tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82946594501705659082024-03-05T09:06:56.822-08:00Roles, spaces & placesThis blog is to accompany my journey through my final year on my MA in Educational technology, my move to America, and also my potentially changing role as an educator. My previous blogs have been for my own personal development use but I hope some of you are able to get something out of this. Welcome.Martin Wartershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251165629852394809noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294659450170565908.post-86597260989061309842012-11-15T18:10:00.000-08:002012-11-15T18:10:38.694-08:00It comes to an end...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;">Hi Martin,</span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;">The results are being sent out by post, I can confirm you have passed your degree with Merit, and have been given a grade of 68% for your dissertation.</span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;">Congratulations.</span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px;">I am happy at work. I am happy in the USA. I am happy with the direction I am going in. </span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px;">Quite a journey....</span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px;">I will be checking back in occasionally. </span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px;">Thanks to all </span></span></div>
Martin Wartershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251165629852394809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294659450170565908.post-30751039013713881622012-06-07T18:19:00.004-07:002012-06-07T18:19:54.278-07:00The serious game of work<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzqIc9cNJtdO5s4Ac_CNt0c2S0xRbByBveaCIFBkH3m2nqqMbr1HUcb8Cpe7wFI_6niWkZrL4wGMt5PlRl-jQp7qmHWcT1sgzMsz6m7j-DSjFUKSQHTv-9np8FhNP-RRwHnSwG1i-1kI/s1600/operation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzqIc9cNJtdO5s4Ac_CNt0c2S0xRbByBveaCIFBkH3m2nqqMbr1HUcb8Cpe7wFI_6niWkZrL4wGMt5PlRl-jQp7qmHWcT1sgzMsz6m7j-DSjFUKSQHTv-9np8FhNP-RRwHnSwG1i-1kI/s320/operation.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<u><br /></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<u><br /></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<u>The serous game of
work. </u><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wow has it been this long? A new job, a new climate a new approach….
Same dissertation and same workload if not more. I recently took up a new position in NC, which is now
definitely feeling like home. Surprisingly there have been only a few wobbles;
the first one inspired by the Queen’s jubilee and the second by the fab the best marigold hotel. I really miss hob
nobs sausage rolls and battered sausages, but apart from that all is good. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My job takes me out of the house and into the mean, rough and tumble area of
RTP. I am working for a techs tart up and have the same problems, concerns
question, fears, highs, lows that I am certain are familiar to those of you who
have experience of such a venture. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have struggled a bit with the switch. culture, jobs,
roles, colleagues, expectations have all shifted and I did feel a little bit disorientated.
I found it really hard to gauge people. I am still struggling a little with the
change- are people behaving a certain way and interacting with me in a certain
way because of the fact they are American; they are aligned to the culture of
the organization; they just have a really abstruse personality – let me report
back on that one in a few months. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, anyhoo to help me adjust and acclimatize to using all
these Zs and having to tell people when I am trying to make a joke, I have
turned to gamification, in a way. I have read a lot on this, as part of my
dissertation, and to be honest, I am not sure I like the idea of gamification
of learning. It seems sinister and corporate and superficial. It is changing behavior;
but on a surface level for the shiny shiny
reward. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The way I am using gamification, is closer to that of jane
mcgonigal and I am giving a task a narrative to help me get through, think
deeper and explain how I am feeling and what is going on. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Challenges become quests…. Colleagues become members of the
guild or in some cases enemies (in a nice way<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>
). My attributes are based around people.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So instead of Charisma I have chosen
the name of a friend who is er, charismatic and given myself a value, for this, in this instance we have a 6/10 I
schmooze successfully with sb, and this goes up… I wade in with a crappy
anglo-centred gag that alienates the mess hall, it will go down. There are other characteristics of course - bouncebackabilty is another example. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The narrative writing aspect is a nice distraction and reinforces
work on my dissertation . I only started it today , but will keep you posted on
how I get on. I am feeling like a DM of my destiny, I know I need to change and
adapt to thrive here and this could be the way. Work is a serious game –
perhaps the most serious for me… let the games begin. A review will be
forthcoming. <o:p></o:p></div>Martin Wartershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251165629852394809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294659450170565908.post-4086145367195807062012-02-13T08:51:00.000-08:002012-02-13T09:52:33.023-08:00There is (no) need for that!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRiONqMT6Z5wcapsDHDBnCIWvFjy4pxgNiXq71mC3GxyMnDGt_9SkgtAwb1E2raCGu5pHbT6slnp3ROUoSHg1uTAXEk3-tZ46RzC9zM8bR9Oe2z8-pU0Jqn6Ubq27UVxCtzcxQuYJGOrU/s1600/How+rude.jpg" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRiONqMT6Z5wcapsDHDBnCIWvFjy4pxgNiXq71mC3GxyMnDGt_9SkgtAwb1E2raCGu5pHbT6slnp3ROUoSHg1uTAXEk3-tZ46RzC9zM8bR9Oe2z8-pU0Jqn6Ubq27UVxCtzcxQuYJGOrU/s320/How+rude.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708665268129774706" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; "><span>A break from the norm today.... </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; "><span>For those of you in the know, last year I gave a workshop at IATEFL Brighton entitled</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; "><b style="line-height: 12.75pt; "><span style="color: rgb(42, 42, 42); "><span>The appropriacy and need of the explicit teaching of impoliteness in the second-language classroom in a UK setting.</span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span><span style="line-height: 17px; ">This was really good. I enjoyed talking to other teachers and hearing their views on this quite emotive topic. I was contacted by one of the attendees to respond to a discussion that is taking place on his blog</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span><span style="line-height: 17px; "><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(236, 242, 245); "></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span><span>Hi Martin, was at your great session. I'd like to interview you about your ideas on politeness for a blog debate going on at the moment. His name is Ed and you can find his blog here: </span></span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span><span style="line-height: 17px; "><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(236, 242, 245); "></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; "><span><span style="line-height: 17px;"> </span></span><a href="http://talkingbusinessinternationally.wordpress.com/">http://talkingbusinessinternationally.wordpress.com/</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-size: 100%; ">He asked me to add to the discussion by </span>responding<span style="font-size: 100%; "> to these questions- I hope it adds value in some way:) </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; "><b>All comments greatly received on this</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><b>1. There’s currently a discussion about what forms of politeness English learners need to know and whether people can really absorb the politeness conventions of a new language. What’s your view?