My Possible Thesis Change - blogging

Finally I am doing something positive today for my study...

1. Wrote an email to my professor on the possible change of my research question form "learning and teaching through Play" (focus on children) to "learning and teaching through blogging" (focus on adult learners/teachers).
*my professor has just replied that he is in favour of the change, but confesses that he doesn't know much about blogging

2. Searched for more information on blogging, teaching, learning... and found the following useful and interesting sites:

Blogging for Teaching and Learning - "Why Blog?

Blogs and Blogging: A Homerun for Teaching, Learning, and Technology -

Blogs in Teaching and Learning - purpose of blog in promoting learning

Educational Bloggers Network - various educational blogs

Teaching Early Childhood Educators and Other Adults How to Use Computers - most teachers seldom use the computer/internet and are afraid of using it

Future of FLOSSE: Interview with Alan Levine - an interview with David Levine on the future trend of learning and teaching in education from 2006 to 2010

A Technology Rich Lesson-What Would it Look Like? - account of how teachers are not versatile with use of computer and internet, and strategies to help them use technology in the class rooms

Blogging classroom connects to parents - blogging about school work helps parents know what's going on in the classroom and their children's progress

The educated blogger: Using weblogs to promote literacy in the classroom - e.g. of blogs in practice for different age groups

Got My Draft Back

Phew! Finally got back my draft with comments...after more than 2 months of waiting. Actually there was a miscommunication somewhere that has caused the delay.

Anyway, need to do a quick amendment and submit my final work soon and then start doing my next assignment, which would be due in 2 months' time.

Wish me, wish me all the best. :)

My Wish List - My Study

Wow! Haven't been blogging here for awhile... that means... erm... too many 'things' have prevented me from doing what I'm suppose to do. *making excuses*

Well two days ago I just penned down my "Wish List" (first time I ever do this)...

1. A free, nice, new, Homepage header - waited since Mar 05
(one kind soul, my new friend T, has offered to do this for me... hopefully over this weekend... thank God! also thanks to T!)

2. SE K750i or better - waited since before launch in June 05, but have decided to give the money to somebody who needs it more than me

3. 12" iBook or PowerBook - no money to buy now, but hope to have it one day

4. Finish all my study module assignments by this year end

5. Complete my Thesis in 2007 - latest completion date is actually 2009, but I don't want to wait so long and waste my tuition fees
(the same kind soul, friend T, has offered to pray for me DAILY to be able to be on target in finishing my course... yes, I really need all the support... thanks T!!)

6. Go to heaven ASAP - then I don't need all the above... hehe

So here it goes.... I will try to catch up with completing my assignments... that means I better spend less time on the net?

Seriously I am thinking of changing my thesis to "Learning through blogging" 'cos that's how I have personally learnt so many things through blogging over the last 2 years. If I don't use it for my research, it seems to be such a waste. I need to consult my professor about this first.

That's all for now...

My Tutor gone MIA

It's been 1.5 month already, but my tutor still have not returned my assignment draft, and I have heard nothing from him... wondering what's going on. He is MIA?

The Power of One Word: YOU

"The single most powerful word I know: "You"!
Therein lies the power.
It is within you, each and everyone of us to transform our lives.
Not only are you the block, but also the power to undo it and the power to complete your work on this planet."

- Geoff Michaelson, Ph.D.

Feeling Motivated Again

I just realized how much damage my previous company had done to me, making me lost my true self. However, the events I attended yesterday and today did give me some kind of encouragement to the dying 'fire' in me.

Yesterday:

I attended a free motivational seminar on entrepreneurship with my friend. Though the talk was geared towards asking participants to sign up for the organizer's paid programme, which I didn't sign up (about $2,660 after discount), I did get some 'booster shot' from certain things said by the charismatic speakers. I was motivated and gained back a little of myself again. After the talk, I got together with two friends and we had a discussion on the possibility of an educational business plan. Need to check things out before we commit further.

Today:

Just came back from my students' Graduation Ceremony this afternoon. It's good to see my students graduating, especially to hear the speech made by two of the top students, where they showed their gratitude towards their lecturers and mentors. The event once again renewed my passion for teaching. :) Below are a few shots which I took secretly (not allow to take actually). :p

The overall top 3 students (standing far right) who have excelled both in CCAs and academic results, plus receiving many awards from various companies.

