LGBT + me - hate = no ÷ 🌈

I am a gay man and very proud and accepting of this.  However, this is not the emphasis of this blog post, but how I have become more aware and challenging of LGBT+ issues.

This post is inspired from February 2017 when I attended an all day LGBT+ history month event in Sheffield.  I learned a little more about some local and national histories, including what was recorded on census forms and investigating if your ancestors were gay and/or open about their sexuality.  I found it revealing how many people in the last century kept their sexuality a secret due to it being illegal.   Absurd to think that is how it used to be.  However, it was heartening to discover that people were people were still being true to themselves and falling in love.

We have now come so far that gay relationships will be treated with no fanfare and just something everyday and ordinary.  There was a scene on Channel 4's Mutiny last year where it featured a gay man (who was about to set sail) and his husband.  It was the most natural picture of a man and his husband living their normal life that I have seen.  It felt such an uplifting moment and made me feel at ease.

Before now, I've felt somewhat not as proactive with my LGBT+ community.  I wasn't really aware of any major news stories or activities, other than the local pride events.  Which I have attended a fair few including Barnsley, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Doncaster, Huddersfield and Wakefield.  Growing up I had been to Barnsley's 'gay nights' and at Sheffield's monthly Climax (lots of nice memories to look back on).  Eventually to lead on getting involved in Barnsley's LGBT+ forum for a year or so.  In recent years I attended Sheffield's Out off Office social LGBT+ events where I made a bunch of new friends.

So besides enjoying myself in a safe place, which is good as life is to be enjoyed.  The world is still far from being accepting and understanding of LGBT+, I always think that that there is more that needs to be done.  But I have been somewhat lazy and left it to others to lead on.  There's no rule in saying that if you are defined as LGBT+ you must become some sort of advocate or ambassador.  We're in a more open society of LGBT+, but there is far more to be done in terms of acceptance and understanding.

It happens in relationships when behaviours and interests can rub off on you.  Gary (my partner) is an excellent advocate for LGBT+ people and has helped educate me more by him keeping me up to date with news and happenings all around the world.  It's made me feel more invested in the LGBT+ community and be conscious of various local and national issues.  I've noticed how I observe comments on social media regarding celebrity issues for example, like on Big Brother and how the public reacts to these sorts of topics.

As silly as it may sound, I feel I have not become as stereotypical as I once was.  Like how I could make assumptions about a woman having short hair, it doesn't automatically mean she is a lesbian.  We shouldn't judge or label, but we are human and that's how our minds make sense of things sometimes as we need to categorise.  But there should be emphasis on eradicating these nonsensical and non-factual assumptions rather than letting them exist.

Joining NTU LGBT+ Staff Network

This month on NTU's news bulletin I saw a piece that mentioned the activities that were planned to raise awareness for the LGBT+ history month.  So I gave this a read and learned that they were re-launching the staff network.  Whilst I have a lot of other things on right now, I thought this would be really good to join.  I'm not new to being part of an LGBT+ group. though  Back in 2009-2010 in my hometown Barnsley, I was a member of their LGBT+ group and helped set up their first gay pride.  I'm many years older now and more informed of LGBT+ issues.  So I feel I can bring something to this network, even if it is just meeting new people/making friends, raising awareness and enabling changes to policies etc.  This can be part of my long-term contribution and commitment to LGBT+ history month.

EDIT:  here's me at Nottingham pride 2019 - "I wasn't just attending pride, I was wearing it! 😆🌈"

Growth - from roots to shoots

I recently saw a post on LinkedIn of someone looking for people to video themselves talking about where they came from and what jobs they started in to where they are now.  The individual wanted to inspire young people they work with to increase their awareness of the kinds of careers that are out there, the backgrounds/circumstances they started in and that there is no limit to what they can achieve.  It immediately caught my attention as this is a significant part of who I am, so I was immediately engaged with this.

I feel my journey is worth sharing given my slow start to my learning and career, so I thought I would have a go at this.  I appreciate my education and career as I have fought for it.  I was educationally written off due to my poor engagement with learning and grades - illustrated later on.  EDIT: September 2023, I saw this line on a friends LinkedIn post that struck me "...the grade...because actually that’s a social construct, a way of pleasing the system."  Meaning that despite getting low grades, you can actually be intelligent.  But the system/society denies you.  A bit like how my story turned out.

As Westlife say "You've got to fight for every dream".

