Inside View

Sharing Ideas through Huddles #cong18

THE BEST UNCONFERENCE in Ireland offers first-hand proof that small huddles of people who use social venues engender meaningful conversations. This happens every year in the little village of Cong, County Mayo, Ireland.

Rather than predictable SlideShare presentations from a well-lighted podium, the congregation offers a structured schedule that avoids the chaos found in conferences organised around Post-its on whiteboards. But for people like me who enjoy flexibility, every meet-up I attend in Cong rewards me with lots of flexibility. I meet experts in huddles, on the street, and in pub conversation throughout the weekend. The entire experience recharges me.

I Need 30 Days of Christmas

IT HAS TAKEN me more than 50 years to catch the Christmas spirit, engage, and joyfully release its energy. That's because as I was growing up, the family business worked exceptionally long and hard through the entire Christmas season, starting with Thanksgiving Week and ending with the Epiphany. I reckon I lost a lot of joy through that experience.

In 2018, something reset my view of Christmas. I think my personal mental adjustment happened partly because seven year old Dylan is visited every night by two elves and he recounts their clever adventures for us every morning. And some of the joy came back during the annual John Lewis advertisement, this time orchestrated with Elton John.

Learning from President Higgins and @ymtfm

ALTHOUGH I READ the acclamation voiced on Twitter and Facebook, it took me a day to realise the impact of several very special moments I witnessed first hand while standing in a media scrum set up by Ireland's Youth Media Team when interviewing President Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina. It all happened within the space of 10 minutes at the start of Feilte 2018, the annual conference of the Teaching Council of Ireland.

Spending a weekend immersed in education #feilte

EVERY FALL, I mark the start of another academic year by listening to peers explain a wide range of topics I can immediately use as a creative media lecturer. The presentations, workshops, and networking happen in Feilte 2018, a major initiative of the Teaching Council of Ireland.

Listen to "We are at Feilte 2018" on Spreaker.

My Personal Flugtag

THIRTY YEARS AGO, I stood in the centre of a patch of ground that was burned black from the wreckage of three aircraft. I will never forget what happened.

Remembering Flugtag 88

Four Weeks Until Maker Meet in Thurles

ONE OF THE MOST PLEASANT memories I have of working in County Tipperary is of my daughter and son enjoying the 2016 Maker Meet on the campus of LIT-Thurles. They wish they could attend the 2018 version on Friday the 27th of April, but they're headed to a First Communion in another county and might not be able to change course.

Voices in Education Planning

The Most Nail-Biting Robocode Final in Ireland

I WATCHED THE MOST nail-biting final in Irish Robocode history unfold in the Thurles Thunderdome on the LIT-Thurles campus and at the end of a captivating nine-minute round, Robo Panda from the Dundalk Institute of Technology took the trophy from a very aggressive and cleverly programmed Feels Tank Man from ITC Carlow. You can listen to the final round commentary below.

Mapping Active Responses #cesicon

I'M AT CESICON, learning and sharing alongside several hundred Irish educators. My little workshop involves using handheld tools to create and measure engagement through audio.

Listen to "Mapping Active Responses" on Spreaker.

The Enhanced David Gluckman Experience

DAVID GLUCKMAN, co-creator of Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur, visited the Clonmel campus of LIT.ie to share ideas about creative design with an interested group of business and creative media students.

Listen to "David Gluckman's Branding Experiences" on Spreaker.

Ready to Hear @DavidGluckman share selling secrets #clonmel

AUTHOR DAVID GLUCKMAN visits the Clonmel campus for a lunchtime talk on Tuesday, February 27, 2018. The free event takes place in the Clonmel campus with an audience of clever creative students and local businesses.