The Top Specialist Dip (ECE) Student

School Fee

Nothing much to write about my study, except that the university is asking me to pay the new semester school fee (start in Nov) now though I had just paid for my last semester fee (Jun). ~sigh~

I Am Already Dead

I heard a very interesting, simple yet profound, message this morning during my Church service. The text was taken from Galation 2:20:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

The main points of the message are:

1. I HAVE BEEN crucified (not will die, already dead)
2. I LIVE by faith

So if I am already dead, then I will not have any trouble... nothing will make me angry, or worry, or fearful. Whatever I do now I do it for God.... how true!

Visited the Library

I went to the library to returned 4 books this afternoon. In return, I borrowed another 4 books, one of them is not related to my study... hehe. It is called "Living With Books", a book with many photos that shows how we may store our books in different places, including odd corners. This book caught my eyes 'cos I have so many books in my home, in the course of my study, and I am really running out of space to store them.

I looked at the photos in the book with envy... if only I have such big study room or living room... if not, I might make do with creating book shelves at the dinning area just like the photo below.

And yes, looking at these photo from "Living With Books" really gives me the motivation to study.... home decoration was my long lost passion, as a result of my busy life style.

Study Room 1 - spacious, clean and neat - don't think I will ever have such a big study area.

Study Room 2 - conventional and organized - possible arrangement

Living Room 1 - good divider cum book storage - only for spacious living area

Living Room 2 - wow! I like this! - so cosy - need big living room too and make sure I am not half blind.

Dinning Room 1 - practical alternative, space saving - I probably have to make do with this

Dinning Room 2 - this is also a practical arrangement when running out of space

Research Tools Found

Cling! Cling! The phone rang this morning. 'Hello," I answered with my eyes half closed. "Sorry, wrong number," the caller replied. Aiyo, why so many 'wrong number' calls? Anyway it served as an alarm for me to get out of bed... it was 11 a.m.

Got up, feeling drowsy still as usual, washed up and had my late breakfast. Refused to take the Rinityn as prescribed since I knew it would made me drowsy the whole day and night through again. I applied the Gentrisone cream though.

Read my book and did a net search for study material. Found the Research Tutorial website useful for my study. I need to double up in writing my draft. So I shall not take anymore antihistamine.

So Drowsy Today

I didn't study the last one week and feeling guilty and thinking of catching up and follow my study schedule closely this week. But alas! my skin itch* that started again one month ago is getting from bad to worse. Finally I decided to see a doctor yesterday and was given the following medication:

Atarax (antihistamine, night, cause drowsiness - for itch)
Rinityn (antihistamine, morning - for itch)
Gentrisone (dermatitis cream - for itch)
Votraren (for inflammation of my arm)
Cimetidine (for inflammation)

10.30 p.m. last night:
Took my medication and within one hour I already felt the drowsy effect from Atarax.

12.30 a.m. last night:
Couldn't stay awake any longer and had to go to sleep (one of my earliest record).

12. 30 p.m. today:
Awaken by a 'wrong number' phone call. If not for that I would still be sleeping. Still feeling drowsy but decided to get out of bed anyway. Ate my 'breakfast cum lunch' and did some readings. Other than the undesirable effect of drowsiness, the medication did help as my rashes and itch have subsided. Perhaps what Chris said about resting helps recovery did make sense now when used with Gentrisone.

3.30 p.m. today:
Took my medicine again. I thought that Rinityn wouldn't cause drowsiness since it's not stated on the label, but somehow I felt so drowsy soon after taking it.

5.00 p.m. today:
Went to take a nap unwillingly. :(

8.00 p.m. to night:
Forced myself to get out of bed for dinner, as sleeping so much made me like a 'vegetable'.

I guess I will sleep early again tonight but hope I could stop the medication totally by tomorrow.