Many have been given it on a plate and don't value the educational opportunities available and subsequent accomplishments.  I had to ask, fight and push myself hard to be where I am now.  You've got to want to work hard for it.  As a result, I appreciate it more because I have worked extremely hard for it and pushed myself out of my comfort zone.  Those from and in ivory towers won't understand the true graft.  I find that those that judge my career are those that did better at school or are in higher positions, and fear such underdogs reaching success.  Because I've fought to achieve because I am not complacent.  I feel I represent underdogs, through everything I have achieved professionally.  Those that have already achieved at the outset, maybe they don't fight or ask because they it's a pride thing.  It's also a matter of priorities; I put my education first and embraced supporting opportunities along the way.  Where some may prioritise chasing promotions.  I do feel I am what the definition of what people may refer to as self-made.  However, I don't like this term as it implies that no support was given or accepted.  And in my case, whilst I have been instrumental in self-directing and self-regulating, I have had support in the form of advice from friends and family, and the odd small financial contribution from family.  But the effort I put into my career and financial security and stability has been independently me.  However, often many people from hometowns like mine don't have the same opportunities, limited or little or no funding.  In my experience as a non-academic individual, due to being educationally written-off, resulting it being much harder for me to access more important and higher credit-bearing courses.  Whereas others in similar ex-mining communities might have been more academic and had opportunities but did not pursue them to a variety of reasons.  I have trained myself to be more academic, by choice, not for ego but for the love of growth and making something of myself.  However, all of this can greatly hinder people's motivations and aspirations of the young adults.  All of this provides reasons of why I work and present myself in this way via my blog site, that derive from my poor educational and geographical beginnings/upbringings.  With a dash of personal and workplace adversity.

Personally, just because I left school how I did and people saw me as a dunce that wouldn't go anywhere and be at Morrisons for a lifetime - I could have stopped working in Morrison's for my duration.  But I felt I was meant to go onto bigger and better things.  So I guess I trusted the process of that.  And because I knew I was meant to do and be more than that, I feel people couldn't accept the change and I should remain that person they thought I should be.  However, I had my own ambitions for my life and how I wanted it to be, and not what people think it should be.  Workplace, perhaps left simply as jealous of achievements or that they feel threatened somehow.  Many of my peers left school with top grades and a long string of qualifications whereas I didn't (see below).  We all started at the same time, however I was in the bottom classes but they had a head start over me whilst I spent years playing catch up.  I'm sometimes sneered/scoffed at for my achievements, which often come from the people that had a better education than mine started out.  Especially when I didn't undertake the traditional sixth form college to university route.  The reality is that is not suited to everyone and shouldn't be forced on everyone as the 'best' option.

The following video is my short 'off the cuff' video that I recorded and shared on to the person to share with their learners.  I hope it inspires them to become a future 'me'.  But remember, it takes time learning and being who you are meant to be - it took me a while!

A quick rundown - more in 10 years in learning technology:

• I come from a working-class background and from the small town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire - an ex-mining town (and am currently living in one), but that culture instils unwanted behaviours
• I was 'defined' as special needs by being in bottom groups/sets.  I left with 3 GCSEs (D, E, F) + Entry Level 3 French = classified uneducated 
• Worked at Morrisons supermarket for a bit - was unsure what to do etc
• Did an apprenticeship in business and administration
• Worked in administration jobs
• Then decided to work with my passions and push myself into a career - got a job as a learning technologist
• Did Open University certificate in information technology and computing - biggest educational challenge I had at this point
• Did initial teacher training to later become a qualified teacher
• Had my own Level 3 and 4 Digital Learning Design apprentices I line managed, trained and assessed
• Qualified assessor and lead internal verifier
• Did a masters in learning technology - the first in the family to go to university - with belonging issues, and later work at a university
• Won a national award for my personal and professional efforts - the last slide of my presentation inspired the blog post title
• Reviewed a book chapter, plus others later on
• Got my 'dream job' job at Nottingham Trent University
• Writing my first book on learning technology
• Became an External Quality Assurer
• Developed a new Level 3 Technology Enhanced Learning qualification
• Qualified Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership
• Progressed into the School of Social Sciences, in the Institute of Health and Allied Professions as a Digital Curriculum Support and Developer
• Evolved my first book into 'Digital Learning, Teaching and Assessment for HE and FE Practitioners'
• Influenced the creation of and promoted to Digital Curriculum Manager
• Achieved SFHEA and SCMALT
• Came full circle with the Digital Learning Design qualifications, delivering an inaugural masterclass to the new Level 5 Digital Learning Designer Occupational Apprenticeship Standard I co-developed

During 2012 I researched and investigated heavily on a possible career move towards marine biology, focused on cetaceans, given my huge passion and interest in them.  It's a dream thing to do, but I felt it wasn't my purpose.  Plus, I invested so much into my career in the education sector, I didn't want to throw it all away.  My dream was to make something of myself, not to become superior, whatever it might have been.  Just not to be at Morrison's forever.

