How it all blends

The story ...
I made a video (DVD) of my Btech students work last Thursday... They were warned to have some of their work available and to talk about it on camera... I wanted  them to show the work and then answer 3 questions; what is this? What caused it to happen/ what preceded it? What is next/what needs improving/where does this lead to? ... These questions are now expanded but it is because I realised, when I was 'interviewing' them, that they did not answer the question in a way that I wanted them to... (makes me realise how difficult it is to ask the question in the right way)... I then would interrupt them and prompt them for more information regarding what they were saying. I almost had to point out specifics that they had ignored and slow them down because there was more to say than they were saying. The interview became a learning experience in itself.

some additional bits...
Anyway... I had these 'interviews' with them and then also asked them to take some pics of their jewellery with my still camera, for inclusion on the DVD I was going to make. These pictures were then included as a slideshow, with music.

Yesterday, I looked at the DVD with them and focused specifically on the slide show. I realised that it was the one aspect of the DVD that they all had in common ... and a vested interest in. I avoided focusing too much on the indivual scenes because the students seemed to be embarrassed with their own scenes and bored with each others'.

So... to get back to the portfolio slide show... They were very interested in this slide show and we could then look for ways to improve it... Some suggestions were that the work flowed into each other and 'headings' or introductory slides were needed to seperate the individual portfolios, something with their name on it. We were very aware of the fact that 5 pics per student would end up in a slide show  of 50 slides, which is quite long, so we need to take less pictures but still include the relevant information. The relevant information being; their name, the process, close-up details and one, what they called, 'professional' shot showing the jewel off.

I aim to include a short video extract here...

AEO reflection regarding the first bit (to be expanded, after some comments and prompts and pokes:-)
Axiology ... I value visual stimuli which can be examined...
Epistomology ... I realise that we have to do and examine what we've done in order to make sense...
Ontology ... I react and I just jump in, trusting the process... I am naive?

Visit by Jack Whitehead - 28 Oct - 2 Nov 2010

we all excited once again - looking forward to Jack's visit at the end of October. In preparation, we are watching his BERA presentation and reading his ejolts paper on living theory... getting to grips with all the "groot woorde"....intussuscepting them...

so what is axiology

Welll following on from one of our colleagues tasks that she shared with this afternoon...I decidie to find out about axiology... and wallah from the web:
Axiology, the science of human values, enables us to identify the internal valuing systems that influence our perceptions, decisions and actions - to clearly understand "why" we do what we do! Robert Hartman

Ways of Knowing

Today's Friday group with Joan was a rigorous session that interrogated ways of knowing, changes in perspectives about individual teaching approaches, and free flowing expressions of our worldviews. The conversations assisted in preparing for the much anticipated arrival at the end of Ocorber of mentor Jack and a series of living histories workshops at DUT.

The episodes around 'ways of knowing' had us traveling through ancient Irish tombs as Joan explained the intricacies of applied science related to the advanced building techniqies embodied in the breathtaking architecture from a period before the advent of scribal recordings. A further scholastic adventure informed our gaze at the the mathematics applied in traditional African basketry and cultural attire. What a masterclass in the evidence of epistemology.

My axiologyepistomologyontology

Talking of big words today and trying to reduce them to greater understandings... What a bunch of contradictions... living contradictions?

Coming to grips ...

My Question:
1. Write a factual account of an event in your teaching practice.
2. How can I use this event to demonstrate my epistemology, my ontology and axiology through critical reflection?

1. My Story: Today, I started the SeStuTHESA meeting with a showing of Jack talking at BERA. There were 6 people in the room. It was my intention to use the video inductively to access understandings of epistemology, and ontology, which are key to what Jack is going to be talking about when he visits in two weeks time. The video of Jack talking started, and I very quickly observed that the quality of the picture and the sound were very poor. It very quickly became clear to me that nobody in the room was able to follow what was being said, so I switched the video off and proceeded with the discussion about epistemologies and ontologies without the video.

