog was the fact I accepted that my memory was not as good and photographic as I thought it was and therefore writing things down, publishing them online made for a permeant record that I could compare over time.    I will admit, when I started,  I never saw myself still posting 11 years later and I don’t think I saw me finding the process as quite as valuable as I now find it.

And in writing for myself I have found that there are actually people out there reading my thoughts and at many points I thought no one read my musings;  But remember my musings were for me so this wasn’t an issue.    The recent BETT conference included a number of individuals, some I had met in person but a number I hadn’t, telling me they read my posts.   I was connected to these people in sharing, but possibly more importantly my posts built an opportunity to connect with these people in person;  I was originally going to put “real life” there but how is a connection made online any less “real” than a connection in person, although I would suggest in person has greater value in the non-verbal side of communications, empathy and emotional connections which are not as possible online.    When I was struggling from a personal point of view I found people reach out and offer support, with some being people I knew in person and others being people I knew only online.    I found myself helped by a network built from sharing my thoughts, although again those in-person relationships were that bit stronger than the online only ones.

When I consider online connectedness I have always considered it to be shallow and in some cases simply an illusion;   I can be online chatting via social media with lots of people but still feel lonely, something I have posted about in the past.   But equally the online connections can spring into real life connections that maybe, otherwise might never have occurred.   I know after BETT I came away happy and energized, against a backdrop of some personal challenges.   Some of this was due to connecting once more with in-person friends, some of it was due to new in-person connections but some of it was also due to online connections suddenly becoming in-person friends and colleagues.    So maybe online connections arent shallow;  Maybe this is too simplistic a categorisation.  Maybe if they remain online and that is our only and principle connection, they remain shallow, but if this is simply the seed from which the in person connection grows then maybe we are all the better for it.   Maybe there is a balance to be sought in relation to in-person and online connections, seeking to maximise the benefits of both types.

So 11 years of blogging;  Where has the time gone?   Funny enough I can answer that simply by reviewing my posts over the last 11 years.   So, to the future, I will keep blogging for now at least and see where things go from there.    For those reading this I just give thanks for giving my musings your valuable time and if I havent met you yet, then I look forward to hopefully meeting you in person at some point in the future;  EduTech Europe 2024, BETT 2025 maybe?

This post was written on Monday 12th Feb, 2024

BETT 2024 – Initial thoughts

So travel on the annual Bett Show pilgrimage began on Tuesday evening, still suffering  a little from a flu bug I had come down with over the weekend, but this time with a bit of company from my son for the travel down.   My usual scatterbrain was in effect first thinking I had left my headphones at home when in fact they were in my jacket pocket.   So boarding train 1, then 2 and all seemed to be going ok when scatterbrain kicked in and I realised I had left my water bottle in the cars central console;  Not great considering I have a bit of a tickly cough which I hoped the water bottle would help with.  Oh and a full water bottle is a Bett 101 requirement.   As the BETT conference progressed I was that busy and engaged in so many interesting and thought provoking discussions that I became unaware of my cough.   By the end of the 3 days, and 5pm as I sat waiting for a train, I was knackered however I had thoroughly enjoyed and found useful the whole event.   The energy, positivity and community spirit was exactly what I think I needed after what has been a difficult period of time for me on a personal level. Possibly for me it was my best Bett ever!

