This whole process has been a learning curve for you all but it is also one for us. My desire, like Ruth’s, is to see teaching and learning being transformed so the focus must remain on the students and what will happen in the classroom. You were all learners yesterday and when I sat and thought about the day I came up with these points:

• Vulnerability – there was an uneasy sense of excitement, expectation and fear in the room yesterday.
• Participants were all at different stages.
• Chat – lots of sub conversations were going on and as a deliverer I was aware some people wanted to get on and some just looked paniced.
• The group was not streamed or set. It was across a number of age band and abilities and genders and representing a wide range of dependents (eg the students you teach).
• Some were soaking up and wanting to move on.
• Others were frustrated because they couldn’t overcome the initial task and felt that they might get left behind.
• The deliverers were rushing around because the pace at which we have thought, planned and are delivering a Masters level course has been one of the steepest climbs I have had to make. 35 staff + visitors in a room catering for 29 learners all with new toys that needed to work wirelessly and incorporated two computer systems in one case.
• Schools had changed names so the initial register had been wrong and the time to complete the registration for the new members hadn’t necessarily been allowed for in the working week.
• Some staff that hadn’t been at some of the sessions and were only just collecting staff which gave rise to administration activities as well as delivery and technical support.

In fact what I had in front of me was a rather large class of participants, facing all the challenges and more, of the normal teacher.

What did we have in common? The desire to investigate (note not necessarily embrace) the way ICT can transform teaching and learning. I was in overload when I arrived to put water in the urn for your coffee. I was frightened that we wouldn’t be able to kick start you with enough information do that you could be creative over the holidays and feel productive.

I am going to publish the SWOT analysis of Training Block and will respond to a number of the requests that have been made for information. My hope is that you will receive my emails; that you will continue to blog and surprise yourselves about the journey that you are already on and what you have learnt already. I will put up information on Fronter in response to the SWOT analysis so that we begin to use it as a discussion point. I am setting up a virtual Social Network, like a group of staff who would meet up at the pub and chat over a drink but without the meeting and the drink, so that we can have one area outside of school (Fronter) where we can meet and I will send you details of this.

The holiday has started but I am still on my computer and the excitement that this course has offered me is watching fellow professionals getting excited about how this might influence some of the activities that they do with their classes. I really am interested in what you plan to do and if the CLC can offer support with your class groups then we will do what we can.