A great insight from Matthew Syed on Radio Four about growth mindsets and how we can get good at ‘stuff’.
Thursday, 10 May 2012
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
Links to the final listening and presentation analysis assessments
Hi all,
You will definitely be able to access the TED talk from home and you SHOULD be able to access the Click View documentary too with any luck. In the case of the latter not being accessible for you outside of the college, all the Stevenson College PCs have Click View on them, and you key in the words 'Dying to be Thin'.
The links then are as follows:
Oral Presentation Skills analysis - Ben Saunders skis to the North Pole: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/ben_saunders_skis_to_the_north_pole.html
Communication 4 listening - 'Dying to be Thin' presented by Fiona Bruce : http://webplayer.clickview.com.au/?p=CPdc
For those members of the class who were in attendance on Wednesday 2nd May you now have a pack with all the assessment questions for the two pieces noted above, as well as the final reading assessment.
I am happy to receive your answers by e mail and remember, we have 409 on a Monday morning but only the Learning Centre on the second floor on a Wednesday 11.15-1.15.
Many thanks,
Mark
You will definitely be able to access the TED talk from home and you SHOULD be able to access the Click View documentary too with any luck. In the case of the latter not being accessible for you outside of the college, all the Stevenson College PCs have Click View on them, and you key in the words 'Dying to be Thin'.
The links then are as follows:
Oral Presentation Skills analysis - Ben Saunders skis to the North Pole: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/ben_saunders_skis_to_the_north_pole.html
Communication 4 listening - 'Dying to be Thin' presented by Fiona Bruce : http://webplayer.clickview.com.au/?p=CPdc
For those members of the class who were in attendance on Wednesday 2nd May you now have a pack with all the assessment questions for the two pieces noted above, as well as the final reading assessment.
I am happy to receive your answers by e mail and remember, we have 409 on a Monday morning but only the Learning Centre on the second floor on a Wednesday 11.15-1.15.
Many thanks,
Mark
Monday, 30 April 2012
Final thoughts
Well, here I am penning my last post of this blog for the class. It’s been an intense and, I hope, educational year for all of us (we learn too, you know!) Please read my words and I would be so grateful if you could add some words of your own. You may not wish to write as much as I have or follow the same cyclical structure, but your comments would be appreciated all the same, good, bad or indifferent.
We (lecturers) should, I believe, always be prepared to do the tasks which we ask students to do. So, in that spirit, I aim, right here and right now, to write my own reflections and evaluation of the year.
Structure is (arguably) the most important aspect of anything concerning Communication, so here is how I have put my words together:
- Introduction – motivation and expectations
- Positive experiences
- How my course could be improved
- Evaluation of my own performance
- Conclusion – what I have learned
Mark's Reflective Words
So, to start, what were my motivation and expectations at the beginning of the year? (Ah yes, the old, trusty question to get a written piece kick-started). Well, beside my big, fat salary (aye right!), my motivation was, as always, to create a supportive but challenging learning environment to allow students to develop. That all sounds a bit woolly but I suppose that’s what teaching is for me. Sometimes the word “teach” is too blunt an instrument for my liking.
My expectation was that I would be working with a group of able and interesting students who would be ready for a challenge. I wasn’t wrong. This is my second year teaching on this Access course at Stevenson, so I was, in a sense, still quite new as well. Not to teaching, not to Communication, not even to the Units, but to a cohort of this nature. I think we were all up for the challenge and, although, tough at times, I am certain we all learned a great deal along the way.
It’s impossible to predict how a class will gel, but from very early on it was clear that you all worked and, importantly, learned very well together. This intra-class dynamic is crucial to the development of a positive learning environment - it was always a pleasure to walk into your class.
This brings me to my positive experiences. To be honest, the positive experiences are really too numerous to mention. One of the most fundamental factors in teaching, I think, is developing positive relationships with learners. I feel that I was lucky in developing such relationships with each and every one of the class. So, my primary positive experience is the sum of all these relationships. I also feel that the yearbook we put together was an amazing journey. I was editor, time manager, encourager, photography assistant, liaison officer with the DTP crew, you name it and boy was the result a cracker! I really hope you enjoyed the experience and the end product. Next year's group has a great deal to live up to, make no mistake about that. And I thought LAST year's was a belter!
But what about improvements? (By the way, I hope you are all paying attention to my paragraphing and signposting). We always need to be aware of how things could be improved. So what about improvements in things that I have control of (and this segues into the evaluation of my own performance)? Well, that’s trickier as it requires a degree of self-criticism.
I suppose I’m asking myself "would I do anything different?" Well, I think I might time or pace assessments in a different way next year. I was very conscious of the amount of assessments that you needed to get through this year. I made a conscious effort to space the assessments out, but maybe I would have done both reading together, both listening together and so on. The reason I didn't was to avoid lots of assessments at the one time but I am happy to be led by your individual comments on the assessment pattern.
Deadlines. I have no doubt that I will be getting first drafts and remediated work in from some students right up to the final knocking, which on a personal level, does annoy me a little, certainly a raised eyebrow... Should I have failed every student who didn’t make the deadlines I set? Hmmm, perhaps, but is that the spirit of FE? What I can note is that having taught and managed undergraduate and postgraduate courses at university, I know without a shadow of a doubt that universities will be stricter on making deadlines. Maybe I need to go on about that even more next year. (Already I can see the rolling-eyes of students I haven’t yet met). Joking aside though, meeting deadlines is an important part of all aspects of life.
Most of you were excellent at time management, so well done to those learners in that bracket.
So, what have I learned? Well, amongst other things I’ve learned how to tie some useful knots, make hearty Highland soup, bread, beer, Moravian stars, know what my name is in Japanese, how to play a successful game of Hearts, you get my drift! I’ve also learned (or re-learned) that if we’re coasting along then we’re probably not learning a lot. But when we feel we are on the very edges of our comfort zone, then, possibly, we are learning. That’s what learning feels like. It’s not always a pleasant feeling at the time - but it seems worth the discomfort in retrospect. This is an important thing for us as lecturers to remember. We force students out of their comfort zone a lot. How often do we move out of ours?
I always like to think that one of my strengths as an educator is my time management and feedback skills. This takes a lot of time and effort to get right, so hopefully this is an area where you feel I have given you my very best attention. Oh, and a light peppering of humour never hurts either I always feel!
I have spent a lot of time putting this blog together too and have really enjoyed the experience.
Another way of self-evaluating for me as a lecturer is asking the simple question "what did my students learn?" One way of getting a measure of that is by asking you to comment on the blog, e mail me, fill in the end of unit questionnaires etc. and I look forward to your comments.
It was apparent from informal and formal mechanisms that the oral presentation delivery was the biggest fear for many students in the beginning. Oral presentation teaching is one of my passions of all the different areas of communication I teach, so it was refreshing to listen to so many amazing talks. The collegiate approach shown by you as a class, the expertise of the PP slides and the question and answer sessions were really entertaining at times. For me, everybody has raised their level of performance as the year has progressed and I do hope in the future when you wow the University bods that you remember the importance of structure, rehearsal and organisation!