As I posted the other week, Bett for me isnt really about the trade show but about the networking and discussions, plus the various presentations.    And once again this was true.    This year was all the more interesting and fun with the opportunity to meet a number of people I would consider as legends including Ross McGill (TeacherTookit), Tony Parkin and Amanda Pickard to name just a few.   These are people I have followed from afar, occasionally interacting via social media but I had never met them in person despite being in the same venue (usually Bett!) at the same time on numerous occasions.   As such meeting with them and having a bit of a chat was great although being so busy and focussed on the chat meant I missed the opportunity for selfies, actually finishing the conference with only a couple of selfies;   Abid Patel would be disappointed by my poor performance!    On top of these legends there were catch ups with other edtech stars including Sarah White, Bukky Yusuf, Mark Anderson, Emma Darcy, Darren White, Abid Patel (the selfie king!) Gemma Gwilliam, David Horton, Miles Berry, Tom Dore, Kalam Neale, Patrick Hickey, Al Kingsley, Kat Cauchi, Ian Phillips, James Garnett, Jonny Wathen, Alessandro Bilotta, among many others (I wish I could list all but that would likely turn into a post in itself so apologies to those missed off).   There was also a gaggle of ANME Ambassadors (Based on some of the laughter at times, I think gaggle seems like the most apt collective noun here) to spend time with, share thoughts and ideas with, and to walk around the show with the giant read Swag Bag.  It was pretty full on but with each meeting and chat, even where only brief, I felt that bit more positive in relation to the technology in education space and the energy, purpose and drive of those working in this space.   The potential for technology is there and there are also the people and increasingly the networks of support and advice.    Maybe through this we can see the reform of an education system which has changed little in over 100 years?    Maybe we can also seek to address the digital divides which increasingly exist?

Divides

This was a subject for some discussion over the 3 days however am not going to write much here as I would like to focus on this topic as a blog in itself at a later date.     The key however is that in education there are definite and widening digital divides.   This might be access to reliable fast internet for staff and students in a school or college, it might be a future thinking digital strategy or student devices, it might be training to support teachers in using technology, access and encouragement to use AI or IT support staff to keep the tech running and maintain cyber security;  The divides are many and I feel they are growing currently.   Dan Fitzpatrick mentioned them in his brilliant AI talk, with AI being another divide between those that have and those that have not.   A lot of those people I talked with are those who have moved things forward, are aware of the issue and working towards addressing it however the challenge going forward is how we help and encourage those schools who are yet to fully engage in the importance and power of technology.  Now I note, when funds are limited and when other cost pressures continue to arise putting a focus on technology may prove to be very difficult however we need to engage, be aware and try and take positive forward steps.

Balance

I have talked about balance on many occasions in that any positive change likely has some costs, and that there is always some sort of balance involved.    So it was great to hear Darcey Bussel kicking off Bett and talking about technology but the balance with health and wellbeing.    Yes technology can make us more efficient but is efficiency the ultimate outcome for human kind?   If we were meant to be more efficient why dont we work 7 days or work longer each day?  In relation to technology it makes me think of email;  It made us more efficient in our communication but in doing so just meant we communicated more, sometimes when we didn’t need to or where emails were the wrong communication method.   So we now spend more time reading emails and maybe the net effect is that we are less efficient.  But maybe being human is more than this, maybe human flourishing isnt simply about efficiency, and maybe the only reason efficiency matters is to allow us more time to focus on what matters, whatever it is that enhance our lives and the lives of those around us.  

And as to Darceys opening session which involved getting everyone in the audience up and dancing I note this wasn’t something I was comfortable with, although I did feel better for it, plus I had committed the Bett sin of failing to wear comfy shoes;  I should know much better than this.

Conclusion

I had wondering about maybe giving BETT a miss this year however some scheduled meetings led me to conclude I needed to attend for at least 1 day.   Previous experience told me, if making the trip down, 1 day is never enough to make it worthwhile so it became 2 days and then I found out about Dan Fitzpatricks talk on Friday and this made me decide to go for 3 days.   I wasn’t sure it would be worth it, but in hindsight it was the right call as it was a manic, fun, busy, engaging and thought provoking 3 days.   Now I just need to allocate some time to sit down and work out what my actions are following Bett 2024 as the event isnt the end, it is the actions which come from it, the relationships and networks which we are building and the resultant impact that this all has on education and most importantly on the students in our schools and colleges.    For all the technology it is still about our students, their learning, the opportunities we can provide and the skills and experience we can provide to support them in their lives beyond school.  

