I am no longer, as of October 2008 working as a class teacher at Sandaig, so have moved this blog to another server. If you want to comment on this post, pleas search for it there.

14 11 05 Finding time

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Ewan has been Finding time to blog. One of several thought provoking posts he produced today. Part of it is a defence of his posting rate (extremely good), explaining blogging as part of his professional development and thinking process.
I think this connects to some thing dear to Ewan's heart getting blogs working in schools.
A reason there are not more classroom teachers blogging (with or without their classes) is just this, they cannot work in the same way as Ewan.
To blog confidently with a class you need a bit of practise, full time classroom teachers do not have the time to get a blogging habit, unless like me they start with non educational content.
Teacher's working day just doesn't have the time to be doing any research, thinking or blogging. Therefore we find it hard to get blogging. I have only once posted here during a working day, a very short joke-post at playtime.
I don't think the odd inservice day will make someone a blogger, probably the best chance is to encourage student teachers to use it as a tool for reflection (see I wont do it and you can't make me and Richard Ledingham.
Personally I feel almost constantly behind on reading, thinking and posting and I really try to keep up. Like a lot of worthwhile (IMO) practise in schools, we need more time to do it.
Ewan's other post today are great reads too, I've not time to write anything, but be assured Ewan, you make me think.

I think people naturally tend to favour particular modes of communication as a reflection of their personal styles. Some enjoy and are satisfied with quick instant responses: these are the ones who love sending and receiving text messages. Others prefer to talk via phone, video link or Skype because it seems more personal and gives the added non verbal messages via vocal or visual signals. As for me, since I was a little girl, I’ve loved the letter as a form of communication because you can be reflective, search for the snappy phrase, or the exact word to convey exactly the effect, meaning or atmosphere which has inspired you to write in the first place. So, for me, emailing and blogging feel natural forms of communication. As a ‘virgin’ blogger I am intrigued by the characters in my class who have taken to it like ducks to water. So far they are not the literary or academic types, but those who feel that a genuine and wider audience interested in, and supportive of their thoughts and ideas, has raised their self esteem and encouraged them to rethink what they are capable of. In addition to this group, I’ve also had pupils who are intimidated by the influence of the perceived peer group leaders and so limit their contribution in class, but find their voice at night or at the weekends and email me or comment, help me understand them better and build a stronger relationship with them. They seem to see the blog as a more secure forum.
I identified 100% with your frustration in falling behind in the reading, thinking and reflecting, my dining table is always covered in organised piles of books, DVDs, papers, newspaper cuttings etc ready for me to have a ‘spare’ hour to attack. And it’s not what some remote organisation or department has deemed I should look at, but what I’ve carefully noted, saved and set aside. In truth, the only time I make any decent inroads into it is during the holidays. One of the greatest challenges of living in the twenty first century is dealing effectively with the vast amounts of information available to the individual. How can we expect to teach our pupils how to do this if we haven’t cracked it yet?
Memo: I really must be more organised and brutal when it comes to sorting out urgent, important etc and …learn to say no!!!
Jane Brock (Email) - 14 11 05 - 23:37

Another thing I have found has given me more time to think and to blog is David Allen’s Getting Things Done. I’ve written about it before and you can see the first (and last) pile I had in my intray. I now work with NOTHING in my intray longer than 2 minutes. It’s a revelation. Look on my blog under the “Productivity” tag.
Ewan McIntosh (Email) (URL) - 15 11 05 - 07:43

Jane and ewan,
The gods of GTD are against me, long reply just lost due to flaky broadband (just up from 2 to 8MB tonight).
jist I’ve had most fun on spur of moment unplanned things (keepers proj for example)
Evedence Coffee table and Desk desk is a lot tidier than usual.
John (Email) (URL) - 15 11 05 - 22:19



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I am no longer, as of October 2008 working as a class teacher at Sandaig, so have moved this blog to another server. If you want to comment on this post, pleas search for it at: http://www.johnjohnston.info/blog.