2. My critical reflection: I value easy access to learning for my learners, so when the visuals and sounds of the video were blurred, I realised that the learning of my learners was being compromised. I realised that I had to change my approach, and then changed the exercise to a blend of induction and deduction. I asked the learners to give an account of their understanding of the concepts of epistemology and ontology. I then asked people to apply their understanding of these notions to their practice. In so doing, I was retaining as best I could my value for easy access to learning for my learners, and I also used the belief that the best learning is derived from practical experience. Ialso engaged with the learners in the following interaction. I found that the effects of this process changed the ways i intended to behave in this interaction which meant that ontologically I moved into a closer engagement with the learners, I learned from my learners so that I developed a closer insight into their epistemologies and ontologies, while remaing true to my values, or my axiology.

Blogging madly

We are developing the blogging habit, so we bring our laptops and find out how-to and what-to... This pic shows a bunch of Sestuthesans blogging...

Energy

We met the VC today ... and I think we were all impressed with each other. There was a big turnout for this event, the biggest for a while....and a lot of buzz... I wonder if we do not need another 'event' to draw our energy out and up?

Action research conference at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

Mr Kabulo Loji doing his presentation at the conference. Title of his presentation is:

Combined use of cognitive education WITH OTHER TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES AND APPROACHES TO IMPROVE PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS IN THE FIELD OF ENGINEERING STUDIES

Action research conference at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

The Durban University Technology team who presented at NMMU, at the beach in Port Elizabeth. We had tea with Prof. Jack Whitehead to speak about his visit to DUT at the end of October 2010.

MY NMMU EXPERIENCE (Kabulo LOJI)

The experience I would like to share for NMMU is that it had achieved the main theme of the conference: “ACTION RESEARCH: EXPLORING ITS TRANSFORMATIVE POTENTIAL”. In other words, through the conference I experienced the transformation and this consequently re-enforced my belief that AR can really transform the world. I can claim without fear and with authority that I have learned much more than any other delegate at the conference. The opportunity to listen to people from various field and to myself, made me explore the deepness of my ignorance. At the same time, it helped me to understand that no matter the field in which we are, “teaching and learning” is a common problem to all of us. The passion to tackle this problem demonstrated the unity in action to fight a “common enemy” as mentioned to me by Delysia Timm few days ago: “…for different people to be able to work together they must identify and have a common enemy…”.
I was impressed by the DUT team in general and in particular enjoyed all the presentations I had the chance to listen to. I cannot describe the spasmodic emotional feelings I went through when listening to some of the members of the group (Bonnie, Chris, Joan, Linda,…), it was just out of my own control and this was very influential.
From the topics of the conference, the content of the presentations and the discussions, I can mention the following:
1. AR can be applied in any field with positive results (government institutions included, how?) for social impact;
2. As many of the delegates expressed it I am equally concerned about the education system in South Africa and I am previewing a collapse of the entire system if we do not take AR into the class room from the primary to tertiary. The question “How can I improve my practice…?” should be made a vibrant slogan in the teaching and learning community.
3. Call for an urgent increase of power: the “work” to be done in the education sector is very huge. Positive results with regard to seeing the ones who are still unaware of AR being influenced to apply it should not be expected any soon unless if we increase the power of persuasion. In fact, power is the rate at which we spend (or consume) energy or simply the rate at which we do work.
If we want to achieve the same amount of work in a shorter time we need to increase our power. We cannot physically multiply ourselves but through Social media maybe we can. Information on all the positive things should be accessible to everyone and on a click. Every influential person should agree (de facto) that his contribution (including videos and photos taken with or without their permission) be made available with acknowledgement to anyone by appropriate means.
I support the idea of expending the network and I encourage the sharing of experiences (challenges and achievements). Together we will. (498 words)

NMMU Action Research Seminar

What an experience... particularly the bus trip... 15hours to get there!

But on to more positive things. I delivered a paper that demonstrated how to convert a series of blogposts into an MSWord report. The whole concept uses the labels, (also known as tags) from the blog, to identify the useful posts, exporting these to Word and then using the Titles of the blogposts as headings, with which to generate a Table of contents for the report.

The presentation was received pretty well, but then, the whole group's presentation were...