And so I will sign off in writing this post although I am planning at least one further Bett follow up post and I suspect many future posts will also have origins in chats from Bett 2024;  I will finish here though before Bett fatigue sets in!

BETT 2024

And so the BETT 2024 conference looms next week and I will once again be visiting and once again my reasons are the same.  I am not so much going for the tradeshow element of the event, although I will take a wander round and speak to vendors to find that something new and interesting which will be impactful in school, my main focus will be on people and sharing.    One reason for attending BETT will be to listen to some of the brilliant people sharing their thoughts, ideas and wisdom including Georgina Dean, SJ White, Donald Clark, Dan Fitzpatrick, Laura Knight, Dr Neelam Parmar, Al Kingsley and Stuart Walker, to name but a few on my plan.    I will also be there to have planned meetings with individuals such as Emma Darcy, Gemma Gwilliam, Abid Patel, Ian Stockbridge, Jonny Wathen and James Garnett.   I will try to get involved including recording a little podcast content on the NetSupport stand plus will hope to have some less planned but equally valuable meet ups with the likes of Mark Anderson.   Additionally, I will be trying to spend a little time with the ANME ambassadors offering support where possible to the IT staff working in and across schools.

Although my aim is not really to attend the tradeshow, all of these meet ups, the discussions and the resulting thinking and actions which come from these meet ups are only possible by the tradeshow and by BETT as a whole pulling so many education professionals into the one venue for up to three days.    As a result this year, although I have already planned most of my itinerary I am going to try and make a little bit of an extra effort to give the tradeshow more of my time, compared to previous years, as I suspect if the tradeshow was to collapse we might also see the BETT event, that annual technology and education pilgrimage disappear and with it the potential for so many educational professionals to benefit from coming together, meeting, socialising, sharing, discussing and debating, something which I can personally attest to having benefited from ever since returning back to the UK back in 2015.   

So with that am going to share some advice (and hope that I myself will actually take it this year!):

  1. Come with a plan;  Decide which presentations you want to see, who you want to meet, etc.
  2. But leave time for yourself to stop, consolidate your thinking and plan future actions;  The benefit isnt in attending sessions and meetings, but in what you do as a result of them.  Give yourself time to consider your next steps.
  3. Wear comfy shoes and clothes;  Not sure I will be able to convince myself to go casual rather than wearing a suit but I need to seriously consider it.
  4. Bring liquids;  I carefully say liquids as for some that will be coffee, water, or other drink.   For me it will be……….well I shouldn’t need to say, so will leave that for you to work out!  
  5. Get some selfies;  Another one I am not good at but is great to get some selfies as a record of the event and the conversations.   Is very useful from a reflection point of view although am yet to work out when is the best time in a conversation to ask the selfie question.

For those attending BETT I hope you all have a great event and if you see a tall Scotsman wandering around holding and drinking from a can of Irn-Bru, that’s me, so do feel free to stop me for a chat.   The more me all share and discuss things, the better collectively we all become.   

BETT 2024, here I come!

2024: Pledges for the year ahead

I do wonder about writing pledges this year as is there any value in it?    Are the pledges sufficiently inspiring or innovative?   Do they motivate me or does failure to progress against some of them at the rate I had hoped lead to demotivation?    How accurate can I be in terms of making predictions as to what I will or won’t have done by this time a year in the future?   Does setting some pledges lead to narrow focussing on these meaning I may miss other opportunities or may not fully take in what I have achieved?    Why is early January any better a time for setting pledges than any other point of the year?

In all of this I recognise the world is a complex and ever-changing place, and that my views and priorities are also complex and ever-changing.    I recognise the important of short, medium and long term goals and that maybe pledges set in January have a place within these goals.    Also, everything we do exists in a balance so any benefits which might be associated with having pledges need to be weighed up against corresponding risks or drawbacks;   A pledge which might serve as a motivator when things are going well, might equally prove to be a demotivator in periods of struggle.    January also marks the start of a new calendar year, so with a new year maybe it is a good time to set targets and pledges, a new beginning as such. So given this, I think for me personally pledges do have a place and are worth doing.

