Tag: teachmeet

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Last night I went along to TeachMeet Glasgow.

As Athole wrote:

Why unplugged? We want everyone to be prepared with something to share. And not to worry too much about the tech and their PPT slides.

from: TeachMeet Glasgow (unplugged) – TeachMeet Scotland

He referenced the original ScotEduBloggers meetup (the grandparent of TeachMeet) as a indication of casualness and said:

However, clearly with a better balance of men, women and youth!

More about the idea behind on Athole’s post: TeachMeet Glasgow (unplugged) in six steps which I’ve read a few time now and enjoyed each read:

We may be talking about ‘the tech’ but can we challenge ourselves not to hide in front of our PPT slides, tablets and media? The face to face interaction bit is crucial.

Also, we need more people to take up the mantle of organising informal teacher events, whether they be TeachMeets, Pedagoos or something else. These can be in pubs, coffee shops, schools or someone’s living room. I’m not sure the example of large chat show style events with TV production values are really within everyone’s grasp.

But that’s just my opinion. There really are no rules.

As Radio Edutalk was busy I borrowed the #DS106 Radio airwaves to broadcast live. Seemed to get a few listeners. I’ve not tried to do anything with the audio as the piano and bar buzz was quite loud.

I made a quick #tmglasgow (with images, tweets) Storify that doesn’t give a complete picture (I removed the swimsuit girls that hopped onto the hashtag).

As was pointed out at the meet, I am old enough to have been at the first TM (grey headed even then). I’ve disliked some of the directions that TM has gone, this one felt that it was on a great path. There was a quite a few folk I’ve met at TMs over the years but there were many I had not. A lot of these ‘newcommers’ brought a buzz of younger energy in the room. Athole managed not only to unplug TM but to give it a bit of a reboot too.

The Featured image on this post is a montage of some of the photos tweeted during the event. Since twitter does not support licenses I am assuming I can use them. I’ve credited each to the account that posted it…

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  • I spend a couple of days at BETT this year and saw some interesting things, here are my bookmarks for johnjohnston tagged ‘bett2016’Of course I missed far too much stuff and too many people.
  • I did meet Oliver Quinlan and got a couple of Raspberry Pi tips. Seems it should be possible to set up a pi to scan for several WiFi networks and auto join a suitable one. You can also run a pi from a usb drive as opposed to an SD card (as I understand it you still need to start from the SD but point to a system on the USB). There was another tip from Oliver that is just out of memory at the moment hovering round the tip of my tongue. I hope Oliver will be a guest on Radio Edutalk this year.
  • I saw the pi-topCEED and ordered one. there are 2 pi-tops. One a laptop and the other a ‘desktop’. I was going to buy another pi and always struggle for a screen to attach so this looked like an interesting idea. They were pretty flimsy but I think I’d mostly use them to set up a pi which then I would shell onto from an iPad or computer.
  • Alan O’Donohoe was running a pretty wacky stand for Exa Education I watched his highly mobile presentation teaching 2 + 2 in python. An extremely rigorous approach to teaching hidden in an entertainment sandwich. I learned a lot more than the answer (4 mostly).
  • I had a quick chat to Leon on the Exa stall too, as usual he is involved in fascinating stuff.
  • One of the big things everyone was talking about was Microsoft acquiring MinecraftEdu. Microsoft are pretty upbeat about this. Other reports mention some possible problems. My immediate thoughts were that this might become part of Glow since a fair slice of Glow is made up of O365.
  • Today I read a few posts by Dean Groom, pushing back against this minecraft development:

    As I said yesterday, I believe at this point, this is nothing more than another attempt by a technology giant to use ‘teacher frontage’ to mask it’s commercial agenda and make money. It’s also disgusting to think that the sell out of Minecraft Edu, which has used the IP and social capital of the broader community as well as teachers is being reaped in this way — and brazenly makes several claims and thin associations about ‘game changing’ learning, without any evidence whatsoever.

    from: Buy me: I’m great for learning | Playable and associated posts (Put down the bat Dean sums it up). I’ve not got any real experience of Minecraft, but have seen nice stuff carried out in the classroom and talked with Derek Robertson about MinecraftOTW on Radio EDUtalk. It will be interesting to see which way this goes. Some interesting, robust commentary on the Sorry, kids. Microsoft is turning Minecraft into an ‘educational tool’ • The Register Forums

  • I think Do it Kits | Make it, learn it, do it. was my favourite thing at BETT, the site is not really doing much of a job at describing the kit yet, but on on display used a Raspberry Pi to monitor a small mushroom farm.
  • I did think of staying an extra day to go to TeachMeet at BETT, but had been put off by, expense and the reports I’d read about some folk skipping the draw to present at previous editions. This tweet suggests things have improved:

  • Hopefully these were followed on the night.

Bonus link the CC0 image at the top of this post is from FindA.Photo which looks like a useful service that searches across a few other sites. Fré Sonneveld
 viaUnsplash

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We had a good night at TeachMeet SLF 15

Here is some of the twitter stream: TMSLF15 (with images, tweets) Storify I tried to cut out re-tweets and duplication (but didn’t spend too much time on that).

