Tuesday 13 December 2011

Wow!  Exactly a year since my last post.
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One major difference from last year is that I am not picking up any work from the Help Desk because I have had all work for assessment (248 pieces for 6 modules) submitted through Turnitin and I am using Gradebook to give feedback within 4 weeks, one of which includes Christmas and, I hope 10 days leave in Nigeria.

While I am marking and on leave, over the next few weeks, I hope to use today's post to try and summarise the past year of huge change for me.
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Yesterday I should have been marking mid submission work for ED2046 until 1.30 before getting ready to go into UEL for tutorials with ED3022 and ED3033 students about the feedback I had just given them via Turnitin.

Instead of actually getting any marking done however, I spent from 9.00 up to 1 pm dealing with emails.  Quite a few 'last minute.coms' for ED3022.

One of the emails was a nice one from RC about the concerns he had raised about ED3033 that has led to my being removed as Module Leader for it next Semester.  I welcome the reduced workload, but will miss consolidating learning from teaching the module this Semester with many more students than anticipated.

Only two students actually showed up but I spoke with several who had been planning to come one for ED3033 and one for ED3022.
The ED3033 student wanted to know how about completing the Feedback and Proof of Engagement Template.
The ED3022 Youth and Community student wanted to discuss her work for which she had received a 43% but also talked at length about the impact studying the subject has had on her ... not being able to stop talking to people about the subject of intersex at work and to her Pastor.
After the tutorials, I tried to mark but it was hard.  I was very tired and Jane had left us small bags of Lindt chocolates with a Christmas Card.  I marked just two essays between 4 and 8.pm

8.30 I left UEL for the 9pm Bikram Yoga.  Number 3 of my 14.  Got there for 9.40 despite hold ups and diversions, having to take unknown routes and not being able to get into the gated area to park for the class.  It was almost 11 pm when I got home.

I can see a difference in the extent to which I am able to stretch.  There was some pain getting in and out of the car still but I could feel myself not wanting to sit with poor posture.
I slept soundly for 5 hours.  I felt myself stretch out more as I slept.
That is enough about yesterday.  What about the last year?
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It is over a week since I told T.A that I would keep a record of my experiences at work and I am just doing so.  Not good.  Why the hesitation?  ... thinking, marking .....clearing up after NR. 

I need to capture events of Semester B 2011 has just passed.

I did three sessions for Clearning during what should have been leave and have earned 3 extra days of leave for this year.

This semester I taught
ED1010 Children in Their Social Contexts
ED1015 Diaspora Communities in the UK
ED2046 Community Development Theory and Practice
ED3022 Gender Security and Education For All
ED3033 E-learning:  Communication, Collaboration and Co-operation
I was also Subject Tutor for ED3000 Independent Research Project

I thought I would be teaching, that is, it was agreed at my SDR that I would be teaching:
ED1015 Diaspora Communities in the UK
ED2046 Community Development Theory and Practice
ED3022 Gender Security and Education For All
ED3033 E-learning: Communication, Collaboration and Co-operation

The ED3000 teaching and being the sole tutor for ED1010 was not anticipated but I took ED3000 on willingly because at least it would be an opportunity to re-engage with active and formal research in the field I teach again and I found myself with ED1010 because RM who was to have taught it was going to be leading a new Early Childhood programme.  I had shot myself in the foot by agreeing to present the lectures for the module with RM in attendance and supporting.

I thought I would only be doing the lectures and organising the VLE for ED1010 but having nothing to do with assessment.  I agreed to be involved with making these contributions to ED1010 as a way of winding down and writing up the learning from developing, teaching and learning on this module for ...8 years??