Inside View

Developing criticality

I SPENT PART of the 2022 Irish Learnong Technology Conference listening to colleagues share their research findings. One of the sessions I attended offered a quick view of Brendan Ryan's action research into the realm of teaching for critical thinking.

Half way through Brendan's presentation I realised I fit the stereotype of "newer is better" because I unabashedly seek out new tools and techniques. 

Brendan's research documented the need for critical self-reflection as an important academic deliverable. If we insist upon repeatedly upskilling students in the use of new edtech tools, we could be reducing opportunities for self-reflection. That sort of focus does not enhance academic standards.

Trying to Stay in Mainstream Education

I HELPED DYLAN (11) explain to a room of teachers what he has to do in order to stay in mainstream education. Dylan has used speech and language services for more than six years as he tries to compensate for issues related to his vision and general development. Thanks to supports he has received from local schools and the South Tipperary Support Services, he has made major strides in both his educational and physical development.

I made an audio recording of Dylan's story.

Listen to "Staying in the Mainstream E100" on Spreaker.

Targeting with Tags

WE ARE FIVE DAYS from welcoming a small group of educators to the annual ICT in Education Conference. I'm learning important concepts in the background as we plan this in-person event. Done right, proper metrics strengthen trust, build budget, and increase business impact for marketing teams. 

But according to Forrester, 77% ofglobal B2B decision-makers say that using data and analytics to guide decisions is one of their top weaknesses. 

An Adobe fact sheet, Metrics That Make a Big Difference, covers helpful tips for measuring and proving the value of marketing content and campaigns. A few tips to get you started: 

● Tip #l : Don't fixate on costs. 
● Tip #2: Define your metrics and how 
you'll measure them upfront. 
●Tip #3: Choose a marketing attribution 
medal.

So the first thing I will do today is generate tags for an email campaign.

Trying to post from Writer Plus

I have an Android phone that doesn't seem to have a simple app for writing. I can use Bear Writer on iOS handsets and Scrivener on the iPad Pro but I can't locate an Android app that has the same simple functionality. I may need to try Day One journaling again.

Trying to reset fasting as a habit

SUMMER WEATHER is trying to warm up Ireland and with those warmer temperatures I'm starting to notice animals acting more actively as they search our back garden for food. Perhaps some of these animals have come out of hibernation. I wonder if anything about their lower activity level could offer clues about how I might benefit from fasting.

Black Gothic Door and Tin Eye

WE HAVE A BLACK GOTHIC DOOR in our back garden and it's often in my field of view when I create Topgold Audio Clips. As I post this blog at the end of April 2022, the door isn't findable on Tin Eye and that surprises me.

Listen to "Background Hints And To-do Lists E586" on Spreaker.

What Now, Twitter

I REMEMBER WHEN everyone who was on Twitter in Ireland in mid-January 2007 could fit inside the conference centre of Tipperary Institute. I'm curious how those 150 people, including 15 from our college campus, view Twitter becoming a private company.

Tweet Talking with @gregbd About Keeping Notes #pkm

WHILE TRYING TO follow a workflow that incorporates smart note-taking linked to a viable system of Personal Knowledge Management, I shared some thoughts with business advisor Greg Dickson in Canada.

Listen to "About Bear and Roam and Notion E584 #pkm" on Spreaker.

I Thought I Avoided COVID but

UPDATED 20 APRIL 2022: I'm going to use this blog post as a diary that documents what I did to return to health. Actually, I think I need to produce an audio diary because then my raspy voice provides telltale clues. Scroll to the bottom to see the blow-by-blow revelations.

AFTER HEARING CASES of friends catching COVID, I thought that since I had escaped any infection during our masked phase that I was impervious. I can admit I'm wrong and now hope I can shake this virus within the next seven days so I can be back in the classroom to finish the semester. But if I can't there's always Teams to wrap up everything.