You Saying No to a Computer for Xmas!!!

Miranda dear, your father had this neat idea and asked you my M&M's whether you'd like a brand new desktop for Christmas. Of course Mauro asked what a desktop is because all he sees us using are laptops. But you vehemently said NO! You go, you already have a laptop and you would not want to be a computer addict. So I go, is that what Nanay is already? Of course you gave me that usual look only you can give me your Nanay. I kinda sensed why so I merely verbalized your thoughts: "So you don't like a computer because it's practically my work over the computer which takes up much of my time--and this is actually time away from you."

I assume that you daughter is quite content with having me as your teacher and you see me everyday anyways. I assume that your cousin Sam keeps you company like everything else: your books, tv time, books, video games, more books, your phone, your books, your laptop, your books, etc. I can't seem to understand your need of my company at all. Honestly, I don't even know if my company is good at all for you. You and Mauro get along at home pretty much. Your dad and you spend quality time. So what am I for?

So upon hearing me verbalize your thoughts, you kept quiet and I just had to hold you close to me....I think you tears were about to crawl out of your eyes then. It made think for a moment about my incapacities or little moments when I've failed to be just around for you and simply be.

Just the same, I went back to work. Perhaps you won't be able to understand me now and perhaps you may never will.  I rest in the idea that you are who you are and I'm glad enough I have not seen myself in you yet. It gives me a sense that you will grow up to be you, maybe a better mom to your kids in case you choose to have your own.

Now, I just tucked you in for the night. And the mood seems to be lighter so I ask, what do miss about us being together---you go ice cream---yeah our ice cream moments afterschool whenever I drive you back home and we pass by Ministop for a snack.  Then you say "Starbucks"--I treat you to a high end snack after seeing Dr Jamie. Then you say.."Japanese Food"...yups that's like Teriyaki Boy every payday.

Hmmm, makes me look back a bit....
I thought caring for you as a fulltime mom while in Aussie land when you were 3 yrs old was enough. I thought  a year of breastfeeding was good enough. I thought baking your bday cakes for the first 6 yrs of your life was quite alright.  Or driving you to Hawaiian dance lessons one summer was already fine. I should stop now as mommyhood is in fact a lifetime committment I need to remember while I still can!

These  little things you ask for shouldn't be hard to do after all. No worries then. Nanay hasn't given up on herself in becoming a better Nanay for you me love.

What THIS is NOT

Funny how my shifts in music/video over youtube are indicative of my actions in my paper writing and everything else I need to produce from my brains. I've been listening to the music of Duncan Sheik --Gabriel & Dresden remix like for a week to get report cards over and done with in my small school.  This work on report cards practically suspended  my work for  the paper I'm writing.

But now, I've just shifted to   the 80's Pretty in Pink soundtrack, all because I've managed to get back into research mode. I've done a skeleton-draft of the paper I plan to present 1.5 weeks from now at LITCON IDAC Asia in Penang. I've identified emerging themes and the task at hand is to review the transcripts and coding to get me into writing thick descriptions.

Writing the paper requires discipline and focus on my part because I need to be able to let go of unnecessary layers to my writing. This blog, again, is a way to remind me what my study is NOT about!!!

Here goes....in ALL CAPS lest I fall into the trap of writing much more than I need to:

-THIS PAPER IS NOT ENTIRELY ABOUT WIZIQ AS THE TEACHING PRESENCE I AM INVESTIGATING HAPPENS TO BE  AMONG EXEMPLARY TEACHERS AND LEARNERS

-THIS  PAPER IS NOT REALLY ABOUT EFFECTIVE ONLINE TEACHING--THAT WILL BE AN ENTIRELY A POST-STUDY THINGIE I CAN LOOK INTO LATER ON

-THIS PAPER DOES NOT HAVE TO GO DEEPLY INTO COI'S DEFINITION OF TP--IN FACT IT AIMS TO LOOK FOR ANOTHER WAY OF LOOKING AT TP

-THIS PRELIMINARY STUDY DOES NOT INTEND TO MAKE DEFINITIVE CLAIMS OF TP--IT ONLY AIMS TO INVESTIGATE EMERGING THEMES OF TP