So what are my pledges for the year:

My focus for the year ahead is very much about me as an individual.   It is also, in parts about self reflection and answering some questions about myself rather than doing X or stopping doing Y.   Now whether this approach will work and help me, I am unsure, but this is maybe a question for a year from now.

Doom scrolling

Over the Christmas period I noted periods of doom scrolling and also of passive TV watching.  Now I think a bit of downtime is fair, and some scrolling through social media or binge watching of TV has its place however this is something I want to do a little less of in the year ahead, focussing more on activities which involve human social contact or other less passive activities.    The average screen time my phone showed for the last week in December was 3hrs 20mins which feels for me to be on the high side so I would like to see this drop to below 3hrs by March and then get down to 2.5hrs per day, although I note the high average may be the result of the festive period and other issues so it may be I achieve this goal quicker than I plan.   I note that the main aim is not so much the actual screen time but more about me feeling more comfortable with my usage as a part of my life in general.   I feel at times I am drawn to check my phone more out of habit or compulsion than out of any reasonable need.   Linked to this I want to get out and about more, building more opportunities for social interactions with others rather than sitting consuming content as an individual, influenced by the algorithms of content solutions whose aim is to keep me staring at a screen for as long as possible.

Fitness

This is on my pledge list once again as I feel fitness is an important part of life.    My 5km running has continued although not with the consistency of previous years and also not with the same pace.    As such for the year ahead I want to try and build on the consistency and build on the pace.    My thinking therefore is to aim to achieve 2 runs per week through most of the year, so with that I should be able to achieve 500km.   I would also like to try to build up to a longer social run this year, likely something around the 10km or similar mark as I suspect a half marathon is a bit beyond my abilities;  Maybe a park run or two possibly?   It would be good to maybe get at least one social run before the end of June and the middle of the year, and hopefully a 2nd longer run before the close of the year.    I also want to consider other exercise beyond just running so maybe looking to a cycling or rowing machine;  I considered the gym but have never been much of a gym person hence have discounted this in favour of continued solo running, home gym and some social running.

Exploring

The last 8 years in Somerset are the longest I have spent in any one location outside of my childhood and teenage years.   Now I have been abroad during this period however have generally opted for the same holiday locations rather than venturing outside my comfort zone and trying something new, so this year I want to explore and try new things.   Now this relies on having the money to do it, however assuming I can make this side of things work I would like to explore 3 new locations or maybe countries in the year ahead, giving myself some new memories.  I have lots of thoughts as to places to go, so the key now is simply putting the time and effort aside to actually make it happen.

Happiness

This relates to a very big question of what makes me happy, which is something I would like to answer in the year ahead.   I remember reading something about a study where people were asked about their perception of their happiness in holiday or leave periods versus work periods.  Unsurprisingly perception was that most were happier in holiday periods, however the researchers didn’t leave it there and instead sought to measure happiness randomly during periods of work or leave, and this is where the results showed a surprising trend;  that although perception looking towards the future was that holiday would be a happier time period, people actually recorded generally higher levels of happiness when engaged in work, when assessing happiness in the moment, than when sat in periods of holiday or leave.   Now for me my work keeps me busy and engaged and provides me a sense of autonomy and challenge, all which mean it does keep me happy, so the question here is focussed on what makes me happy outside of work?   What should I spend my downtime doing?   How do I achieve autonomy, challenge and a sense of achievement when not working?     So, this is the question for me to address in the year ahead, what is it that makes me happy.

