NEW DATE ADDED . . . 'Digital Enrichment Day' course - Tuesday 19th March - Thorntree Academy (Middlesbrough)
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Animate 2 Educate's 5th Birthday

Animate 2 Educate is 5 years old today!!! Did my first day's work on 9th March 2012 at Birchwood Primary School (Tamworth). Doesn't seem like 5 minutes ago, but when you look back and see that we were animating with our own mascots ahead of London 2012 Olympics, then suddenly seems a lot longer ago. Couldn't have dreamt how things would have developed and diversified over the past five years. At that point I was still teaching four days a week at Fellside Primary in Gateshead and a tablet to me then was a paracetamol or an ibuprofen! In the past five years rolls have now reversed, with me now spending four days each week as Animate 2 Educate and have had some amazing experiences in that time. Been lucky to have worked with over 500 schools in the UK, have visited schools around Europe and have led lessons via Skype with pupils around the world. Almost 4,000 people now follow Animate 2 Educate on Twitter and was honoured to have been elected to the Naace Board of Management. Was invited earlier this year to work with the DfE, have presented at BETT and numerous other high-profile conferences and have had numerous articles published in educational magazines. My own 'Tech on the Tyne' conference is now in its fourth year and now attracts almost 200 delegates from around the UK and beyond. I only ever thought I'd be delivering pupil workshops in animation, green screen and photography, never planned for it to be anything more! I wouldn't be celebrating 5 fantastic years without the support of each and every person who has joined me on this journey over the past five years. Feel very touched and humbled by the amazing support and the position that I now find myself in today. Thank you everyone. Here's to another amazing five years!