-THIS PAPER'S VERSION SHALL NOT END WITH CERTAINTY OF WHAT TP IS...INSTEAD THE CONCLUSION SHALL END WITH AN INKLING THAT  TP MAY IN FACT ENCOMPASS SP AND CP IN THE CONTEXT OF SYCHRONOUS LIVE CLASS= TP=TEACHING AND LEARNING HAPPENING ARISING FROM DYNAMIC INTERACTIONS AMONG PARTICIPANTS OF THE CLASS--INTERACTIONS WITH CONTENT, INTERACTIONS AMONG LEARNERS, SHIFTS IN  TEACHER-LEARNER ROLES--INITIALLY TEACHER HAS THE UPPERHAND BUT AS PARTICIPANTS GO THROUGH LEARNING--THIS HOWEVER COULD BE LARGELY DEPENDENT ON THE TEACHING STYLE OF THE TEACHER

Por Dios Por Santo...now how to arrive at all these...

QR=P.O.E.M.

A helpful link to help me focus:
http://psychsoma.co.za/qualitative_inquiry_growt/ontology-epistomology-paradigm/

P-aradigm
O-ntology
E-pistemology
M-ethodological

"It is important that there is a fit between the research design and the researcher, with regard to (p. 36):



1.Paradigm—what is the basic belief system or world view of the researcher that defines the nature of her/his world, the individual's place within it and the range of p[possible relationships?


2.Ontology—what is the form and nature of reality and what is there to be known?


3.Epistemology—what is the relationship between the researcher and the would be 'knower' and what can be 'known' about it?


4.Methodological—how can the researcher go about finding out what s/he believes can be known?"


Goulding, C. 2002. Grounded Theory—a practical guide for management, business and marketing researchers. London: SAGE.

My P.O.E.M.....again and again.
P: I am here as a novice online teacher learning from exemplary online teachers at WizIQ. It is a unique perspective I would like to take because there is no other way I can view the recorded classes--I am primarily here to examine how they do online teaching therefore describe the  nature of teaching presence in these live classes. I am not here as an ESL learner nor an ordinary teacher.  I have a clear purpose to capture the online teaching happening and interpret it from the point of view of a novice online teacher.

O: What I want to know is the TP that happens in a synch platforms. What has been studied in TP is based on asynch platforms therefore I ask: What is TP like in synch platforms? 

Then hunches here after a few recordings:
Is TP just about the teacher? Why does it feel like TP-LP both among teachers and learners. Could it be that: TP-------------LP  as a range of online behaviors, actions and interactions among teachers and learners which eventually make for TP----LP in synchronous classes? TP cannot be viewed in isolation in synch classes then.

E: Why is my E similar to P?  :(

M: See my revised research proposal for the  UPOU Faculty Research Grant .

Forked Path: Which is which?

I am at this point when I am tempted to do something nitty gritty for my study vs. keeping focus on what I think I should do first. The nitty gritty is this: I have 4-6 audio transcriptions in. for Nellie's classes. I want to align the data, meaning to say on a sheet of paper, I'd like to align the audio flow vs the chat--make the data in sync. That's the best term I can think of.

Recalling here the steps I've  done so far in terms of data gathering:
1) Scheme through 1 recording per teacher: N, G and NA. This gave me a sense of their classes.
    Then I've selected classes based on most recent recordings (due to recent WizIQ changes in the virtual class, consecutivity---how close the sessions are so I can follow the flow of content)
2) Transcribe 1 recording per teacher--this is to get used with the language they have; the communication happening and start taking down notes on what is happening.
3) View more of Nellie's recordings to examine her teaching and what's going on in her classes. I've started to take note of segments in the recordings and code teaching moments on my scratch sheet.
4) After viewing the first identified batch, I decided to select more classes.
5) Then I've asked 2 people to start with the audio transcriptions as I move on with viewing the Batch 2 recordings and noting  more segments to highlight.
6) I've seen emerging themes and would want to exhaust the data hence viewed  Jan-mid Feb recordings.
7) This time I've experienced a shift---I have now started to pay close attention to the chat to audio interactions, chat-chat interactions, audio to chat responses.

