There were some interesting areas raise in both the Skype discussion groups on Sunday.
Ones that resonated with me were those pointing to the following;
Academia...versus...Us
Truth
Validity
Being 'in limbo'
Willingness to accept change
Transactions
Each notion here needs some unpacking, some unraveling, needs to enter into a process of interpretation, evaluation (upon reflection of that interpretation) in order for any of the notions to carry meaning for any of us. The meaning we attribute is to do with the choices we make, affected by the context we're in, our values, what we know as 'known' and what we do not yet know...and this will be different for each of us.
There is no universal meaning.
But there is space to breathe.
There is a little bit of breath for all of us here.
Brandon offered the phrase, that I've adopted here 'a little bit of breath' as a feeling for him in response to the discussion he was a part of yesterday. That this programme is not telling you what to do and how to do it. That there aren't right or wrong answers (actually that we're not posing questions seeking answers at all). There is room for individuality and that is valued. There is a valuing of your experiences and those experiences being meaningful through a process of reflection. There is choice... and there is always the spaces between.
The space between is where we breathe.
Take in what's around us...let things affect us...consider how we experience them... and choose how we may respond.
In this MA try not to position yourself in opposition to things ...Academia...versus...Us
Try to question what you believe to be Truths.
Look for Validity of you, of your experiecnes from within them, not external to.
Accept the in-betweens, moment of being 'in limbo' and recognise the space they offer to breathe.
Harness a willingness to accept change as inevitable, fundamental, rather than resist it by sticking to patterns you hold habitually perhaps.
Try to see teaching and learning as Transactions, more than an offering and receiving of knowledge.
Enjoy the spaces you find this week...talk about them through your blogs...
I look forward to sharing them.
Monday, 13 February 2017
Monday, 6 February 2017
Feedback...
Those of you who have just completed Module One or Two (submitting work in Jan for this) you will receive your feedback via email this week. This is in order to offer you some feedback and give you some time this week to reflect on your work as you begin to galvanise your study-mode again to move into the next module when term officially starts back next week Monday Feb 13th. You will not receive confirmation of approval for your claim for accreditation or your grade for the ROL essay until later in the month (via UniHub).
Finalists who completed the programme in Jan, as your feedback does not feed-directly into a next module for the MAPP, this is withheld until your grades are published later this month (around the 18th). Please do take our very best wishes and congratulations on all your hard work for now, and we look forward you sharing where your research has taken you next at our Alumni Sharing on May 20th (more details to follow but save the date for now!)
First monthly discussion group via Skype is this Sunday Feb 12th, at the usual offers of 1100 and 1700 (UK time).
Look forward to talking then and welcoming new starters on their MAPP journey with us too!
MAPP (soon to be) Graduates - do remember you are still a valued part of our community, feel free to join us on Skype discussions, blogs and keep us in the loop of your work!
All best wishes
Helen
Finalists who completed the programme in Jan, as your feedback does not feed-directly into a next module for the MAPP, this is withheld until your grades are published later this month (around the 18th). Please do take our very best wishes and congratulations on all your hard work for now, and we look forward you sharing where your research has taken you next at our Alumni Sharing on May 20th (more details to follow but save the date for now!)
First monthly discussion group via Skype is this Sunday Feb 12th, at the usual offers of 1100 and 1700 (UK time).
Look forward to talking then and welcoming new starters on their MAPP journey with us too!
MAPP (soon to be) Graduates - do remember you are still a valued part of our community, feel free to join us on Skype discussions, blogs and keep us in the loop of your work!
All best wishes
Helen
Friday, 3 February 2017
New things...new term...
Great to meet our new starters during your induction today...looking forward to having your voices and experiences join our MAPP community this term!
Don't forget to drop us an email with your blog address once you have one set up, take a look around at ours in the meantime to get a sense of each others (you'll find links to other MAPPers on our blogs in previous posts), and maybe use this as your starting point for what to write in your first blog...'how did it feel to start a blog? How did you approach it? ...
Remember you don't have to have the answers, but you're offering something for others to comment on and share their experiences with you too.
Take this next week until term officially starts on Feb 13th to read through handbooks (I'll be emailing these over the weekend to those not yet on UniHub as discussed), make a note of key dates, think about how and where you might study in and around your work and life, let employers (if relevant) know you're undertaking the MA so that they can support you, be aware of your research/work relationship to come, make a first meeting date with your advisor (this will be emailed over the weekend also) to chat and discuss best modes of contact for you, clear a desk space, buy a new notebook or open a new MAPP folder on your desktop and begin embracing the student-you!
You'll have a chance to meet others on the MA at our first monthly discussion group via Skype on SUNDAY FEB 12TH at either 1100 or 1700 (UK time).
Any questions in the meantime, feel free to drop us an email, or a Skype message anytime!
Emails: Helen <h.kindred@mdx.ac.uk> Adesola <a.akinleye@mdx.ac.uk>
Skypes: Helen <helen.kindred2> Adesola <aonthephone>
Some useful links for now...
http://unihub.mdx.ac.uk
https://www.nus.org.uk/extra
http://www.bl.uk
Helen
Don't forget to drop us an email with your blog address once you have one set up, take a look around at ours in the meantime to get a sense of each others (you'll find links to other MAPPers on our blogs in previous posts), and maybe use this as your starting point for what to write in your first blog...'how did it feel to start a blog? How did you approach it? ...
Remember you don't have to have the answers, but you're offering something for others to comment on and share their experiences with you too.
Take this next week until term officially starts on Feb 13th to read through handbooks (I'll be emailing these over the weekend to those not yet on UniHub as discussed), make a note of key dates, think about how and where you might study in and around your work and life, let employers (if relevant) know you're undertaking the MA so that they can support you, be aware of your research/work relationship to come, make a first meeting date with your advisor (this will be emailed over the weekend also) to chat and discuss best modes of contact for you, clear a desk space, buy a new notebook or open a new MAPP folder on your desktop and begin embracing the student-you!
You'll have a chance to meet others on the MA at our first monthly discussion group via Skype on SUNDAY FEB 12TH at either 1100 or 1700 (UK time).
Any questions in the meantime, feel free to drop us an email, or a Skype message anytime!
Emails: Helen <h.kindred@mdx.ac.uk> Adesola <a.akinleye@mdx.ac.uk>
Skypes: Helen <helen.kindred2> Adesola <aonthephone>
Some useful links for now...
http://unihub.mdx.ac.uk
https://www.nus.org.uk/extra
http://www.bl.uk
Helen
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