tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18038740503766287692024-02-21T02:50:33.855-08:00Teaching - Academia - PhD'sAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1803874050376628769.post-25273967358836663502016-03-30T19:59:00.000-07:002018-02-22T20:43:36.706-08:00PhD in a fun area, finding a (good) supervisor <span style="font-family: "courier new";">I get emails from people asking me to supervise their PhD's </span><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: xx-small;">(and give them a scholarship and if possible residency etc.... ;-)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">Here is my super short answer</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><br /></span>
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Dear D<br />
if you want to have a better chance of being supervised for a PHD here are some suggestions:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">1)<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">read the papers which interest you and get a <b>very </b>good understanding of your area. </span></div>
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- do some more research, </div>
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- look at the research <b>in the last 3 years. </b></div>
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- what are the key new things ? </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">2)</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span>Write a summary of the current state of research, what is being done, </div>
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- what the current issues and challenges are. </div>
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- reference them properly (find out what that means if you don't know). </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">3)</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span>Think about what you would like to research and HOW. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">4) </span>read the links below</div>
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<a href="http://haikoteaching.blogspot.hk/2012/10/re-smart-way-to-get-scholarships-case.html"><span style="color: #333399; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">http://haikoteaching.blogspot.hk/2012/10/re-smart-way-to-get-scholarships-case.html</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #333399; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and </span></div>
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<a href="http://haikoteaching.blogspot.hk/2009/01/doing-phd-and-getting-paid-for-it-how.html"><span style="color: #333399; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">http://haikoteaching.blogspot.hk/2009/01/doing-phd-and-getting-paid-for-it-how.html</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #333399; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333399; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">5)</span><span style="color: #333399; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> </span>contact the academics who are doing the work you want to do, in the area you want to work in.<br />
Send them the summary your wrote in 2) above.<br />
Ask intelligent questions about THEIR research<br />
If and only iff they reply: outline your area of interest in 3) above. </div>
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Take it from there. </div>
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This should give you a better chance than just asking "<i>please supervise me, here is my CV, I will work hard </i>"<br />
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good luck </div>
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Heiko<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1803874050376628769.post-75266904138900443582015-12-11T00:01:00.003-08:002015-12-11T00:01:36.447-08:00Applying for anything, grants, Scholarships.... I love the introduction to this guideline for grants:<br />
it applies to scholarships, grants....anything like that.<br />
https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/file/grants/apply/projects/2015/2016_project_grants_grantspersonship.pdf<br />
or<a href="https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/file/grants/apply/projects/2015/2016_project_grants_grantspersonship.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> here.</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1803874050376628769.post-55636121953916512802012-10-21T22:46:00.000-07:002016-12-31T20:48:35.435-08:00Re: smart way to get scholarships case study:<span style="color: #6600cc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Ok here is secret #1</span>: </span></span><span style="color: #6600cc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #6600cc;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> on getting PhD scholarships</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />The approach was clear: <i>search and find an</i> academic who is interested in what she was interested in, and then talk to that academic, email, and eventually once things progressed enough, fly over and meet...in person..... yes in person. In this age of <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">instant communications this is<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> can be a good way....</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6600cc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Please note: Do <span style="font-size: small;">NOT use<span style="font-size: small;"> this as a clever TRICK, <span style="font-size: small;">this i<span style="font-size: small;">s only really goin<span style="font-size: small;">g to work if you are <b>genuinely </b>in<span style="font-size: small;">terest<span style="font-size: small;">ed i<span style="font-size: small;">n the topic. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6600cc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you are really interested: Read papers on your t<span style="font-size: small;">opic, read papers the academic you are talking to w<span style="font-size: small;">rote. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #6600cc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Know w<span style="font-size: small;">ha<span style="font-size: small;">t is goi<span style="font-size: small;">ng on and <span style="font-size: small;">what is what. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #6600cc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Academics are usually <span style="font-size: small;">great at spotting </span>bullshit <span style="font-size: small;">(<span style="font-size: small;">they are masters o<span style="font-size: small;">f it, I'm a master of <span style="font-size: small;">BS</span> myself) and we <span style="font-size: small;">quickly see what is going on. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #6600cc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Real skill and real interest <span style="font-size: small;">will shine through in the end ! </span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6600cc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Try <span style="font-size: small;">this approach</span>: start with a <b>full </b>PHD proposal, then keep talking to the academic. In the example case study: Eventually G got funding from the academic's grant, a school level scholarship, which can be given to whomever the school deems most suitable. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #6600cc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6600cc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Talk to academics who are doing what you WANT to do. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #6600cc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">That means YOU figure out YOUR interest and and be very specific....<br />Most academics (including me) are never ever going to go for a <b><i>'I want a schol</i></b><b><i>arship and I'll study whatever you want me to"</i></b> approach. <br />I bin those emails. Takes me 1 second to hit delete button. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #6600cc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Well, Ok, perhaps 3 seconds. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6600cc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But if a student comes to me with: "<b>I want to research the way true random quantum noise can be used in a micrporocessors can to detect sub</b><b>tle energy using the interfer</b><b>ence patter</b><b>ns of standing waves and deviations from the 3 sigma average...etc..."</b> then I'll go "By Jove ! This girl/guy knows what s/he wants, ... let me talk to her/him..." <br />and if she reads papers I suggest, and does her homework and really konws what she is after I'll listen and take if further and if it works out I'll look for money to fund her study. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #6600cc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In fact: most academics use this approach all the time</span></span><span style="color: #6600cc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> ALREADY </span></span><span style="color: #6600cc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">: Academics keep an eye out for the brilliant Under Grad students who they think would be good at a PhD and ask them before they graduate, '...have you thought of doing a PhD in.... ?" </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">NB: Most academics have access to "some" money, or their school has and if they can persuade the student is a capable, a good risk, etc.... something might be possible... </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">This blog is based on a real event.<br /><br />in your case: what is it YOU are interested in ? in Law, ? or in Legal history or anything. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">You could go to </span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://scholar.google.com/">http://scholar.google.com/</a> and look for papers and topics that interest you. Then go from there..... - good luck :-) </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #6600cc; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #6600cc;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Secret #2:</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #6600cc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #6600cc;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;">there is another secret they don't tell you: <br />once you have graduated, you can do your PhD in just about anything. <br />you are NOT restricted to law, you can go into history, into social science, into linguistics, into languages, into entrepreneurship, into art,... (ok you can't do Engineering and sciences or medical stuff, but anything humanities related is fine) <br /><br />so please : figure out what you really really want to study, and go for that, research it, and write an outline of what you want to <br />then send it to the academic, ask him: <br /><br />Dear Sir, I want to study <br />the cultural interpretations that affect international law. In particular how this can lead to legal complexities as was seen in the Case of ABC VS XYZ in 2003. <br /><br />I have read the theory of Justin Weber who argues that .... <br />and also the counter arguments of Michael Smith who takes a more practical approach and argues blahb...blahh...blahh..... . <br /><br />However my own thinking is that this issue is best addressed by looking at the historical roots of the legal framework. In the case of Vietnam much of that framework is actually French/European modified by Asian values. <br /><br />etc...<br />blah <br />blah.... <br />blah..... <br /><br />your's sincerely <br /><br />TTTT Schweigen. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #6600cc; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #6600cc;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Secret #2b: </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">this is a minor secret: whatever you study esp if it is unusual you have more freedom and more room to move if you do it in a general discipline. <br />Example: Women's role under Mao Tze Tung<br />you can do it under Sociology, but because that is a smaller discipline they have their own fixed way of approaching this topic, <br />Much better to do this kind of thing in History where you have a much much greater freedom of approach </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1803874050376628769.post-17643800974498368582012-06-23T17:46:00.000-07:002012-06-23T17:46:00.527-07:00writing a thesis is a social thing, not a solo thing, it's a TEAM activity<div style="color: red;">
STUDENT SAYS; </div>
<div style="color: red;">
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I don't get it. I work hard. From 1pm to 6am I'm with my computer. I have
documents, all I have to do iis read. But I still don't get it. I don't know
what to do. Am I......???? . </div>
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Why can't I understand it well then just write? </div>
<br />
<br />
ANSWER:<br />
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<![endif]--><span style="color: #6600cc; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">A thesis is like a cake, you mix the ingredients, and then let it sit
and rise, <br />
just reading and then writing is not the answer, you need to have the ideas, the
key ideas of what you really wanna say, else you just repeat and summarieze
other's thoughts. <br />
the cake takes time. <br />
For moths now, you tell yourself you don't have time, you want it done asap, <br />
= no time for cake to rise, <br />
<br />
You need to have a clear idea of WHAT it is you want to say, then say it. <br />
reading is step 1, totally required, totally neccessary. <br />
<br />
To get the idea of WHAT you wanna say: you need to talk about it with others,
student or supervisors. <br />
<br />
You try to write it on your own, <br />
thesis, and scholarship is NOT a solo activity, it is a TEAM thing <br />
- supervisor and student debate it, <br />
- student and other students debate it - look at it, find the weaknesses, then student
strengthens and changes it - Yes YOU write itbut you need a social group to talk to about it.<br />
<br />
Not your fault, but you have not had that social aspect of thesis writing, <br />
so you try to do it solo, possible but damn hard. <br />
<br />
<br />
So no, you are not stupid, <br />
just stresssed, and under stress things take even longer, and more difficult, <br />
<br />
Accept that you will be late, and get a lifestyle your body likes, not all
night shifts plllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease <br />
your body needs sleep. <br />
rest<br />
<br />
<br />
if you ever do another thesis: <br />
- supervisor you can talk to, who listens and has real advise<br />
- clear topic and reserch questioin<br />
- social support - ie. other students, a scholarly environment, <br />
<br />
are the KEY for a good thesis writing setting <br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1803874050376628769.post-15808283363107604702012-02-07T06:36:00.000-08:002012-02-07T06:36:36.696-08:00do I need a one page summary of my CV ?<br /><br /><br /><br /> A quick question. Do we really have to condense our resume to one page?<br />yeap<br /><br />
after 5 years working then not easy to do that<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/v.choulamany"></a>the term 'resume' means a summary. You don't need to include everything in your resume. You only need to give the information that your potential employer needs to get an idea about you, your best aspects, so to say. For the rest, you can tell them in an interview. Remember, the purpose of a resume is not to get you a job. It is to get you an interview.<br /><br />
<br />
It depends on what position you are applying. You will not send one page of resume when you are applying for a manager position for example. CV or resume is important for you to impress the protental emloyer and make them want to call you for an interview. I suggest not include every little thing in the resume and not try to make it long but include important things and make it longer than one page. ( Note to student who just finished school: Do not worry if your resume is short but make sure you have selling point in there. Maybe you can strongly mention about your academic background and if you have got good graduation GPA, make sure you mention it too. Talk about your internship as well. One page is fine for the fresh graduate.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/TengraNgiam">HR </a>I was on MANY many interview panels and CV evaluation panels that preceded the interview.... <br /> <br /> Sorry to say this, but we took about 30 secs to scan the CV's <br /> The idea that anyone actually READS those things make me smile. <br /> <br /> Sure, if the summary grabbed us we'd have a closer look.<br /> <br /> But the process is often like this(was in my experience:)<br /> "Lets toss out the clear NO's" <br /> scan all CV's for 15-30 secs.<br /> <br /> now let's separte into <br /> - Yes<br /> - Maybe<br /> - No<br /> takes 30sec / CV<br /> <br /> and so it goes and so it goes. <br /> seleting people is a pain.<br /> should be done fast.<br /> <br /> all I lookedfor: is it clear and easy to find the info ? <br /> if YES - does it meet the criteria ? <br /> (3 or 4 key criteria max) <br /> <br /> the last few, that are going to interviewed ok we'd read the CV ,sorta... sorta... flick flick flick.... <br /> <br /> So clear layout, <br /> Clear info is good. <br /> <br /> I guess my experience is not that unusual <br /> but I'm older.<br />
<br />
The key is simple: put yourself in the shoes of the other side.<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1803874050376628769.post-41367577023938791422011-05-05T00:42:00.000-07:002011-05-05T01:07:44.430-07:00improving my writing - HOW ?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlwgfp518EXguG-_Wz76sPmwqLqtIBcOfYJYl-1SfpPTfgE0z-aS2vazL_Cic_tZg2xyzkxoeaI1g46Xgx7WP6LuwFPm7_3vIwGGF-4iUAB-IqWyaYJtHDrYABoxlKcFHRviyifXIc64I/s1600/IMG_5170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlwgfp518EXguG-_Wz76sPmwqLqtIBcOfYJYl-1SfpPTfgE0z-aS2vazL_Cic_tZg2xyzkxoeaI1g46Xgx7WP6LuwFPm7_3vIwGGF-4iUAB-IqWyaYJtHDrYABoxlKcFHRviyifXIc64I/s640/IMG_5170.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="color: #6600cc;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier new,monospace;">One simple system: <br />
<br />
Write simple short sentences. <br />
One clear thought per sentence.<br />
One clear idea per paragraph. <br />
<br />
<br />
After your wrote it: Read it again. <br />
write the introduction and then the conclusion. <br />
Not at the start, but at the end. <br />
<br />
<br />
Last trick: DO NOT expect to get it right and perfect<br />
first time. <br />
Accept that you will read it again, edit it. <br />
At least once, probably twice. <br />
<br />
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #6600cc;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier new,monospace;">Notice how your writing improves. </span></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1803874050376628769.post-66388641523692987972010-10-20T17:22:00.000-07:002010-10-20T17:26:47.053-07:00to quote wikipedia or not to quote, that is the question - referencing<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixO3TK_4wxWAi3S_Rmixz98Sq6lj0YgCbt8S4TiMxpcqkgIPq9iUsv9wwwXPdlvBSI_kgV19vatqTITKnPMBTfY9c_SHXxLUrNBshSXRP45IKd_EgriJlzvN3IyTFhaR-EdmG9VMQWvNUb/s640/DSC00719.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luxor -2008</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixO3TK_4wxWAi3S_Rmixz98Sq6lj0YgCbt8S4TiMxpcqkgIPq9iUsv9wwwXPdlvBSI_kgV19vatqTITKnPMBTfY9c_SHXxLUrNBshSXRP45IKd_EgriJlzvN3IyTFhaR-EdmG9VMQWvNUb/s1600/DSC00719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Using wikipedia - to quote or not to quote that is the question<br />
<br />
I've received this query:<br />
<b style="color: #cc0000;"><i>Am i allowed to quote wikipedia or should I find their sources?</i></b><br />
<br />
I hear a lot of arguments about using Wikipedia. <br />
Some academics say it is fine to use it, others will not tolerate it. <br />
<br />
The real issue a little different: <br />
<br />
Basically: <i>you can quote anyone and anything there is no limit to this.</i><br />
The key in academic writing is to clearly state who you are quoting and where and what.<br />
i.e. full references.<br />
<br />
But the question is really: is Wikipedia an adequate authority ? <br />
For general background and introduction to a topic it is excellent. <br />
I personally like it and use it a lot<br />
<br />
The core question is really: What is the best source to support my argument ? <br />
<br />
if you are going to argue seriously for an idea you need to go to serious authorities. <br />
ie.: you can't base your serious PHD research about micro-controllers or diabetes on THE AGE newspaper, MX magazine or wikipedia. <br />