(*About 4 years ago I kept some hamsters and quails at home as pets. I loved them very much and enjoyed watching them play everyday. But soon I started to experience non-stop 'running nose' and skin itch, especially when I was near them. I didn't know that those were symptoms of allergies till I went to see a doctor. I was referred to the skin specialist and I went through a series of tests at the hospital. The specialists could not establish the cause of the allergies, and could only guessed that the pets I had at that time had triggered the reaction. )

Lost 3 Days?

Hmmn.. I have lost 3 days of my scheduled study time to 'unproductive' activities... blame it on pms, the Internet, people, etc, etc. Nah, blame ME la! But indeed I did learn something about web code along the way through many trials and errors personally, and also by receiving advice from Christina (statcounter regular user) and from the blog-city webmaster. Thanks to them, especially to Christina!

Still wondering why I am not studying IT since I am so captivated by the tons of things I could do using Internet, and is facing it everyday. Perhaps I should be researching on "Learning and Teaching Through Internet"?

Well, one comforting thought is that at least I managed to visit the library yesterday after Church Service. Couldn't find the books on Play or Learning and Teaching (strange) but managed to borrow 4 books related to Writing (my interest). I will read them soon during my 'Breaks'. My main topic for this month assignment is still on the subject of Play, Learning and Teaching.

If you know me, please remind me to study, ok? :)

Study Time Management Tools

As I was searching for some good study tool I came across the following:

1. Semester Time Table - 'one of the most valuable time management tools".

2. Mind Map - very helpful study skill advices with templates

3. Concept Mapping - almost similar to mind mapping

4. Reading Effectively - advices on skim reading and other very good thesis writing hints

Study School Just Over

Finally, this semester Study School has ended yesterday. It was a good session that gave me lots of motivation to do my readings for my assignments. The class environment, talking to fellow students and discussion with the professors helped to bring back my study focus and interest once again.

Yes, the Study School may be just over but my study has just begun. Somebody had agreed to help me plan my study time-table... but alas! I guess I have to do it myself. :(

Looking at the photos below might be a good reminder for me to jia you (double up)... :)

Brief presentation by fellow student during the 'Case Study Research' session.

Some of the TESOL students with their Professor

Students and their Professor - or "Three beauties & the beast" ;p

June Study School - Session 2

Another interesting session!

Through the illustration of illusions and other activities, our professor showed us some factors that affect our learning and our perceptions of things. Some factors are pre-knowledge, pre-conceived ideas, prejudices, culture, background, etc. Therefore, two people looking at the same thing might perceive it differently based on these factors that influenced their perception.

Hmmn, this knowledge not only will help us in teaching students but is also useful when communicating with people in general.

Meeting With My Tutor

Met up my stand-in Tutor (Dr. Smith) yesterday as my assigned Tutor (Dr. Merry) was not here for this trip. But it was a fruitful discussion though.

Dr Smith was able provoke my thoughts about what I want to do for the next few months concerning my assignments and Thesis. He said I was pretty ambitious when I told him I would like to complete one assignment per month ( I had 4 x 6000 words outstanding assignments). He asked me to settle for 2 to be completed before end of this year. Hmmn, I obliged but guess I would still try my best to do one draft per month. The longer I drag on the more tuition fee I have to pay.

The assignments I am targeting to do for the next 2 months will be:

1. Literatures Review on Play - clarify purpose of Play, how does Play help children learn (due date 31/07/05)

2. Observation on Play - design an observation schedule, do a site visit to observe how children play and learn, get a letter from the university to confirm my research study (due date 31/08/05)

I have to attend another 2 days of lecture today and tomorrow. I guess these will really set me in the mood to study. Thank God! :)

It Only Takes A Spark

Hmmn... didn't feel like attending class last night (not compulsory though). Still find it hard to start my engine... feeling very lazy. Don't know what I had been doing the whole day besides reading old newspaper.

In the past, I was the one who was known to be 'pushing' all my classmates to study by setting example. But now, I need to be pushed by somebody... but there's no one to push me. I need to find that 'spark' again. :(

Thank God that my conversation with a friend later in the evening gave me a little 'spark' to think about my study. It's an interesting debate about 'educator vs academic'.... something I need to think about, and possibly be my thesis too. :P

The following was what my friend said:

"Educators refer to teachers, whose roles are to ensure that students get the certifications; academics refer to the professors, whose role is to facilitate students to learn, not so much for the certifications, but for the hope that the field of interest carry on through the students they come across....academics are more concerned with the bigger picture of the whole discipline; teachers are more concerned with the students.."

