It is a real privilege to be able to visit schools and see how colleagues succeed in achieving the same goals that we are trying to achieve. It is interesting to see local authorities manage their schools quite differently. This is certainly the best continuing professional development I could ever have to improve monitoring of work at my school.

We, as headteachers, probably all leave school to attend a variety of meetings quite regularly. Why is it then that I cannot shake off a guilty feeling as I walk out of the school door? The answer is easy: in a word, McCrone.

By chance our school has arrived at its flattened staffing structure much more quickly than I would have liked. There are 480 children and only two non-teaching members of staff. there is no sign yet of any principal teachers and no news of whether or not they will come with non-teaching time as part of the deal. My understanding is that individual schools will take that decision if there is money within the budget and if that is the way they can best manage their school.

I was given the chance to be part of my authority’s team of Masterclass candidates to take information and communications technology developments forward to their next stage. This was another CPD opportunity which I considered much too important to miss.

And so, with that guilty feeling to the fore, I packed my bags and set off west to Glasgow where I joined 599 other enthusiastic Masterclass participants at the SETT conference last month. It does not take long before enthusiasm for the task takes over and you trust those you have left behind to hold the fort.

The initial challenge for Masterclass participants was to create a vision for the future of ICT in Scottish schools post-New Opportunities Fund training. The NOF initiative had reached out to as many Scottish teachers as it was possible to reach and offer them training to embed ICT into learning and teaching. Masterclass will reach teams of staff from each authority in the country and enable them to share ideas and learn from one another and then presumably cascade knowledge to colleagues.

What would you hope would be the outcomes from the Masterclass for your school?

There seem to be so many ICT resources available that it sometimes can be difficult to find out who are the key people and what are the key resources of which we should be taking note. For me, the most inspirational keynote speaker at the SETT show by far was Stephen Heppell, director of Ultralab learning technology research centre, who talked about children learning in the digital age. He wanted delegates to talk to him online. If you do so at www.ultralab.ac.uk he will no doubt be sharing ideas with you before you know it.

Alan November, a leader in educational technology and senior partner of Educational Renaissance Planners, was another thought-provoking keynote speaker who had much of interest to share from the other side of the Atlantic. Again he welcomes visitors to his website, www.anovember.com, to share ideas and materials.

I was much less inspired by his colleague, teacher and technologist Meg Ormiston, with her very theatrical presentation, but then my ICT co-ordinator thought that she was very good, so visit her website, www.techteachers.com, and decide for yourself.

One very interesting development is Heads Together, an online chatroom for headteachers where we will all be able to exchange views and give each other support. Headteachers must be trained before going joining in for the first time, so look out for your opportunity to volunteer for that chance.

Spark, the Scottish Schools Digital Network which is being set up, is another development that will become central to all of our communications.

Sheilah Jackson is headteacher of Queensferry Primary in EdinburghIf you would like to respond or comment, e-mail scotlandplus@tes.co.ukNext week: John Mitchell, head of Kilsyth Academy, North Lanarkshire