In others words you can't say: "its true because it's in "THE AGE" or Women's weekly, or Wikipedia, you need to go the the appropriate authority and source.<br />
<br />
If you are looking for an introduction to a topic Wikipedia is great. <br />
When I had to quickly get up to speed on chip design, leakage currents, etc... Wikipedia was excellent in giving a good introduction. <br />
If I'm going to do breakthrough research I can't base my arguments on Wikipedia, I would use the original sources. <br />
</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1803874050376628769.post-22124497936492836662010-09-12T00:32:00.000-07:002010-09-12T00:49:33.854-07:00most effective study skills<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULvzioROIS8AmlmfUuCgEhu9BrR5dlCrxliIsF-yXA5RvmaZGfy1Pi67nWZwSNE-6Y44DCtdd4g2TKJZX59S5GFyBE7hubqcQK9D0NPc0F4F7Wa8Ay2Cb-0EZ9zIHwO88x4xEN98pua4i/s1600/08Aug0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULvzioROIS8AmlmfUuCgEhu9BrR5dlCrxliIsF-yXA5RvmaZGfy1Pi67nWZwSNE-6Y44DCtdd4g2TKJZX59S5GFyBE7hubqcQK9D0NPc0F4F7Wa8Ay2Cb-0EZ9zIHwO88x4xEN98pua4i/s640/08Aug0010.JPG" width="515" /></a></div>interesting list of things to do to study most effectively<br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/health/views/07mind.html?ref=general&src=me&pagewanted=all">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/health/views/07mind.html?ref=general&src=me&pagewanted=all</a><br />
<br />
some of these I have done automatically and intuitevely others I have learnt from this post....Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1803874050376628769.post-30889635007189349512010-07-25T23:52:00.000-07:002010-07-25T23:52:48.426-07:00making the best of it<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0cXzGCeC2xlQ-vRBZHoPFdxcxshRzht3dd0rUFa7cQaEYpxN0ZYgNmaHJ91O46YEYq7nQ48oQ0-dBIDmbjrjp7jGcwb0rc29gpH5mLpNNtdVa4kEfQfoZOi5EFy-jRnni4OIxXI93uuyp/s1600/ladyinwater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0cXzGCeC2xlQ-vRBZHoPFdxcxshRzht3dd0rUFa7cQaEYpxN0ZYgNmaHJ91O46YEYq7nQ48oQ0-dBIDmbjrjp7jGcwb0rc29gpH5mLpNNtdVa4kEfQfoZOi5EFy-jRnni4OIxXI93uuyp/s400/ladyinwater.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making the best of things that might seem like a pain</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Have you been asked to present your work for the University Open Day ? </div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> Is your reaction: </div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Open day... groan.............</div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </div><div style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><b>to make the most of Open Day for YOURSELF:</b></i> </div><ol style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><li>- come to open day and exhibit your project, jazz it up. </li>
<li style="color: red;">- take photos of yourself surrounded by eager young innocent Engineering students of the future... </li>
<li style="color: red;">- keep proof your having participated. </li>
</ol><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">add photos of yourself and proof from 2. 3. above to your CV and show to future employers at interviews. </div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Goes down REALLY WELL !!! </div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Optional extra: follow the advice on: </div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="http://haikoteaching.blogspot.com/2009/11/public-profile-idea-is-simple-students.html">http://haikoteaching.blogspot.com/2009/11/public-profile-idea-is-simple-students.html</a></div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">and add your Open Day material to the site. </div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">NB: instead of Open Day you can substitute any number of similar events.... be creative...</div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">cheers</div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Heiko </div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1803874050376628769.post-52806518631309501842010-07-19T02:56:00.000-07:002011-12-03T07:12:41.854-08:00improving your English HOW TO<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
how do I improve my English ?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWAfsMDtm7CfqBH5Bh8bmpFFq2xrWjjk25WZU7WgvFCNv2Uxel7Jgjj_i1apW6Ei2E_Pdr3boiwsKSovwKMEvSvvhbJ43Zv9r0MVPh-2FJ_H1DuvHXPaspaKhqkdKjlaDJOk0Y40P6qQM/s1600/IMG_8287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWAfsMDtm7CfqBH5Bh8bmpFFq2xrWjjk25WZU7WgvFCNv2Uxel7Jgjj_i1apW6Ei2E_Pdr3boiwsKSovwKMEvSvvhbJ43Zv9r0MVPh-2FJ_H1DuvHXPaspaKhqkdKjlaDJOk0Y40P6qQM/s400/IMG_8287.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span id="goog_1284829596"></span><span id="goog_1284829597"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Simple: Do two things: </div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">First:</span></span> Take your writing or your speaking: </div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
identify the ONE key error that you make most of the time. </div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Then fix that. Concentrate on it until you have mastered it. Just that ONE thing. </div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br />
It may be something simple like: </div>
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li>confusing "is" with "was" </li>
<li>confusing "a" with "the"</li>
<li>putting "the" in front of people's names e.g. "The Peter"</li>
<li>mixing up plural and singlar e.g. "He took two apple.... "</li>
<li>whatever it is that is YOUR MOST common error.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklXlIhSVeFi9F72i-r-yzzuji3U4m7YtNoXsTjXgiERV8R6RcpdQg88pp5FhJK5ox2svLQZpZNXWS_rd7CokZamiYCDs-NndFb4FAJ0bpXGfLHUblUSbrlh53rz1am6eo08K0B99cirp3/s1600/Most+common+mistake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklXlIhSVeFi9F72i-r-yzzuji3U4m7YtNoXsTjXgiERV8R6RcpdQg88pp5FhJK5ox2svLQZpZNXWS_rd7CokZamiYCDs-NndFb4FAJ0bpXGfLHUblUSbrlh53rz1am6eo08K0B99cirp3/s400/Most+common+mistake.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The most common mistake is the pink half of the pie chart. If you fix that your HALF of all your mistakes are gone. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">Second:</span></span> Read. <br />
<br />
When I say read I don't mean read something so you get better at writing, don't read in the way you do training at a Gym or take medicine. Read what you ENJOY in English. <br />
Read romance, fiction, thriller, detective novels .... it does not matter what you read, but only ONE thing matters: you <i style="color: #cc0000;"><b>ENJOY </b></i>it, really truly enjoy the book. <br />
<br />
That is all you need to do. Enjoyment is the best way to learn, anything. <br />
<br />
Remember it does NOT matter what you read, (in English) as long as you <i style="color: red;"><b>LIKE</b></i> it. <br />
Enjoy it. </div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br />
<br />
<b>Question:</b> My problem is I am only interested about the story. I never notice the phrase use, vocab and grammar bla bla bla.<br />
<br />
I like reading but I don't know how reading can make better writing?<br />
<br />
<b>Answer:</b> It does. It is not obvious HOW that happens. You don't have to take conscious note of the grammar, it just seeps into you, you get it through exposure and repetition... the same reason businesses spend millions, billions of dollars on advertising: it works, not consciously but it works somehow.<br />
<br />
So: Reading makes you better at writing.<br />
Not fast, and not in an obvious way. <br />
But you will find that all good writers are great readers.<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<br />
************************************<br />
for TEACHERS:<br />
I used to correct my students English, they would sometimes look at it but usually just say "oh nice, thanks" and file it away.<br />
<br />
So from my students I leart to something different:<br />
- I highlight the word, or space between words where the correction is required. but I don't correct it.<br />
I ask the student to correct it herself. <br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: xx-small;">NOTE: the two key elements I use in Teaching: Enjoyment through games and story. Whatever I teach is part of a story. Games create their own interest and enjoyment. </span><br />
<br />
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1803874050376628769.post-78766217050485620072009-11-07T21:07:00.000-08:002010-08-08T20:17:52.216-07:00public profile: The idea is simple: Students, Postgrads, academics, professionals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SaSFsBOpR5BJZ5LaJd6QO1pEiV-_jjK6qWP0GNKSCM2-DN5ZxH2aQoXcS4QGVTANmHArcNAX00GMACGwwDs7BN5V8eYUU7Bg3Ac9tkhSskN-wPvTtmf9ImuNJPOfKwjrRuRJxd9VC1ml/s1600-h/IMG_0991.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SaSFsBOpR5BJZ5LaJd6QO1pEiV-_jjK6qWP0GNKSCM2-DN5ZxH2aQoXcS4QGVTANmHArcNAX00GMACGwwDs7BN5V8eYUU7Bg3Ac9tkhSskN-wPvTtmf9ImuNJPOfKwjrRuRJxd9VC1ml/s640/IMG_0991.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="color: #cc0000;">The idea is simple:</b> <br />
Document what you do, keep a public profile of your activities. A realistic profile, not advertising hype. I would recommend Google sites as a great starting point, (instead of a blog). <a href="http://sites.google.com/">http://sites.google.com</a><br />
<br />
<b style="color: #cc0000;">For Undergrad students</b>: this is useful for when they go for job interviews: <br />
"What have you done other than get good marks in all the standard subjects ?"<br />
"Well Sir/M'am, if you care to look at <a href="http://sites.google.com/"><i><b>www.mystudentwork.com</b></i></a> you'll see my final year project, my third year powersupply design. On my blog site at <a href="http://pjradcliffe.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.studentsFavHobby.blogspot.com</a> you'll see what I do in my spare time." <br />
<br />
Now it's important that this site is NOT thrown together in a huge mess in a week or so. It is important that it has grown over years. That it is genuine.<br />
<br />
If you've been asked to help out Open-Day at your University, why not make the best of it and see it as an opportunity ? <a href="http://haikoteaching.blogspot.com/2010/07/making-best-of-it.html">http://haikoteaching.blogspot.com/2010/07/making-best-of-it.html</a> <br />
<br />
My favourite grumpy old man has just taken this idea a few order or magnitude further: <br />