<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">I think you can but you need authentic contact within the culture. Whether or not that can be truly achieved in a traditional classroom setting, well I am unsure. Speaking as a language learner, I learned more about the culture the illocutionary force of the language by actually immersing myself in situations. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><b>2. In your IATEFL talk last year, you described how learners living in the UK have a real need to at least be aware of ‘impolite’ forms of English, how did you come to this conclusion?<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">Something happened to me that had a profound effect on my teaching, and also my way of thinking. I would even go so far as to say that it led on to me questioning my own principles and approaches of teaching English.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "> I taught in a private language school here in Brighton, where the majority of students are young graduates. Predominantly these students are focused on obtaining the Cambridge FCE to improve their employment opportunities when they return home, but it is also clear from needs analysis that there is a need for ESOL tuition, and many of our students have spent at least one semester following programmes for the Cambridge ESOL skills for life examinations. The average period of stay is about one year and during their stay a secondary aim for many of these students is to obtain a greater understanding and experience of the UK through full integration in the target language and culture of the UK, and like many young adults, this includes taking advantage of Brighton’s established and eclectic social life. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">One day, a student brought up a topic that would introduce this idea of teaching impoliteness…. Increasingly, the functional-notional aspect of the consolidation sessions had moved away from survival English, e.g., completing job application forms, setting up direct debits, to what to say in response to impoliteness being directed towards students.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">After an impromptu class discussion where I invited students to share their experiences of impolite behaviour, it soon became apparent that the majority of students had unfortunately experienced a situation where they felt verbally threatened or uncomfortable during their time in Brighton. This primarily was taking place in social situations, but also somewhat worryingly in work settings as well: both by co-workers, supervisors and customers<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">At the time I didn’t know what to do! Only yesterday we were having a lovely lesson on the merits of different cafes in Brighton, and now the student body was asking for a lesson on how to respond to discourse that was perceived as impolite.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">There is an awful lot to unpack from this situation, and I think it is worth noting here the key word RESPONDING. I had never heard of students requesting the language to instigate rude or impolite discourse exchanges…. That would be another post<span style="font-family:Wingdings;mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;mso-char-type:symbol;mso-symbol-font-family:Wingdings">J</span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">This impolite discourse does happen on a daily basis unfortunately. The world that is reflected in coursebooks rarely exists outside of their pages. This is not an attack on publishers; it would take a brave publisher to reflect real life needs of impolite discourse. Reviewing materials that were at hand in the staffroom, professionally it seems that systematically we teach the importance of how to be polite extensively and in great detail. But this merry old England doesn’t really exist anymore (if it ever did!!!) <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">I feel strongly that in this sense it is not actually behaviour changing. The way I would behave in English is the same that I would behave in a second language. If a student is comfortable to do sth in their L1, then they should have the opportunity to do this in English. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">I decided that there was a real need to empower students to have the ability and opportunity to respond impolitely, if they so wish, with full knowledge of the implications that such responses would have.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">Almost by chance, as part of my MA, I came across an article by Gerry Mugford (2008) and this dilemma of appropriacy is something that he investigates, concluding <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">‘that teachers need to take the lead by preparing learners to communicate in pleasant, not so pleasant, and even abusive interactional and transactional situations’ (375).<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><b>3. How do you knowledge of impoliteness adds value to learners’ ability to operate in an English speaking environment?<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "> There is clearly a need for teachers to provide the language for students to operate in any given situation they may find themselves in, and this, for many students, could be the not so pleasant and abusive situations. Adding this to a student’s lexical resource hopefully gives the student more confidence in their day-to-day English exchanges. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><b>4. How did you go about introducing the subject of ‘impoliteness’ in class and how did your learners react?<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">As mentioned above, it was brought to me! The sessions went well. I was nervous that a few students might react badly to the lesson and not feel comfortable in the session. I introduced the topic systematically, and I think it helped that all the students had had a bad experience that they could discuss. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">Ultimately the main technique I used was Awareness Raising, and this was primarily done through a social comparison of behaviour and the students’ own reflections on how their own culture differs to what they have experienced in the UK. I did this as a class discussion, and it was fascinating to hear differences of opinion between nationalities about the UK and it opened up opportunities for exploration into the ESOL syllabus and generated some really useful language patterns. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">I did this by using existing coursebook materials <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">A possible welcome by-product would hopefully be that students feel more confident outside of class, and this would have a positive effect on their motivation and progress in English inside the classroom.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">Two things that I did came straight from coursebooks we were using, and this was the topic of Customer services. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">At the time we had the Ash cloud from Iceland, and later on in the year we had the travel chaos at Gatwick, and Eurostar. So the images of happy airport and rail passengers that were typical in the EFL coursebooks we were using were not so apparent. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">We discussed what could go wrong, how to react and if we would be impolite. There was a wealth of material on youtube and bbc news channel at the time on these stories, and this provided great input materials for analysis.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">Customer services was an especially interesting area as some of our students had experience of working in receptions at some of the hotels here in Brighton. We found, unsurprisingly, that many times being impolite actually ensured that staff would be understandably unhelpful. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">This activity also opened up the much needed analysis of what is impoliteness: one person’s remark could be construed as banter or as a deeply insulting remark, and from this there would also be a clear need to differentiate and grade potential responses highlighting the level of how impolite something is, and generally what is seen as an appropriate response on a discourse level. This then lead onto further work such as pronunciation- attitudinal tone, and the illocutionary impact of the language based on relationships between speakers. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">Interestingly, after implementing the awareness-raising activities and class discussion, most students said that they would never dream of using the target structures in their setting. The feedback it seemed was that how to respond to impolite language was just another lexical set in the same way as making a complaint about food in a restaurant is. It was the empowerment of being able to be impolite that was desired rather than the actual need or desire to be impolite.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">I don’t think it's about teaching foul language or how to swear like a native speaker, but rather raising awareness of situations where people are speaking impolitely and helping students to make informed decisions, with strategies and phrases: Knowing how to be impolite, and the potential consequences. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">The students said this was useful to know, and as a teacher, I feel that that is reason enough to warrant this and further exploration. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><b>5. Do you think impoliteness should be taught as a receptive skill alone or is there an argument for teaching the production of impolite language?<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">A given tenant of teaching is that we enable students to be adequately equipped with a lexical resource to operate in any given situation. How do you feel about this if the lexis is related to being impolite, disrespectful or rude? The second language classroom is usually the place for dealing with the more pleasant side of language and discourse whereas impoliteness is seldom a feature. I would say that having the knowledge of how to produce impolite language, and being aware of its potential consequences, is.... well, there is a strong argument to do this. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><b>6. What would you advise trainers to focus on if they decide to address impoliteness in class?<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">It would be impossible for me to advise trainers individually: I can’t really offer up a definitive guide as all our contexts are unique and will be informed by the specifics of the ecology of our teaching environments, and also by your own pedagogical and social viewpoints. Also I am still working through my own interpretations and understanding of this theme! </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">This teaching of being impolite has a huge social and pedagogical stigma associated with it. Speaking to colleagues in the staff room highlighted comments and ideas that had a startling breadth of opinion on the topic, with most stating that they would never dream of teaching explicit impoliteness in class, yet would appreciate the illocutionary power that it wields if they were learning a foreign language.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">Just before my presentation, I was contacted by an MA student at Liverpool’s John Moore’s University asking for my view on teaching impoliteness. Her name is Dawn Skeoch, and she shared her own research on the teaching of impoliteness as part of her dissertation work, and this quotation is a very nice summary that I ended up using in my presentation. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">One interesting point that came indirectly out of my research was that teachers' and students' interpretation of the term impoliteness related to foul language or insulting language, not very many teachers thought about other branches of the term which is partly why they were against teaching the subject in class although interestingly they recognised the need for students to recognise that kind of language and situation. (Skeoch, 2011)<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">Dawn’s findings fit in with what I found:<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">It seems many teachers were experiencing this dissonance of approach-wouldn’t do it, but would want it as a student. This actually got us all talking and horror stories emerged of previous negative experiences in a second language setting. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">Personally, I am quite confident that 9 times out of 10 I must say that I wouldn’t actually use impolite language in an L2 situation but being able to think of a response would give me some comfort and confidence. I think trainers need to be guided by their own local context and student body. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><o:p> </o:p></p> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><b>7. Do you think practical matters, such as dealing with impoliteness, should have more of a central place in language teaching?<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">I do. It is language that our students need and as a learner I would like to have access to this language. I don’t think it will ever be incorporated into a mainstream language course by a big publisher but on a local level it is something that we can help our students with. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /></p>Martin Wartershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251165629852394809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294659450170565908.post-4506522932295841352012-01-30T17:47:00.000-08:002012-01-30T18:12:39.799-08:00An Epic Win<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtT5gUjnrbOxWHFrt3gLtwYRpS3Tf3IsexE2naDydqI6Awjar5LBCHcNjWa6HeHsyPVOeNhiBYsV8t4z6z79fpW2A-F7zY38yYXybV5TVZAhzUJkjjK52VXPio5g5gpNGnY_X7eWjvIU/s1600/Zombie.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 303px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtT5gUjnrbOxWHFrt3gLtwYRpS3Tf3IsexE2naDydqI6Awjar5LBCHcNjWa6HeHsyPVOeNhiBYsV8t4z6z79fpW2A-F7zY38yYXybV5TVZAhzUJkjjK52VXPio5g5gpNGnY_X7eWjvIU/s320/Zombie.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703611238175959762" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">I came across this wonderful TED talk as part of my gamification research for the forthcoming dissertation. It is absolutely fascinating stuff. The case is made by the wonderfully articulate Jane McGonigal that the ills of the world can be resolved by computer games. World of Warcraft to be particular. By playing these types of immersive, games filled with co-operative problem solving tasks, we are learning how to be social and developing our analytical skills.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dE1DuBesGYM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">This is a rather simplistic rendering of her talk, but it is a really interesting vid and I do recommend it. It did get me thinking though. My two games of choice in a desert island kind of scenario would be The Resident Evil series and Championship manager… I play these a lot, perhaps too much to be honest… And I am wondering what I am learning from these games. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I know that the T-virus is pretty bad news and that Mixalis Pavlis has the potential to be the most feared striker in Europe (for an anti-football 4231 formation) but is there any more than this…<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Resident Evil has a really strong narrative that has developed since 1996 and this survival horror has even survived some really bad film versions. Champ man is really popular 442 magazine has a regular feature on young players from around Europe that you highlight potential talent. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I feel quite bad when your assistant manager informs you that you have had to let a player go. I do end up worrying about them! How will they get on… they have been at the club since they were 15… what will they do… the power is overwhelming yet a burden. I don’t know how Fergie does it. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There are things to learn from a lot of games I don’t know it can change the world ( I might do after this dissertation) but for the moment I can see that I learn a lot about myself… which might not be a bad thing. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">For parity here is the exceptional Stephen Colbert asking the questions a lot of people would want to ask the ace Jane. Enjoy:) </p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /> <table style="font:11px arial; color:#333; background-color:#f5f5f5" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="512" height="340"><tbody><tr style="background-color:#e5e5e5" valign="middle"><td style="padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;"><a target="_blank" style="color:#333; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;" href="http://www.colbertnation.com/">The Colbert Report</a></td><td style="padding:2px 5px 0px 5px; text-align:right; font-weight:bold;">Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c</td></tr><tr style="height:14px;" valign="middle"><td style="padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;" colspan="2"><a target="_blank" style="color:#333; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;" href="http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/373360/february-03-2011/jane-mcgonigal">Jane McGonigal</a></td></tr><tr style="height:14px; background-color:#353535" valign="middle"><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 5px 0px 5px; width:512px; overflow:hidden; text-align:right"><a target="_blank" style="color:#96deff; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;" href="http://www.colbertnation.com/">www.colbertnation.com</a></td></tr><tr valign="middle"><td style="padding:0px;" colspan="2"><embed style="display:block" src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:373360" width="512" height="288" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="window" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="autoPlay=false" allowscriptaccess="always" allownetworking="all" bgcolor="#000000"></embed></td></tr><tr style="height:18px;" valign="middle"><td style="padding:0px;" colspan="2"><table style="margin:0px; text-align:center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" height="100%"><tbody><tr valign="middle"><td style="padding:3px; width:33%;"><a target="_blank" style="font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;" href="http://www.colbertnation.com/full-episodes/">Colbert Report Full Episodes</a></td><td style="padding:3px; width:33%;"><a target="_blank" style="font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;" href="http://www.indecisionforever.com/">Political Humor & Satire Blog</a></td><td style="padding:3px; width:33%;"><a target="_blank" style="font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;" href="http://www.colbertnation.com/video">Video Archive</a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /> <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Martin Wartershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251165629852394809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294659450170565908.post-78706651965584720232011-12-11T09:03:00.000-08:002011-12-11T09:06:05.316-08:00What we bring to the interview<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FbxbH7I-Q7WksPufL2-5aiKNDdwYCvE1hwEbVgnDyRN21qKZg2jyIwXExhLDZB1-uOLcmhdkTduV_U6Gh-uCwnoWdZYxNUeBal3QA-zse0wkOH0_h7DvmR93zyZbFJAWvHdpFMKnqNI/s1600/WARTERS+MARTIN_CR_20110802_153502_1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 262px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FbxbH7I-Q7WksPufL2-5aiKNDdwYCvE1hwEbVgnDyRN21qKZg2jyIwXExhLDZB1-uOLcmhdkTduV_U6Gh-uCwnoWdZYxNUeBal3QA-zse0wkOH0_h7DvmR93zyZbFJAWvHdpFMKnqNI/s320/WARTERS+MARTIN_CR_20110802_153502_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5684917690807400802" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida grande', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: small; ">One thing that has really interested me in the DRC process is how individual interviewers could potentially conduct the same interview with the same person and collect different data on different days by just deciding to follow one tangent rather than another or focusing on one aspect over another. The more I think about this the more it overwhelms me (butterfly effect, chaos theory etc...) The prep we do beforehand, the day we are having, what we have just learned / read can all influence our questions and elements of the interview. I am kind of sensing a catch 22 with this micro level preparation / conduction... What the interviewer brings to the interview is going to be an interesting area for me to focus on during the assignment. </span>Martin Wartershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251165629852394809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294659450170565908.post-38853740139033899112011-10-31T02:23:00.000-07:002011-10-31T02:38:16.551-07:00The downward, outward and upward spiral<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilybqPZNwNYXCPF7KdwedcZmM51ASCQJYr1KwNIiZafYw_eX_KjwneVfMVZwHnKfXmqmAJaHCSPvtENfHvqmr5sWsMKhpMJ7e07Sc-ALxh9QERkLdcQ6LDxwK2bZElk9ogngLVeYYZtQA/s1600/spiral-staircase-02.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilybqPZNwNYXCPF7KdwedcZmM51ASCQJYr1KwNIiZafYw_eX_KjwneVfMVZwHnKfXmqmAJaHCSPvtENfHvqmr5sWsMKhpMJ7e07Sc-ALxh9QERkLdcQ6LDxwK2bZElk9ogngLVeYYZtQA/s320/spiral-staircase-02.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669588155174137314" /></a><br /><div><br /></div>Two posts in a week -wow, I do have more time now! This is just a brief musing in relation to my Developing Researcher Competence. As we work through our Pilot Study we are required to make decisions about the actual design of the study - ultimately giving our opinions- why we did what we did, why we think what we think. Something hit me when I was thinking through this process. <div><br /></div><div>For me, I can liken this design of a pilot study to a movable spiral. Continuously moving over the bigger picture of the design process and then moving the focus in or out, as the design question dictates. Two things came up that I need to reflect further on:</div><div><br /></div><div>It is quite easy to be lost in the detail, but for a research project you may have to be...</div><div>One small decision can, and will change the whole scope of the final project</div><div><br /></div><div>This links back to my ideas about making rash decisions and having to question everything - I believe that this is called researcher transparency and this is what we are looking at in the next step. </div><div><br /></div><div>I quite like this movable spiral metaphor and I would be interested to see if anyone else had a metaphor for when they are conducting research. </div>Martin Wartershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251165629852394809noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294659450170565908.post-30110659432485222882011-10-30T04:31:00.000-07:002011-10-30T04:53:32.768-07:00Goodbyes and hellos<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8icK4Pjg8fnuIaebs5JV5tNHcrKdnijJaLDgBQ1a7UKxFyDLm4j77HwwNQ4pHpP-b0j3wPcmYh1pMsQehpdkeblNIJwxoxN1bWUDFzD60T9xJ9RPHUPYyGVzQPxiGu8zPKJOCvAZqSlQ/s1600/bye+2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8icK4Pjg8fnuIaebs5JV5tNHcrKdnijJaLDgBQ1a7UKxFyDLm4j77HwwNQ4pHpP-b0j3wPcmYh1pMsQehpdkeblNIJwxoxN1bWUDFzD60T9xJ9RPHUPYyGVzQPxiGu8zPKJOCvAZqSlQ/s320/bye+2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669250355756295426" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmWe8JdYIMGEMgnXc-w5BF8okqJ0ogPwoFLDOwSvRQ4dDDQ9NWR41Q3NqZPaYz9OIlkFNqe1T-IASnv_gQhQLaqomspCOcXPVmOGnuKLvA0C6wKHKFb0akDRFqAM4ocpZwGjXzXFELrE/s1600/bye.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 260px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmWe8JdYIMGEMgnXc-w5BF8okqJ0ogPwoFLDOwSvRQ4dDDQ9NWR41Q3NqZPaYz9OIlkFNqe1T-IASnv_gQhQLaqomspCOcXPVmOGnuKLvA0C6wKHKFb0akDRFqAM4ocpZwGjXzXFELrE/s320/bye.