So, to finish (and I just love cyclical structures), let's go right back to a question we started with at the very beginning of our time together in September: what is the purpose of education and communication? No need to reply, but I wonder has anyone changed their mind on that one …
Take care,
Mr H
We (lecturers) should, I believe, always be prepared to do the tasks which we ask students to do. So, in that spirit, I aim, right here and right now, to write my own reflections and evaluation of the year.
Structure is (arguably) the most important aspect of anything concerning Communication, so here is how I have put my words together:
- Introduction – motivation and expectations
- Positive experiences
- How my course could be improved
- Evaluation of my own performance
- Conclusion – what I have learned
Mark's Reflective Words
So, to start, what were my motivation and expectations at the beginning of the year? (Ah yes, the old, trusty question to get a written piece kick-started). Well, beside my big, fat salary (aye right!), my motivation was, as always, to create a supportive but challenging learning environment to allow students to develop. That all sounds a bit woolly but I suppose that’s what teaching is for me. Sometimes the word “teach” is too blunt an instrument for my liking.
My expectation was that I would be working with a group of able and interesting students who would be ready for a challenge. I wasn’t wrong. This is my second year teaching on this Access course at Stevenson, so I was, in a sense, still quite new as well. Not to teaching, not to Communication, not even to the Units, but to a cohort of this nature. I think we were all up for the challenge and, although, tough at times, I am certain we all learned a great deal along the way.
It’s impossible to predict how a class will gel, but from very early on it was clear that you all worked and, importantly, learned very well together. This intra-class dynamic is crucial to the development of a positive learning environment - it was always a pleasure to walk into your class.
This brings me to my positive experiences. To be honest, the positive experiences are really too numerous to mention. One of the most fundamental factors in teaching, I think, is developing positive relationships with learners. I feel that I was lucky in developing such relationships with each and every one of the class. So, my primary positive experience is the sum of all these relationships. I also feel that the yearbook we put together was an amazing journey. I was editor, time manager, encourager, photography assistant, liaison officer with the DTP crew, you name it and boy was the result a cracker! I really hope you enjoyed the experience and the end product. Next year's group has a great deal to live up to, make no mistake about that. And I thought LAST year's was a belter!
But what about improvements? (By the way, I hope you are all paying attention to my paragraphing and signposting). We always need to be aware of how things could be improved. So what about improvements in things that I have control of (and this segues into the evaluation of my own performance)? Well, that’s trickier as it requires a degree of self-criticism.
I suppose I’m asking myself "would I do anything different?" Well, I think I might time or pace assessments in a different way next year. I was very conscious of the amount of assessments that you needed to get through this year. I made a conscious effort to space the assessments out, but maybe I would have done both reading together, both listening together and so on. The reason I didn't was to avoid lots of assessments at the one time but I am happy to be led by your individual comments on the assessment pattern.
Deadlines. I have no doubt that I will be getting first drafts and remediated work in from some students right up to the final knocking, which on a personal level, does annoy me a little, certainly a raised eyebrow... Should I have failed every student who didn’t make the deadlines I set? Hmmm, perhaps, but is that the spirit of FE? What I can note is that having taught and managed undergraduate and postgraduate courses at university, I know without a shadow of a doubt that universities will be stricter on making deadlines. Maybe I need to go on about that even more next year. (Already I can see the rolling-eyes of students I haven’t yet met). Joking aside though, meeting deadlines is an important part of all aspects of life.
Most of you were excellent at time management, so well done to those learners in that bracket.
So, what have I learned? Well, amongst other things I’ve learned how to tie some useful knots, make hearty Highland soup, bread, beer, Moravian stars, know what my name is in Japanese, how to play a successful game of Hearts, you get my drift! I’ve also learned (or re-learned) that if we’re coasting along then we’re probably not learning a lot. But when we feel we are on the very edges of our comfort zone, then, possibly, we are learning. That’s what learning feels like. It’s not always a pleasant feeling at the time - but it seems worth the discomfort in retrospect. This is an important thing for us as lecturers to remember. We force students out of their comfort zone a lot. How often do we move out of ours?
I always like to think that one of my strengths as an educator is my time management and feedback skills. This takes a lot of time and effort to get right, so hopefully this is an area where you feel I have given you my very best attention. Oh, and a light peppering of humour never hurts either I always feel!
I have spent a lot of time putting this blog together too and have really enjoyed the experience.
Another way of self-evaluating for me as a lecturer is asking the simple question "what did my students learn?" One way of getting a measure of that is by asking you to comment on the blog, e mail me, fill in the end of unit questionnaires etc. and I look forward to your comments.
It was apparent from informal and formal mechanisms that the oral presentation delivery was the biggest fear for many students in the beginning. Oral presentation teaching is one of my passions of all the different areas of communication I teach, so it was refreshing to listen to so many amazing talks. The collegiate approach shown by you as a class, the expertise of the PP slides and the question and answer sessions were really entertaining at times. For me, everybody has raised their level of performance as the year has progressed and I do hope in the future when you wow the University bods that you remember the importance of structure, rehearsal and organisation!
So, to finish (and I just love cyclical structures), let's go right back to a question we started with at the very beginning of our time together in September: what is the purpose of education and communication? No need to reply, but I wonder has anyone changed their mind on that one …
Take care,
Mr H
Assessed presentations, part four
Two great talks this morning from Hannah and Arleta. Both presenters were very well researched, stimulated the interest of the audience and gave good accounts of themselves in the q and a session.
We had an informative feedback session and it was well received by all of those in attendance.
I will see everybody back in the class as a group for the last time on Wednesday, boo hoo!
All the best,
Mark
We had an informative feedback session and it was well received by all of those in attendance.
I will see everybody back in the class as a group for the last time on Wednesday, boo hoo!
All the best,
Mark
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Assessed presentations, part three
Well done to Josh and Rafikas this morning who both passed their talks for Comm 4 and Oral Presentation Skills. The topics were witchcraft in Central Africa and racism and stimulated some really interesting discussion afterwards.
Two strong deliveries so congratulations to both presenters.
All the best,
Mark
Two strong deliveries so congratulations to both presenters.
All the best,
Mark
Monday, 23 April 2012
Final presentations, part two
Well done to Kenna, Karen and Dorota who delivered three excellent talks this morning. I was impressed with the level of research that had been done and the quality of the visuals in particular.
We held a really good feedback session afterwards and all presenters were able to critique their own talks as well as offering helpful commentary to their peers.
Great start to the week, so well done all!
Mark
We held a really good feedback session afterwards and all presenters were able to critique their own talks as well as offering helpful commentary to their peers.
Great start to the week, so well done all!
Mark
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Final presentations, part one
Dear all,
We were treated to six excellent presentations this morning, so well done to Tanya, Ellie, Paige, Lloyd, Andrew and Samuel.
