So I've finally sent my first draft to Helen for my first AOL. I actually really enjoyed writing it in the end but boy it took a lot to get it done. I'm now waiting with trepidation to see how much is right and how much I need to change! I had a good talk with my hubby last week about how this is all going. The conclusion really was that as I've got a lot of credits to make up this may take me longer and I would rather get an extension or something and do this whole thing right than panic and make a mess. Who's that going to benefit except I might get the MA but not really have learnt anything from it.
If anyone is looking for a really good book Ballet Pedagogy by Rory Foster is great.
I don't know if anyone will read this but I've had problems trying to get the referencing system. Has anyone else?
I hope everyone else is on track adn enjoying the course.
Tammy

Skype Call 2nd Nov 5.30pm

I thought I'd get straight onto this rather than putting it off which for me would probably mean not doing it! Tonight's skype call was really good as I felt able to join in a bit more rather than feeling nervous and that what I might say people would not feel was relevant. I'm just putting together my titles for my AOL's so the discussion on illustrations and what you can use ie pictures, DVDs, fliers, programmes etc was very useful. We also talked about the fact that you can make things now to support your AOLs such as videos and that some AOLs might be more practical whilst others are more about your personal growth.
We also talked about Time Management. I definitely feel behind but find that some weeks I get a fair amount done towards my MA and then things happen and I don't have as much time another week. Everyone seemed to agree that this is normal which was encouraging.
We then spent time talking about blogs and Linkedin. Most of us find it easier to go to Linkedin and respond to the questions on there where as the blogs seem harder to know what to write and sometimes how to respond to the comments. I think the general consensus was that we would all try harder to blog and read other peoples blogs. I read a couple of blogs this week and actually found them really encouraging as they reflected some of where I am at. I hope my comments were received OK.
I think the final thing I want to put on this blog is that today I've gone back to read some of the handbook again to work out how to put the titles of my AOLs together and I found I understood the handbook better this time. It wasn't that I didn't understand it the first time but I think it is more in context now that I'm actually in the process. I'm enjoying discovering what I've done to get to the point of where I am now and just hope that I'll be able to write the AOLs clearly to show other people how I've got here.

Last night I joined the 5.30pm Skype call a little late but it was a good call. I shared about how I had beeen working through the Module One Handbook and found the section on what sort of learner you are really interesting. At first I really struggled to work out what sort of learner best describes me an Activist, a Reflector, a Theorist or a Pragmatist as parts of all of them seemed to describe me. I finally decided that I am a Pragmatist and was able to write about an experience that I felt shows this. I then continued to refect on a situation that had happened that week at work that showed there was evidence of me learning. I was able to put these into my refective journal as a starting point which has helped me to think more constructively, I think, about my teaching.
I also shared about how I'm finding that the anotated CV is taking a long time to do and people on the call confirmed that it does but that at the end of it they found it to be very rewarding. I'm looking forward to that point!
I'm struggling to find time at the moment, or at least last week was a particular struggle as work was very busy. I'm hoping I can catch up a bit this week.

Buying books

I'm getting to know what I'm doing now although I need to customise this page better. I will do this but very excited as I've just bought my first MA book! Looking forward to reading it and getting stuck in. Been talking to Trevor about organisation. It is going to be handy having a husband who already has 2 MA! Also thinking about writing a reflective journal and clearing the study. Now looking forward to talking to Helen tonight.

Starting Up

Hi! I'm Tam Howard and I'm starting this blog as I start my MA in Dance Pedagogy at Middlesex University.