<a href="http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2009/11/05.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2009/11/05.html</a><br />
----------- I quote from his blog: ------------<br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">This is a talent market. Developers are not even remotely interchangeable. Therefore, recruiting should work like Hollywood, not like union hiring halls of the last century.</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">In a union hiring hall, downtrodden workers line up like cogs, hoping to make it to the front of the line in time to get a few bucks for dinner.</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">In Hollywood, studios who need talent browse through portfolios, find two or three possible candidates, and make them great offers. And then they all try to outdo each other providing plush work environments and great benefits.</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Here’s how Stack Overflow Careers will work. Instead of job seekers browsing through job listings, the employers will browse through the CVs of experienced developers.</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Instead of deciding you hate your job and going out to find a better one, you’ll just keep your CV on file at Stack Overflow and you’ll get contacted by employers.</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Instead of submitting a resume, you’ll fill out a CV, which links back to your Stack Overflow account, so that you can demonstrate your reputation in the community and show us all how smart you really are. To a hiring manager, the fact that you took the time to help a fellow programmer with a detailed answer in some obscure corner of programming knowledge, and demonstrated mastery, is a lot more relevant than the Latin Club you joined in school.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">------------ end of quote --------------<br />
<br />
Students who are "with it" will understand this. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b style="color: #cc0000;">For academics and professionals: </b><br />
<br />
The same applies. <br />
The inspiration for this came from seeing a well known figure in Engineering Education Richard Felder, put his wisdom and ideas publicly online: <br />
<a href="http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/</a><br />
<br />
It was Felder who gave me the key idea to build up my own profile on the web. I realized that any employer's site was subject to that employer and if you move on most of the material gets binned. <br />
Hence the idea of making it accessible to all. Hence THIS blog you are reading now. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">For Researchers, PhD students, academics. </span></b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
Another excellent example is collaborative publications such as is exemplified in the ChinaBeat blog: <br />
<a href="http://thechinabeat.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://thechinabeat.blogspot.com/</a><br />
A group of academics get together around a topic and contribute to it.<br />
<br />
Search Engine Journal is another collaborative effort, worth checking out <a href="http://www.searchenginejournal.com/">www.searchenginejournal.com</a> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
A student of mine who has set up his own site<a href="http://sites.google.com/site/troyboswellengineering/">sites.google.com/site/troyboswellengineering</a><br />
<br />
As a student: Making the best of things such as Open Day http://haikoteaching.blogspot.com/2010/07/making-best-of-it.html<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">---o(<b style="color: #cc0000;">O</b>)o---</div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span> <br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7RsJf20htu08aWvDwnRrteEmwEDvujcr8f-rnTmGEFPJ7i7jIKejcAvKs8C6lSEvwAzh209ydlNOXOROIS0UiVzhY-sBqwSMuSyrjdmcdLPrrjZgEPLkpjbZ7zxRheWSxIEuYAShzKqy/s1600-h/IMG_0830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7RsJf20htu08aWvDwnRrteEmwEDvujcr8f-rnTmGEFPJ7i7jIKejcAvKs8C6lSEvwAzh209ydlNOXOROIS0UiVzhY-sBqwSMuSyrjdmcdLPrrjZgEPLkpjbZ7zxRheWSxIEuYAShzKqy/s640/IMG_0830.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
<div style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Replies and correspondence from the above blog </b></div><br />
Dear K...<br />
..... having your own profile is probably a good way to say: look this is my public stuff. <br />
<br />
The other secret with these blogs thinggies is: you ONLY put out what you are comfortable putting out. <br />
<br />
In the early days of blogging people did a psychological vomit on blogs... revealing things most private and perhaps best left that way.<br />
Those days are long since gone. <br />
<br />
Now if you have a site like Felder's and people will quote you from it, see what you have been doing, invite you to talk about stuff. They will see what your emphasis and interest is. Do we want to invite this person to that conference ? Is she suitable to talk about XYZ ? etc... <br />
<br />
Focus your blog on a topic: ie. Laos, or Lao health or ..... whatever. <br />
I have different blogs for different aspects, some for travel others for teaching, and others for just whatever whimsical ideas pop into my brain. <br />
<br />
For me as an academic: I use blogs to say to students. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>See this link ? Read it. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Then talk to me again. </i></div><br />
or to point people who ask about things over and over again to ONE clear answer. <br />
<br />
For you as a PG research student: it is your public research profile. <br />
it is your shingle. <br />
You can have another blog for consultancies, etc... add to it as things come up. <br />
<br />
<br />
Making the best of things <a href="http://haikoteaching.blogspot.com/2010/07/making-best-of-it.html">http://haikoteaching.blogspot.com/2010/07/making-best-of-it.html</a><br />
<br />
<b style="color: blue;">Technically:</b> setting up a blog and using it is about as hard as setting up web based email and using it. I use Blogger by Google because it is easy to use, and they make it with a conscious emphasis on simple to use. E.g. lots of little things they have actually thought about and made them easier to do.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>Recently I've moved to Google sites as a great starting point, (instead of a blog). <a href="http://sites.google.com/">http://sites.google.com</a></div><div><div>Best to keep one site on one topic, start a new site if you want to start a new topic such as sport, etc... </div></div><br />
<br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1803874050376628769.post-42391054336201859882009-09-16T21:21:00.000-07:002009-09-16T21:22:20.456-07:00what to drop and what to keep: You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAuWZ76Rvl3srS2ytBxiAszs6hIXf7U4uaaCqm-GcaMITwEZaW54bERCGVWSFMwkLp4YS1f1IvrumNnv8dtzSVsfg0Cu8h0iKlj1g0AWPxT35vXVxJsE-xE5ZzuFqdhTQcztr8TdcPxrY6/s1600-h/IMG_0761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAuWZ76Rvl3srS2ytBxiAszs6hIXf7U4uaaCqm-GcaMITwEZaW54bERCGVWSFMwkLp4YS1f1IvrumNnv8dtzSVsfg0Cu8h0iKlj1g0AWPxT35vXVxJsE-xE5ZzuFqdhTQcztr8TdcPxrY6/s320/IMG_0761.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
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</span><br />
<div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">JUGGLING or TRADEOFFS of Engineering.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">Sometimes we all spend 90% of their effort on a part of the program that only earns <5% of rewards/marks.<br />
If you find that one aspect of the requirements takes too much time and sabotages your entire program (close to zero marks), then it may be worthwhile considering a simpler version that works and gets you more realistic marks. This is a tradeoff situation and only YOU can decide the level at which you are comfortable.</span><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console'; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">You will need to juggle the need for thoroughly meeting ALL specifications<br />
with the need to keep your code simple enough to confidently reproduce it in the<br />
lab test.<br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"> In programming a number of possible paths exist towards a solution.<br />
Your challenge consists of meeting the requirements within a given time limit, within your ability to remember, understand and confidently reproduce, test and debug your code. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">With unlimited time and resources your program would look very different from the one you will submit for the lab test.</span><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console'; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"> Making such choices is difficult, but part of the educational process,<br />
not only at this University but also in the University of life in which we are all enrolled... .<br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">These tradeoff choices litter the highway (or jungle) of life.... at every stage.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">Having said all that here is simple HINT - you don't have to take it - it is simply a SUGGESTION: </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">Keep you code simple. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">Is the error check for commas in input such as: 4,123.5 </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">really worth it ? It is if you can do it elegantly and simply, </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">It is not if it takes up 90% of your code. </span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">Learning is a social activity. </span></span></span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">Programming is a kind of "social sport" it is a team sport.</span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">Talk to other students, work with friends, ask around, use the internet to gain the skills you need. </span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">Yes, testing WILL be on an individual basis, to make sure you actually HAVE learned the required skills. </span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">It is a neccessary part of our University courses. Why ? Because when we don't test your INDIVIDUAL skills then we get the "Passenger effect" and that is not a good thing. </span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">More on the "Passenger effect" in a future email, I think it's not too hard to figure out. </span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">And even though we ostensibly teach: How to control Hardware with Software i.e. Engineering Software and programming, (using C++), we are really also teaching: </span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">- how to juggle different demands</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">- tradeoffs (i.e. should I bother with the error check for commas in input such as: 4,123.5 ?? can I live with the loss in marks ? )</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">- getting ALL of 'it' working, not just a bits of 'it'.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">Of course for those who are keen to do more research on this question outside narrow Engineering: see/google: Ivan Illich and the 'hidden curriculum' :-) for a really eye opening ideas. <br />