These talks get you credit for both Comm 4 and OPS.
The presentations were well structured, pitched at a very high level, had great engagement with the audience as well as demonstrating a very good subject knowledge.
Well done to all involved.
Mark
We were treated to six excellent presentations this morning, so well done to Tanya, Ellie, Paige, Lloyd, Andrew and Samuel.
These talks get you credit for both Comm 4 and OPS.
The presentations were well structured, pitched at a very high level, had great engagement with the audience as well as demonstrating a very good subject knowledge.
Well done to all involved.
Mark
Tuesday, 17 April 2012
Oral Presentation assessment
Dear all,
Just a quick reminder that you only need to come to your allocated presentation time but are more than welcome to come and listen to any of the other sessions.
You will be authorised absent for the sessions you don't make...as long as you don't miss the one you are scheduled for!
I am really looking forward to hearing the talks as the range of subjects is magnificent!
See (some of) you tomorrow,
Mark
Just a quick reminder that you only need to come to your allocated presentation time but are more than welcome to come and listen to any of the other sessions.
You will be authorised absent for the sessions you don't make...as long as you don't miss the one you are scheduled for!
I am really looking forward to hearing the talks as the range of subjects is magnificent!
See (some of) you tomorrow,
Mark
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Confirmed times for assessed presentations after the Easter break
Dear all,
Here are the times for the presentations for Comm 4 and Oral Presentation Skills (integrated in the two for one deal!)
Wed 18th April at 11.15 in room 110 - Andrew, Ellie, Tanya, Lloyd, Samuel, Paige
Monday 23rd April at 9.00 in room 409 - Kenna, Dorota, Karen
Wed 25th April at 11.15 in room 110 - Josh, Steven, Laura, Claire, Imran, Rafikas, Guillermo
Monday 30th April at 9.00 in room 409 - Amanda, Arleta, Hannah
Mark
Here are the times for the presentations for Comm 4 and Oral Presentation Skills (integrated in the two for one deal!)
Wed 18th April at 11.15 in room 110 - Andrew, Ellie, Tanya, Lloyd, Samuel, Paige
Monday 23rd April at 9.00 in room 409 - Kenna, Dorota, Karen
Wed 25th April at 11.15 in room 110 - Josh, Steven, Laura, Claire, Imran, Rafikas, Guillermo
Monday 30th April at 9.00 in room 409 - Amanda, Arleta, Hannah
Mark
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Sponsorship info
http://www.justgiving.com/Mr-H-and-the-tee-totallers
I am playing four rounds of golf in one day in July with three friends to raise some money for Macmillan Cancer Support. It won't be easy but we're up for the challenge.
If you could spare even a pound it would be fantastic, you just follow the link at the top of this post.
I won't ask again, but thought you might be interested.
Fore!
I am playing four rounds of golf in one day in July with three friends to raise some money for Macmillan Cancer Support. It won't be easy but we're up for the challenge.
If you could spare even a pound it would be fantastic, you just follow the link at the top of this post.
I won't ask again, but thought you might be interested.
Fore!
Monday, 26 March 2012
Edinburgh University unofficial tour guide!
Hi all,
As I mentioned in the class today, Alison will be very glad to show you around Edinburgh University, either before the end of this term or at the start of the new term around September time. She has end of year exams in May.
Remember, she was an Access (to Humanities) student at Stevenson College in 2009-10 so knows what you are going through and what you can expect at Uni.
She was saying that although the group talks are helpful and in many ways informative that the Uni set up, you don't really get the chance to find out where the good study places are, where to park, how to get a permit, where to eat etc etc.
To this end she would be happy to meet with anybody on an individual basis or even in small groups if you wanted an unofficial recce of Edinburgh Uni.
Her e mail address is aehadley@hotmail.co.uk and her mobile number is 07889879322. If you are contacting her just let her know that you are a member of the Access to Languages class and she will definitely reply!!!
Hope this helps,
Mark
As I mentioned in the class today, Alison will be very glad to show you around Edinburgh University, either before the end of this term or at the start of the new term around September time. She has end of year exams in May.
Remember, she was an Access (to Humanities) student at Stevenson College in 2009-10 so knows what you are going through and what you can expect at Uni.
She was saying that although the group talks are helpful and in many ways informative that the Uni set up, you don't really get the chance to find out where the good study places are, where to park, how to get a permit, where to eat etc etc.
To this end she would be happy to meet with anybody on an individual basis or even in small groups if you wanted an unofficial recce of Edinburgh Uni.
Her e mail address is aehadley@hotmail.co.uk and her mobile number is 07889879322. If you are contacting her just let her know that you are a member of the Access to Languages class and she will definitely reply!!!
Hope this helps,
Mark
Watch thousands of TV clips from across Europe - another useful resource
Watch thousands of TV clips from across Europe
In addition to and Click View documentaries that may be of help to you, in this resource you have over 14,000 items of archived TV footage from 17 European countries now available via the EUscreen online portal for teaching, research and general interest.
EUscreen – the result of a collaboration between 36 partners across Europe – provides a rich insight into Europe’s television heritage with content dating from the 1920s to the present day.
The portal includes rare footage and commentary on key events in history, including a 1962 interview with Martin Luther King about racial discrimination in the US.
John Ellis, Professor of Media Arts at Royal Holloway and principal investigator on the EUscreen project, said: “This is a valuable resource for anyone interested in social history or indeed TV history, as it brings together tens of thousands of clips from across Europe. The portal is available to anyone (not only academics) and it is very easy to get absorbed and spend hours browsing all of the footage.”
The expansive footage has also proved popular as a learning aid for foreign language students, with clips available in 14 languages.
By the end of September 2012, there will be around 30,000 items of digital content freely available on the portal as the European providers continue to add carefully selected material.
Explore the EUscreen footage http://www.euscreen.eu/
All the best, Mark
In addition to and Click View documentaries that may be of help to you, in this resource you have over 14,000 items of archived TV footage from 17 European countries now available via the EUscreen online portal for teaching, research and general interest.
EUscreen – the result of a collaboration between 36 partners across Europe – provides a rich insight into Europe’s television heritage with content dating from the 1920s to the present day.
The portal includes rare footage and commentary on key events in history, including a 1962 interview with Martin Luther King about racial discrimination in the US.
John Ellis, Professor of Media Arts at Royal Holloway and principal investigator on the EUscreen project, said: “This is a valuable resource for anyone interested in social history or indeed TV history, as it brings together tens of thousands of clips from across Europe. The portal is available to anyone (not only academics) and it is very easy to get absorbed and spend hours browsing all of the footage.”
The expansive footage has also proved popular as a learning aid for foreign language students, with clips available in 14 languages.
By the end of September 2012, there will be around 30,000 items of digital content freely available on the portal as the European providers continue to add carefully selected material.
Explore the EUscreen footage http://www.euscreen.eu/
All the best, Mark
8-10 minute presentation help slides
Dear all,
Here are the slides that I went over this morning with you. They should provide some context to the brief that I distributed.