Achievements

2023 was a very busy year and I feel I achieved a lot mainly in terms of my job and also my wider involvement and contributions to education and technology discussions.   The autumn term of 2023/2024 was particularly busy.    This is something I want to build on, to continue to contribute to technology and to education but beyond my day job, sharing ideas and thoughts as to what works but also as to what, in my experience, hasn’t worked.    Now this will be through continuing to blog, maybe a podcast again, engagement in social media and speaking at events and conferences.   One thing I would also like to explore is maybe writing a book.   Now am not sure if that particular aim maybe just a little beyond me but it is something I would love to explore in the year ahead.

Conclusion

2024, a fresh year and, to be honest, due to events of 2023, it will be quite a bit different for me.  This difference is something I will need to adapt and adjust to, although at the moment am finding it difficult.  But it is also an opportunity to push myself forward, try new things and hopefully get to end of 2024 in a better, happier and more positive place.   It’s the old “positive mental attitude”!  

So with that, onwards to the rest of 2024 and I hope everyone reading this has a great year!

2023 in review

I previously shared a blog reflecting on the autumn term, a difficult term for me on a personal level.  I note I found great comfort and support in the friends and colleagues, both past and present, who reached out to offer their support;   The education community is a great place however it is often only in difficult times this becomes quite so apparent.     

Following on from this, and from the pledges I set at the start of 2023, I thought I would now share some reflections on the wider year, 2023, ahead of setting some targets for the year ahead.   To frame the review I am going to use the same headings as I did for my pledges back in Jan 2023; You can read my original post here.

Podcasts

2023 finally saw me working with Ian Stockbridge on a podcast.  This had been something we had talked about for a while but just never managed to actually make it happen however in Jan and Feb we finally put aside some time and launched In Our Humble Opinion, releasing 10 episodes focussed on cyber security within schools.   It was a fun and worthwhile experience and I feel I got quite a bit from it.   We did very much approach it as the two of us having a discussion which led to some interesting episodes although it also meant they suffered from being inconsistent in length.    As 2024 starts it would be good to pick this up again.

Time Management

I think the challenge of the increasing fleeting nature of time is one resulting both from education, where we rush from one half term, or one term, or one academic year to the next, combined with the fact I am getting older.   I don’t think 2023 saw me get any better at dealing with this as I still felt time disappeared and questioned what I had achieved.  In fact, sitting in January back at work it is as if the festive period simply came and went.    I think the way to deal with this is to try to create unique, new experiences, so maybe this is something for me to consider in the year ahead, although it was a consideration I raised back at the start of 2023.    I also think I need to accept that my sense of time is only going to see time pass more quickly as I get older, and also as we continue to add more tasks, complexity and jobs in the name of improvement and efficiency.   So maybe rather than seeking to do something about this issue, I maybe need to become more accepting of it.

Running

My running in 2023 was very inconsistent and I didn’t reach the 600km target I had set myself, nor the regular 10km runs I had hoped for.   I also saw my pace steadily decline to around 7min/km.   I did still manage around 450km which is ok and managed to get some consistency in Dec.    I think part of this was due to other commitments, part of it due to not having short term targets and partly due to low motivation levels.     Here it is all about balancing out my commitments and working out where running sits in terms of my priorities, and then simply getting out and putting the effort in.

Reading

As with 2022, I didn’t read as much as I would have liked to during 2023 although I will note I did read a few very interesting and useful books, including actually reading some fiction.   In the case of the fiction, the book was kindly provided by a colleague and my initial perception was that it wasn’t something I would enjoy, however upon starting to read the book I found I really got into it and thoroughly enjoyed it.   I think this highlights that you cant judge a book by its cover and that somethings getting over the initial perception can lead to positive outcomes, in reading but also in other areas of life.   New experiences as I mentioned earlier.

Holidays and Experiences

I think I did make more of an effort to create more memories and experiences in 2023 which was a good thing.   Trips to London, both for work and for leisure, were enjoyable, plus my trip to Amsterdam and a trip to Glasgow were all positive.    This is definitely something I need to continue in the year ahead however maybe go a little further afield.