</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"><br />
</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">The same idea as I've expounded at length above has been put much more succinctly by Kenny Rogers as: </span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #351c75; text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em.</span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">Know when to walk away, know when to run</span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">You never count your money, when you're sittin' at the table.</span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console';">There'll be time enough for countin', when the dealin's done.</span></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: right;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">- The Gambler - Kenny Rogers <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gambler_%28song%29">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gambler_%28song%29</a></span></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> Students often ask me about the Comma in input strings question, so below is a simple, no guarantees piece of code: </span></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;">#include <iostream><br />
#include <cstdlib></cstdlib></iostream></span></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;">#include <time.h><br />
#include <sys time.h=""><br />
#include <math.h><br />
#include <errno.h> // leave this one in please, it is required !<br />
#define TEMPSIZE 80 // assume input in always less than this number, professional code SHOULD really do error check to make sure this is the case...</errno.h></math.h></sys></time.h></span></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;">using namespace std;</span></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;">int main(int argc, char *argv[])<br />
{</span></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> if (argc == 2) {</span></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> cout << "\n before removing commas: argv[1] is: " << argv[1];<br />
char temp[TEMPSIZE]; // assume input in always less than this number, professional code SHOULD really do error check to make sure this is the case...<br />
int inputstrlen = strlen(argv[1]);<br />
int tempIndex=0;<br />
for (int i=0;i < inputstrlen; i++) {<br />
if (argv[1][i]==',') { // found the comma, don't copy it to temp, ie. do nothing.<br />
// do nothing here, make it clear by using comments such as this.<br />
cout << "\nfound comma\n"; // handy debug comment, leave it IN for use later on.<br />
cout << "\n i " << i << " tempIndes " << tempIndex;<br />
}<br />
else { // copy the input string to temp<br />
cout << "\n In else: i " << i << " tempIndes " << tempIndex;<br />
temp[tempIndex]=argv[1][i];<br />
tempIndex++;<br />
}<br />
}</span></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> temp[tempIndex]='\0'; // huh?? what's this for ? what happens if you don't do it ? (Answer: Bad things happen)</span></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> cout << "\n AFTER removing commas: argv[1] has been moved to string temp and is: \n" << temp <<"\n\n\n\n";<br />
system("pause");<br />
return(0) ;<br />
}<br />
else {<br />
cout << " This program requires ONE and ONLY ONE command line parameter\n\n";<br />
system("pause");<br />
return(0) ;<br />
}<br />
return 0;<br />
}<br />
</span></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><o:p></o:p> </div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1803874050376628769.post-31087425179361038882009-06-20T05:25:00.000-07:002009-06-20T05:28:23.711-07:00too much talk, - let's just do it ! - ( Theory VS Practice )<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDi0joXCt6u9YyOxUgB0NDA1jdKMnfgwoJcB-kkk-86-N2ugc_669gd70ey39Rz0f3wqZE-13X7aArxO4kBBjy033qXCjN5DpEpeExpaaTdXVTJ5hBxm9g8uLiDQkdPMnOE7yV0C0Se0kE/s1600-h/DSC02520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDi0joXCt6u9YyOxUgB0NDA1jdKMnfgwoJcB-kkk-86-N2ugc_669gd70ey39Rz0f3wqZE-13X7aArxO4kBBjy033qXCjN5DpEpeExpaaTdXVTJ5hBxm9g8uLiDQkdPMnOE7yV0C0Se0kE/s320/DSC02520.JPG" /></a></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b>Five people sit around a table: </b></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b> "Let's play this board game called 'Barricade'.</b></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b>These are the rules: </b></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b>Throw the dice and the person with highest number starts. </b></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b>you walk the number you got on the dice. </b></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b>If you land on another player's piece they go back home. </b></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b>But below this line you are not allowed to throw people. </b></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b>If you hit a barricade you can take it but only if you land on it, otherwise it's a block." </b></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b>"You mean if you land on a barricade you take it?" </b></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b>"Yes, that right." </b></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b>"What do you do with the barricade ?" </b></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b>"Plonk it in front of another person." </b></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b>"Anyone ?" </b></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b>"Yep, anyone, except under this line." </b></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b>"I can't remember all the rules anymore. When can you take another person again ?" <br />
</b></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b>"Oh look, let's just play it and work it out as we go along...." </b></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b>Play commences.Jack enters the room.</b></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b>"Hey, Jack, want to play ?" </b></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b>He sits down. </b></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b>"What do I do ?" </b></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #666666;">"You just roll the dice and try to get to the top here. Just start and you'll pick it up".</span> <br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"></div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b>There is a lot of talk about how much theory and how much practice is the right mix for students. There is much erudite discussion in the pedagogical literature about the importance of hands-on teaching. </b></div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b>In practice it varies and it is the teacher's job to sense the right mix and the right mood. </b></div><div style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #351c75;">It is really not that much more difficult than knowing when you have eaten enough and need to go for a walk. </span><br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><b><br />
</b></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1803874050376628769.post-55035161988902904962009-05-24T01:03:00.000-07:002009-05-24T04:00:24.035-07:00teaching and meaningful connections with people - online communities Part II<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2RtQ9_l9yDKH6pGXwTm1UvvFB1muhAPxO2B9-m1inDuwuUbfCaIpd-bG9nbIJySypW7WhObQ9ldmUWy_TzVJ4Pq6d_VPdtms9RFmn5y-W7yflBvbwwOrLCIj85XjA__jRtojh9PchSiZ/s1600-h/BeetleFruitEyes312KB-BIG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2RtQ9_l9yDKH6pGXwTm1UvvFB1muhAPxO2B9-m1inDuwuUbfCaIpd-bG9nbIJySypW7WhObQ9ldmUWy_TzVJ4Pq6d_VPdtms9RFmn5y-W7yflBvbwwOrLCIj85XjA__jRtojh9PchSiZ/s320/BeetleFruitEyes312KB-BIG.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I did a 4 month Zen Shiatsu course at the <a href="http://www.australianshiatsucollege.com.au/">Australian Shiatsu College</a> in Melbourne last year. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
Why ? </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Well it was something I was kind of interested in for a long time. It was not a burning interest but a backburner kind of thing, one of those things to do <i>"some day"</i>. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
The reason I joined and paid tuition was simple: I liked the community of the college. I felt that I was a part of it, it was friendly, small and caring. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">That was the key of it for me. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
I would never have gone and enrolled in a large University and studied Shiatsu, not even out of interest. I work in a large bureaucratic University, I didn't want rush in after work, to sit in a lecture hall, do assignments, listen to some lecturer like myself rant and rave. No thanks. Most likely the other students would probably rush in, listen, rush out. All rather impersonal.<br />
<br />
What was the course I did actually like ?<br />
- It was after work, Monday night after work 3 hours. - OMG !. <br />
- Yet I looked forward to it.<br />
Why ?<br />
- Small classes.<br />
- Interested students.<br />
- Teacher demonstrated on one us for 20 mins, then we practices on each other.<br />
<br />