Regards,
Mark
Here are the slides that I went over this morning with you. They should provide some context to the brief that I distributed.
Regards,
Mark
Pres topics in previous classes
View more PowerPoint from Mark Hetherington
Thursday, 22 March 2012
Harvard System of Referencing Guide
http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/referencing/harvard.htm - further to the slides I put together for you a wee while ago, this weblink is a very good resource for you to keep for when you are at University.
See you all on Monday,
Mark
See you all on Monday,
Mark
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
Discussion assessment, session two
Another successful couple of discussions this morning. The topics were assisted suicide and abortion and raised some very interesting points of view.
Again, the information was well researched, backed up with some strong personal comment which helped to make both sessions really interesting and informative for assessor and learners alike.
All four discussions have been great, so well done to everybody involved and I will see you all on Monday to go over the next assessment, which is the final assessed presentation you will deliver for the unit.
Until then, have a lovely weekend.
All the best,
Mark
Again, the information was well researched, backed up with some strong personal comment which helped to make both sessions really interesting and informative for assessor and learners alike.
All four discussions have been great, so well done to everybody involved and I will see you all on Monday to go over the next assessment, which is the final assessed presentation you will deliver for the unit.
Until then, have a lovely weekend.
All the best,
Mark
Tuesday, 20 March 2012
Discussion assessment, session one
I really enjoyed the two discussion groups on Monday.
The 9am group detailed information about 'Burke and Hare' which included information about the film and many ineresting facts concerning the deadly duo. It also provided an agenda for some further research on the topic so well done group one.
At 9.30 the next group looked at the contentious subject of 'benefits' and many areas were covered, from personal stories to information current in today's news. The group analysed, debated and outlined a surfeit of different areas surrounding the subject of benefits and also did a great job.
As I thought, the discussions could have gone on a little longer, so in a way I am sorry that I didn't allow more time. That said, they may well have continued into the refectory afterwwards! All speakers were upbeat, well prepared and up for a natter. Can't ask for any more than that!
I am looking forward to hearing the final two group discussions on Wed at 12 noon and 12.30 respectively.
Well done,
Mark
The 9am group detailed information about 'Burke and Hare' which included information about the film and many ineresting facts concerning the deadly duo. It also provided an agenda for some further research on the topic so well done group one.
At 9.30 the next group looked at the contentious subject of 'benefits' and many areas were covered, from personal stories to information current in today's news. The group analysed, debated and outlined a surfeit of different areas surrounding the subject of benefits and also did a great job.
As I thought, the discussions could have gone on a little longer, so in a way I am sorry that I didn't allow more time. That said, they may well have continued into the refectory afterwwards! All speakers were upbeat, well prepared and up for a natter. Can't ask for any more than that!
I am looking forward to hearing the final two group discussions on Wed at 12 noon and 12.30 respectively.
Well done,
Mark
Wednesday, 14 March 2012
Will you tell Starbucks your name?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17356957
Have a look at the link above. I was having a chat with Paige about this matter this morning in class. It does strike me, where is the line between being friendly and imposing?
Any thoughts welcomed!
Mark
Have a look at the link above. I was having a chat with Paige about this matter this morning in class. It does strike me, where is the line between being friendly and imposing?
Any thoughts welcomed!
Mark
Confirmed times for discussion assessment next week
Dear all,
Here are the times as agreed for next week's Communication classes. Remember, you only need to attend at the time noted below.
Monday 19th at 9 in 409 - Kenna, Dorota, Hannah, Karen, Amanda - Burke and Hare
Monday 19th at 9.30 in 409 - Guillermo, Tanya, Ellie, Lloyd, Ellie - 'benefits'
Wednesday 21st at 12 noon in 110 - Rafikas, Josh, Samuel, Laura, Paige - 'assisted suicide'
Wednesday 21st at 12.30 in 110 - Imran, Steven, Arleta, Claire, Gary - 'abortion'
See you then and don't forget to e mail me your reviews if you haven't already done so,
Mark
Here are the times as agreed for next week's Communication classes. Remember, you only need to attend at the time noted below.
Monday 19th at 9 in 409 - Kenna, Dorota, Hannah, Karen, Amanda - Burke and Hare
Monday 19th at 9.30 in 409 - Guillermo, Tanya, Ellie, Lloyd, Ellie - 'benefits'
Wednesday 21st at 12 noon in 110 - Rafikas, Josh, Samuel, Laura, Paige - 'assisted suicide'
Wednesday 21st at 12.30 in 110 - Imran, Steven, Arleta, Claire, Gary - 'abortion'
See you then and don't forget to e mail me your reviews if you haven't already done so,
Mark
Monday, 12 March 2012
Groups for the next assessment - the discussion
Morning all,
I really enjoyed the session this morning and after the 'World Cup Draw' we established the following groups and dates:
Monday 19th March at 9 in 409 - Kenna, Dorota, Hannah, Karen, Amanda
Monday 19th March at 9.30 in 409 - Tanya, Guillermo, Lloyd, Ellie, Andrew
Wednesday 21st March in 110 (time to be confirmed) - Imran, Steven, Arleta, Claire, Gary
Wednesday 21st March in 110 (time to be confirmed) - Rafikas, Josh, Samuel, Laura, Paige
Remember, the film reviews are to be in by Wednesday 14th March so there will be time to use the PCs for that and/or researching for the discussion in 110.
See you all on Wednesday,
Mark
I really enjoyed the session this morning and after the 'World Cup Draw' we established the following groups and dates:
Monday 19th March at 9 in 409 - Kenna, Dorota, Hannah, Karen, Amanda
Monday 19th March at 9.30 in 409 - Tanya, Guillermo, Lloyd, Ellie, Andrew
Wednesday 21st March in 110 (time to be confirmed) - Imran, Steven, Arleta, Claire, Gary
Wednesday 21st March in 110 (time to be confirmed) - Rafikas, Josh, Samuel, Laura, Paige
Remember, the film reviews are to be in by Wednesday 14th March so there will be time to use the PCs for that and/or researching for the discussion in 110.
See you all on Wednesday,
Mark
Monday, 5 March 2012
Film review - submission date Wed 14th March 2012
Dear all,
The second writing assessment is due on Wednesday 14th March 2012 and will be a film review of one of the films we have watched recently, Man On Wire or Elegy.
It should be a minimum of 700 words and you are encouraged to look at other film reviews (using the websites I recommended a week or two ago on this blog) to get a feel for how you might write your piece.
Don't be afraid to be really positive and equally, don't be afraid to write a negative review if you feel inclined!
I look forward to your reviews and if possible, please e mail me your work. I am aware that some of you are unable to attend my Wednesday class as you are at the University Open Day, so I hope you enjoy that. For those not going, please come to 110 at the usual time where I will have access to the laptops for you to write up your review.
Next Monday (12th March) we will look at the next assessment which is a discussion, but more about that next week!
