Head in the Cloud

In my last post I wrote about how I was spent quite a lot of time over the last couple of months reading up and listening to podcasts on AI, digital surveillance and disruption caused to society by new digital products. Initially this interest was triggered by my own concerns over how attached to my smartphone I had become, or perhaps I should say, to certain apps on my smartphone. Twitter being a particular addiction of mine, or a quick browse through Facebook or Instagram. Perhaps it was just me, but increasingly I was finding that after a session of browsing on these platforms I was feeling annoyed or frustrated and that this really wasn't good for my own well being. My 'filter bubble' was reinforcing the things that could make me cross (politics, education) or increasingly I was seeing things being posted on platforms by friends and relatives and found myself starting to dislike them, which was a reaction I was then disliking in myself and a person I didn't want to

So we're coming to the end of 2019 and this is as good a time as any to take a brief look back on my year. I could spend the time talking about the draft framework for the Science & Technology AoLE. Spent much of the autumn term talking to schools about this and getting myself up to speed on what the framework could possibly look like in the primary classroom. But I won't waste time here talking about it, let's see what is dropped on our desks when the final version is released sometime in January 2020. Much of my spare time over the second half of 2019 was spent reading up on issues around artificial intelligence and  'big tech' and privacy. This interest was sparked by my own questioning of how I personally use technology (in particular mobile technologies and social media). Like many of you I'm sure, I use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, along with using Google applications and platforms such as Netflix and Amazon. As much as these applications radical

Yesterday afternoon (14th May) I attended a Curriculum for Wales 2022 event at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Organised by the Welsh Government, the event provided stakeholders who had no input into the construction of the draft curriculum with the opportunities to find out more and importantly, communicate their own thoughts on the draft. The afternoon event was well attended and appeared to be a mix of people from FE/HE, business and some teachers. I understand that teachers / schools are also being offered similar events via their regional consortium. View from our workshop room For the first hour, the Welsh Government delivered a presentation on the background to the draft curriculum. Much of what was outlined is already in the public domain, but it was helpful to hear the details again and will certainly help to form a background to subsequent meetings or courses I provide to schools. Consistent messages are definitely helpful for schools. Delegates then broke off i

The following post is my attempt at beginning to understand and reflect on the proposed Science and Technology Area of Learning and Experience. It is only focused on the computer science statements in What Matters 6 (WM6) and more specifically on the statements that relate mainly to the primary school - Progression Steps 1, 2 & 3. At the end of April we finally got to see the long awaited draft Curriculum for Wales 2022 , to much fanfare from the Minister for Education, Kirsty Williams, the Welsh Government and the teachers and pioneer schools involved in its development. So it was with professional interest, tinged with trepidation, that I downloaded and began reading the proposals for the Science and Technology Area of Learning and Experience (AoLE). Before I go any further, for colleagues reading this blog outside the bubble of education in Wales, the draft curriculum is another step along the major changes to education in Wales , initiated by Prof Graham Donaldson and his