Since now I have the transcriptions in for Batch 1, I am torn between:
Plan A= doing a chat-audio sync of the data on paper  OR
Plan B=simply focusing on the audio transcriptions.

Plan B goes this way:  I review  Nellie's recordings again=2nd level. This means my goal is to look at the audio transcriptions then start highlighting segments based on my initial notations=coding.  I see the need to do this lest I forget the context of my notations.  This time, I shall follow a more systematic flow--starting with (Feb 18), Feb 25, March 5, March 12, March 25, April 1. 

So here goes.... I will go for Plan B.  Do this for 1 week....and keep blogging. I need to get over school reports then writing proper for research start first week of October.

Photo finish in time for October 11-13 Conference at Penang. My paper will end with a degree of certainty=emerging themes + uncertainty=possibilities for future investigation of the 'interactions' which is about a semblance of not just TP---but tp + lp= as role both T and L do.  Final questions raised=is this just unique to the style of teacher and how her perspective of online teaching and language learning? or are there in fact observable patterns in among exemplary teachers w/ a range of  teaching style.

Side questions:
1)How is teaching presence diff from teaching style and online teaching? Or what are the relations?
2) May I do a first person writing? What justifies such? Where/which part/how should I write about the choice to do first person?

I feel like I'm scribbling co centric circles in this QR path---it ain't linear at all. But it's a path I feel safe in navigating with the knowledge that this is all part of the process.  After all, I realized that I am going through this with ample reflections---I am not yet in the-wanting- to- get- this- over- and- done- with phase. I am still learning something new and look forward to seeing more recordings of N & G....G most especially!

Morrrre Hworrrrk Ahead

I've definitely snapped out of Kesha and Iglesias, now into Duncan Sheik. The music allows me to do some mech stuff of cutting and pasting  chat transcripts and audio transcripts of recordings  from Nellie's classes at WizIQ....cutting and pasting into a table. The next step is to align chat with audio transcript to show a text version of the sequence of interaction.  Then there's the need to highlight segments to match with the first level of  handwritten notes. This is like the second level of coding I need to do though I've already started to see themes I will be discussing in my findings.

This is kinda nitty gritty but a step beyond what I did with my study on Virtual Communities 2 years ago.
I would like to believe that I'm not rushing into things nor doing more hits and misses. In fact, my observations are now shifting.  With the first set of recordings (Mar to Apr 2011), my focus was on the facilitation/direct instruction/design, aspects of TP as defined by Garrison et al 2001 in their COI framework.  Now, I'm looking into the interactions, ex learner responses which fuels the teaching process. These are interactions which go on, even without the teacher explicity directing nor facilitating, even learner responses which allow the teacher to respond on the dot---the spontaneity of discussion happening which show how TP can be dynamic and interactive in a synch class vs a non synch class.  I'm starting to think if this interactivity is similar to an F2F kind of interactivity.  Is there interactivity innate to an online synch class vs an F2F version? Meaning if Nellie were to tackle same content with same type of students, will the interaction take place differently and therefore the TP happen differently as well? I find it a weird question to ask, lol.

Lately, my questions about the Quali-R  process are popping here and there...quite different from prior questions I've raised. Like should I have observed the earlier recorded classes first (last year)?  Will my observations differ if  let's say I joined the live class vs relied on the recorded  version? 

And a major question goes this way:  is teaching presence online teaching perse?  Who dictates the parameters of online teaching vs teaching presence if in the context of the paper, I am not merely relying on the TP from the COI perspective. Is my study then more about online teaching OR teaching presence? Isn't online teaching=teaching presence in synch classes?

I hope this confusing doesn't mess things up for me. It has to be a disciplined confusion=the act of knowing one is confused but accepting this as part of the process of research; a conscious effort to be aware of one's confusions so that one becomes conscious of these being resolved later on. And that this is NOT about confusing one's self for the sake of getting confused. Darn....