All the best,
Mark
The second writing assessment is due on Wednesday 14th March 2012 and will be a film review of one of the films we have watched recently, Man On Wire or Elegy.
It should be a minimum of 700 words and you are encouraged to look at other film reviews (using the websites I recommended a week or two ago on this blog) to get a feel for how you might write your piece.
Don't be afraid to be really positive and equally, don't be afraid to write a negative review if you feel inclined!
I look forward to your reviews and if possible, please e mail me your work. I am aware that some of you are unable to attend my Wednesday class as you are at the University Open Day, so I hope you enjoy that. For those not going, please come to 110 at the usual time where I will have access to the laptops for you to write up your review.
Next Monday (12th March) we will look at the next assessment which is a discussion, but more about that next week!
All the best,
Mark
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
How hard is it to learn 18 languages?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17101370 - this is an interesting article from the BBC entitled 'The cult of the hyperpolyglot' and you may find it of interest.
Mark
Mark
Monday, 27 February 2012
Wednesday's film - certainly not the final word!
I was curious to read some reviews of the film we will be watching on Wednesday. There were some really positive ones and some pretty negative ones too. I extracted a few comments for reference.
In the negative corner they say...
See you on Wed for round two.
In the negative corner they say...
- We've seen this story, with various minor differences, a thousand times, and this is an exceptionally average version.
- This movie was so boring. The main character shows virtually no emotion until the last 15 minutes of the film. And the storyline goes nowhere.
- At the end of the film I turned to my boyfriend and we gave each other looks that said "Really? Is that all?"
- This is the first movie in forever that I have watched and then repeated entire film immediately.
- I just watched this movie for the second time and started looking up information on it. I found the movie extremely compelling for it's dialogue and the powerful command of emotional expression displayed by the two leads.
- Coming into this film completely blind, knowing nothing about the book until reading this review, I was swept up into its story and carefully constructed visual palate. Although the story was perhaps predictable to a point, it certainly affected. The lovely acting was enhanced by a subtle and intelligent use of music. This is an award winner in the making and a must see!
- It is refreshing to see an intelligent, thoughtful, adult film when of late there seem to be so many poor ones on release. I loved the music, the scenery, all actors' performances, and finally I was captured by the plot. Just when I thought a predictable conclusion was happening, a different turn ensued. It was a wonderful exploration of emotions and well worth my time. I would recommend this to anybody over the age of 15.
See you on Wed for round two.
Useful film critique
Dear all,
This morning I really enjoyed a. having you all back as a class and b. the debate we had surrounding the film / documentary 'Man On Wire'.
I thought it was really helpful to hear all the different viewpoints and this in essence is what film reviewing is about. It is subjective. It is our own opinion. I know the film very well but was swayed by some of the coments aired this morning which is wonderful.
Love it, hate it, somewhere in between it, you can all write a cracking review on it. But not yet, we have one further film to view on Wednesday.
We won't have much time to discuss it next Monday but we can do so on the blog, so look out for the post on that after we watch the film on Wednesday.
All the best,
Mark
This morning I really enjoyed a. having you all back as a class and b. the debate we had surrounding the film / documentary 'Man On Wire'.
I thought it was really helpful to hear all the different viewpoints and this in essence is what film reviewing is about. It is subjective. It is our own opinion. I know the film very well but was swayed by some of the coments aired this morning which is wonderful.
Love it, hate it, somewhere in between it, you can all write a cracking review on it. But not yet, we have one further film to view on Wednesday.
We won't have much time to discuss it next Monday but we can do so on the blog, so look out for the post on that after we watch the film on Wednesday.
All the best,
Mark
Thursday, 23 February 2012
Places to read film reviews
We will be discussing the Man on Wire film on Monday morning and afterwards I'll ask you to have a look at film review sites to get a feel for how you might write one. I don't want to be too prescriptive for this assessment so the structure is in your hands but I will give you some hints on what you may wish to include. Remember, film reviews can be positive, negative or somewhere in the middle!
http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/
http://www.timeout.com/film/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/film+tone/reviews
http://www.imdb.com/
See you all on Monday,
Mark
http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/
http://www.timeout.com/film/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/film+tone/reviews
http://www.imdb.com/
See you all on Monday,
Mark
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Human Library...read on!
Dear all,
I was speaking with my colleague Kate Buckle this afternoon and I said I would post some information about her 'human library' so please see information below.
HUMAN LIBRARY/LIVING BOOKS
General guidelines for loans from the Human Library!
Before you are ready to take out a Living Book from the Human Library, check out the Book Catalogue
The Librarian
The librarians are there to help you find a book that you would like to borrow.
Duration of loans!
The Living Book must be returned to the Human Library 15 minutes after the time of check out.
You are only allowed to borrow one book at a time although you may make a joint loan with a friend. Loans cannot be extended nor renewed.
Where to go?
The Living Book may be taken around the library R409, but not away from the building. You may share a coffee/tea/juice and biscuit with the Living Book. You are under no circumstances allowed to take the Living Book home with you. You are not allowed to lend the Living Book to somebody else but you could recommend them as a good read.
What to do?
It is expected that all the Living Books who are being lent out, will be returned in the same condition they were in at the time of check out. Treat the borrowed book with respect! You are encouraged to ask questions but always with respect for the person who volunteers as a loan object. The Living Book can choose to return to Living Library if he/she feels that they are not treated properly.
What are you supposed to do together?
For example: You can start off by sharing a little bit about yourself and feel free to ask questions about the borrowed book’s life and values. Don’t be shy. Now is the perfect opportunity to find out if what you think about anyone who is LGB&T corresponds with the way things are with your Living Book.
After your visit to the Human Library you could discuss your experience or write a book review
For example:
· What did you go in expecting?
· What thoughts, ideas or prejudices did you hold before the conversation?
· What was the nature of the face to face interaction?
· What did you walk away with in terms of thoughts and ideas?
· Were your prejudices challenged?
· How might this experience affect you?
£10 book token as prize for the best book review
Man on Wire
I hope you all enjoyed the film / documentary, call it what you will this morning. You will be watching another film next Tuesday (one in a more traditional format you could say) which will result in you writing a review of one of them.
Below is a clip from Petit when the production team won an Oscar and also a link to a related activity happening in the near future.
I would love to hear your views on the blog of the film and we will get a chance to discuss it on Monday.
Merci beaucoup!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/9088062/Daredevil-to-walk-Niagara-Falls-on-tightrope.html
Below is a clip from Petit when the production team won an Oscar and also a link to a related activity happening in the near future.
I would love to hear your views on the blog of the film and we will get a chance to discuss it on Monday.
Merci beaucoup!
Monday, 20 February 2012
Everybody back on Wednesday 22nd February
Dear all,
It was very nice to see so many of you in this morning (even if you didn't need to be in!)
Everybody will be back in on Wednesday where I will show you the first film of two. I will give you a worksheet to work off and you are encouraged to make notes. This should make writing the film review a little easier when we come to tackle that.
Please make sure you are on time on Wednesday (11.15 starting time).
