I've been finding LTS's new web project, Connected Live, quite a challenge to help bring together, but its coverage of the Scottish Learning Festival both last week and now is second-to-none, thanks to the wide range of interesting folk writing for the main blog, the Tartan Podcaster's superb mini podcasts, and some great captures from the film crew.
I've just written a mega summing up of all things Stephen Heppell, covering all the keynote videos, filmed interviews and blog posts about perhaps one of the most inspiring honorary Scots I've heard speak (he only ever seems to say nice things about us; that makes him a Scot in my book :-)
Coming over the next week there will be more podcasts from Mark, interviews with fascinating kids and teachers at the Festival, and the Learning Festival mini documentaries will start appearing soon.
I'm also hoping to host a series of discussions on the keynote speeches from the Festival in Second Life, once people have had a chance to visit our Connected Live Virtual Conference Hall and have a look and a listen (you may wish to view them online instead). A (very) few of us met there the other night and had a wonder. A few others turned up late to the party and felt a bit alone.
How do you keep on top of all this cool stuff?
There are a few ways (aren't there always?) of keeping all this stuff on the top of your list of professional development. the main thing to remember, and something I'm really keen to have marketed a bit better by us (note to self), is that nothing we publish takes more than five minutes to read, view or listen to. It's snack-sized portions of professional development for the teacher that really doesn't have the time but does have the desire to learn.
- Subscribe to the Connected Live blog in your blog aggregator. If you haven't a clue what I mean then copy this web address now (http://ltsblogs.org.uk/connected/feed/atom/) and follow the instructions in my own handy guide. If you don't want to do this just visit the Connected Live blog as often as you can - it gets updated about twice a day at least.
- Subscribe to the Connected Live podcast in iTunes. Install iTunes for free first and then click here to have tiny packets of professional development goodness delivered to you all year round. If you don't want to do this then just visit the Connected Live podcasts page every day - at least one podcast a week, but around two a day at the moment.
- You can download SecondLife to your computer and jump over to view some of this stuff in our very own Connected Live Virtual Conference Hall.
Soon you'll be able to have text messages or RSS to your phone, with all the latest from Scotland's national education agency and hundreds of Scotland's schools.
We've had loads of positive feedback, and a few people saying they want more 'hefty' CPD. Is snack-sized the way to go? Well, we'll still be putting loads of full sessions out on audio podcast and carrying out plenty of video shoots with interesting teachers and classes around Scotland.
Hefty CPD can live on, but fun-sized has just entered the market.
Ok, so what's your Second Life alias? I'm Blagger Voom, and it's been about a month since I was last there...
Posted by: Alex Blagona | September 27, 2007 at 11:52 PM