Contributions to the wider Education and Tech Communities

I think I made significant efforts in 2023 to contribute to discussion and events related to education and more specifically technology use in education.    I was happy to be invited to speak at a number of events in Leeds, London, Amsterdam and Birmingham, although had to reluctantly turn down an opportunity in Glasgow.     I found it particularly busy in the Autumn term in particular with a number of speaking opportunities alongside a number of events I attended as a delegate.   I also got involved in a number of groups and projects including supporting an ISBA Digital survey, an ISC event and the plans for EdTechCentral.    My hope is that I can build on this in 2024 although I will need to be careful to find a balance such that I still leave time for other activities such as running, reading, etc.

Conclusion

2023 had some very positive events in it, such as a couple of days in London where I managed to get some personal time, attend one event and speak at another.    I also had EduTech Europe and the opportunity to speak in Amsterdam, but also the brilliant group of people I am now working with ahead of EduTech 2024.     2023 also saw my son turn 18 and an enjoyable afternoon taking him for his first drink (and 2nd, 3rd, 4th and a few more!).    The year also had some really low points, with these occurring in the closing months of the year.     Looking broadly on 2023 there is much to be positive about but the availability bias, focussed mainly on recent negative personal events makes it more difficult to find anything positive from 2023.   

2024 is now upon us, so writing and sharing the above marks me trying to draw a line under 2023 and start afresh.   But I do need to also try to take the positives from 2023 as there were definitely a few.   With that in mind, onwards to 2024 and lets see if I can make it a much more positive year.

Reflecting on a difficult term

And so it’s the end of the autumn term and the end of the 2023 calendar year; Where has the time gone?   I think on reflection the speed with which time is flying partly relates to age (I am no longer 21!) but also the nature of working in schools where we sprint from one term to the next.   I suspect that as we are busy and as we each sprint to the finish line of each new term, this results in us not getting our heads up and engaging in new experiences, or taking in our surroundings or achievements, and the very things which make memories.   So, with the end of the term and the year I thought it a good opportunity to reflect firstly on the term, and then in a later post I will look back on the whole of 2023.

Firstly, I need to acknowledge it has been a very difficult term for me on a personal level, especially the last few months.   Now am not going to go into the nature of the challenges however I have found my life torn apart and things I had taken as read and as fact suddenly changed overnight leaving me staring at a very different future, and 2024, than I had originally anticipated.  Throughout I have tried to keep a brave face on things, and at times this has been very difficult and as we head into the festive period I am finding it even more difficult.   I think the next few months will just be about pushing forward from day to day and trying to establish a new set of norms but at this point it is very difficult to remain positive, although I am doing my best to keep my spirits up.   Am not sure what the future holds for me, but maybe the current situation is what is needed to bring about some change, to build new memories, time will tell.

The autumn term saw me much busier with external events and speaking opportunities than I have been previously.   Speaking at the Schools and Academies Show (SAAS), EduTech Europe in Amsterdam and a number of other events provided me plenty of opportunities to share my thoughts and ideas particularly around the potential for AI in education, while also providing me a focus which helped keep my mind off my personal challenges.   Looking at my schedule forward into 2024 and I already have a number of events in my diary including a return to EduTech Europe for their 2024 event.     I will admit engaging in these events has been fun, if also a bit of a challenge when factoring in my day to day role as Director of IT but thankfully I have a great team of people who work with me which has given me the time and focus I have needed in order to contribute to these events.   I am definitely looking forward to trying and contribute to the educational discourse, including on AI, cyber and digital citizenship, to name but three topics.