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669246632774676930" /></a><br /><br />So. Last Friday was my final day at the Castle School of English, Brighton... I was at the school for 4 years, 3 of them as DoS. I learned a lot about myself and what I want from a profession, and also what is important to me. This, I am sure, will be invaluable in the future. The owner of the school asked me if I thought I had changed over the four years. I don't know if I have changed, but I have learned how I react to certain situations <div><br /></div><div>It is starting to get real now- this moving lark. This morning I was watching UK border force on TV and just started panicking about being turned away at the airport. My naturally tendency to worry, again:)I will not really relax until I am on the other side of the barrier!</div><div> I spent the morning reading other people's accounts of the visa process and experience of Newark as a Port of Entry. Fascinatingly scary, but didn't read about anyone who got completely turned away, so that must be a good thing.<br /><br />Was a wee bit sad to leave Castle, they are a great bunch of talented individuals, but this profession does seem to go hand in hand with quite a transient lifestyle. The fantastic upshot of this is that I now have a lot more time to spend on my new role and my final year at Manchester. <div>I am REALLY excited about my new position. Teaching in Second Life is just amazing, I love it! I can liken it to when I passed the CELTA and everything is new; it has certainly given me a new lease of life on the teaching front. My new employers seem an absolute dream bunch of people. Everything I want really - talented, dedicated, supportive. I am excited to see how this new position develops... one for future reflection I fancy. </div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div></div>Martin Wartershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251165629852394809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294659450170565908.post-56627546371010251122011-10-16T08:18:00.000-07:002011-10-16T08:57:59.485-07:00Sacroiliac Joint<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.chiropractic-help.com/images/sacroiliac_anatomy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 349px; height: 360px;" src="http://www.chiropractic-help.com/images/sacroiliac_anatomy.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />For those non-medical folk, here is a quick run down on the Sacroiliac Joint...and its accompanying pain. <br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The sacroiliac joint or SI joint is the joint in the bony pelvis between the sacrum and the ilium of the pelvis, which are joined together by strong ligaments. In humans, the sacrum supports the spine and is supported in turn by an ilium on each side. The joint is a strong, weight bearing synovial joint with irregular elevations and depressions that produce interlocking of the two bones. The human body has two sacroiliac joints, one on the left and one on the right, that often match each other but are highly variable from person to person.<br /><br />Pain is thought to be caused by sacroiliitis, an inflammation of one of the sacroiliac joint(s), which is a common cause of unilateral low back pain. With sacroiliitis, the individual may experience pain in the low back, buttock or thigh, depending on the amount of inflammation. Common problems of the sacroiliac joint are often called sacroiliac joint dysfunction (also termed SI joint dysfunction; SIJD). The cause of sacroiliac joint dysfunction is likely a disruption of the correlative movements between the left and right sacroiliac joints (from either too much or too little movement creating an antagonistic position of the left and right innominate bones creating a pelvic obliquity, when they normally should appear symmetrical).</span> Info from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacroiliac_joint">wikipedia </a><br /><br /><br /><br />Quite a strange title and opening for a post in this blog, but all will become clear!<br />I will start with a quick catch up. I final got my visa for the USA after a few twists and turns. We have a put a deposit on a place to rent, I have a new job and am on final countdown until the move. I have two more weeks at work. I have also been diagnosed with SIJD, a common running injury; Yesterday was the first time I had ran for more than 5 weeks... More on that later.<br /><br />All very exciting / traumatic and I think a legitimate reason for not having posted for a while. I must say though that this blog had often been on my mind.<br /><br />Plus, and perhaps most importantly, Uni started again. This has been great! <br />It has been wonderful catching up with people after the really short summer, and seeing how all the hard work we have done over the last two years is culminating on our <span style="font-style:italic;">Developing Researcher Competence</span> module. Manchester really has attracted a high level of candidates and it will be great to see what the future holds for everyone and where this course will take people. <br /><br />This module relies heavily on an iterative process of self reflection and exploration of the process of researching an area. <br /><br />Anyhoo, as part of this module, I have gone for the following area to explore.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">I want to explore how teachers in Second Life use the environment.</span> I had various ideas prior to this, a few false starts and a few revisions but I feel that this is the most suitable for me, right now and for my future. I don't want to get down that road right now, as I am still working through the process. So the point of this post <span style="font-style:italic;">(thank you if you are still here:))</span> Is that I realised that I am really rubbish at making big decisions! And there is a link here with my Sacroiliac Joint injury. During the process I had a tendency to choose the first option that seemed like a best fit, rather than thinking it through. It seemed as though I couldn't or didn't want to have a decision hanging over me. When I had my injury, and this was pre-diagnosis, I just decided that I would knock running on the head- I didn't want to have the idea of an injury hanging over me. I just wanted to remove myself from that arena! Not very rationale - especially for a 32 year old. This realization. that I can do such rash actions, is massive for me. Taking a step back before charging into something is reckless and something I need to work on. I don't know if running helped me with this realization, but it has made me think. I feel as though it was a watershed moment- hence this long, long post. So here is to my rather fine, but not too well, Sacroiliac joint. Long may you keep me grounded, in every sense of the word.Martin Wartershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251165629852394809noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294659450170565908.post-90833098251724167912011-09-05T06:18:00.000-07:002011-09-05T06:22:05.339-07:00Transactional distance a changing perspective
<br />
<br />
<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">a psychological and communication space to be crossed, a space of potential misunderstanding between the inputs of instructor and those of the learner <span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span>(Moore, 1980)
<br />
<br />In preparation for my imminent return to studies at Manchester, I have been re-reading some of the course materials. I love this time of year as it is a great opportunity to revisit ideas and comments made half a year ago and see how similar they are now. It is fascinating to see how ideas have been altered or strengthened based on the praxis of real world application. One such idea hit home with me last week and ties together a number of themes that are running through the DNA of this blog.
<br />
<br />I was taking part in an SL session with colleagues from Europe (including UK ) and USA. As the session progressed I was aware more and more of a distance between the participants and myself. Nothing extraordinary there as this space is generally apparent in many online sessions, what I found interesting however, was the fact that my sense of transactional distance was shifting…
<br />
<br />I had never felt this in a session before. Initially, the space between the UK participants was there but small. The distance between Brighton and Wyoming was noticeable and apparent to the extent you could almost touch it. Knowing the location and nationality of a person influenced me greatly and I am not sure why! This never happened with the online sessions organised with the University of Manchester.