My Lived Experience of being part of the SeStuTHESA group at the AR conference, NMMU, PE

The bus trip to Port Elizabeth was reasonably quiet. I enjoyed the camaraderie that was evident from the moment we met at DUT to embark on our journey. This atmosphere of tolerance, kindness, sharing, humility and humour continued throughout the three day experience. I did not present on the first day and chose the sessions I wanted to attend carefully so that I could see speakers from other centres and at the same time be present for my group so that I could give them my support. I also wanted to hear my colleagues’ presentations anyway. Fortunately I did get to see other presenters. There were three to five exceptional one’s and the rest were very disappointing having lost the plot of Action Research. It made me extremely proud that our group through the coaching we receive from our professor Joan Conolly, all made outstanding presentations. What I have learnt: • I must always be myself. • The audience are also human beings with feelings, hopes and dreams and talking to a large audience is ok because of that. • Telling my experience like it is also ok because disappointments, mistakes and dark periods in our lives are part of our Lived Experience (Whitehead) and being truthful about them is important. • Therefore covering up and pretending everything is good is not ok. • I listen to the way my colleagues’ work, present, think and process information and learn from them as well. In fact I have learnt an enormous amount from them. I value the advice and input they give me in my work. I felt so honoured and humbled by being noticed by Jack Whitehead and having my presentation put on YouTube. The affirmation from my colleagues meant even more and looking at Lee, Linda, Naretha, Chris and Joan’s faces during the presentation confirmed the bond that all of us have with each other. That bond and connectedness is very important in the scholarly journey I have chosen to embark upon. I am fed by the energy of the group and our professor. The energy of the group energises me and I am then in turn encouraged by that in the times that are low on this journey. The meeting with Jack was inspired, connected, with an enormous amount of cohesion. He is a true Servant Leader and inspires me to great heights. I feel so privileged to work with him. The skeleton and outline of my New Venture Creation Book came to me while on the bus trip back. I pictured how the book will look and how to go about writing it. (436words) The trip back on the bus was full of lightness, laughter, easy banter, argument and jest. It was a totally wonderful experience that I will always treasure.

SelfStudy seminar.... 29 - 30 July 2010

Come listen, come learn, come enjoy.....
The first seminar on Self-study to be hosted at DUT...

28 May 2010

Thoughts for the day . . .




View TED talks:




Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution! - Ken Robinson (2010)


SirKenRobinson_2010.mp4 (69 MB)
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TEDTalks_video/~5/ye4pT9d7Afg/SirKenRobinson_2010.mp4


What is he telling us?
How does he make this attractive?
What can we learn from him?

4 June 2010

Thoughts for the day . . .

Our grand business is
not to see what lies dimly at a distance,
but to do what lies clearly at hand.

Thomas Carlyle




Selecting a challenge
and meeting it
creates a sense of self-empowerment
that becomes the ground for further
successful challenges

Julia Cameron

NMMU conference August 2010

Well, congratulations to all those whose abstracts have been accepted.... There will be an exciting group attending the conference in Port Elizabeth. SO those of you that have accepted abstracts... shout it out loud... please comment on this posting.

7 May 2010

Thoughts for the day . . .
"We need people in our lives with whom we can be as open as possible.
To have real conversation with people may seem like such a simple, obvious suggestion,
but it involves courage and risk."
Thomas Moore

"Life is either a daring adventure
or nothing.
Security is mostly a superstition.
It does not exist in nature"
Helen Keller

"When we carry other people's burdens
we stop them from growing and taking mastery of their own life.
We hold back their evolution and that of the planet.
If you take responsibility for someone else's feelings
you dishonour them."
Diana Cooper

12 March thoughts- please comment

Thoughts for the day
“Our ultimate freedom is the right and power to decide
how anybody or anything outside ourselves
will affect us.”
Stephen R. Covey

"Can it then be that what we call the 'self' is fluid and elastic?
It evolves, strikes a different balance with every new breath."
Wayne Muller

"Wise are those who learn
that the bottom line doesn't always have to be their top priority.”

William Arthur Ward

5 March 2010

"Even if you are on the right track,

you'll get run over

if you just sit there".

Will Rogers

"Better keep yourself clean and bright;

you are the window through which you must see the world."

George Bernard Shaw

"No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars,

or sailed to an uncharted land,

or opened a new doorway to the human spirit."

Helen Keller

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