From the day to day side of things this term has seen significant work on using PowerBi in a number of different contexts to analyse school data.  It has also seen quite a bit of work going into delivering both cyber security and digital citizenship awareness materials to staff and students, with one of my colleagues doing a particularly excellent job getting out into departments to deliver short awareness talks to those who may not attend the bigger annual events.    Additional to this there has been some progress made on esports with us now looking towards the F1 sim racing for next year, plus looking at progressing our current esports offering for students.   I am also looking forward to speaking on this subject to a number of other schools during the course of 2024.  I think I have managed to find a good balance of getting my hands dirty in some areas, whereas being more strategic and less operationally involved in others. This is something I need to continue to work on.

In terms of fitness, I haven’t been able to establish the same patterns of effort this year as I have managed in the last couple of years.   As such my running has been very much up and down, with some weeks with 20km covered, often followed by weeks of no running.    As we approach Christmas though I am trying to get back to a pattern of effort, using the downtime post the end of the term to get back into it and hoping I can carry my running on into the new year.    I suspect I will fall short of my 500km target for 2023, however I don’t think I will miss it by too much.  

Its been a busy term!   I don’t think I will be able to reflect on it in any more positive terms despite there being some positive events and memories buried under the less positive (read: crap) memories.    Just now need to try and relax and collect myself over the holidays and then move on from there.    Life goes on!

Autumn term blues

We are now in the 2nd half of the autumn term and I cant believe where the time has gone.    We had the usual build up ahead of the start of the new academic year, followed by the unsurprisingly manic start of term.   The start of term in schools and colleges is normally manic as new students and staff join and as everyone tries to quickly get back up to speed following the summer break, trying to establish the positive habits which should underpin the year ahead.    For me, the first half of this years autumn term was made all the busier due a number of events which I had agreed to attend or contribute to, such as a couple of industry cyber security events and speaking at events in Leeds, London and Amsterdam.   Each of these events were really useful however the travel and preparation work related to the events add to the stress and pressure.   Its worthwhile, and I certainly take much from each of the events, the ANME/Elementary Technology AI and EduTech Europe events in particular, but it isnt half tiring.

It was therefore no surprise that I reached the half term feeling very drained and run down but having quite a bit to catch up on before the planned period of rest towards the end of half term.   And this is where sod-law kicks in.    Just as I get the time to regroup and to rest, illness shows its head.   Why is it that just when you get time to enjoy yourself and relax, that you end up ill?    Now I suspect part of the answer is the fact that, when busy, adrenaline carries you through and keeps you going however as soon as you see the light at the end of the tunnel, as soon as you take your foot off the gas and your body and mind relax a little, the bugs, the viruses and the general malaise set in.   And so it was that I spent a fair amount of the half term period working on, as us IT people need to do in school holiday periods, while feeling less than 100%.   When I did get a few days off to relax the time was largely spent in bed or crashed out in front of the TV with little energy and a persistent cough.

Before I knew it, the 2nd half of the term had begun and the opportunity to spend some proper time on wellbeing and mental health has passed me by.    So with the 2nd half of the term now fully back in the swing of things, it is once again time to put the foot to the floor and proceed towards Christmas (bah humbug 😉) .    At this point I still don’t quite feel 100% but I am definitely better than I was during half term and for now I hope I can get to Christmas, and pass into the festive holiday period without any further illness.   But only time will tell.

The challenge we all have is in accepting that life and work is not linear;  There will be periods where things are manic and busy, and where mental health and wellbeing will take 2nd or maybe 3rd place, however equally we need to seek a balance which means there will need to be times when mental health and wellbeing come first, even when this is at the expense of other things.    For me, the manic autumn term just means I need to ensure I put time aside for myself, either at Christmas or at some point in the spring of summer terms, putting myself first over other pressures.  

Onwards and upwards as they say, and also let me share an important message with all my colleagues in schools and colleges;   make sure to look after yourself as unless you are well, physically, mentally, cognitively, etc, you won’t be able to effectively help, look after, teach or otherwise support others.    Take care and good luck for what remains of the autumn term!

