Busy, busy...

The next month is set to be rather intense for me. As well as my continuing adjustment to the role I'm about to begin a month of intense professional development - on both sides of the fence.

After being named one of the Smart Classrooms Awards winners last year I was asked by a few groups to work with them in delivering various modes of PD. I've loved working with our ICT Learning Innovation Centre team and workshopping with small groups of teachers around the sorts of things I'm using web2.0 tools for.

Queensland Studies Authority (QSA), our currirculum developer, approached me and asked me to present at their Senior Schooling conference. At the time I was flattered and awestruck that a) I'd won an award, b) anyone would want me to talk about what I do, and c) that I'd be considered for such a thing. Despite my hesitations I accepted the invitation and wrote up my session with the title "The 21st Century...are we ready?" I'm looking forward to speaking about this one where I'm sharing my thoughts on 21st Century education and how web2.0 tools can be used authentically in our senior classrooms - an area of schooling where a lot of us are still making excuses around the need to prepare for external exams and moderation.

What I love about the QSA gig is that it's all prepped and planned for, I just need to rehearse and refine before the day. Before that presentation though I've got to give another, a much longer one and one that I've had less time to prepare for. A 90 minute presentation at the Drama Queensland annual conference on using web2.0 tools in the Drama classroom...this is what a large chunk of my weekend will be devoted to...

However, this month I'm not just running PD for other staff I'm also participating in some myself. I've been accepted to train as a Regional ICT Facilitator which means I'll be able to support and guide staff towards the second level of the Smart Classrooms framework I spoke about previously. I'm very excited about this, if a little daunted, but this is what I'm most passionate about - help more teachers become nerds :)

Even though I'm so busy I am starting to enjoy the new role, I'm beginning to see the potential and identify the gaps in my knowledge that are contributing to my feelings of "lost at sea". And but identifying them I'm starting to look for ways to coutner them - but I'll write more about this later.