One of the remarks in my previous post was that I need to be more consistent in recording my thoughts. Does once a month count? Hmmm, I think not.
Over the last few weeks I have realised that unless I set aside time to come here, it simply won't happen. Our computer at home is very small and very unreliable. At work I'm used to working with two large widescreen monitors, which make it very easy to write on one and use the other for multiple other tabs for reference. So I need to be at work, or come in after hours. And keep notes of things I want to post.
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Over the last couple of months we have had a couple of mentoring meetings and discussed what Kate and I want to achieve over this year. Our next meeting is tomorrow so at the 11th hour I'm galvanised into action! I've now made a start on my Contextual Statement and Operational Issues - both are only drafts, but it's a start and will provide a basis for some feedback.

I had an unexpected opportunity to learn recently with a professional photographer contracted to take a number of 360 degree images for one of our teams on campus. Myself and a colleague took the opportunity to learn about the types of camera and software available, and to practice taking a series of images ourselves.
Coincidentally, I then discovered a Facebook group (ThingLink 360/VR) and an offer for a discount on a Premium Teacher ThingLink account and a summer (Northern Hemisphere) PD challenge. The discount was too good to miss, so I've signed up for "all of the above" and created a tour of my building as a sample. I was introduced to ThingLink a couple of years ago, but hadn't used it much, so I'm looking forward to the weekly challenges to learn more, and then finding opportunties to share that. It's a great way to create quick and easy learning resources.

I've been faced this week with some one-on-one sessions with colleagues who are struggling to complete some of our internal documents. While they have excellent industry knowledge and experience in their field, they struggle with digital literacy, and I need to work with their team leader to develop a strategy to up-skill them in using our internal systems. On the other hand I've been assisting another team with validating their assessments. We use WebEx to communicate across multiple campuses, and that's usually not without its problems. This week however, everything has worked perfectly and the sessions have gone off without a hitch. And it's been a pleasure to see well designed assessments that address the required criteria and are student friendly.

And on a final good note for the week, my travel is approved to attend the ASCILITE conference in December!
What will next week bring?

I'm really excited but at the same somewhat overwhelmed with the opportunity this year to be part of a mentoring program with ASCILITE and working towards CMALT accreditation.

CMALT (Certified Membership of Association for Learning Technology) is a peer-based accreditation program for people working in the field of learning technology to demonstrate a committed approach to ongoing professional development and to have their experience certified by others in the same field. 

ASCILITE (Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education) offers a Community Mentoring Program as a means of individuals developing their skills, knowledge and expertise through a formal mentoring agreement.

I'm excited to be working with Oriel and Kate over the next six or so months to develop not only this portfolio, but also my skills in professional reflection which I hope to share with my colleagues as part of their ongoing professional development. 

My previous attempts at blogging have been somewhat intermittent, and I need to ensure I set time aside for reflecting on my learning and my professional practice.

​Watch this space!