My entire blog captures the journey I took through my learning, the challenges I have experienced and the things I have done to get where I am today.  I talk a lot about motivating and positioning yourself to achieve what you set out to, especially with careers.  Many of which are in the career development and personal development categories, so do look around. Below are similar videos that I have recorded a while ago and a blog post that may be of interest:

• Hello Daniel Scott
• My Learning Is Your Learning
• A Journey Of Employability
• This is proACTivity
• Slow learner?
• You can't take the Tarn...
• Makings of effort
• Imposter - phantom in self or environment?
• What working class means to me

EDIT:  In August 2020, Theresa Beattie said the following and re-shared the video below that includes me (I'm on at 15 mins 30 secs), regarding the national GCSE/A-Level results.

"Teachers are like this.  Imagine being failed for an exam you never sat by an algorithm vs being taught by people like this."

In February 2021, Laura Moore contacted me via Twitter after coming across my work on the Digital Learning Design qualifications and subsequently bought my book.  We arranged a chat to exchange practice and ideas etc.  She went on to say: "I had a wonderful chat about all things digital learning this lunchtime with @_Daniel_Scott 👍 Such an inspiringindividual! 🏆 #DigitalLearning #DigitalLearningDesign #LearningTechnology"

Me - "I had such a brilliant chat with you too Laura, we could have easily talked all day... I love it when energies are in synch like that! Looking forward to next. 😉"

However, she opened up our chat to say she had watched some of my earlier videos (above) and commended my achievements - unexpected but needed to hear it at that moment, after an unwelcome impostor visit the day before.  To which Laura later said "I hope my cringe-worthy flattery helped a little earlier today! 😆"

Learning about my digital capabilities

Evolved have the days from just qualifying with word processing, ECDL and CLAiT.  There is much discussion, debate and initiatives around digital skills and how they are more important than ever for everyday life and in the workplace - now referred to as digital capabilities.  Digital capabilities are about how confident and competent you are in using digital tools and systems, to enable you to live and work in a digital world. In this post I review my own digital capabilities after participating in the Jisc Digital Discovery Tool pilot.  This tool assesses your digital capabilities across 15 elements and determines you as developing, capable or proficient based on your responses.  You are then given next steps and resources to support your development.

Digital ignorance?

Obviously I am a learning technologist, therefore my role heavily relies on digital skills.  However, I've not really assessed my own digital skills for quite some time.  Terrible isn't it!  Because I work with a lot of digital tools, systems and educate others on them, I must subconsciously assume I am some sort of supreme digital leader. 😜  Joking aside, just because I am a learning technologist it does not mean that I have all the digital skills anyone can have.  We may feel confident and competent and are highly creative and critical of digital tools and systems.  But to what degree is this true?  What are my opinions and views of my own digital capabilities?  It's really important to me and in my role as Digital Practice Adviser at NTU that I visibly recognise my strengths and weaknesses in order to continually develop to current digital practices.  There are areas in which I need to examine a bit closer to ensure appropriate plans and support are put in place to develop my digital skills.  Below is a graphic that illustrates my skills on the digital capabilities spectrum and following is an overview of what I feel about the outcomes.

Overview of outcomes

No particular surprise, but it appears I am digitally enabled and empowered.  However, it does not mean that I am at the top and there is no further progression and development.  There is always more and it never really ends!  New digital technologies emerge frequently and new techniques and practices emerge from these new tools.  At some point these digital skills I possess will either evolve or become redundant - scary thought!

I received proficient in most of the capability elements; Digital Innovation, Digital Identity Management, Digital Participation, Media Literacy, Digital Wellbeing, Digital Proficiency, Digital Collaboration, Digital Communication, Problem Solving, Digital Teaching and Digital Learning.  This is most likely because I am open and willing to try new digital technologies, proactive/self-supporting, data and online safety conscious and I collaborate digitally both in work and outside of work.  Whether that be working synchronously online on a work project or organising an outing with friends or family.  However, professionally on Twitter I do need to join more live conversations.  I do dip in and out of Twitter but I could be more socially engaged with it in speaking to my network.  I am very meticulous in refining and maintaining my digital identity, which is my blog (Google Blogger) and the subsequent channels; Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Scholar Citations and YouTube.  Digital Teaching is my expertise area; Technology Enhanced Learning and eLearning, so I would be concerned if I was lower than that.  Moreover, I am a highly competent digital learner which began with my Open University studying in 2009, that then transferred to my first learning technologist role that included developing and supporting blended and online programmes.