Well, if based on my friend's definitions, my professor is neither. ;)

Yes, I may start reading up on the above definitions and explore further. My friend also recommended me to read an article entitled, "The Educationist as Painkiller" by Neil Postman. Perhaps I need to start going to the library instead of facing my Internet at home...

Anyway, I would simply tell my professor when I see him today about my work experiences and how they influenced my thoughts about 'Learning and Teaching", which is my main research study.

Attending Lectures This Week

Just came back from my oversea trip, slept a lot the last 2 nights when back home. Now I have to start attending lecturers again this whole week to refresh my memory and to crank my study 'engine' that has gone into 'sleep' mode. :(

Sometimes, I just wish I could just take an exam to finish off everything instead of doing assignments, which are very time consuming and allow procrastination. *sigh*

Anyway, I better get going to do what I have to do....

To Complete Two Assignments

Urgh!... try, try, try... I said many times that I shall try to 'complete' my assignments... but... *sigh*

Ok, I shall really try during this Labour Day Public Holiday (today & tomorrow) to finish 2 assignments. If I can't, erm, maybe I must ban myself from chatting with anyone till I complete them? *bitting my finger nails*

Do check me out. ;)

Words of Wisdom

". . .if we wait for the moment when everything, absolutely everything is ready, we shall never begin."

~~ Ivan Turgenev ~~

Technology Is Not Your Friend

====================
Technology Is Not Your Friend
By Tracy Steen, Ph.D.
====================

Question: What do these activities have in common?

1. Checking e-mail

2. Doing "research" on the internet

3. Respnding to e-mails

4. Downloading motivational study music from itunes.com

5. Checking for sale items at jcrew.com

6. Reading the New York Times online

7. (Did I mention checking e-mail?)


Answer: They are massive time sucks masquerading as productive activity.

I have had the privilege of coaching many graduate students through this endurance event we call the dissertation process. And in this capacity, I have observed that dissertation students are particularly vulnerable to the technology time suck.

Graduate students who would never dream of spending two to three hours per day watching daytime soap operas will easily spend that amount of time or more piddling around on the internet or writing e-mails.

Have you ever actually totaled up how much time you spend online every day? I challenge you to do this! Keep a paper-and-pencil log for three days and you may reveal the technology time suck.

In the meantime, consider the following reasons why we should have a healthy mistrust for e-mail and internet piddling:

1) Time stops when you are online.

Have you ever been to a casino? One of the striking things about them is their absence of any time markers. You won't find natural light or clocks anywhere in a casino, and they are always open. Guess what else is always open and lacks time markers? The internet.

At least when you are watching television, you have commercials or the ending of one program and the beginning of the next to jolt you back into reality. No such luck while browsing the internet. Have you ever had the experience of taking a quick 10-minute study break to search for this or that on the internet? One hour and 20 clicks later, you've been the victim of the technology time suck.***

2) Internet and e-mail piddling masquerades as productive activity.

Internet and e-mail piddling is particularly dangerous because of its insidious nature. When we watch TV, there's no disputing the fact that we are taking a break. (And there's nothing wrong with taking breaks! See # 3 below for more on this.)

What's troubling about e-mail and internet piddling is that it masquerades as work. When you are clackety-clack-clacking at the keyboard while responding to e-mail or doing an unnecessary internet search, it's easy to delude ourselves into believing that you are doing work. And even more disturbing, all this pseudo work can be just as exhausting as real work! One can only stare at the computer screen for so many hours before eye strain takes its toll. And staring at the computer without blinking while browsing amazon.com is no vacation for your bloodshot, work-weary eyes. You aren't accomplishing real work, but you aren't giving yourself a real break either. Which brings me to my final point....***

3) Internet and e-mail piddling uses up "free time" that could be spent doing something that is truly rejuvenating.