<br />
<br />There is a lot to unpack here and includes ideas about formal / informal learning; a walled garden of education; sense of self online… I am going to reflect on these issues further as the weeks progress and I am really interested to see how my move of
<br />3899.7 miles (6275.9 Km / 3386.5 Nautical miles) will change how I interact with colleagues, friends, in the same arenas as now. Will there be a difference…. Probably…why…. I am not sure…yet:)
<br />
<br />Moore, M. G. (1980). Independent study. In R. Boyd & J. Apps (Eds.), Redefining the Discipline of Adult Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, pp. 16–31.
<br />
<br />Martin Wartershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251165629852394809noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294659450170565908.post-74346759190317296162011-08-20T03:59:00.001-07:002011-08-20T04:12:04.363-07:00learning in, from and about Second Life (the blurring of boundaries)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RB0cK9Kx2k8zledAvB9JxWdGatuwWj7obnMxAAqme9tImEjlHSJyTUeJDZEbFsLj9qEne0CpUETLqryLB6yL2_U9aGlK9l8150bkQUx4l8Rz7Rn-inYsCAbYEuBw7jzl33yY2hOx7vw/s1600/summer+2011+026.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RB0cK9Kx2k8zledAvB9JxWdGatuwWj7obnMxAAqme9tImEjlHSJyTUeJDZEbFsLj9qEne0CpUETLqryLB6yL2_U9aGlK9l8150bkQUx4l8Rz7Rn-inYsCAbYEuBw7jzl33yY2hOx7vw/s320/summer+2011+026.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642893051701436290" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<br />Well as promised, here is another post about my newly re-found love of second life.
<br />
<br />It is very similar to a request I made in <a href="http://avalon-project.ning.com/">Avalon </a> I would recommend you have a look at this great ning. A really supportive and friendly bunch of educators:)
<br />
<br />I am fortunate enough now to be in the position where I can observe a lot of experienced teachers in SL. For my own development, as a fledgling English teacher in Second Life, I was wondering how I could capitalise on each observation that I do.
<br />
<br />To this end, I have created a work in progress of an adapted RL lesson observation sheet, trying to make it more SL user-friendly. I would greatly welcome feedback on this rough doc (please see below) and comments suggestions on if I have overlooked or missed something. I am also wondering about my approach to this observation sheet as it based on RL pedagogical approaches and these may not be as relevant in the SL arena... Any comments greatly received:)
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">SL observations</span>
<br />
<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Throughout the observation think about how the affordances of SL are capitalised upon. </span>
<br />
<br />How does the teacher get the students’ attention at the beginning of the lesson?
<br />What does she/he say? What mimes or gestures does he/she use?
<br />
<br />1 What are the learners doing when the teacher arrives?
<br />How do the learners (re)act?
<br />How does the teacher open the lesson?
<br />Does the teacher explain his/her plan and objective(s) to the learners?
<br />
<br />2 Are the learners aware of the objective of the lesson?
<br />What are they doing at this stage?
<br />Are there any organizational tasks that are done by the teacher? (notecards)
<br />
<br />3 Are there any organizational tasks that individual pupils do?
<br />Which stages of the lesson can you identify?
<br />How many stages are there? How are they segmented?
<br />
<br />4 Which organizational forms are used by the teacher?
<br />Front of class
<br />groupwork /pairwork
<br />presentations (with what media)
<br />individual work
<br />
<br />5 Does the teacher give the students any choice concerning the order of tasks/ partners/ places/
<br />activities/ topics/ reading…?
<br />
<br />6 How do the learners decide what to do next?
<br />Do they need any help?
<br />
<br />Transitions:
<br />How does the teacher lead from one activity to the next?
<br />Is the lesson organized step by step or as a workshop?
<br />
<br />7 How do the students move from one activity to the next?
<br />How much time is lost for transitions?
<br />
<br />How does the teacher react to learners’ mistakes?
<br />
<br />
<br />8 Are the learners worried about making mistakes?
<br />(How) does the teacher announce homework? (if any is set- is iit dine in SL/ RL combination?)
<br />How is the homework related to the activities in class?
<br />
<br />9 Do the students have a clear understanding of the homework tasks and any materials they will need?
<br />How does the teacher close the lesson?
<br />
<br />10 How do the learners and teacher deal with and react to technical problems in SL?
<br />
<br />11 Lesson Observation Tasks Students’ experience Class atmosphere and learners’ Behaviour
<br />
<br />How does the teacher create a positive learning atmosphere?
<br />How does the teacher encourage learners to use the target language?
<br />How does the teacher manage to get everybody involved?
<br />
<br />Does the teacher use any special words, symbols, gestures to help the learners understand or to get their attention?
<br />
<br />What else did you notice?
<br />Do the learners seem to be interested?
<br />Do they seem at ease and taken seriously?
<br />Are the learners using the target language?
<br />Are all the learners actively involved?
<br />Are there any noticeable individual groups?
<br />
<br />
<br />What I want to remember / take away from this observation.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-style:italic;">The photo is an attempt to highlight the blurring of boundaries between real life and second life. I was lucky enough to go on a tour of Brighton and Hove Albion's new ground. I couldn't resist pretending that I was the manger for this snap:) </span>
<br /></span>
<br /><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://static.ning.com/socialnetworkmain/widgets/index/swf/badge.swf?v=201108181905" FlashVars="backgroundColor=0xC0C0C0&textColor=0x3366FF&config=http%3A%2F%2Favalon-project.ning.com%2Fmain%2Fbadge%2FshowPlayerConfig%3Fxg_source%3Dbadge%26size%3Dmedium%26username%3D3q3p19tz23z87" width="206" height="174" bgColor="#C0C0C0" scale="noscale" allowScriptAccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"> </embed><br /><small><a href="http://avalon-project.ning.com">Visit <em>AVALON</em></a></small><br />Martin Wartershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251165629852394809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294659450170565908.post-26326468772980728652011-08-16T08:43:00.000-07:002011-08-16T08:45:55.074-07:00Second Life<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/flkgNn50k14" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br />
<br />I have watched this video 8 times in a row now. A colleague came over to see what I was laughing at and they walked away in disgust. I guess some people just don't see the affordances of SL!
