Hi Everyone, it’s been a while since I last posted on this blog. 3 years since my last post, but really it’s been 5 years since I last properly updated here!
So much has changed in that span of time. I got a new job in September of 2019 working as part of the library team at Blackpool and the Fylde College, and within a month I’d been swapped over to the digital team as a Learning Technologist!
A Learning Technologist is someone who does many jobs, all centering around the pedagogical use of educational technology. Unlike IT who are there to make tech work for you, Learning Technologists are there to make sure you can work with the technology. I recently published an open educational resource covering the role and its history: The Changing Role of the Learning Technologist.
In this role, I believe I have truly found my calling. I absolutely love it and the challenges it raises day to day. Since that original swap to the digital team I got promoted to Senior/Lead Learning Technologist at B&FC and then hired by my current workplace as Learning Technology Lead for Regent’s University London, part of the Galileo Global Education Group.
I’ve become the Microsoft’s Lead fellow for UK Higher Education in their innovative educator expert programme; A fellow of the Adobe Education Institute; a founding member of the Human Intelligence Movement: I’ve had research and guides published; I’m doing a Masters in Digital Education; I’m looking towards doing a PhD; I’ve presented at numerous events up and down the country, on webinars internationally and even been out to Rome.
Not to mention there was Covid-19; life changing injuries in my immediate family; my daughter growing into a beautiful little girl; finding it difficult to return to church following 2019 (I still don’t have a regular church I attend); me realising I have, and then being diagnosed with, ADHD and on the waiting list for an Autism assessment as well.
I gain so much fulfilment, acceptance and joy from my work that I’ve never felt before. Im in a better place than Ihave been for years mentally and emotionally, even with the hardships. But I have been ridiculously busy, and I’ll be honest, this blog fell onto a bit of a back burner.
I didn’t think I would ever find a chance to resurrect it.
However!
As I have been working on my masters, and become more involved in things like the creativeHE community and the Digital Promise playful learning community I have begun to realise that the ideas I have around games, that I put down in writing here, are relevant universally to pedagogy.
Pedagogy for those who don’t know is the word for “the art/science of teaching.”
When I worked for the church, and in the activities I set up for amazing organisations such as the Scripture Union, I realised the power of games to bring people together and make them open to talking to one another. Exploring what made them tick. As I quoted my good friend Rev Andy Gray in my last post before going AWOL (Theology of play)
when we play together or tell our stories to one another, we create a liminal safe space in which personal truths, opinions and even faith, can be shared safely without fear of causing offence or being offended
Well that extends beyond just that. The liminal space opens up our ability to learn. It’s a safe space that allows for repeated trial and error with no fear of failure. Infact failure is part of the fun!
I’ve always believed that play is learning, and learning is play. That has been confirmed to me through my extensive reading as part of my masters and through the people I talk to daily through my role.
LEGO serious play exists for this reason, Minecraft Education exists for this reason, Epic Games have an education department dedicated to using Fortnite Creative and Unreal Engine to facilitate learning experiences for this reason.
Games are an integral part of my life. They bring me joy and happiness. Teaching is an integral part of my life. Which brings me joy and happiness.
And this brings me to what I want to dedicate this blog to going forward.
I believe wholeheartedly that every game that exists out there can be used as part of a educators toolkit to promote not just life long learning (where throughout your life you have distinct periods where learning happens) but to promote lifewide learning. This is where everything we do. In every aspect of our lives helps us to learn and improve.
I aim to help educators find ways to implement games into their teaching in a meaningful, pedagogically sound way.
To that end I have teamed up with Tabletopia, to help develop their offering to the education sector. To take the 2500+ boardgames they have available on their site and build something meaningful for educators to refer to, in order to use them in their teaching.
As far as I am aware no one else has looked into using existing digital boardgames in education, so bear with me as this will be new ground.
I hope you look forward to joining me on this journey of discovery, to ensure that Games truly can be used For the betterment of All.