Posts tagged ‘research’

Getting Back on the Horse

Hello Blog. It’s been a while.

I did the ‘reflection’ class yesterday. In the introduction to the lesson I talked about the struggles that many tutors have with reflective practice. Tutors that say ‘I reflect all the time’ while rolling their eyes at the term. The post-PGCE-ers who bemoan the ‘reflecting on reflecting on my reflections’.

I told them how hearing these issues resonate with me, because I remember doing it. The memory of my PGCE was writing a reflective journal, all in one sitting, just to have something the ‘hand in’. I remember being at specialist conference having a box to fill in to reflect on the day and rolling my eyes. I remember Schon and not really understanding what he meant by ‘reflecting-in-action’ and ‘reflecting-on-action’. Read more ►

Setting up Class iPads: a challenge

Having the support from the fabulous people at Sunderland University last year, through the (now defunct) LSIS Research Development Fellowship, was amazing on many levels. But I had one particular Light Bulb Moment: I became conscious that the reason I was possibly slightly derogatory about class sets of iPads was because I didn’t have any experience of this. All my experience with them was around how they could be used by individuals  – firstly through my project with the tutors on the ESOL subject specialism and then through last year’s project with the HE tutors and students. Read more ►

A rough and ready post on #learnpod13

I am on a complete high from attending my second unconference today. Thoughts on the day:

Things that I knew already:

  • I like to go first. I was the first to pitch and thankfully in the first slot of the day.
  • The world is made of amazing people and I have the pleasure of having these amazing people in my PLN.
  • Meeting face to face is invaluable. Technology can enhance these relationships but face to face rules.
  • Socrative, Educreations and Show Me are good apps to have on a class set of iPads Read more ►

Evidenced-based practice: the theory and practice divide

Quote from Geoff Petty

Quote from Geoff Petty

The term ‘evidenced-based practice’ is something that I’ve been coming across more and more recently. Of course, I’m aware of Geoff Petty’s work in this area, although I can’t admit to have read his whole book. I reflected on the opening speech last year, where the guest speaker talked about Hattie’s research (this was the first time I became aware of this research) The IFL have also drawn on Hattie’s research and encourage the application of evidence based learning.  My organisation has subscribed to the how2teach resources, classroom ideas based on evidence-based practice.  At the last LSIS residential, one thing that (the amazing) Frank Coffield said the value of the programme was about giving tutors the opportunity to move beyond the ‘evidence of one’. Chatting with the ‘very quoteable’ @iltman last week, he said ‘many anecdotes don’t equate to evidence’ (or something much more quotable!!) Read more ►

Adventures on a sofa with an iPad: CPD in action

Flipboard forms my usual morning reading material, but today I felt a little more like video stimulation, so with Small Wint in school and Big Wint in the office I sat down with coffee and the TED app on my iPad. The first talk to catch my attention was Markham Nolan: How to separate fact and fiction online , and although he talks predominantly about journalism I thought some of the themes had connections to discussions we’ve been having in my Technology for Learning Delivery class on online identity and authenticating sources.I shared this link via my Twitter feed.

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Email updates: Diigo Groups

 

I have had a Diigo account since 2010, when Delicious was taken over by Yahoo and there were lots of discussions about the service being closed down. Then, at a RSC-YH event I went to a session on making the most of Diigo and heard about how Diigo Groups can be used to create student accounts to allow collaborative link sharing, and that this can easily be embedded into Moodle. I then started to explore this a little more.

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Email updates: ESOL-Research

ESOL-Research is a discussion forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the School of Education, University of Leeds. Action for ESOL campaign Website: http://www.actionforesol.org Twitter: http://twitter.com/ActionforESOL Facebook: Action for ESOL Online petition: http://www.gopetition.com/petition/41552.html

I have been a subscriber to the ESOL-Research Jisc-mail since it was first started, way back in 2006 (how time flies!!). Initially I would get an email update for each individual post, and if I’m honest I was probably a bit hit and miss about which I read and which got automatically deleted. When my email changed in 2008, this was one thing that got missed off the list to update so I was out of the loop (so to speak) for a while.

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International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language

In February 2012 I was fortunate to be able to present a workshop on Social Media, Mobile Technology and CPD at the MATE & IATEFL Marrakech 1st ICT Conference. As a result I was offered a one year membership to IATEFL, including membership to the Learning Technologies SIG.

Membership benefits include regular publications, including six copies of the magazine IATEFL Voices and a free conference selections publication, an annual conference, fourteen Special Interest Groups and funding support.

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British Educational Research Association

As part of the LSIS funded Research Development Fellowship I have a year’s BERA membership which dropped through the post this week.

 

Membership benefits include discount at the annual conference, over 30 special interest groups (SIG) free access to major educational research journals and the opportunity to be part of a vibrant, forward-looking community of educational researchers.

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RSA: feedback from LSIS grant interview

As I posted recently I am undertaking a practitioner research project where I hope to create a community of practice (CoP) between a small group of HE tutors and their students and look at the impact of taking part in this CoP has on their professional development.

This week I attended an interview for a research development fellowship grant from LSIS, and despite initial reservations about attending this interview, I’ve found talking about the project with the tutors at SUNCETT has already had an impact on my thoughts on the project.

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