There are many blogs out there about technology, education and technology in education.  This is another one.

I’m Bex Ferriday and I’m a Learning Technology Manager.

I began my career as a teacher educator, but my burgeoning love of mixing technology into my teaching opened a number of doors, allowing me to consult on a freelance-basis with further and higher education institutions, present at a range of conferences online, in the real world and in virtual worlds and taking on a wealth of side-projects examining the use of mobile devices in the classroom, the development of blended versions of the courses my colleagues I and delivered, developing an island for my institution in Second Life and using my students as (willing) guinea pigs in the classroom. I enjoyed trying out emerging web tools with them, not only to see whether they worked  – but hoping that I could instil a little of what enthused me into their own practice.

There came a time when I was presented with a choice: to continue working as a Teacher Trainer or to become a Learning Technologist.  It took me fewer than 3 seconds to decide.  This new role was something that I  knew would be a challenge, moving me as it did from ‘front and centre’ teaching to supporting others who practiced in the classroom.  However, I realised at this point that my skills had dovetailed perfectly:  I understood the role of teacher, understood what technology could do if used effectively and was able to use my skills in art and design to develop what I hope were (and are) innovative, dynamic online materials.  After 18 truly enjoyable months in the role I was offered my current post, so I left my lifelong home in Cornwall and started a new life in Wales.

Education is a serious business, and though the tone of my posts may be lighthearted and written with barely a scholarly sentence between them, that doesn’t mean that I don’t wholly understand what I do, or take what I do lightly.  As well as exploring, using, and encouraging lecturers to embed technology into their practice, there’s a much bigger picture to look towards: helping lecturers and students alike to share their digital literacy skills, and making the navigation of today’s digital landscape as exciting as possible for as many as possible.