As I mentioned in a previous newsletter on flow (http://www.abdsurvivalguide.com/News/030404.htm), checking e-mail and other frequent interruptions disrupt your concentration and the writing process.

Does the following scenario sound familiar? A section of your paper that should have taken 1 hour to write takes 2 hours because you stopped to check e-mail after each paragraph. You are now officially behind schedule, so you can't justify meeting a friend for coffee or going to a movie because you don't have time. The internet ate your time, and it's time to reclaim it!

===================================
Four Steps to Reclaim Your Much Deserved Breaks
===================================

1. Monitor how much time you are currently spending on the internet. Even if you do not decide to make any changes in your internet/e-mail piddling, I encourage you to act on this step. Keep a notepad on your desk and jot down what you were doing before deciding to take an e-mail or internet "break." Log your start and stop times. And then rate on a scale of 1-10 how restorative your "break" was.

It's important to keep track of how much time you are currently spending online because you will need to spend at least half of that time taking fun breaks away from the computer. See Step 2 below. (Please note that you are expressly forbidden to use Microsoft Excel to keep track of your e-mail/internet piddling as that would condone squinting at the computer screen for non- dissertation activities--and that is exactly what you want to avoid.)***

2. Make a list of things you can do that are truly relaxing or rejuvenating. Include activities that are short or long in duration and that you can do alone or with a friend.***

3. Determine whether the South Beach Diet approach to limiting your internet piddling is for you. Unless you have been living under a rock, you have most likely heard of the trendy South Beach Diet. (Oh wait, you are working on your dissertation which means that you very well might be living under a rock!) Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet seriously restricts simple carbohydrates (bread, cereal, dairy, even fruits) with the idea that you will lose your cravings for sugary, starchy foods during this period.

How do you feel about restricting your e-mail and internet use for one week to reduce your technology cravings? Does your anxiety level shoot up at the mere thought of being away from e-mail for one week? If so, then all the more reason to consider an e-mail/internet detox to break your habits. Figure out how to enable your e-mail vacation message auto-responder and repeat after me: "I will be away from e-mail from__ to ___. If this is an emergency, please contact my personal assistant at ___." (I just threw that personal assistant bit in at the end. Wouldn't that be nice?!)

During your hiatus, be sure to incorporate fun activities from your list every day. No cheating and doing more work! You will receive double bonus points for leisure pursuits that involve being outside and spending time with another person.***

4. When you decide it's time to phase in controlled e-mailing/internet time (or if you skipped Step 3), you will need a kitchen timer or stopwatch. Remember that being online is like being in a casino. You need to provide the time markers. Determine in advance how much time you are willing to spend online during the day and how you will reward yourself (with real breaks from your list) if you stick to the schedule.

If you think that 30 minutes is a reasonable amount of time to spend checking your e-mail in the morning, then set the timer for 30 minutes. If you want to take a break and read The New York Times or The Onion online, no problem. Just set the timer. Do you long to read a leisure book for an hour before bed? You will have time for this if you have faithfully used your timer!

I notice that you are still reading this newsletter. Isn't there some fresh air you might rather be breathing right now? You have the information you need to reclaim your breaks, so please back away from the computer and walk free from the technology time suck!

=================================================
About Dr. Tracy Steen
=================================================

Tracy Steen received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan. She is currently a writing coach in Philadelphia, PA, and her passion is helping students and professionals transform writing from drudgery to flow.

In addition to offering individual coaching via telephone, Dr. Steen leads workshops on the writing process. Read about Dr. Steen's philosophy of coaching and her research background in positive psychology: http://www.tracysteen.com

To Do Finish One Assignment

I will try to finish one assignment by this weekend.... cheer me on please!

My Aesthetic Taste

Yesterday, I talked to a Poet, V, who has written many books and poem. V is currently completing his DBA (Doctorate in Business Admin). He was at my office for a job interview for a Teaching position.

I seem to be attracted to or inspired by poets, writers, artists or musicians easily. I guess my inner being is sensitive, artistic, creative, and I do have some aesthetic taste. So V's appearance has renewed my interest in composing once again.

I am inspired to make time for my study...

