Edugeek Conference
Apr 19
I presented a session on blogging today at the EduGeek North Conference in Rochdale. Edugeek is aimed at Educational IT staff and is doing a great job in supporting and galvanising these professionals who fulfil a crucial role in our schools.
I set-up a conference presentation blog again instead of using PowerPoint to encourage some two-way flows of information. However the set-up at the Learning Centre a conflict with my blog’s spam filter seemed to be blocking the ability to post comments which meant that people couldn’t post directly to the blog as I was speaking. There was lively discussion though and the crucial role of teachers in the adoption of new technologies was brought up, as was the potential benefits of providing students with an audience.
For me, every scare story about the use of blogs by students outside school is the perfect reason to grasp the nettle and harness them inside school in a structured, secure yet empowering way. By avoiding these new technologies in schools we are putting our heads in the sand in the hope that the issues raised will sort themselves out. Teachers and edugeeks 
have the key role in helping students make sense of the array of new tools that the internet has opened up to them.
Great talk, any chance of opening the comments on the Edugeek bit so that we can ask you questions on the point raised.
Would be good as a tool to sell blogging to the masses.
Thanks for your encouragement. The comments should be working now
It wasn’t really the centres’ filtering blocking commenting was it?
Thanks for a really enjoyable and inspiring presentation.
Mea culpa
Turned out to be be a conflict with my spam filters. I could kick myself because it would have been great to have everyone commenting as I spoke.
Do you do this kind of talk for schools?
I do this kind of talk for schools – normally as a part of workshops, inset or staff meetings.