The image view on twitter is nice: #tmslf15 hashtag on Twitter. As it highlights the amount of chat that went on in the breacout section.

We encouraged folk to post to the TMSLF15 Padlet about the ideas they discussed. I think the twitter stream is a bit richer.

Athole recorded a couple of periscopes, not sure how log they stay up: Mr M on Periscope: “#tmslf15” Mr M on Periscope: “Part 2 #tmslf15” This was well received by several virtual attendees.

We broadcast on Radio Edutalk, and I hope to edit the audio and post it soonish.

Here are some of the links extracted from twitter.

 

Image Credit Ian Stuart on Twitter.

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TeachMeet Scottish Learning Festival 2015 Breakout.

It is time for TeachMeet SLF 15.

WHEN: Wednesday, 23 September 2015 from 18:00 to 20:00 (BST)
WHERE: Citizen M Glasgow – 60 Renfrew St Glasgow, Lanarkshire G2 3BW GB

This time we are going back to out roots (sort of). The precursor to TeachMeet was the ScotEduBlogs meetup in May 2006 in the Jolly Judge in Edinburgh. The location was choose because it was in Edinburgh at the same time as the eLive conference, it was a pub and it had WiFi.

Over the years TeachMeets have diversified and spread. The locations have sometimes become a little more formal, with a focus on listen to one person at a time. We will still do that but the space at Citizen M will lend it self to breaking out into small fluid informal groups. I am not sure if I’d describe Citizen M as a pub, but it has a bar and the Wifi is the best I’ve experienced.
You can signup on the wiki to present or head over to eventbrite for a lurkers ticket.

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At the end of this month the EduWiki Conference 2014 (Wikimedia UK ) comes to Edinburgh. I posted a couple of weeks ago about the TeachMeet we are trying to organise in the evening TeachMeet EduWiki, but there is another opportunity for some CPD.

On Friday Afternoon (31st OCT) at 2pm there is a workshop: Wiki*edia Projects in Schools (for students under 18) the organisers have kindly offered teacher the chance to attend this session without signing up and paying for the conference.

The Conference is at Edinburgh First’s St Leonard Hall (University of Edinburgh). Teachers who show up at the reception will be directed to the appropriate workshop.

I know that some East Coast & other Local Authorities have timetables where pupils are off on Friday afternoon this might be an opportunity to find out more about Wikipedia and how it can be used in school.

Most of the conference, and wikipedia educational direction, has, up to now, been directed at HE. I think there is a lot we can gain in primary and secondary education from a deeper understanding of wikipedia. It would be great to see folk come along to either the afternoon or to the TeachMeet and start a dialog between school and wikipedia.

As a taster tomorrow evening (Wed 15/10/14) on Radio Edutalk 8:00pm Ally Crockford Wikimedian in Residence at the National Museum of Scotland.

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Tmeduwiki

The EduWiki Conference 2014 (Wikimedia UK ) conference in in Edinburgh this year. I’ve been along to a few wikimedia meetings recently and we are arranging a TeachMeet to run along side the conference.

The Conference and Wikimedia/Wikipedia’s educational focus is very much aimed at higher education. We hope that this might be a way to increase engagement between wikipedians and primary and secondary educators.

I’d hope that both Wikimedians and local teachers will sign up to share at the teachmeet. This would give wikipedians an insight into the activities and needs of classroom practitioners and give those practitioners ideas for using wikipedia in learning.

The venue will be in Edinburgh, probably around the Edinburgh University starting at 7pm.

Round Table, lesson design?

One idea I’ve though of would be to use the round table to flesh out learning experiences for using wikipedia. A mixed group of teachers and wikimendians could probably get quite a bit done in 20 minutes.

Sign up here TeachMeet / TeachMeetEduWiki.

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Wednesday 24th September 2014 from 5 for 5.30pm start – 8.00pm

At the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)

Third Floor, The Optima Building, 58 Robertson Street, Glasgow, G2 8DQ

Signup to talk or lurk at TeachMeet / TeachMeet SLF 2014

Looking forward to going to this. Edutalk is going to be one of the sponsors and we will be streaming audio live.

#tmslf14 looks like being the hashtag.

Grumble (age related?)

I was as usual a bit disturbed by the state of the TeachMeet Wiki front page when adding the logo, hence the slight snark in the graphic above. There have been a few attempts to improve the organisations of the wiki before and none, as far as I know, have had much success. Personally I think a front page of text links, dates, times locations and short descriptions would be nicer. Logos etc could go onto the signup page.

I wonder if the current exuberant displays of giant graphics and information could be off putting to newcomers who are thinking signing up?

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Piratebox Running

I was hoping to catch up with the Webmaker teachtheweb mooc and get some DS106ing done this weekend, but I got carried away hoisting a jolly rodger.

Almost two years ago I had a go at getting a PirateBox going.