If you are not up to speed with all your asessments, please attend to them asap. I would like everybody to be in a position where you have passed all six assessments by Wednesday:
I look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday and keep producing the good work. It is very reassuring that you are engaging so well with the assessments.
Yours aye,
Mark
It was very nice to see so many of you in this morning (even if you didn't need to be in!)
Everybody will be back in on Wednesday where I will show you the first film of two. I will give you a worksheet to work off and you are encouraged to make notes. This should make writing the film review a little easier when we come to tackle that.
Please make sure you are on time on Wednesday (11.15 starting time).
If you are not up to speed with all your asessments, please attend to them asap. I would like everybody to be in a position where you have passed all six assessments by Wednesday:
- essay that you did for Evan,
- digital books reading assessment,
- presentation plan,
- presentation on 'how to...',
- Word of Mouth listening assessment on PowerPoint and
- the Jamie Oliver presentation analysis.
I look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday and keep producing the good work. It is very reassuring that you are engaging so well with the assessments.
Yours aye,
Mark
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Next two Monday classes (13th and 20th February)
Dear all,
Remember these two sessions aren't mandatory and can be used if you are not up to date with your assessments or you wish access to the PCs. I will come up at 9 on both dates and see you're OK if you are there.
Otherwise the next session we will be together as a group is on Wednesday 22nd February in 110 where we will be watching film one (of two).
I wish you all a lovely holiday when it comes around and if you aren't up to speed with your assessments (although many of you are) please attend to them as soon as possible so you aren't having to play catch up.
Cheers,
Mark
Remember these two sessions aren't mandatory and can be used if you are not up to date with your assessments or you wish access to the PCs. I will come up at 9 on both dates and see you're OK if you are there.
Otherwise the next session we will be together as a group is on Wednesday 22nd February in 110 where we will be watching film one (of two).
I wish you all a lovely holiday when it comes around and if you aren't up to speed with your assessments (although many of you are) please attend to them as soon as possible so you aren't having to play catch up.
Cheers,
Mark
Monday, 6 February 2012
Freedom of speech
Dear all,
I have noticed that social media has been very much 'en vogue' of late with people in the public eye. Just at the weekend we saw two stories unfold: England football manager Fabio Capello chastising his employers on Italian TV (resulting in him being summoned to Wembley this morning) and perennial Tweeter Joey Barton saying he would gladly go to jail as a martyr if he is gagged for sharing his opinions. Even snooker players have been fined for swearing on Twitter. The links to some of these stories are shown below and I am interested to know what you think about the issues surrounding the issues.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16899940 - Capello disagrees with the FA over Terry captaincy decision
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16661074 - Joey Barton is alleged to have made unwelcome comments about his former manager at QPR
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2096615/Joey-Barton-twitter-rant-Footballer-willing-to-jail-John-Terry-racism-row-tweets.html - Joey Barton says "make me a martyr".
I have noticed that social media has been very much 'en vogue' of late with people in the public eye. Just at the weekend we saw two stories unfold: England football manager Fabio Capello chastising his employers on Italian TV (resulting in him being summoned to Wembley this morning) and perennial Tweeter Joey Barton saying he would gladly go to jail as a martyr if he is gagged for sharing his opinions. Even snooker players have been fined for swearing on Twitter. The links to some of these stories are shown below and I am interested to know what you think about the issues surrounding the issues.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16899940 - Capello disagrees with the FA over Terry captaincy decision
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16661074 - Joey Barton is alleged to have made unwelcome comments about his former manager at QPR
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2096615/Joey-Barton-twitter-rant-Footballer-willing-to-jail-John-Terry-racism-row-tweets.html - Joey Barton says "make me a martyr".
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
Assessments for listening and writing
Dear all,
Sorry for not being able to supply you with laptops this morning but we did manage to listen to the programme again and many of you were able to save the show which is great. Thanks to Dorota for breaking the code!
We have PC access on Monday and Wednesday of next week where you can complete your responses and if you have finished the answers before then please e mail me them or bring them to me.
Submission date for listening assessment is Wednesday 8th February and for one of the essays you have done for Evan we could say the same date as you have all already done some, so no extra work needed!
I don't need references on your essay as it isn't a requirement. If you have handwritten your essays, bring that to me and I will photocopy it for you, no need to type it out.
I look forward to your responses and hopefully you were able to pick up some new info from the second listening.
One last thing, just to confirm, the Wednesday class starts at 11.15. Thank you to Guillermo for raising the question this morning.
Cheers,
Mark
Sorry for not being able to supply you with laptops this morning but we did manage to listen to the programme again and many of you were able to save the show which is great. Thanks to Dorota for breaking the code!
We have PC access on Monday and Wednesday of next week where you can complete your responses and if you have finished the answers before then please e mail me them or bring them to me.
Submission date for listening assessment is Wednesday 8th February and for one of the essays you have done for Evan we could say the same date as you have all already done some, so no extra work needed!
I don't need references on your essay as it isn't a requirement. If you have handwritten your essays, bring that to me and I will photocopy it for you, no need to type it out.
I look forward to your responses and hopefully you were able to pick up some new info from the second listening.
One last thing, just to confirm, the Wednesday class starts at 11.15. Thank you to Guillermo for raising the question this morning.
Cheers,
Mark
Monday, 30 January 2012
Listening assessment - does PP force us to think and speak in different ways?
Hi all,
As always, I'm on the hunt for some feedback! I'm interested to know your thoughts on the Word of Mouth programme that we listened to today for our first listening assessment (of two).
Maybe you agree with some of the points raised by the experts, perhaps you feel PowerPoint is an unhelpful aid to speaking, do you think PP has (had) a damaging effect on the art of public speaking?
Interestingly, it could certainly be argued that many of the great orators and keynote presentations over the last hundred years or so were delivered without any visual aids of any description. That said, when you log in to the TED website, often some of the more illuminating talks tend to use a variety of visuals (but not always).
When I first learned the art of oral presentation delivery at University some twenty (plus) years ago, visuals to anchor the spoken word generally came in the form of OHPs / acetates. I remember in my final year at University giving a wrap up presentation on my dissertation 'Music as Communication' and I was making reference to two high profile theorists - Wolfgang Iser and Stanley Fish. To my horror, I realised that I had spelled the latter as 'Fisher' and despite me having prepared the talk some weeks before and looked at my slides scores of times, I just hadn't noticed the error! Fortunately I had time to get to a design shop in Morningside to rework the slide and delivered the talk as I had intended. But I never forgot the importance of that lesson.
One thing is for sure in this WOM Programme, that there are a lot of interesting arguments offered by a variety of different analysts and could provide the basis for some further discussion.
So, over to you, the floor (cyberwise) is yours...
As always, I'm on the hunt for some feedback! I'm interested to know your thoughts on the Word of Mouth programme that we listened to today for our first listening assessment (of two).
Maybe you agree with some of the points raised by the experts, perhaps you feel PowerPoint is an unhelpful aid to speaking, do you think PP has (had) a damaging effect on the art of public speaking?