Study Inspiration

Looking at the PhD in Education award my friend just received (from a different university from mine) sort of inspired me. I told myself, "I mustn't procrastinate. I must make time for my study,"

I also spoke to another friend of mine, who will be submitting her final thesis for the Doctorate in Business Admin soon (also from a different university from mine), about the lack of time to study due to my busy work. Her advice was, "Just do it. Spend 1 hour of your time per day just writing. Soon you would complete all that you need to do."

Yes, I guess I have spent too much time on my work, and when I have some free time I spent it on others. I should start spending time on myself more from now onwards.

I am panicky

I am panicky! No time to do my assignments at all. Maybe I must resign from my job?

Writing The Abstract

=================================================
Writing The Abstract
By Dr. Robert Lee Gordon
=================================================

A wise professor once told me that the abstract should be the shrunken head of the dissertation. It should consolidate all of the pertinent thoughts and ideas of the dissertation, and that it should distill down the essence of the research.

Although this was the most sage advice of my dissertation, it did not help me at the time of writing my dissertation. The reality was, although the wisdom was important, I still did not have a road map to get me to where I needed to be. It was not until many years later, and writing and publishing many research papers, did I finally understand this great advice. In support of this advice, I have found three great strategies that have allowed me to craft exceptional abstracts. First is to write the abstract at the beginning of the dissertation, second is to work towards a particular word count, and third is to edit the abstract near the end of the dissertation.

First, writing the abstract at the start of the process is important to focus the work at hand. The first sentence should capture the reader’s attention with a description and nature of the problem and how this research will address this issue.

For example, “Due to the reduced cost of bandwidth, virtual projects are becoming more common and so virtual project managers should be versed in strategies to address conflict in this environment in order to achieve project success.” The writer should also avoid grandiose statements such as; “Man has always sought to understand management.” instead one should focus on the problem and solution in a single statement. The opening should be dramatic, yet concise. The opening sentence can create a powerful initial statement that will set the stage for the rest of the abstract.

Second, always have a word count in mind when writing an abstract. This will help drive your sentences to be clearer. You should check with your university to understand what are the guidelines for your abstract.

It is acceptable to start with more material and then prune down the material to the appropriate word count. The abstract needs to contain all of the aspects of the dissertation and not just the introduction. A good check is to review the table of contents and to be sure that each major area is mentioned so that the abstract covers all of the concepts of the dissertation. Remember to keep all sentences active, and be as clear and brief as possible.

Third, once you are getting close to finishing your dissertation, critically review your abstract. This is the best time to work towards a strong abstract because the material is fresh in your mind. As the dissertation has evolved, the focus of the paper has shifted. This is natural and part of the evolution of a dissertation and now a person must distil down all of the major concepts to create an abbreviated dissertation.

In conclusion, the abstract can be a powerful statement about the dissertation. It can help draw in the readers and give a concise roadmap to those reading it. Thus a successful abstract is one that can help focus the reader and explain the research.

=================================================
About Dr. Robert Lee Gordon
=================================================

Dr. Gordon holds a Doctorate in Management and Organizational Leadership and currently serves as a faculty member at the University of Phoenix, DeVry University, and Andrew Jackson University.

Blog Update

Didn't update this blog for a while. Was very busy with my new work. Hardly have time for myself or study. Hope I could steal some time to do my assignments soon.

A Week Break

So nice to have a week break this week because of the Lunar New Year. I shall spend all my free time (other than home visitations) to complete 4 assignments which I have laid off for a very long time. May the rest of you...

HAVE

.

A JOYOUS

.

LUNAR NEW YEAR

Got Back One Marked Asignment

Just got back one of my marked assignment... I made it! :)

So one assignment completed. But I still owed one assignment and another to be completed by this May. I am really very busy with work... staying in office for about 12 hours daily left me with no more energy left to do anything else. I have been very stressed with work... hope this doesn't last. If it continues I would have to make a decision to leave my job next month and concentrate in my studies.

Welcome Year 2005

Welcome Year 2005! Time really flies,

A year has past at the twinkling of the eyes,

I look forward to something really nice,

As I say to Year 2004, "Goodbye!"

- BT