Weeknote 45/2024
For me, it’s important to have things to aim for, even if they’re arbitrary. I’m still on target for running 1,000km in 2024, partly because the Strava feature that tracks it shows me when I’m behind my goal.
This morning, I really didn’t want to run, but being 10.3km down meant that I went out anyway. Current status: 0.2km in front of goal. This means I’ve now only got just over 100km to go before the end of the year, and about five weeks in which to do it. That should be relatively straightforward, so long as I don’t become ill or get injured!
This week, I’ve finished 90% of the NDLN ‘horizon’ report I’ve been working on for N-TUTORR about microcredentials. Given the way I write these days, that means I’ve produced ~19,000 words of an 8-10,000 word report. I’ll spend next week ensuring it’s all killer, no filler.
The other project I’ve been working on is one for Friends of the Earth around AI sustainability principles. Laura and I facilitated an invite-only Greening AI roundtable on Thursday, which went well. Both panelists and observers gave feedback on our draft principles which will inform the article we’re putting together.
Other than that, we’ve been putting together slides for a presentation next week for Amnesty International UK. Our proposal got us through the first round and now there’s a 45-minute presentation to do, followed by a lengthy Q&A. We’re one of four through to this round. To be honest, I wish that organisations wouldn’t set things up like this — or if they do, that they would consider remuneration. Not only is there an element of “having to do the work before you do the work” but three quarters of bidders doing work for free feels a bit like a waste of time. Kudos to Migration Exchange and others who pay people for the work done in pitching/applying.
I also published the following blog posts:
There’s been snow up here, and in most places in the UK, this week. That meant no football matches yesterday, but a swing in temperature of around 15°C meant that both my son and my daughter’s games were on this morning. His team drew with their local derby rivals, and a team for which he used to play. My daughter’s team once again lost heavily in the boys league. Not much fun.
Next week, as I mentioned above, I’ll get the final draft of the NDLN report finished and we’ll get most of the Friends of the Earth article done as well. That will make for a pretty quiet December. Hopefully some of the irons in the fire will come off and we’ll go into the new year with some new projects.
Photo: Looking into Morpeth from near the bottom of Curly Kews, taken by me on Friday