Ok there is some bias: the subject was practical and I received a massage from a fellow student every week. But it was more than that. It was the sense of belonging and the sense of caring and community that persuaded me to enroll in the first place.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">NOTE: This follows on from the previous post <a href="http://haikoteaching.blogspot.com/2009/05/online-teaching-growing-communities.html">online-teaching-growing-communities</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Today (May 2009) I spoke with another student from the same college. She too is there, full time, because she likes the sense of community, the small personal size and the caring atmosphere. Yes she is interested in the subject matter she is studying, but the deciding factor was the personal nature of the place.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It seems to me that if online teaching can help to engender this personal community then it is a good thing. If online teaching technology is only a tool to dole out more information, and reach more people in an impersonal way, then it has only reached a small fraction of what it could be.<br />
<br />
Of course if students have little choice and are FORCED to take certain courses, then even if the teaching and learning environment is not as good as at the college I went to last year, they will have just HAVE to do it and cope with it.<br />
I hope that word of mouth will help those educational institutions which do a good job...<br />
And I hope there is enough choice for students for that to make a difference :-) <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvPVkKQcokNyAc9rMMgT5Il_UujNgAd0wvENoqjb9n48rQAw6LKjJw_fkRGZcF2unhtytYmea2uaigLBN2HE-TzucAKZhqAYk6VuHhJjdbBOPP5TSl_DOFXyUAzgD5PRlskp49nL1LmDz1/s1600-h/SnakeFAce+BIG93.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvPVkKQcokNyAc9rMMgT5Il_UujNgAd0wvENoqjb9n48rQAw6LKjJw_fkRGZcF2unhtytYmea2uaigLBN2HE-TzucAKZhqAYk6VuHhJjdbBOPP5TSl_DOFXyUAzgD5PRlskp49nL1LmDz1/s320/SnakeFAce+BIG93.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There is another article in the back of my mind about how sheer size alone makes things impersonal bureaucratic and heartless. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">E.F. Schumacher talked about this in his classic "Small is beautiful". </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">These days we can sometimes combine the small personal on a larger scale: Facebook is an example of a system that although big, does connect people at the personal level. But it does so by respecting the personal. Every user connects to people he knows in some way. There is a limit. I don't want to have total strangers talk to me all the time, because my time, my life, and I am limited.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And of course there is the issue of Online Community Governance - with fair and good governance a community is more likely to thrive. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">What does this mean for teaching ? </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Simple: keep it personal. </div>Other than that, I hand it over to the endlessly debating academics (I'm one of them, I should know :-)<br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZI9IRukzP4mMvy8mkeKQOzXEzXlEg0IDKeUpTz8qjCZvjz8Sp0eBvsX8Djslu4BT1X69y8x_3eX6xyNcBt9uVqApSHry9zIcx1FTXHVU-F1CnSoGuo_NWvn7mxdr2xFYBy7wI8UxrIxUq/s1600-h/beetle-eye-crayons-titi-present002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZI9IRukzP4mMvy8mkeKQOzXEzXlEg0IDKeUpTz8qjCZvjz8Sp0eBvsX8Djslu4BT1X69y8x_3eX6xyNcBt9uVqApSHry9zIcx1FTXHVU-F1CnSoGuo_NWvn7mxdr2xFYBy7wI8UxrIxUq/s320/beetle-eye-crayons-titi-present002.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><br />
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-small;">Teaching and meaningful connections with people.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">More thoughts about online communities</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This follows on from the previous post <a href="http://haikoteaching.blogspot.com/2009/05/online-teaching-growing-communities.html">online-teaching-growing-communities</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1803874050376628769.post-61264804412237712182009-05-19T05:08:00.000-07:002009-05-21T17:11:48.950-07:00online teaching - growing communities -<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjV3rk3JB_-iIvYy_T15LUUyd-9QHGrfADZ4B9i5DqJcKRtw5qIM-snsWP0UY-smomrz1HQkISFa2e6JLgzSdQ6ZP9M7zM1hxqUTLULqT8SPkz5z8Aj49eQTvRrpjkthXdv1-9PsFNqI1A/s1600-h/DSC00103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjV3rk3JB_-iIvYy_T15LUUyd-9QHGrfADZ4B9i5DqJcKRtw5qIM-snsWP0UY-smomrz1HQkISFa2e6JLgzSdQ6ZP9M7zM1hxqUTLULqT8SPkz5z8Aj49eQTvRrpjkthXdv1-9PsFNqI1A/s320/DSC00103.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>My experiences of online communities<br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Returning from Overseas after many years abroad I found first hand that all my friends were busy with family kids. Most of them had moved on in life, our thoughts and ideas had changed a lot and I was no longer the same person. </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
Only once I accepted the internet as a "like interest finding tool" did I find a connection to the rest of Australian society again. </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><div></div><div><br />
For me: social life and get-togethers along lines of interest happen primarily via the internet.</div><div>I use the internet to find <a href="http://www.meetup.com/Melbourne-Japanese-Social/">language practice groups</a>, <a href="http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=707">social groups</a>, etc... </div><div><br />
<br />
A friend to whom I sent a <a href="http://ajunecat.blogspot.com/">link about a travel blog</a> sent me this reply: (it shows how the net brings together people of similar interest)<br />
<br />
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><style>
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</style><i>Hi Hyko,<br />
......Thanks for that website :)<br />
It's amazing to know there are other girls who share the same aspiration.<br />
How about your story :)?<br />
<br />
G</i></blockquote><br />
I also us the Net to run my <a href="http://groups.google.com.au/group/chigong?pli=1">own interest groups</a>, earn some pocket money etc...</div></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The safe remoteness and yet the meeting point on a common interest is great.</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="http://www.couchsurfing.org/">Couchsurfing</a> is a site I like especially, I feel more at home there and it gives me hope to know others who feel similar to me are 'out there' doing this kind of thing - my profile is <a href="http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/cinnamon">here www.couchsurfing.org/people/cinnamon</a>.</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
<br />
Online communities to me mean I don't have to earbash my physically close friends, I can find people who relate to my interest on the internet. This blog is one way to get my ideas out there, instead of telling my co-workers I share them with you ! :-) </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
I publish stories and ideas on various blog sites. I have a <a href="http://tengra.wordpress.com/">story site</a>, and site for <a href="http://xylantheum.blogspot.com/">metaphysical musings</a>, another <a href="http://heikorudolph.blogspot.com/">for travel</a> and a static old fashioned <a href="http://heikorudolph.com/">home-site</a> that is the hub of it all.</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><div style="color: #444444;"></div><div style="color: #444444;">And there is one other aspects to online communities: you can become part of a community ! </div><div style="color: #444444;">Huh? </div><div style="color: #444444;">Yes, you can feel part of a community just like you can be a part of a group of people in your neighbourhood. </div><div style="color: #444444;">There are people on the net, I have never met in person, but I follow their exploits and tune in, and they feel like old friends. One such site is: <a href="http://mamamusings.net/">mamamusings.net/</a></div><div style="color: #444444;"></div><div style="color: #444444;">There are others who I talk to occasionally but again, will probably never ever meet in person. </div><div style="color: #444444;"></div><div style="color: #444444;">And there is yet another aspect to online communities: </div><div style="color: #444444;">They are a way to get things "out". </div><div style="color: #444444;">For me it is something I want to, or need to do. </div><div style="color: #444444;">I miss not being able to write my ideas and thoughts down and share them with the world. </div><span style="color: #444444;">This will not appeal to everyone but it is something I and I'd imagine most bloggers have in common: this need to share, talk, get it 'out'. </span><br />
<br />
Long before blogging became 'blogging' I would write my ideas, make books to be published one of these centuries, or keep up a very lively correspondence with many people.<br />
So I think it is a certain 'writer or author' personality type who likes to share, and write.<br />
Blogging is just the modern version of something that has always been there. Samuel Johnson, G. K. Chesterton, Aldous Huxley and thousands more wrote streams of essays and articles - in today's world, I've no doubt they would be blogging as well.<br />
<br />
Not every person likes to blog and write. Only a certain group do. This is important to keep in mind when you set up online learning and teaching communities.<br />
<br />
Some students will love it, others simply don't want to do it. Those are simply natural differences, not everyone is an athlete and everyone is a natural scholar.<br />
What does it mean for online learning though ? <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>How to do you get the best kind of online teaching ?</b></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">At its worst, online teaching is just a do-it-yourself guide, a manual that is doled out in small expen$ive chunks.</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">At its best online teaching is a living community of active people that has a life of its own. It is fun to belong and motivates people to contribute.</div><br />
There is no sure-fire recipe, but there are a few commonsense foundations - details below.</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
