oh my!!! all the time i am happy and stuck and slow and happy and stuck and slow. wish so bad i could change this pattern and finally become the productive person i urge so that i can carry on with my phd research in a more relaxed mode.
Showing posts with label ros. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ros. Show all posts
Monday, 16 May 2011
a step forward
16 may 2011
i met with ros today. lots of negotiations about content and outline for the thesis. many many plans and dreams on what goes where. she wants to meet me more often now. next meeting is next week. told her about my difficulties concerning technologies and that not even an excel spreadsheet i know how to use. she said we'll have a session on this if need be.
oh my!!! all the time i am happy and stuck and slow and happy and stuck and slow. wish so bad i could change this pattern and finally become the productive person i urge so that i can carry on with my phd research in a more relaxed mode.
oh my!!! all the time i am happy and stuck and slow and happy and stuck and slow. wish so bad i could change this pattern and finally become the productive person i urge so that i can carry on with my phd research in a more relaxed mode.
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
my 1st year presentation
23 june 2010
Reflection on my first year presentation
I had my first year presentation on 17th June 2010. It went fine. The one-day event was a nerve wrecking situation for all of us first year students. Of course I was apprehensive and tense about the presentation, as it represents a special moment in our process here, but feeling very much prepared to do it. I worked hard on every detail and was fortunate to have precious help from a number of friends and from Ros and Patricia. Other than that I tried to relax from listening to good jazz, walking in the Common listening to the birds singing for me, and praying.
The audience seemed interested in my research and not bothered by my long talk and everything was satisfactory in the end. I had three questions and responded to them accordingly, I think. The questions were, as far as I could process and can recall them: 1. from Patrick Stevenson: well, he said a few things in the beginning, which I did not fully follow, and asked about the validity of the work / the course, in such a tough setting; in other words, why or even if it is really worth teaching the course, taking into account the problems the teachers encounter there. For a moment I was not certain the question was more if I knew what I was doing and would then be able to justify the course or if he really thinks the course is not a good idea. My answer was basically that because the situation is a difficult one we should not avoid addressing the problem and trying to help it. I have the teachers’ interest in the course, and this is an important starting point. All of the other reasons I had addressed in the presentation. Yes, it is worth every effort. 2. Rob Baird: he asked if I had taught a course in the same format before. My answer: yes for the intensive mode and also for the focus on writing. I taught before in post graduate programmes for the state university called ‘academic writing’, as well as other courses in the same format and to the English teachers from various kinds of schools and from different cities in the state. The difference now will be that I planned the project and the course; with clear and special objectives in mind to use and freedom for creativity and to meet to the teachers’ needs and level of English. It is crucial now that some of the activities we do in class, not only from the workshops, the teachers be able to implement in their own teaching. I hope they become more curious and investigative about their practice and open up for new possibilities. 3. Najma Husein: she asked if the students are asked whether they want to study English or not. No, they are not asked this question and they are not given the option of studying it or not, despite the fact that the subject does not have the same level of importance as the other subjects do. English is the official foreign language in the curriculum. I need more information before I put a word here about Spanish, but I suppose it is being offered to some grades, not all of them, though.
When the presentation was finished I spoke with Ros. She said that I seemed calm, in control and that everything was very clear. I felt so good. This was the reward of hard work. I now feel much better about my research and more reassured of my research plans. The first year presentation is an opportunity for us students to answer questions we didn’t even know they existed before. It is also a moment to put the work together, orderly, academically. I love it. Now we can move on to another phase in the process.
Later on I had a celebration at the Crown Inn with Diana Popescu. The celebration is also part of the first year presentation. I felt great and relaxed and really needed this after so much hard work and tension.
note: below is a document i submitted to the post graduate coordinator today, exactly as it was sent, not one single word was taken out or added. this is my reflection on my first year presentation.
I had my first year presentation on 17th June 2010. It went fine. The one-day event was a nerve wrecking situation for all of us first year students. Of course I was apprehensive and tense about the presentation, as it represents a special moment in our process here, but feeling very much prepared to do it. I worked hard on every detail and was fortunate to have precious help from a number of friends and from Ros and Patricia. Other than that I tried to relax from listening to good jazz, walking in the Common listening to the birds singing for me, and praying.
The audience seemed interested in my research and not bothered by my long talk and everything was satisfactory in the end. I had three questions and responded to them accordingly, I think. The questions were, as far as I could process and can recall them: 1. from Patrick Stevenson: well, he said a few things in the beginning, which I did not fully follow, and asked about the validity of the work / the course, in such a tough setting; in other words, why or even if it is really worth teaching the course, taking into account the problems the teachers encounter there. For a moment I was not certain the question was more if I knew what I was doing and would then be able to justify the course or if he really thinks the course is not a good idea. My answer was basically that because the situation is a difficult one we should not avoid addressing the problem and trying to help it. I have the teachers’ interest in the course, and this is an important starting point. All of the other reasons I had addressed in the presentation. Yes, it is worth every effort. 2. Rob Baird: he asked if I had taught a course in the same format before. My answer: yes for the intensive mode and also for the focus on writing. I taught before in post graduate programmes for the state university called ‘academic writing’, as well as other courses in the same format and to the English teachers from various kinds of schools and from different cities in the state. The difference now will be that I planned the project and the course; with clear and special objectives in mind to use and freedom for creativity and to meet to the teachers’ needs and level of English. It is crucial now that some of the activities we do in class, not only from the workshops, the teachers be able to implement in their own teaching. I hope they become more curious and investigative about their practice and open up for new possibilities. 3. Najma Husein: she asked if the students are asked whether they want to study English or not. No, they are not asked this question and they are not given the option of studying it or not, despite the fact that the subject does not have the same level of importance as the other subjects do. English is the official foreign language in the curriculum. I need more information before I put a word here about Spanish, but I suppose it is being offered to some grades, not all of them, though.
