Ewan Mcintosh at Glamorgan University
It was great to have the opportunity to touch base in the 'real' world with Ewan McIntosh at the Glamorgan Business School, Treforest.... yes in Wales. Ewan had been invited by CELT ( Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching) as part of their Blended Learning Project. It was actually a seminar on Post 16 Blended Learning in schools that Ddraig-Goch , a year 3 Primary Teacher had stumbled into... ( in with the big fish!!!).
However as Ewan's presentation progressed no one would or should be surprised that many of his points chimed very much with my thoughts. Ewan's main message I guess was to use the tools we now have at our disposal to motivate our learners... whatever their age.
It was great to have the opportunity to touch base in the 'real' world with Ewan McIntosh at the Glamorgan Business School, Treforest.... yes in Wales. Ewan had been invited by CELT ( Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching) as part of their Blended Learning Project. It was actually a seminar on Post 16 Blended Learning in schools that Ddraig-Goch , a year 3 Primary Teacher had stumbled into... ( in with the big fish!!!).
However as Ewan's presentation progressed no one would or should be surprised that many of his points chimed very much with my thoughts. Ewan's main message I guess was to use the tools we now have at our disposal to motivate our learners... whatever their age.
From my point of view even though topics visited by Ewan in his 90 minute seminar were expected it is as always great to hear these things put over in Ewan's easy but hugely enthusiastic way. In the room as well there were actually 5 of us confirmed bloggers in the room, which perhaps shows that the tools are being used by a growing group of educators.
Ewan ranged over :
Blogging
Podcasting
Aggregators
Flickr
Digital Video
Mobile Phones
Use of Gaming
phew!!!! quite a bit in the time allowed, but the presentation seemed anything but rushed, there was ample time for Ewan to take questions from the assembled group.
I have come away feeling re-invigourated thanks to the afternoon, it was brilliant to actually meet finally face to face ( yes Ewan I am a bit greyer in real life!!! well I am getting on!).
I have to say a big thank you to the University of Glamorgan for being far sighted in arranging Ewan's visit - even though it was quite literally a flying visit. I hope Ewan managed to get to Bristol Airport in time for his flight back to Scotland..... thank you Ewan for an inspiring afternoon.
It was also good to catch up with Haydn Blackey from the CELT Blended Learning Project team.
I will finish with this last shot with the question WHY bother? All of us convinced of the need to use new technology and embrace the changes it will make to the way in which we teach know well that there are a myriad of reasons why.... I hope and expect that most people in this afternoons lecture will go away with plenty of reasons why..... thank you Ewan.
Ewan ranged over :
Blogging
Podcasting
Aggregators
Flickr
Digital Video
Mobile Phones
Use of Gaming
phew!!!! quite a bit in the time allowed, but the presentation seemed anything but rushed, there was ample time for Ewan to take questions from the assembled group.
I have come away feeling re-invigourated thanks to the afternoon, it was brilliant to actually meet finally face to face ( yes Ewan I am a bit greyer in real life!!! well I am getting on!).
I have to say a big thank you to the University of Glamorgan for being far sighted in arranging Ewan's visit - even though it was quite literally a flying visit. I hope Ewan managed to get to Bristol Airport in time for his flight back to Scotland..... thank you Ewan for an inspiring afternoon.
It was also good to catch up with Haydn Blackey from the CELT Blended Learning Project team.
I will finish with this last shot with the question WHY bother? All of us convinced of the need to use new technology and embrace the changes it will make to the way in which we teach know well that there are a myriad of reasons why.... I hope and expect that most people in this afternoons lecture will go away with plenty of reasons why..... thank you Ewan.
3 comments:
Hi Paul,
just wanted to say hi!
I was the one sat next to you at the seminar!!
Ewan was excellent. See you on the net!!
James.
Hi Paul,
I've made this comment in response to your kind words on Ewan's blog, but in case you are not watching his comments thought it was worth adding it here to:
Hi Paul,
thanks for the kind words. Yes we have been working to move HE on in Blended Learning for the last few years, and have tried to share it with our colleagues in the other Welsh HEIs.
Now Catherine Naamani is in the post funded by RCT we hope to make a significant impact on the School's sector - in a real sense Ewan gave us a great kick start in that direction yesterday.
Though the work Catherine has already done with colleagues in the Post-16 sector is worth seeing, when the teachers in the pilot stage presented their stuff to other colleagues in the same sector earlier in the year it was well received. A report about that project and the presentations can be accessed at the CELT website
While they hadn't touched on social software they were rethinking what teaching means and will now think about the wider implications
Hi Paul,
Glad you could make it and enjoyed Ewan's session. As Haydn has said, I'll be taking up a new post shortly (on Sunday in fact ;) ) working specifically with blended learning in schools. I'll be reading your work with interest and hopefully will make the trip back up the A470 to see what you're doing in the classroom.
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