Twistwacted: Open HS+BES-LTS+Online Tutorials@WizIQ&Moodle

I was looking at the discussion re Wiki to Speech (by John Graves NZ) started by Nellie at our WizIQ forums when this popped.  Now, I'm pretty much Twistwacted...but only just a bit compared to how I can actually be virtually distracted. I'm am now learning the skill of Disciplined Distraction while on the Net=the capacity to maneuver ones distractions in order to still get things done at the end of the day.  I've allowed myself to get twistwacted for just 30 mintues....only because my Open HS ideas are cropping up every now and then while I'm in the midst of learning from a network of  WizIQ Experts=Nellie of IT4ALL, George of EDUPunk, and Chris '6Geeks& ZDNet and prepping myself to view class recordings for my current paper.

Here it goes:

Doc Nemah H one time at the UPOU Fac Congress told me about a possible UPOU-LTS (=Literacy Training Service)-Marikina Open HS hook up. So with UPOU's prospective undergrad degree on Education, perhaps we can develop modules for Literacy Training Service through which our undergrads can learn how to tutor students of Marikina Open HS using blended online teaching=WizIQ+Moodle.  This is a means to break in and immerse our students in actual online teaching experiences even before they start their actual practice teaching. 

Interesting to study what prior knowledge (=TK+TPK?) UPOU undergrads will bring into this service learning experience of doing LTS. LTS 1=modules to prepare them for online teaching using 2 platforms to include use of social networking to establish rapport and do initial investigation of prospective students from Marikina Open HS. Then LTS 2=Actual Tutorial Experiences and Reflections.

Our Bachelor of Education Studies=BES undergrads can use the upcoming virtual community site  hatched by Prof Sol with the help of Prof Bobby. Then of course, there's  a good reason to start  EPortfolio pages for our BES students with their blogs and hands-on experiences with LTS-Open HS-Online Teaching.

How do I plan to contribute? I would like to co-develop a set of modules and train students to use tools in Online Teaching --facilitation and direct instruction (future product of my current research on Teaching Presence at WizIQ) via Moodle+WizIQ. Then maybe I can be FIC of this LTS, whose job includes bringing in basic ed subject area experts (ex Teacher Vic + Readability clinicians) who can mentor LTS students in terms of the basics of literacy teaching and learning.

Now that I have dumped this here, I shall return to my current priority.

Aumm....

After 2 years of living without it, I am now struggling to get back to it. I've always wanted to but I guess now seems to be the right time. I sort of panicked for a week---thinking that I've wasted time in viewing the data samples---recorded classes of WizIQ. I thought my process was wrong only to realize that I was dealing with so much junk in my brain. Yeah, I tend to read and think too much hence get stuck with scheming, reading, rereading then doubting if I will ever be able to write in the same way.  And lately the thinking part is bordering in the worried kind of thinking and self doubt creeps in. I wanted to free myself of such useless worries in order to get back on track...I turn to yoga.

Finally I grabbed my former yoga teacher's number so the Aummm is back.

I can't believe how I've forgotten my basics  so noting these all over again, with great humility: 

-4 Sureya A

-4 Sureya B

-Forward bends--fingers grabbing toes then palms beneath feet

-Sideward bends--side bend, then triangle,  side angle bend knees bent then kneel w/ praying hands

-preps for bridge, then plough to shoulder stand

I'm guessing next session, my teacher will add a few more for encouragement:

-wide leg stretch and bends

-standing leg stretches

-sitting poses with leg stretches

Maybe a few inserts/faves later on:

-warrior pose 1& 2

-eagle

-kneeling back bends

And to think sometime at certain points in my mid-30's  I was into the yoga practice and reached points when I was into self practice. I need a class once again to get back into the groove.

As I try to recall and relearn, it's the breathing which I do my best to remember.

The breathing empties my brain so I come out with nothing up there---a brainrest to be able take in MORE later on.

I've gotten into more recordings of Dr Deutsch who recently emailed me an updated version of her bio.  This should be for inclusion in my paper as part of the exemplary teacher profile, also to add to my presentation at the conference.  The conference secretariat didn't ask for my bio, so how can I even manage to include more about Nellie. I managed to add a few sentences in my abstract submission about her. I should be able to introduce her well in my presentation, alongside the George and Namrata. 