When the presentation was finished I spoke with Ros. She said that I seemed calm, in control and that everything was very clear. I felt so good. This was the reward of hard work. I now feel much better about my research and more reassured of my research plans. The first year presentation is an opportunity for us students to answer questions we didn’t even know they existed before. It is also a moment to put the work together, orderly, academically. I love it. Now we can move on to another phase in the process.
Later on I had a celebration at the Crown Inn with Diana Popescu. The celebration is also part of the first year presentation. I felt great and relaxed and really needed this after so much hard work and tension.
Monday, 30 November 2009
‘every day is a winding road’
30 nov 2009
We had a particularly tough morning today because the wind was very strong. The rain was no big deal, but insistent. It was a very cold morning, of four degrees only. I walked to Highfield, bought myself a cup of coffee and went to the law building to work. My umbrella was falling apart in harmony with the wind, which blows everything away.
I finished work and stopped by the uni shop to buy blank dvds and an umbrella, now a navy blue one. It was freezing cold and windy outside. I got some money from the cash point by the uni shop and this girl in the queue was shivering of cold. I had no choice but to enter susu building to equip myself: put on scarf, hat, and gloves, this big operation to face the not so unpredictable British weather: yes, it is not going to be so nice, at least not for long.
Well, i ended up getting late for a meeting with Jo. She was going to talk to me about the writing teaching that we do here in the programme. We ended up meeting later on, after 12 o’clock, as I had some ‘emergencies’: I needed to call Dorothy and we talked for a while.
Here is another emergency: I was walking towards my office (after the phone call) when Mariko approached me with such a sad face. It was to tell me that George Blue, our very nice and friendly George Blue, died this past Friday. He had been operated on a few weeks before and, as far as I knew, was recovering really well. According to Rob, it was a triple bypass heart surgery. He was my friend Buk’s supervisor. Buk had told me he was recovering ok, doing short walks, and Buk even visited him in his house one or two weeks ago. I knew he was seeing his students and talking for no longer than a half hour, but that he would be able to be back to work in January in full capacity. Well, the man passed away, apparently while sleeping, but I have no details.
And there I stayed in the corridor, talking with Mariko for a long time, we both in shock for such a sad end for our Blue. She had watery eyes, I could see it. It was interesting, because she insisted in being there with me for this long while in the corridor, as if she needed it, to talk, to share, to express sadness, and maybe – maybe – to understand all this. Mariko invited me to come down to the canteen at 12.30 to have lunch with her and Rob.
We had a particularly tough morning today because the wind was very strong. The rain was no big deal, but insistent. It was a very cold morning, of four degrees only. I walked to Highfield, bought myself a cup of coffee and went to the law building to work. My umbrella was falling apart in harmony with the wind, which blows everything away.
I finished work and stopped by the uni shop to buy blank dvds and an umbrella, now a navy blue one. It was freezing cold and windy outside. I got some money from the cash point by the uni shop and this girl in the queue was shivering of cold. I had no choice but to enter susu building to equip myself: put on scarf, hat, and gloves, this big operation to face the not so unpredictable British weather: yes, it is not going to be so nice, at least not for long.
Well, i ended up getting late for a meeting with Jo. She was going to talk to me about the writing teaching that we do here in the programme. We ended up meeting later on, after 12 o’clock, as I had some ‘emergencies’: I needed to call Dorothy and we talked for a while.
Here is another emergency: I was walking towards my office (after the phone call) when Mariko approached me with such a sad face. It was to tell me that George Blue, our very nice and friendly George Blue, died this past Friday. He had been operated on a few weeks before and, as far as I knew, was recovering really well. According to Rob, it was a triple bypass heart surgery. He was my friend Buk’s supervisor. Buk had told me he was recovering ok, doing short walks, and Buk even visited him in his house one or two weeks ago. I knew he was seeing his students and talking for no longer than a half hour, but that he would be able to be back to work in January in full capacity. Well, the man passed away, apparently while sleeping, but I have no details.
And there I stayed in the corridor, talking with Mariko for a long time, we both in shock for such a sad end for our Blue. She had watery eyes, I could see it. It was interesting, because she insisted in being there with me for this long while in the corridor, as if she needed it, to talk, to share, to express sadness, and maybe – maybe – to understand all this. Mariko invited me to come down to the canteen at 12.30 to have lunch with her and Rob.
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