<br />
<br />Expect more SL related musings and postings in this arena.
<br />
<br />Martin Wartershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251165629852394809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294659450170565908.post-42733684551906568972011-08-07T03:00:00.000-07:002011-08-07T09:01:52.706-07:00The school's wookie<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiikFYSN_WC43941hdKxhx47UMLDTRm2oqRSuWQCo1bMSqZFTrWgJQLMjPWSq2DDnVERGGbn-LB81zngbbTs2qtzLvgSlk3dvftenw_MC_oVPFrc_j5h_4nwoigcf2ZBYtPUM8izyq7MjQ/s1600/wookie-baseball1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 314px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiikFYSN_WC43941hdKxhx47UMLDTRm2oqRSuWQCo1bMSqZFTrWgJQLMjPWSq2DDnVERGGbn-LB81zngbbTs2qtzLvgSlk3dvftenw_MC_oVPFrc_j5h_4nwoigcf2ZBYtPUM8izyq7MjQ/s320/wookie-baseball1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638053386760853618" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />This post is about wikis or wookies (I was asked the question <span style="font-style:italic;">what is a wookie</span> on Friday by a member of staff, it was only after my explanation that I realised they were referring to the school's wiki) <br /><br />As an off-shoot of implementing google docs, I created school wikis about 6 months ago. The affordances of wikis are apparent for me:I have used them extensively at Manchester and for me they just make sense as a learning tool. <br /><br />I set them up as both a repository for learning materials but also as a space for sharing advice and tips- creating a pool of shared experience and knowledge. <br /><br />No-one is using them! No-one is looking at them! <br /><br />I have reminded people weekly about the wikis, I have talked individually with teachers about how to upload materials and edit and add comments. I have given workshops on how to incorporate them into self-development but nothing has changed. It is only yours truly who is adding materials. I am not sure why! I am going to reflect more and post on this. In the meantime, I would be interested to know if anyone has had similar experiences, or if anyone would like to comment on the use of wikis in teacher development.Martin Wartershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251165629852394809noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294659450170565908.post-5902266559577329322011-07-24T06:57:00.000-07:002011-07-24T07:53:24.480-07:00I support meaningless jingoistic cliches - two world wars and...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1tDvykYqfzNbQ13_MRmjgNwzzvGhLS8eo7n70_t3pqcIrbCu1lGCGuG0-SvMada2TYQ_n-xGwFiWdxOuJuVp6_fvwTTiAKFqDiNmzh6nSUoHOCWLJsDSFYXMX3hJv1h6-zHJNHT5P08/s1600/ribbon-sticker1.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1tDvykYqfzNbQ13_MRmjgNwzzvGhLS8eo7n70_t3pqcIrbCu1lGCGuG0-SvMada2TYQ_n-xGwFiWdxOuJuVp6_fvwTTiAKFqDiNmzh6nSUoHOCWLJsDSFYXMX3hJv1h6-zHJNHT5P08/s320/ribbon-sticker1.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632927686989207570" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim75n1pSGUoEY-9v624cJqL6PTWJlgDfocjmt6mzuyy4EO2ZYcTTAAPJxX2XRTDvt9BLMKLKau67iTMqHQCUUF597TwVr2cKfdGN3Va45KtN-mmqY82qTmREERyd6b-mcO5BdG-UGr5C8/s1600/jeremy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim75n1pSGUoEY-9v624cJqL6PTWJlgDfocjmt6mzuyy4EO2ZYcTTAAPJxX2XRTDvt9BLMKLKau67iTMqHQCUUF597TwVr2cKfdGN3Va45KtN-mmqY82qTmREERyd6b-mcO5BdG-UGr5C8/s320/jeremy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632921408718082994" /></a><br /><br /><br />I had a lovely reflective post planned about the reluctance of using technology by some of the teachers where I work and what I had learned from this about myself as a manager and how this would affect my future tech implementations at future places of work but that all changed on 20th July when the BBC posted an article on <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14201796">Americanisms</a>. <br /><br />Wow- talk about opening up a whole world of hate. Now I must say that I have biased interest in this topic.I am married to an American, and I have witnessed open mocking of her accent and choice of words by British teachers when we were teaching in Poland. This went beyond the banter of g<span style="font-style:italic;">osh don't you sound funny </span>to quite blatant derisory attacks. We have lived in the UK now for close to 5 years, and she has experienced this with colleagues at work who see now problems with repeating what she says back to her in the most obnoxious mocking imitation of her accent. Like some sort of <a href="http://www.jimdavidson.org.uk/">Jim Davidson</a> or <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-112724/Stan-Boardman-banned-racist-row.html">Stan Boardman </a> 1980s entertainer. Just for parity they also have mocked my Northern Accent, <span style="font-style:italic;">but well you know you are all right you are one of us- don't take it personally </span><br /><br />The question I always ask (and unfortunately do still need to ask) is would you do that to a colleague from India (<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/jan/20/raceintheuk.bigbrother">Jade Goody anyone?</a>) <br /><br />People are shocked that I would even ask the question...<br /><br />If you replaced America with another country it soon becomes puerile and racist- <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">so what is your favourite Indianism? The way they pronounce Manchester is just funny- What about those Turkishisms? It drives me crazy when they can't pronounce kebab properly <span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span>Ad nauseam... <br /><br /><br /><br />So after careful thought I waded into twitter and got stuck into the debate. What an eye opener. I do recommend looking at the hash tag Americanisms and you will see that the English (not British really) are quite happy to chant along to all this hatred. <br /><br />An example here:<br /><br /> <span style="font-style:italic;">What kind of word is "gotten"? It makes me shudder.</span> Julie Marrs, Warrington<br /><br />T<span style="font-style:italic;">o "medal" instead of to win a medal. Sets my teeth on edge with a vengeance. </span>Helen, Martock, Somerset<br /><br />Helen if you are reading this (I am sure you won't be!)please don't watch the Olympics next year and thank you for that wonderful turn of phrase to set your teeth on edge with a vengeance. Must remember that one. <br /><br />Never mind all the other problems in the world happening at the moment - <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Train station. My teeth are on edge every time I hear it. Who started it? Have they been punished?</span> Chris Capewell, Queens Park, London I am sure the <a href="http://www.express.co.uk/home">Daily Express</a> have already started an inquiry into that one. <br /><br />I am not surprised by these feelings but I am surprised by the BBC - especially with their close connection to the British Council and what they stand for. <br /><br />The best post in response to this was at <a href="http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=3283&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter">Language Log </a><br /><br />Sadly it is telling that there is a disclaimer on comments stating that: <br /><br /> Comments are closed because the British would start posting more of their hate speech here, and Language Log doesn't allow that.