A PirateBox is a self-contained mobile communication and file sharing device. Simply turn it on to transform any space into a free and open communications and file sharing network.

and

The PirateBox solves a technical/social problem by providing people in the same physical space with an easy way to anonymously communicate and exchange files. This obviously has larger cultural and political implications thus the PirateBox also serves as an artistic provocation.

PirateBox site

As I wrote then Obviously TeachMeets do not need the subversion of tracking and preservation of user privacy that a PirateBox offers. Nor would sharing of copyrighted material be desirable, but It might be fun to have a PirateBox at TeachMeets.from: A PirateBox for TeachMeet?

I thought a teachmeet pirate box:

would allow folk to share files with others at the meet. If it was a traveling project, the box could go from TeachMeet to TeachMeet spreading files as it went. This would provide a sponsor-less goodie bag. Folk would be free to share what they liked, perhaps presenters would share presentations, digital musicians give away background music etc.

Obviously lots of the TeachMeet crowd already share many things online, A TM PirateBox would be a fun side project that might add to the buzz during a TeachMeet and be a concrete way of connecting different events.

I ask for donations of a fiver on twitter and several folk stepped up. I then started trying and repeatedly failing to sort out the router I bought. It turned out to be the wrong model (not apparent on the box) and it left me with a bricked ruler and a little guilt.

I mostly forgot about it except when visiting CogDogBlog where the links to The StoryBox rubbed a bit of salt in my wounds. Then as part of the webmaker mooc I read, Open Web Projects on Vibrant Outlook which had some details about LibraryBox an offshoot to the original pirate box. I ended up on the pirate box site again and saw that there was a new router in town

As I was shopping for some hard drives on Amazon I added a TP-Link TL-MR3020 Router to my basket.

Yesterday I went through the instructions and they worked. Apart from one wee problem when I made a mistake in setting an ip address (exactly the same problem @cogdog had, so I am in good company). Today I set out to customise the interface a little, I used some of the files from Nargren/PirateBox · GitHub and manage to do some. I found this quite an unusual way for me to work, using the ssh command in the terminal and the vi editor. After a few gulps I managed to start work on the interface.

I am hoping that someone might try the box out at TeachMeet TMTablet the week after next….

Thanks to

The folk who supported my initial router, I have a PirateBox TeachMeet sticker for you, in no particular order:

Neil Winton, Caroline Breyley, Olivia Wexelstein, jen Deyenberg, David Muir, Ian Hallahan, Katie Barrowman, Doug Belshaw, Drew Buddie, Drew Burrett and David Noble.

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Drew Naace tm win

A while ago I got a tweet out of the blue from Drew Buddie, @digitalmaverick. He had proposed TeachMeet for a Naace ICT Impact awards. As Drew is part of naace he though it better that someone else should represent TeachMeet. As I’ve been hanging round TeachMeet since the start he asked me if I’d like to do it. I was of course honoured. At some point I had to write a wee bit about TM to support Drew’s bid. TeachMeet was been shortlisted for a Naace ICT Impact Awards. This was in the Collaborative group project, In recognition of the way TM is a radical form of CPD and is transformative.

The next step, I then found out, was to produce a short 3 minute video to support the bid. I though it best to spread the work and put out a call to crowd source some media

This was both a great idea, and a daft one. Great because I got a whole lot of great quote, pointer to blog posts, flicker sets, the odd bit of audio etc. Daft because I then had to pull it all together. There is no way I could explain the whole of TeachMeet in on 3 minute video, but I did the best I could in the time I had. I would have really liked a lot more time to work on this, hopefully judged for the idea rather than the execution. Click the image below to

Intro

Naace Impact Awards 2012 Winner

I got an invite to the Naace awards, but given distance, work etc I could not make. I did watch twitter on Friday night.

Joe John tm Tweets

The 1000s of winners is the main point, the power of TM has proved, in opinion, not to have been the individuals who started driving it, the ones who have picked up the baton and seem to lead now but to be the crowd.

Wintweet

To which I replied:

Tmreply

In one way I was really disappointed not to be at the awards, but that is not the point. Drew picked up the award (nice tie) but there were 1000s of winners. anyone could have knocked up a video or turned up and picked up the award, better by far is walking into a buzzing room, seeing old pals, new folk grabbing a beer and waiting to be “learn something new, be amazed, amused and enthused”.

Future of TeachMeet

I and many others have blogged about concerns over Future of TeachMeet. I remember being part of one 5 hour twitter marathon, which mostly proved twitter is not a medium for debate;-) I’ve also been part of several attempts to straighten out TeachMeet, reorganise the wiki and even to protect the brand.

I don’t think any of this did any good, organising TeachMeets is like herding cats, fun but pointless. At the moment TeachMeets is serving several different purposes. It will continue to do so.

For me the goodness of TeachMeet is the serendipity, disruption and sense of subversion. This might not last, sometimes TeachMeets seem over organised, over sponsored sometimes they hit the spot, your milage may vary. Well worth joining in and having fun.