writer block CCK08
i have a new supervisor ,I have a massive literature review, I have created the design and carried out the research-so now just write!
Amazing! Any time with any one I can talk ,get excited and fully defend my thesis yet it will not write its self.
I have turned to the blog as an emotional support because it does not demand academic language just reflections.
I an so interested in how teaching and learning is constructed between a new returning to education woman and a tutor. The idea that education was such a bad experience the first time around and now the woman with family or work commitments is trying to gain a degree level qualification.
I am interested in their life journey and educational journey so have collected stories and experiences. For those with dyslexia and those who suffered racial prejudice bullying and sheer trauma from their peers the idea of starting again must have extra significance. The affective domain Bloom wrote about that could stop any foray into the world of degrees .
The adult life also contains divorce,domestic violence,poverty,childcare and elderly care.The additional barrier seems to be the use of IT on courses. Adult returning women seem to complain it's like getting a new course on top of their degree and struggle to get computer literate ,using family members in the absence of time to learn at college on top of their degree. Why do women challenge themselves through education would be one story worth writing but the stance I want to take this time is can the situation be helped through networked learning? Can connectivity lift barriers when the adult returners are reconstructing their identity as a learner? can a blog do a lot more than a moodle site to help the individual to achieve or does traditional teaching ,transmitting knowledge a ta set pace in a set classroom space really give these second chancers a real education?
I know I am a late starter to using computers and only begun blogging this year.I have got connected after doing the massive on line course for emerging technologies CCK08. (Before then I could ust about open my mail)
I know how I feel about being a mature learner with connections and I want to test out the unusual stance of connectivity at college on the courses I teach. I know already the results are absolutely amazing resulting in individuals creating their own site,webs ,nodes and connecting in their own way.
the write up needs to say this was not action research but has some similarities to it as it was an exploration with learners that resulted i cycles of review ,reflection and feedback.
The first year was one following traditional lines in that all the materials were on the site before I even met the learners. the assignments ,videos and handouts were all made. The second year (after I did my own connectivity spurt) I had an empty moodle site that the learners constructed with me. They made video and posted it to u tube! wow! They had slideshows with their own relatives talking about education and co-staring with digital media of the olden times. wow!
They actually blogged and found excellent lines of research to share with their course and other courses. They sent papers around the e mail system and commented and foraged until the rich environment served all tutors and learners alike. First years linked with second years on facebook and gave each other emotional support for modules. They commented on tutors performance and materials and improve the emotional content between the learner and tutor as real people with emotional lives. they even found writings blogs from around the world to report on other countries education system.
The content on the course blew me away. The support for each other has developed into a real network for the women to take through life.
Now I just have to nail down what digital literacies were grown,how good or confusing it was for the individuals involved and the impact on traditional literacies and write the implementation of classroom A and classroom B .
Got plenty to discuss-just need to write it!
