So much more than professional development: my talk slides from #rED19, plus reflections

Hey Ed Cases! Happy back-to-school to y’all.

I’m checking in quickly to post my slides from Saturday’s researchED National Conference in London. I spoke about my new book, What the Academy Taught Us–what it’s about, how it’s structured, why I took the approach I did for it, and so on. Have a look if interested, and be in touch if you have any questions. Download here: rEDNatl_9719

In all, the conference itself was yet another inspiring researchED experience. Big surprise coming from me, I know.

Seriously, though, if you ever want to see what would get a person so excited about the researchED movement that they’d want to organize it here, you really must make it to one of their events in the U.K. You have to see a crowd of fellow learners that looks like this, get turned away from breakout room after breakout room because they’re already packed with fellow learners, or be greeted like an old friend by people you’ve only known via Twitter (like I was here, by the brilliant Naureen Khalid , or here, by the wonderful rEDBrum organizer Claire Stoneman ).

Due to the size of the crowd and the quality of the program, I wasn’t able to make it to every session I wanted. I did, though, see long-time faves like Daisy Christodoulou, David Didau, Tom Sherrington, and Jo Facer–and take a bunch of blurry photos of them when I wasn’t scribbling notes into my program.

In addition to all I learned from speakers, I was able to connect with many people I’ve built friendly/collegial relationships over years: the lovely James and Dianne Murphy and I were able to catch up for 30 minutes before the day’s first session, I got some one-on-one time with a long-time hero Paul Kirschner on the terrace in the afternoon, reunited with Ofsted’s Amanda Spielman (and David Didau and Jo Facer) over lunch, and on and on.

Then, after putting away chairs (yes, we put away our own chairs ) and helping Tom and Helene tidy up, the after-event pub time just kept giving and giving. I was able to share laughs and ideas with the likes of Stuart Lock, Beth Greville-Giddings, Howard Greville-Giddings, Deep Ghatura, researchED Chile visionary Rodrigo Lopez, Nils Tishauser, Jan Tishauser, Eva Hartell, Joanne Smolka, the ever-marvelous Tarjinder Gill, and many more.

I could of course go into much more detail here, but I’ll hold off. I’ve done so on many other occasions, after all, and shouldn’t simply rehash.

I’ll just close by saying that I feel a lot stronger than I have in some time after returning from #rED19. It reminded me how researchED is about so much more than professional development, all at a time when I really needed it. I wish every person working in education could see one for themselves.