Interestingly, it could certainly be argued that many of the great orators and keynote presentations over the last hundred years or so were delivered without any visual aids of any description. That said, when you log in to the TED website, often some of the more illuminating talks tend to use a variety of visuals (but not always).
When I first learned the art of oral presentation delivery at University some twenty (plus) years ago, visuals to anchor the spoken word generally came in the form of OHPs / acetates. I remember in my final year at University giving a wrap up presentation on my dissertation 'Music as Communication' and I was making reference to two high profile theorists - Wolfgang Iser and Stanley Fish. To my horror, I realised that I had spelled the latter as 'Fisher' and despite me having prepared the talk some weeks before and looked at my slides scores of times, I just hadn't noticed the error! Fortunately I had time to get to a design shop in Morningside to rework the slide and delivered the talk as I had intended. But I never forgot the importance of that lesson.
One thing is for sure in this WOM Programme, that there are a lot of interesting arguments offered by a variety of different analysts and could provide the basis for some further discussion.
So, over to you, the floor (cyberwise) is yours...
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Added extra should you have a spare 30 minutes
In line with TED and 'Word of Mouth' that we have been looking at, here is an interesting link to the show from Friday.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b019fx9q#synopsis
Michael Rosen explores the new wave of public-speaking events including Ignite and TED, and asks if the culture of 'Show & Tell' in American classrooms produces better public speakers.
He visits the American Museum in Britain and speaks to their Head of Learning, Laura Brown about what's influenced the nation's approach to public speaking, and how a sense of optimism drives their passion to share ideas.
He also speaks to Chris Anderson about how he attracted such big names to speak at the TED events, and how it's grown into a global community of public speaking. Plus there's an interview with Amanda Timberg from TeachFirst about the way 'Show and Tell', 'Hot Seat' and TED talks all feed into their working practises.
Ignite has been described as a "gig for speakers" and event organiser Andy Kervell describes the challenges of both putting together a five minute talk backed by twenty slides, and then delivering it to a rowdy and excitable crowd. Some of the speakers including Sky at Night presenter Dr. Chris Lintott explain why they enjoy taking part in these events.
This isn't part of our assessment programme (formative or summative) but is definitely worth a look (or should I say LISTEN!)
Cheers!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b019fx9q#synopsis
Michael Rosen explores the new wave of public-speaking events including Ignite and TED, and asks if the culture of 'Show & Tell' in American classrooms produces better public speakers.
He visits the American Museum in Britain and speaks to their Head of Learning, Laura Brown about what's influenced the nation's approach to public speaking, and how a sense of optimism drives their passion to share ideas.
He also speaks to Chris Anderson about how he attracted such big names to speak at the TED events, and how it's grown into a global community of public speaking. Plus there's an interview with Amanda Timberg from TeachFirst about the way 'Show and Tell', 'Hot Seat' and TED talks all feed into their working practises.
Ignite has been described as a "gig for speakers" and event organiser Andy Kervell describes the challenges of both putting together a five minute talk backed by twenty slides, and then delivering it to a rowdy and excitable crowd. Some of the speakers including Sky at Night presenter Dr. Chris Lintott explain why they enjoy taking part in these events.
This isn't part of our assessment programme (formative or summative) but is definitely worth a look (or should I say LISTEN!)
Cheers!
Monday, 23 January 2012
Thinking about listening
Today we moved away from presentations and started to look at another aspect of communication: listening.
Although we are looking at something different, the same features of communication analysis arise. We've talked a lot about structure, purpose, audience, point-of-view in relation to presentations (and in my blog PP information, essays). Then, you were the producers of communication "texts". Now, you are not producing texts - you are "receiving" information. In this case you are receiving information aurally (ie. via your ears) in the form of radio and television programmes.
We are now interested in how other people structure a piece of communication. We're interested in working out their purpose, intended audience and point of view. When we analyse these aspects we are in a position to judge the quality of the piece.
And hopefully we learn from what is good (and not so good) about the way they've put the piece together. We should be able to apply the principles that make a good piece of oral communication (like a presentation or programme) to a piece of written communication (like an essay or report).
Students in university and college spend a lot of time listening (or should). It is one of the main, and most traditional, ways of communicating information and ideas to students. That's not to say that it's always a good way to learn. One lecturer transmitting information to a lecture theatre of 150 students may be cost-effective for a university, but does it make sense educationally? Maybe pod-casts are the way ahead?
The point is that students will do a lot of listening and we need to spend a bit of time practising that skill.
So we have now listened to the documentary on BBC Radio 4's Word of Mouth series on "borrowing" in language.
Any thoughts you have on the programme or the issue of listening always welcomed by way of feedback on the blog!
All the best,
Mark
Although we are looking at something different, the same features of communication analysis arise. We've talked a lot about structure, purpose, audience, point-of-view in relation to presentations (and in my blog PP information, essays). Then, you were the producers of communication "texts". Now, you are not producing texts - you are "receiving" information. In this case you are receiving information aurally (ie. via your ears) in the form of radio and television programmes.
We are now interested in how other people structure a piece of communication. We're interested in working out their purpose, intended audience and point of view. When we analyse these aspects we are in a position to judge the quality of the piece.
And hopefully we learn from what is good (and not so good) about the way they've put the piece together. We should be able to apply the principles that make a good piece of oral communication (like a presentation or programme) to a piece of written communication (like an essay or report).
Students in university and college spend a lot of time listening (or should). It is one of the main, and most traditional, ways of communicating information and ideas to students. That's not to say that it's always a good way to learn. One lecturer transmitting information to a lecture theatre of 150 students may be cost-effective for a university, but does it make sense educationally? Maybe pod-casts are the way ahead?
The point is that students will do a lot of listening and we need to spend a bit of time practising that skill.
So we have now listened to the documentary on BBC Radio 4's Word of Mouth series on "borrowing" in language.
Any thoughts you have on the programme or the issue of listening always welcomed by way of feedback on the blog!
All the best,
Mark
Word of Mouth programme (Monday 23rd January)
Hi all,
I hope you enjoyed the Word of Mouth radio programme we listened to this morning. I really liked the observations and discussion that ensued afterwards. I think we learned a new word today - 'Ponglais' or was it 'Ponglish'?! Anyway, for those members of the class who were unable to make the session, we listened to a Radio 4 transmission on the process of "borrowing" in English and other languages and heard from a variety of different sources.
For those students who weren't in class today you can listen to in the college using Click View (which should be on the desktops of all the PCs) and use the search bar typing in 'word of mouth'. You are looking for episode 3.
