…and make disciples. 
For those without the required religious background to understand some of my remarks, the thought for today comes from the gospel of Mark 16:15 – for the scholars amongst you, this final section of the gospel is not regarded as forming part of ‘Urmarkus’ believed to be the original text that the synoptic gospels are based on. Rather scholars regard it as a later addition, either coming from an oral tradition or first hand eyewitness experience. That aside, I love this passage. I love the notion that the last words of Christ before his ascension like much of his ministry are remarkably simple and concise.
It’s a wonderfully simple message that we could apply to lots of things if we choose to really.
This week sees TeachMeet07 take place in Edinburgh after eLive07. Last year I went through for both eLive06 and TeachMeet06, which were brilliant. It was a great opportunity to meet up with people that I had been reading online for some time, and put faces, personalities and perhaps most importantly contacts to the words and pictures streaming in to my aggregator. About a dozen people, some of whom I had met before, but a great opportunity. I came home on the train the next day very positive and enthusiastic about the future of developing community around the country/world in using technology in education.
When we got together for TeachMeet06 – second edition at SETT 06 there were around 70 of us at various times crammed into one of the smallest rooms I think the Crown Plaza hotel had, but we shared, we made contacts, and we left the room to go for dinner buzzing with the ideas and experiences shared by the presenters and those we spoke to. Speak to anyone who attended TeachMeet06 – SE and SETT 06, and the thing they talk about was TeachMeet – despite the hundreds of great things they had seen and heard at SETT, it was the burgeoning community of those prepared to share – for free – the great things they were up to up their classrooms (virtual, or otherwise) that stuck in their minds.
But then what happened? There was talk of WinterTeachMeet, which everyone seemed to be up for – but it didn’t happen. TeachMeet07 will take place in Edinburgh this week, but for relatively small numbers.
In 2005, I had the opportunity to go to Alan November’s Building Learning Communities in Boston MA. Despite the international nature of the collected delegates, the considerable majority were from New England. Whilst it was a great event, I left thinking that why doesn’t this kind of thing happen in Scotland? We are doing great innovative things in our schools and classrooms that we need to share more effectively. An ‘unconference’ is exactly the place to do this.
I understand that it’s difficult for people to get through to Edinburgh – especially during the week, and during term time. If you can’t make it personally, then how about virtually? Join in by Skype, or watch the wiki to see if a meeting room (marratech or otherwise…) gets created for the event.
I look at the list of people attending TeachMeet07, and whilst it’s great to get together with you all, we are not spreading this widely enough. I don’t think I’ve ever had a conversation with anyone on the list that I haven’t come away from with a new idea. (Too many negatives in that last sentence?) I’ll re-phrase: you are my teachers. But we’re preaching to the converted.
The invocation at the end of Mark is simple, and perhaps there is a lesson there for us in spreading the word about using technology in the classroom. It’s a simple message, but we need to speak to everyone about it.
I’m looking forward to TeachMeet07 enormously, and I hope to see as many of you as possible there (physically or virtually). But do you know what? I’m looking forward to TeachMeet 07 – Second Edition much more. (Or should that be called TeachMeet:4th edition?) I don’t know about you, but I’m already starting to think about what the ‘uncoference’ at the Scottish Learning Festival could bring us this year.
Now that’s exciting.