I was assessed as capable for Digital Productivity.  I obviously have strong digital skills but perhaps I am not exploiting the tools fullest potential when working on different tasks.  I received capable for Data Literacy and my understanding of this is that I am confident in analysing and interpreting data and representing it appropriately with graphics.  However, when finding and organising data I find this a more tricky task.  I usually work in Microsoft Excel and learn new formulas and functions to make it an easier process to organise data.  This is not a frequent task I carry out, but when I do I find that I have to remind myself of what to use and how - which requires internet searching and speaking to colleagues.  On the other hand I came out proficient for Information Literacy.  This is concerned with data management techniques and deciding how information is stored and where it is retrieved from.

Whilst labelled as proficient in Media Literacy, surprisingly I am capable for Digital Creation.  I am a very visual person and would like to represent explanations and descriptions with an image or graphic of some kind.  However, if I was assessed on the skills in creating graphics, perhaps this is a reason why it is visibly low.  I can create basic graphics and videos, however, it’s clear I need to invest some professional development in upskilling using creative software and perhaps stretch this to animations.  Whilst I am a learning technologist, I am less technical and more emphasised on the learning and creative aspects.  I could also perhaps explore mind mapping and sketching my notes.  Furthermore, these skills are highly desirable for any digitally creative role.

Where do I go from here?

As well as making my digital capabilities more visible to me, which I am going to take some time out to fully analyse.  Following my digital capability report, I have been provided with a bulk of resources and advice for each element which are helpful signposts to support.  However, to me all of this contributes to the broader and wider development of a modern professional learner/worker, as introduced by Jane Hart (C4LPT) - which is something I am highly interested in.  A modern professional learner/worker could be summarised by the following with digital tools and systems weaved alongside.  Perhaps I could apply/align my digital capabilities development to this and to further develop and expand on these areas.

• Communicate and work efficiently, collaboratively and productively by using a range of digital apps and tools, to increase interaction and sharing amongst peers (Office 365, Google Docs, Skype, Whatsapp, Slack, Asana)
• Use adaptable, compatible and reliable devices (laptop, tablet, mobile) to access digital content through apps and the internet
• Exploit the potential of web browser features to enable the best experience of the internet (Google Chrome, Firefox)
• Access internet resources to help solve a problem or find inspiration (YouTube, Wikipedia, TED, blogs)
• Build a professional network through social media to discuss, share and collaborate (Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Facebook, Instagram)
• Stay informed of news and trends and curation tools to store and share (Pinterest, Pearltrees, Padlet, Paper.li, Diigo, Delicious)
• Capture notes, ideas and personal learning experiences and to possibly share openly (Google Keep, Evernote, Microsoft OneNote, PebblePad, blogs)
• Maintain your digital content and organise in appropriate and meaningful ways using data management techniques (tagging, metadata)
• Join and participate online courses to obtain new knowledge and skills on the job (FutureLearn, Lynda.com, Coursera, Khan Academy, Udemy, edX, Alison)

Since starting my Digital Practice Adviser role, I don't just support and develop academics, but research, leadership and management and administration roles.  I am now starting to critically think about the broader digital skills and attitudes of these type of roles.  As online collaboration amongst teams is becoming more of an essential expectation of workplace performance, this appears to have altered the way people access, store and retrieve their files.  As digital content and storage grows larger and larger and space smaller and smaller.  There is now emphasis on appropriately and meaningfully tagging files and objects to increase searchability and discoverability.  Therefore, this falls under the Information Literacy element.  I am heavily involved in a project the moment that is centered around this.  The project is about ensuring that the Virtual Learning Environment is being used for learning opportunities only.  Any other files and resources can be stored on other platforms, i.e SharePoint - all with the aim of informing decision making and improving efficiency and effectiveness of storing and accessing digital content.  Through this project I am able to explore further how I can develop new techniques and even transform my previous practices.

In my dissertation I stated that digital capabilities should not be approached as a checklist of specific things you can do, but to be treated as critical thinking and reflection on how digital tools and systems can be used in various contexts and situations.  So from this narrative I should practice what I am preaching and start to consciously be mindful of my own digital capabilities.