On Wednesday we will work in small groups and work through the questions for this unassessed exercise. Remember, we will be looking at four distinct points:
1. Main ideas (summarising main points).
2. Purpose and audience (why was it put together and who is the broadcast aimed at?)
3. Point of view (objective or subjective views?)
4. Evaluation (how effective?)
All the best,
Mark
I hope you enjoyed the Word of Mouth radio programme we listened to this morning. I really liked the observations and discussion that ensued afterwards. I think we learned a new word today - 'Ponglais' or was it 'Ponglish'?! Anyway, for those members of the class who were unable to make the session, we listened to a Radio 4 transmission on the process of "borrowing" in English and other languages and heard from a variety of different sources.
For those students who weren't in class today you can listen to in the college using Click View (which should be on the desktops of all the PCs) and use the search bar typing in 'word of mouth'. You are looking for episode 3.
On Wednesday we will work in small groups and work through the questions for this unassessed exercise. Remember, we will be looking at four distinct points:
1. Main ideas (summarising main points).
2. Purpose and audience (why was it put together and who is the broadcast aimed at?)
3. Point of view (objective or subjective views?)
4. Evaluation (how effective?)
All the best,
Mark
Friday, 20 January 2012
Rough schedule of work until the end of term
OK, so we still have quite a few assessments to do, but here is a rough plan of how we might roll out the Comm 4 and Oral Presentation Skills Units. Remember, I am planning for 5 months or so here, so will do my best to keep to it, no mean feat with two Units to work to.
As a reminder there are 13 assessments you do for me. For Comm 4 (2x reading, 2x listening, 2x talking and 2x writing) and for Oral Presentation Skills (2x presentation analysis, 1x presentation plan, 2x presentations to deliver).
Some of you have already completed 4 assessments - Comm 4 reading (digital books), OPS speaking (how to do), OPS plan (how to do) and OPS analysis 1 (Jamie Oliver). In the next couple of weeks you will also have completed (for Comm 4) 1 writing outcome (an essay you did for Evan) and 1 listening outcome (a Radio 4 Word of Mouth transmission). Phew...so, lets see if we can follow the plan below!
23rd Jan - listen to and discuss Word of Mouth radio transmission on "language borrowing" (unassessed).
25th Jan - work in groups, discuss the programme, answer some questions. I will give sample answers at the end of this class.
30th Jan - listen to Word of Mouth radio transmission on "presentations, PowerPoint use etc" (assessed).
1st, 6th and 8th Feb - work on listening assessment for Comm 4 and hand in any history essay of your choosing that has passed for Evan - this will be credited as a pass for one of the writing outcomes for Comm 4.
13th Feb - no class.
20th Feb - remediation session (if necessary).
22nd Feb - watching film one (of two).
27th Feb - discuss film that was watched on the 22nd and look at how to write a film review.
29th Feb - watch film two (of two).
5th and 7th March - write up review for one of the films we watched in class.
12th and 14th March - assemble into groups for group discussions. Research on topics.
19th and 21st March - discussion assessment.
26th March - give out brief for oral presentation (this will double up for Comm 4 and OPS outcomes - one presentation, two passes!)
28th March - prep for presentation.
2nd - 13th April - EASTER VACATION
16th April - final touches to assessed presentation.
18th, 23rd, 25th and 30th April - assessed presentation delivery.
2nd May - remediation as necessary.
7th May - HOLIDAY!
9th May - at this stage we will have three assessments to complete - one listening, one reading and one analysis of an oral presentation. I suggest that we negotiate what is best re assessments at this stage. The last day of classes will be WEDNESDAY 13TH JUNE 2012.
I hope this will work out well for us. I am satisfied that it will be.
We can move things around if we feel we need to, but this is the proposal anyway!
Cheers, Mark
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
New room for Monday at 9am
Dear all,
We will be in room 409 (the Digital self access room) on Mondays at 9 which means we will have PC access when we need it.
Thanks to Carlos and Jordi who helped make that happen for us.
See you Monday then where we will be listening to a Radio 4 Programme on Language.
Mark
We will be in room 409 (the Digital self access room) on Mondays at 9 which means we will have PC access when we need it.
Thanks to Carlos and Jordi who helped make that happen for us.
See you Monday then where we will be listening to a Radio 4 Programme on Language.
Mark
Deadline for Jamie Oliver assessment
Dear all,
The deadline to hand in (or e mail me) your answers to the Jamie Oliver evaluation is WEDNESDAY 25TH JANUARY.
On Monday (23rd January) we will listen to a Radio 4 Programme on Language and have a short discussion afterwards.
All the best,
Mark
The deadline to hand in (or e mail me) your answers to the Jamie Oliver evaluation is WEDNESDAY 25TH JANUARY.
On Monday (23rd January) we will listen to a Radio 4 Programme on Language and have a short discussion afterwards.
All the best,
Mark
Monday, 16 January 2012
Jamie Oliver presentation - OPS assessment
Hi all,
Jamie Oliver's presentation is below for you to access. You can also view it on the TED website. You all have the transcript now and there are plenty of websites where you can find background information on his work.
I enjoyed listening to your thoughts after the talk and you raised some excellent points. Remember, points are valid when backed up by solid evidence, whether it be in terms of discourse, delivery, visual anchoring, signposting, tone etc and there are plenty of ways to evaluate Mr. Oliver's talk.
See you all tomorrow, Mark
Jamie Oliver's presentation is below for you to access. You can also view it on the TED website. You all have the transcript now and there are plenty of websites where you can find background information on his work.
I enjoyed listening to your thoughts after the talk and you raised some excellent points. Remember, points are valid when backed up by solid evidence, whether it be in terms of discourse, delivery, visual anchoring, signposting, tone etc and there are plenty of ways to evaluate Mr. Oliver's talk.
See you all tomorrow, Mark
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
School kills creativity - Ken Robinson
Thanks to Steven who commented on this. This was the talk I made reference to in Monday's class.
Monday, 9 January 2012
Happy 2012 and making a case for creating an education system that nurtures creativity
Dear all,
Happy Ne'er and it was lovely to see you all this morning. Hopefully the 9am start on the first day back wasn't a hardship as we watched and discussed Sir Ken Robinson's presentation where he made an entertaining case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity.
I was interested to hear your thoughts on education, creativity, the working examples that Robinson uses and the style of delivery.
Tomorrow we will look at answering some questions (either individually or in groups) to analyse the talk. This will set us up nicely for the next assessment we'll be doing, which we'll we do on the 16th and 17th January 2012.
The link to Sir Ken's talk is noted below:
Sir Ken Robinson - bring on the revolution
And here is the TED website:
TED website
All the best,
Mark
Happy Ne'er and it was lovely to see you all this morning. Hopefully the 9am start on the first day back wasn't a hardship as we watched and discussed Sir Ken Robinson's presentation where he made an entertaining case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity.
I was interested to hear your thoughts on education, creativity, the working examples that Robinson uses and the style of delivery.
Tomorrow we will look at answering some questions (either individually or in groups) to analyse the talk. This will set us up nicely for the next assessment we'll be doing, which we'll we do on the 16th and 17th January 2012.
The link to Sir Ken's talk is noted below:
Sir Ken Robinson - bring on the revolution
And here is the TED website:
TED website
All the best,
Mark
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