Once I sat down to list them, I realized they are all put much better in the links below. So the rest of this article is more of a list of useful links about online communities.</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">Good governance: </b> </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
Set up a fair and good government for online communities. The article by Joel Spolsky gives a good introduction: <a href="http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/BuildingCommunitieswithSo.html">Building Communities with Software </a><a href="http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/BuildingCommunitieswithSo.html">by Joel Spolsky - www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/BuildingCommunitieswithSo.htm</a></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
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I think this quote from Joel's site sums it up very well: </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b> So, we have discovered the primary axiom of online communities: </b></div><blockquote dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; margin-right: 0px;"><div align="left" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: 0px;"><b>Small software implementation details result in big differences in the way the community develops, behaves, and feels.</b></div></blockquote><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The theme of good government, fair government is also debated at:</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/anthropology_the_art_of_building_a_successful_soci.php">Anthropology: The Art of Building a Successful Social Site - www.readwriteweb.com/archives/anthropology_the_art_of_building_a_successful_soci.php</a></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
Small things can matter a lot: <br />
<a href="http://philip.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=000teT">Can registration and email alerts hurt online communities? - philip.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=000teT</a></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
<br />
A review of the above articles: </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="http://www.shlomifish.org/philosophy/computers/web/online-communities/#text">Reflections on Online Communities - www.shlomifish.org/philosophy/computers/web/online-communities/#text</a></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
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The article below is a classic and talks about the early days of online communities. We have progressed (???) since then. </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="http://shirky.com/writings/group_enemy.html">See the classic: Clay Shirkey's "A Group Is Its Own Worst Enemy" - shirky.com/writings/group_enemy.html</a></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">Who is the community for ?</b></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
Be aware of the age and lifestyle of your target community. Busy parents, with kids, will not react the same way as teenager, who will not respond the same way as single </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">University students.</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
"demographics" is the key word: single people, will use the Internet and online tools totally differently from those who have children, a full time busy job. </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">Not everything can be engineered.</b></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
And of course, there is that final mysterious element which you simply can't force, can't bottle and can't define. Just as you might have two restaurants that look the same right next to each other, for some reason one is always full and the other is always empty.</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
However: if you do the above commnsense things and you do it with joy, chances are you will get a thriving online community in which people learn. </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">The links below are useful for anyone wanting to grow an online learning community: - you might not agree with it all, but they raises some good points.</span><br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
BBC article about the business of online communities </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/podsandblogs/2006/08/the_online_community_biz_1.shtml">The Online Community Biz - www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/podsandblogs/2006/08/the_online_community_biz_1.shtml</a><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="http://mashable.com/2009/03/30/masters-degree-social-media/">Masters degree in social media - mashable.com/2009/03/30/masters-degree-social-media/</a></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
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<a href="http://lovdbyless.com/">Open source social networking platform, set up your own system - lovdbyless.com</a></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
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<b>Various links that are related to this post</b></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2009/04/what-stack-overflow-can-teach-you/">One person's positive experience from an online commuity - blog.stackoverflow.com/2009/04/what-stack-overflow-can-teach-you/</a></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
<br />
What does a moderator do in a community ? </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2009/05/a-theory-of-moderation/">http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2009/05/a-theory-of-moderation/</a></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
<br />
My favourite is still: </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/BuildingCommunitieswithSo.html">Building Communities with Software by Joel Spolsky - www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/BuildingCommunitieswithSo.html</a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1803874050376628769.post-54228285653707558702009-03-15T00:56:00.000-07:002009-03-15T14:58:37.294-07:00Why Academics Blog<a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi___pEJ8AqaR6DNTp7HwwGHf29S9oGz9wGpHhBGrWjsX7hq0QA-FMyEI_q0srs_OhiLuDnVasrFlZtcmX0YeUJI6h1Q6lMMkXCtK40ilx1GfCZ_BbIQ66xFT_Cbkk1KFEJuNNf9iI6-euz/s1600-h/DSC09604.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 410px; height: 306px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi___pEJ8AqaR6DNTp7HwwGHf29S9oGz9wGpHhBGrWjsX7hq0QA-FMyEI_q0srs_OhiLuDnVasrFlZtcmX0YeUJI6h1Q6lMMkXCtK40ilx1GfCZ_BbIQ66xFT_Cbkk1KFEJuNNf9iI6-euz/s320/DSC09604.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313294107908823570" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> Why do Academics blog ? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">This is an extract from an email to a friend who is just starting her academic life. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;" >Hi S,<br /><br />you said: </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;" >" I like writing and sharing opinions about Laos. If I could do that for the rest of my life I'd be pretty happy.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;" >"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;" >You might want to check out: the site: </span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-family: verdana;" href="http://thechinabeat.blogspot.com/">thechinabeat.blogspot.com</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;" >You will notice that is a site run by a number of academics, Phd's and </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;" >a collection of authors. It's a joint effort. It has a good following.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;" >See what you think of it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;" >Blogging in some way and building up your presence online is a good way to start your academic profile, it will take years to reach the right momentum and there is nothing to stop you starting now, as a student.<br />This Blogger site on which you are reading this now is a good start, there are others such as <a href="http://wordpress.com/">Wordpress.com</a> which have advantages.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;" >If you are interested in blogging, sharing your knowledge and building up a presence:<br />I'd suggest: write about the things which grab YOU now about Laos, things which YOU want to say, put them on the blog, your blog, and then later those blogs may turn into fully fledged papers. Comments and feedback in the meantime will help to refine your ideas, - aid your papers.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;" >I have a number of blogs on different subjects. I'm now building up my academic presence on the web.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;" >It took me 6 years to realize that I needed to do that, that the Uni and official publications are old technology and very limited, talking to a small elite that plays the paper counting game, for prestige, for job security, career and of course genuine interest.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;" >The academics that have impact on many people have a web presence and are known and quoted online.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;" >Their official paper output is a subset of that.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;" >A blog/web-presence, also gets your ideas out to anyone and everyone interested, not as limited as official papers in official journals.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:verdana;" ><span style="font-size:130%;">A fine line between '<span style="font-style: italic;">pestering</span>' and '<span style="font-style: italic;">sharing</span>'.</span><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:verdana;" >With email you need to decide who to send your latest great idea to, and chances are your friends will politely receive your mails and never read them. They are your friends, that does not mean they will be interested in ALL you are latest great ideas. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:verdana;" >A blog, like a social network site, offers things to people, it does not thrust it in their faces. Like birdseed on a hand, you hold it out, and if and only if interested, people come and look. </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >A recent <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7942304.stm">BBC article</a> makes a very nice point of how we have shifted from direct <span style="font-style: italic;">'in-your-face-email'</span> to <span style="font-style: italic;">'check-and-look-if-you-like'</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">status updates</span>, found on social networks.