TEISS London 2023: Reflections

During September I managed to find myself in two industry level cyber/info security conferences, one of which I have already blogged about (See here).   This post focusses on the other event, being the TEISS London 2023 event which was a little more focussed on incident management rather than the previous event which was a little more generic.   So, what were my take-aways as relevant to education?

Incident Response

One of the key discussions across this particular event was in relation to the inevitable cyber incident and therefore the need to prepare.    Discussions arose around desktop exercises, the development of incident response playbooks and disaster recovery plans.    The key take-away for me was in the need to play through potential cyber incidents and to do this regularly.   We are not talking about once every few years, but as often as can be managed so that the relevant staff, both senior and IT technical, know how to respond when the inevitable issue arises.    It was also discussed, the need to carry out these desktop exercises with different groups of individuals in order to ensure that all are prepared.   Desktop exercising is definitely something I want to look towards repeating in the coming months, and building a process so that it doesn’t occur ad-hoc but more as part of  a regular process allowing for the review and improvement of the related processes with each test.

Concerning external factors

One of the presenters went into the risks associated with geopolitical issues, where issues in the geopolitical space often result in corresponding issues in the cyber arena.  From a schools point of view it is easy to wonder why this makes a difference;  Why would a nation state or similar focus on education?    I think the issue here is not so much an attacker focussing on education, but on the collateral damage which might impact education.   Now this collateral damage might be accidental however we also need to acknowledge the increasing use of cloud services;  This often means data and services hosted in various countries across the world so what is the potential risk where countries have disagreements and where some aggressive activity online results.   It is easy to say your school exists in Europe or the UK so this is unlikely however the presenter demonstrated some  aggressive cyber activity even within the UK and EU, so it therefore isnt unpredictable that this may happen again in the future.    For schools this means, as far as I am concerned, that we need to continue to do the basics plus prepare to manage an incident when it occurs.

Artificial Intelligence

AI once again factored in the discussion however at least one presenter suggested that where we are now is more akin to Machine Learning than AI.   I suspect this depends on your definition of both terms, with my definition having ML as a subset of AI.    The key message here was that the current instance of AI, generative AI, presents rather generic responses but quickly.   Its benefit, whether used for defence or attack, is its speed and ability to ingest huge amounts of data, however it is only in pairing with a human that it progresses beyond being “generic”.   In the future this may change, as we approach the “singularity” however for now and the near future AI is an assistant for us and for criminals, but doesn’t represent a significant innovative change in relation to cyber security;  good security with AI is little different to good security prior to generative AI.

Human Factors

The human factor and culture were a fair part of the discussion.    The cyber culture and “the way we do things around here” in relation to information security is key.   We need to build safe and secure practices into all we do and at all levels;  Easier to say than it is to do.    This also links to the fact that humans, and the wider user group which in schools would be students, staff, parents, visitors and contractors among others, continue to be involved in around 74% of breaches.   This means it is key that cyber security awareness training needs to hit all of these users and be regular rather than a once a year.    Additionally, if we assume we will suffer a cyber incident, how do we protect our IT staff and also those senior staff involved in incident response and management.   The stress levels will be very high, and as a result self-care may be lacking, but schools and other organisations have a duty of care for their staff, and during a cyber incident that duty of care may become all the mor important.   This is why, in my team anyway, I am introducing a role of “chief wellbeing officer” as part of our incident response plans.

Conclusion

The organisations at this particular event, similar to the previous cyber event, were generally large corporate entities yet for me the messaging may be all the more important for schools given we hold student data and student futures in our hands, and given the targeting of educational institutions.  How do we get more schools to attend these events?    I suspect events like these fall into the important but not urgent, where fixing a server issue or a device issue in a classroom is urgent and important, but then how do we ensure that school IT staff are prepared and preparing for cyber incidents?   Chicken or the egg issue maybe?   

Cyber incidents are inevitable and I have always said that “the smartest person in the room is the room” so if we can share with industry where I believe they have much more experience in this arena, then maybe we, as in schools, will be all the better for it.