<br /><br />Bit of a long rant but I feel better now. Hope to post that reflection on technology soon.Martin Wartershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251165629852394809noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294659450170565908.post-23319862772116457882011-07-17T04:42:00.000-07:002011-07-17T04:55:55.529-07:00Feedback in the fieldI was reading a rather interesting comment in response to Scott Thornbury's post on <a href="http://http://scottthornbury.wordpress.com/2011/07/10/p-is-for-practicum/">P is for Practicum</a><br /><br />The idea was of using twitter in the class to provide an instant assessment / advice for the trainee teacher while they are teaching. This would give real-time feedback (learning as a process) and would not break the flow of the lesson. I think this is an amazing idea with a lot of potential. <br /><br /><br />Scott's video shows how he provides real time (just in time) assessment and evaluation for his trainees, and it is a wonderful example of deep learning taking place for the whole cohort. <br /><br /><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gFb8MKCKhLU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />This is certainly something that I would like to experiment with for my next round of observations: an I pad could be placed on the teacher's desk, set up a Tweetdeck hash tag and welcome tweets from your peers. I think there could be value here as well for students to post during the session. <br /><br />Since we started using google docs for our admin system, I have noted that I receive a lot of emails and texts during class regarding teaching points. To be honest this is great. I like the idea of me sitting in at my desk providing explanations of language points to classes around the school in real-time. Very powerful stuff.Martin Wartershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251165629852394809noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294659450170565908.post-51997734588681179602011-07-05T10:10:00.000-07:002011-07-05T10:27:47.610-07:00Communicative language for whoI have been re-reading the rather excellent Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching (Richards & Rodgers)and I was struck again by Howatt's (1984) distinction between strong and weak CLT. <br /><br />I had to cover teach an IELTS class today and in this class, as it progressed, I was consciously trying to notice when I was closer to the weak or the strong version. For me I see the weak and the strong versions of CLT, not as on a scale from one extreme to another, but more like a spiral where as the lessons ticks along it is closer to each aspect. I am not always happy with this approach. It seems that may students arrive in Brighton in good faith wanting the best English lessons in the best English style. <br /><br />This translates as I am going to naturally learn English quicker as I am in the UK. The school I work at promotes this as part of its marketing and this is not an isolated incident. <a href="http://www.bengoldstein.es/blog/">Ben Goldstein</a> and <a href="http://edtechandtesol.info/wp/author/juliane/page/2/">Julian Edge </a><br /><br />are two people who have wrote extensively on this, and I suppose that this post is a natural continuation of my quest to find myself in this profession. I feel privileged that people are willing to spend a lot of money and spend a lot of time to learn the language I speak. The problem is, well, I do not feel proud about this, though.Martin Wartershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251165629852394809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294659450170565908.post-74470993845121726702011-07-03T05:39:00.000-07:002011-07-03T05:44:35.221-07:00ResponsesBoth David and Edward have written about this idea of the sense of the self and I have been so inspired to the extent that it even spawned this blog. I have had blogs in the past but these have <br />a) always been for personal use only; <br />b) abandoned after a few weeks. <br /><br />I am not sure why. Time was and is a factor, but even from these few brief posts I have felt a sense of cleansing, so once again I am going to persevere. <br /><br />I know Ed and David only from sharing an online presence via Manchester and our shared MA route. We have connected to a certain degree and that has shaped our interactions. I can tell you a fair bit about their online presence and the persona that is presented in that form.<br /><br /> <br />Ed’s point about labels and connections rang so true. <br /><br />What is brand Warters? Is teacher Martin different to colleague Martin – what about Director of Studies Martin or online Martin compared to Twitter Martin. Breaking this down more, how do the established teachers at the school see me compared to the new teachers?<br /> <br />What about the newly qualified CELTA graduate I interviewed this morning? What ideas about the DoS of the school did they have - did I match her expectations? Are these personas all different and in boxes like Action figures? What message am I presenting about what I want to be and who I want to be in this profession? So many self-reflection questions<br /><br /> <br />After my IATEFL workshop, I was stopped in the coffee hall by a delegate who said that she had really enjoyed the session - I didn’t know what to say. I was silent and a bit aloof- nothing like presenter Martin. I think we both left that conversation feeling a bit cheated.<br /><br /> <br />Ed’s point of <span style="font-style:italic;">Evolving as a professional is important to me, but I wonder at what cost this will come at.<br /></span><br /> <br />Stopped me on the page. I have felt the cost of professional evolution in the past financially and emotionally. Thankfully I have a very understanding wife who supports me, but having to postpone holidays and spending a lot of money not to mention the time spent on reading, well, I feel lucky and ashamed all at the same time.<br /><br /><br />I feel Edward and David are asking vital questions and I encourage you to see their full blogs. <br /> <br />http://www.davedodgson.com/2011/06/i-dont-know-who-i-am-anymore-shared.html#comments<br /><br /><br /><br />http://ara-bic-pen.blogspot.com/Martin Wartershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251165629852394809noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294659450170565908.post-34713547867704215512011-06-27T11:02:00.000-07:002011-06-27T11:08:25.751-07:00Welcome along.Thank you for taking the time to look at this blog. The fire hydrant metaphor of information overload is certainly one that I subscribe to, and it seems that daily I am playing catch up with posts and memes that I should really know about, but haven't had time to engage with. Basically, I know this feeling of drowning in information and this attempt to cleanse siphon the input is my make sense of my feelings about about education, and my relationship with(in) it and the world. I feel like I have something to say and I hope that it speaks to you.Martin Wartershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251165629852394809noreply@blogger.com0