First Sunday AM skype chat - positioning

This morning’s group skype chat went well it was mostly Module Ones but Amanda in Module 3 was able to join us half way through, which was great also. We talked a lot about positioning ourselves:

People talked about positioning in terms of noticing where they began and where the influence of the type of way they were taught ended. We talked about how many of us had had moments when we suddenly realise we were teaching the same class we took as a child.

We talked about positioning in terms of how cultural influences effect how we see our practice.

And how this ‘cultural context’ lens affects how we see what other teachers are doing.

We talked about positioning in terms of how you situate yourself in your study – how you organise and plan. What becoming a student feels like or if it is a change at all.

Positioning in terms of sorting out where you stand with logistics: fees, timeframes, learning new skills like starting a blog.

Also positioning in terms of how we move through the modules and how they connect as a pathway or journey.

As usual we are all writing a little about ideas that came up in the conversation or ideas that that conversation sparked in us. We are doing this to share thoughts not to be an authority on the subject so each post is the beginning of a new conversation therefore please comment on the posts people put up.

Samantha https://dixieogivar.blogspot.com  and Kirsty  (Kirsty will put her blog address in the comments below)   are going to post further on reflections about how we learn, and attitudes to learning through looking at her students. This linked for her with ideas about theory and practice.

Nighat http://sacredsufi.blogspot.com is going to post on thoughts about one-to-one and collective learning and environments that generate these kind of ways of teaching/learning.

Barbara https://barbarabesque.blogspot.com is going to post about why people ‘start to study’: looking at this through the lens of the reasons why students come to her classes. She is particularly interested in how reasons for starting study shift and are influenced by age.

Michelle http://chelleymapp.blogspot.co.uk is going to look at how children challenge learning systems. So she is looking through the lens of generational changes.

Lizzy https://rowdene.blogspot.com is going to write about thoughts to do with the portfolio (handed-in at the end of Module One) and how it differs from student to student depending on their life histories.

Parimala https://parimalamapp.blogspot.com has posted giving bullet points of the topics we talked about.

Amanda (Amanda will put her blog address in the comments below) is going to post on the links between the modules and how they have fitted together for her journey to Module 3.

Helen http://helenkindred.blogspot.com is going to write about the trial and error nature of learning, and finding pathways to understanding.

What do you think? Please comment below. It is important to do more than just comment on things you need like what time you will join a skype group. Actually use the comments to comment on the post you have just read. Looking forward to reading what you think: about the ideas, about skype calls, about blogging, about teaching, about the notion of student.

Adesola

Feedback to start...

I wrote this for BAPP also:

Staring back on Module Two and Three you will have and feedback from your last module along with your grade. The feedback is a starting point to begin this terms module. With Those people starting Module Three this is particularly important.

The feedback you would have got for Module Two is directly about the inquiry process you are about to start. Module Threes you are asked to begin by responding to this feedback. Make your response direct to the feedback. You could cut and paste what the feedback says and directly respond under it. You can go through each point like this:

From feedback sheet “Interviews: You  state you are not looking to facilitate them answering your question. You are interested in what their experiences are (as you say qualitative approach). Therefore, to compare their answers it is easier to ask them in the same format. Different approaches to your interview method support different responses. How would you compare response if the difference has been created by how you asked the questions? Please respond to this in your ‘response to Module Two feedback’ document.”

Response: I re-read Smith (2005) chapter on interviews techniques. I had been interested in using different techniques because it seemed they would all create interesting different answers and I wanted a range of answers. But thinking about my inquiry I realised I was planning to  force the answers to be different by making the questions different. I need to conduct the interviews in a similar way and look for the different in the answers as part of the analysis I do. I am realising the analysis part of the inquiry is actually more work and time than the data collection. I think I got a bit carried away with the data collection designs and I have decided to keep it simpler. Therefore, I will be using semi-structured interviews with all the interviewees. I will be beginning each interview with the same set of three prompt questions.”

Try to answer/ address all the feedback through a clear response to the points made. Remember you don’t have to just do what the feedback suggests. You are responding to it. If you do not want to change something as the feedback suggests explain why and what you thinking is about it further.

What do you think?

Looking forward to reading your comment below.

Welcome back and Induction get togethers

Well, we are unfolding from the summer, getting ready to start back at MAPP (or start MAPP for the first time!!!)

There are some ‘Welcome’ and ‘Welcome back’ skype chats coming up.

For those Module One-ers starting MAPP we will have an Induction Skype group chat

September 16^th at noon (time in London)

We put ‘time in London’ because some people are not in the UK time-zone so you will need to adjust the time to work out what time that means for you where you are! In fact that is part of the great elements of the community of MAPP: we are all over the world which is really exciting.

– so make sure you have sent a Skype request to me (Adesola) so I can call you for the chat.

For those starting back to MAPP  (Module Two & Three)– we have starting back chats on:

Sunday October  2^nd 11am (time in London)

Sunday October 2^nd 5pm (time in London)

Please post in the Comments below to indicate which chat you will join.

Looking forward to getting going again.

Adesola