26 February 2010 Session

Thoughts for the day
“The thesis demonstrates a resolution of the problem
of the separation of theory and practice in educational research.
This is accomplished through a living methodology
in which the researcher engages with both improving practice and generating knowledge
in an investigation into influences on the development of an approach to family literacy.
The thesis demonstrates a way of sustaining connections,
in a journey of improving practice in family literacy,
that include explanations of educational influence in the researcher’s learning,
her influence in the learning of others
and, most impressively, her influence in the learning of social formations
in local, national and international contexts.
This is the first living theory thesis of the 40 plus
that I have examined or supervised that has accomplished this so well.

The thesis can also be placed at the forefront of current discussions in 2008-9 issues
of the British Educational Research Association newsletter, Research Intelligence,
on epistemological transformations in educational knowledge.
Because of this, every effort should be made to make this thesis public,
certainly through peer reviewed Journals, a book and through the internet.
The acknowledgements in the thesis should not be underestimated
as they draw attention to the quality of support and supervision at Durban University of Technology.”
Jack Whitehead

“The great strength of the thesis
is that it contributes to an understanding of the nature and role of self in relation to others
in the real world of the development of an educational programme.
It focuses attention not only on the development over time of practices and thinking
associated with educational and programmatic decision making,
but also, importantly,
foregrounds the way in which contexts, cultures, and diverse human experiences and needs
powerfully influence programme design, practices, and quality.
In turn, the thesis shows how thorough and contextualised investigation of the self
can inform educational engagement in general
– as the general is embedded in the individual.”
Kathleen Pithouse-Morgan

Interesting Book Titles

I have just read these very interesting books from the Steve Biko Library at DUT...

Just who do we think we are? : methodologies for autobiography and self-study in teaching Mitchell, Claudia.

Reinventing ourselves as teachers : beyond nostalgia Mitchell, Claudia.

The ethnographic I : a methodological novel about autoethnography Ellis, Carolyn,

I have also read.... totally unbiased suggestion- Read it...
Making Connections- Self-Study & Social Action edited by Pithouse, K, Mitchell C and Moletsane R...

Do you have any other titles that you can recommend????

19 February Friday session

Thoughts for the day . . .

Kseniya Simonova’s Amazing Sand Drawing
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=vOhf3OvRXKg

A simple experiment demonstrating the visualisation of cymatics can be done
by sprinkling sand on a metal plate and vibrating the plate, for example by drawing a violin bow along the edge, the sand...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtiSCBXbHAg



Positive & Negative Energy Effects on Water Crystals –The work of Dr Masaru Emoto


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkbpXRSIUnE&feature

Friday 12 Feb Thoughts for the day

The most handicapped person in the world
is a negative thinker.”
Wayne Dyer

“The true meaning of life is to plant trees,
under whose shade you do not expect to sit.”
Nelson Henderson

“Nothing splendid has ever been achieved
except by those who dared believe that’s something inside of them
was superior to circumstance.”
Bruce Barton

Any further comments after today's session???

More Pics

This pic was taken during Peter's first visit to DUT in 2007. Here you would see Joan (check out that pose) and Cupane, Emila and Peter. I love the background. This was Valley of 1000 hills... absolutely amazing and breathtaking.

It was Peter who first introduced me to autobiographical writing in 2004 when I was doing my M with Curtin. I remember I walked into his office and he asked "have you used autobiography in your writing?" and I very quickly said no. I was just so new to 'educational research' and was just exploring new ways to teach and wanted to investigate these further in my M research. Nevertheless I shared with him a short story of my experiences of exploring with different teaching strategies and he told "there, you've given me a part of your autobiography"...

I am trying out editing posts... I have just edited this post from last week...

Testing "creating a post"

Here's a photo from the workshop facilitated by Prof Claudia Mitchell, Prof Lebo Moletsane, Dr Kathleen Pithouse-Morgan and Ms Mathabo Khau at DUT on 19th August 2009. This was another phenomenal self study workshop and we have subsequently dubbed the facilitators the "Awsum 4sum". For me, the most significant aspect of the workshop was Claudia's statement: "Self study is a broad church" and that a range of methodology is acceptable. Using visual methods, drawing, personal narratives, and memory stories that the Awsum 4sum demonstrated really fascinated me and I can see myself using at least the personal narratives and memory stories for my M.

Congratulations

Well done Delysia for establishing the SeStuTHE blog. What a wonderful tool for us to use. I hope the blog is agreat success.

this photo of Dianne Hill with a group of DUT staff that attended her workshops in 2009 reminds me of the wonderful learning experience I had. I simply love her work that she does- so spiritual....

so meaningful....

Making Public your work on Youtube...

I have managed to upload a portion of my Heltasa conference on You Tube....

check it out....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei7w9F4a1xw

the learning organ?

From Friday's session on a discussion of the quote that included a statement of the learning organ- (Lee not the learnig orga....). I would like to share with you what Jousse says about the brain.... Any comments????

What, basically, is the brain? In no way is it the organ of action.Action does not depend on the brain; it is not performed by it. There was a time when the brain was said to secrete thought as the liver secretes bile.That is childish. A brain separated from a living being is incapable of thought or of action. The brain is one of the elements of the extremely complex circuit that we call action; when the brain is separated from the muscle, there is no longer action. Action is dependent on both brain and muscle. In reality, man thinks with his whole body; he thinks with his hands, his feet, his ears, as well as with his brain. It is absolutely ridiculous to claim that his thought depends on a part of himself: it is tantamount to saying that our manual ability depends on our fingernails. Psychological activity is an activity of the whole - it is not a localized activity.The brain is quite simply a conglomerate of switches ...It is not the brain that determines psychological activity;it only regulates it.(Jousse 2000: 73)

hi there Bloggers

Please can you respond to this blog when you recieve it..... when you post a comment, you need to select the änonymous profile".

each of you should also have author rites.... see if it allows you to create a new post please...
thanks