Now, I've started reviewing  midyear 2010 recordings MORE means having these to  discuss my preliminary data about how Teaching Presence is happening at WizIQ:

• connecting with online learners-establishing rapport, setting atmosphere, harnessing interaction, sharing about one's self/ self introductions, encouragement and positive feedback,
• providing information--related to class, esl or otherwise, other online resources to learn English
• managing the virtual classroom--usage of features, troubleshooting; simultaneous use of features to share content, or give direct instruction
• use of multimedia resources--(choice reflects what of the teacher ?)
• critical language teaching moments: intentional and as result of the interaction; addressing individual student needs; explicit______ through language mediation (bridging student interactions to facilitate understanding each other); maintaining or elevating discourse---does not water down sentences or discussions; tips on learning English
•  providing for self practice and extended learning   
• metacognition--the how's or what it means to do  learning online or about learning english

A few reflections re the construct of Teaching Presence via  synchronous mode of teaching vs TP in the COI framework:

-COI framework as applied to  research in online teaching identified these elements and indicators to measure effective teaching. Data sources were mainly transcripts based on asynchronous courses. It is possible that these may not readily apply when trying to understand Teaching Presence in live synchronous classes where teaching may be partly a result of interaction and totality of teaching which one cannot observe and understand separately as  social presence, teaching presence and cognitive presence. In other words, TP is TP  Or perhaps TP is TP in another sense. 

This study then is being pursued with conscious effort not to latch on the COI framework as this was developed in the context of asynchronous classes. It only cares to mention TP of the COI because of its major following these previous years and as an initial framework to understand online teaching and research related to this.

This study is more likened to recent quali  research in understanding TP, and exemplary online teaching  which sheds light to a different way of looking at TP: works of  T Morgan 2011, A. Jezegou 2010, 

Then I still need to have a second look at  Hayes andVickers 2010, Baker 2010, Stone and Chapman 2006,  Perry and Edwards 2005, Lewis and Abdul Hammid 2006

Hmmm....

 ഓമ്മം  ಆಮ್ಮ್ಮ್ औम्म्म्म  ਔਮਮ੍ਮ  اممم   ઔમ્મ્મ  اممم 

أمم aummm



Stuck...!

A few transcriptions are coming in. I've made rough/draft notations on 5 or more recordings. I thought I can just simply carry on but for the past days I've been blogging like hell trying to clear my mind so I can focus. Obviously, I am stuck. I thought I can do this study smoothly once the transcriptions are coming in  but I'm still here worried about something.

I reviewed my proposal and looked at my review of lit and I know that I missed out on writing what I should.  I've been doing case studies before but nothing like this.  My prior work was kinda in the bag---I have  a clear direction in mind, I have the data in my hands, then I add all these theories/lit review to support my study.  All I had to do was come up with thick descriptions, examine these using existing theories etc.

It's quite tempting to do the same for this paper...I can just use the indicators  set by Garrison, et al in the COI framework which has gained support throughout the decade.  I can do my observations, describe the teaching presence based on this indicators and reinforce what COI has been saying about Teaching Presence.

At this point however, I'd like to dump my written proposal and come up with something different= Discuss construct of TP based on prior research done, surface 2-3 recent studies which tried to question TP.... then raise my simple question about TP---I'd like to simply write about what I'm seeing while immersed in the recorded classes---like  a novice teacher learning from an expert online teacher. I have to let go off all these wasteful trimmings I've put in my proposal and trust that  my interpretation shall be credible.

I do not know if that is a kind of Quali R writing that is acceptable.

And now, I  am  badly wishing for a mentor who can patiently read all my prior case studies/published works, tell me what I can work on, tell me what I'm learning and tell me if my experiments are even taking me anywhere. I'm obviously lost and trying my best to get out of this hole.

Funny and even silly that this is making me emotional. I am giving myself only 1 more day to get stuck.

A few resolutions:

1) Go back to what I enjoy best in this study---viewing the classes

2) Continue blogging and perhaps blog about your 1 sole subject for now.

3) Have a psysolution: believe that I will get there because I've always had...except my f****** PhD!

4) Music therapy or jog or yoga :)

5) Now whether or not I will resort to a safe mode or  take chances and dare trod in uncertainties---I simply have to visualize myself on a plane on my way to Penang or Kerala or wherever because I did try to do something than nothing at all.

R.I.P. aLeTa!