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:verdana;" >I think of blogs as the mature, slow moving more encompassing equivalent of social network sites. In a blog you focus on one area and you do it in to a depth that is not possible in a social network site.<br /><br />On a blog I want my ideas to be seen and listened to by as many people as possible, even those who are not 'friends' simply because I don't know them yet. The upshot of this is that what I put on the net has to be:<br /></span></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:verdana;" >Appealing to an interest group.<br /></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:verdana;" >Make sense and be coherent to a degree I might not bother with in just a quick email.</span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:verdana;" >In a blog I want to attract people along similar interests, like a magnet attracting iron filings. </span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-family:verdana;" >Below is a list of links to other academics, describing their reasons for blogging.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-family:verdana;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;" >A</span>n academic, <a href="http://mamamusings.net/">Elizabeth Lane Lawley </a>writes a nice intro called: </span><br /></span><h3 style="font-family: verdana;" class="title"><a href="http://mamamusings.net/archives/2005/02/08/why_do_academics_blog.php"><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:100%;" >why do academics blog? </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >click here</span><br /></a></h3> <p style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">She writes: </span>I keep getting asked this question by colleagues here at </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="caps">RIT </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">and elsewhere, and I find myself sending them the same links over and over again. So here’s what I give people who ask me this, in an attempt to clarify the value of blogging to those of us in academia. It’s not all about personal confessionals. Really.</span> <a href="http://mamamusings.net/archives/2005/02/08/why_do_academics_blog.php">click here.</a></p><p face="verdana">Lawley describes why she blogs and how she started<a href="http://mamamusings.net/archives/2005/02/08/why_do_academics_blog.php"> here: why_do_academics_blog.php</a></p><p face="verdana">The next four points below are taken from her blog above:<br /></p><ol><li>Anders Jacobsen describes why he blogs <a href="http://www.jacobsen.no/anders/blog/archives/2003/03/06/why_i_blog.html">here,</a></li><li><a href="http://crookedtimber.org/2004/11/18/the-academic-contributions-of-blogging/">The contribution academics make in blogging here</a> and <a href="http://crookedtimber.org/2004/03/16/academics-and-blogging/">here</a> and <a href="http://crookedtimber.org/2004/04/18/academic-blogging-and-literary-studies/"> here</a> and <a href="http://crookedtimber.org/2004/04/30/lit-studies-blogging-part-ii-better-breathing-through-blogging/">here</a> .<br /></li><li><a href="http://wrt-brooke.syr.edu/cgbvb/archives/2004/06/blogging_mea.html"><b>Collin Brooke - </b>blogging_mea.html</a></li><li>Essay collection on blogging <a href="http://blog.lib.umn.edu/blogosphere/">here http://blog.lib.umn.edu/blogosphere/</a><br /></li></ol><ul><li><span style="font-family:verdana;">- Corruption of blogging, </span><span style="font-family:verdana;">ethics & </span><span style="font-family:verdana;">the number and fame game <a href="http://www.alex-reid.net/2006/08/number_games_re.html">here.</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;">- general commonsense tips on blogging </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://blogs.setonhill.edu/JulieYoung/001766.html">here.</a></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;"> - The pro's & con's of blogging as an academic </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://rodrik.typepad.com/dani_rodriks_weblog/2007/09/does-blogging-h.html">here.</a></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;"> - Successful academic blogger </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.collinvsblog.net/2005/06/best-academic-weblog-1.html">here.</a></li><li>- BBC article on social network sites:<span style="font-weight: bold;"> <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7942304.stm">Status updates as the new email </a></span><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7942304.stm">here.</a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" > </span></li></ul><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Below is a list of academics with sizable blogs and a web-presence:</span></span><br /><ul style="font-family: verdana;"><li>Richard Felder, well known in Engineering Education, with practical tips for students and academics. <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/">www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/</a></li><li>A group of China focussed acadmics on: <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://thechinabeat.blogspot.com/">thechinabeat.blogspot.com</a></li><li>A small weblog for an academics local students: <a href="http://briancondrey.blogspot.com/">here</a></li><li>--your suggestion here -----</li></ul><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;" >If anyone has other examples please email or comment. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1803874050376628769.post-61333661743140586562009-02-02T23:53:00.001-08:002009-02-11T16:42:48.806-08:00the core of academic literature reviews: - or Learning to ride a bicycle<a style="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyD1eki2wVsBc10vvsDjn9_ZkWYqbKDfZFLnVVNKtzmAxj-nKVfQ-BU10OzzSdqc7U77JRoTqsB5s22JIMXyVUaokL-DS-F2CX_uctmj1EStlxM6-wyncx_J8LDgZ_CzNk5eJNn16FftZL/s1600-h/DSC01566.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 211px; height: 282px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyD1eki2wVsBc10vvsDjn9_ZkWYqbKDfZFLnVVNKtzmAxj-nKVfQ-BU10OzzSdqc7U77JRoTqsB5s22JIMXyVUaokL-DS-F2CX_uctmj1EStlxM6-wyncx_J8LDgZ_CzNk5eJNn16FftZL/s400/DSC01566.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298476618129843506" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:courier new;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Academic reviews take this format:<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"> </span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">- also known as 'literature reviews'. </span><br />Read on ONE topic, pick one of the many your supervisor has given you and write a few pages.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:courier new;" >Use this model:</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:courier new;" >Describe what Dr's XYZ say... about a topic,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:courier new;" >then what Dr's ABC say about the same topic,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:courier new;" >then: YOU give your analyisis in something like this:</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:courier new;" >XYZ have a good point about blah blah and blah, but they neglect the aspect of bleep bleep bleep.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:courier new;" >Bleep bleep bleep is addressed by ABC in this and that way.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:courier new;" >Looking at the whole topic is seems to me that one can say the following</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:courier new;" >booop blooop blooop.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:courier new;" >Does this make sense ?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Basically: </span><br />There is a descriptive part1: Who says what about the topic. Just summarize, regurgitate, reference your sources !<br /><br />Then comes the analysis part: That's YOUR part: compare, contrast, synthesize, find the overlap, the differences, the holes, give YOUR angle on things based on what was described. This second part is where you get to be CREATIVE, get to say what YOU THINK !<br /><br />Do this for one topic, then move to the next topic of subtopic.<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:courier new;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Help from friends/tutors/supervisors/...</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Step1:</span> Like a good wine, let your writing lie quietly in a dark subconscious underground chamber for a few days - figuratively and literally.<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:courier new;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Step2:</span> </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:courier new;" >Read your own work and edit, correct. If you are really 'with it' this is the time to make a list of the top 3 or 4 mistakes you pick up in your own writing and improve yourself quickly - <a href="http://haikoteaching.blogspot.com/2009/01/fast-way-to-improve-your-english-black.html">simple method outlined HERE</a>. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:courier new;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Step3:</span> </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:courier new;" >Find someone else to read and review things for you ! That's really important. Ask friends, or even pay a senior student/tutor. </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:courier new;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Crank the Handle" approach: </span><br />Once you get the hang of it, you will find that research and academic stuff is as easy as riding a bicycle, you fall off and hurt yourself the first few times but in the end you are fine...</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:courier new;" >no big deal anymore ;-)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:courier new;" >Good Luck !!!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1803874050376628769.post-66534431069291294292009-01-29T23:25:00.000-08:002009-02-11T21:58:05.401-08:00Teaching life skills at Uni ? - VS Uni of Life 101<a style="font-family: courier new; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnNHfIAyllQwI4P0Kqh9eBUd6NoepWXKxi4Nyk1lvRltUJHRiT3QAR7ObSmQJNu-V39sFzyAT-tIthG_PSJmvSM8-poUKeLzGpHiBmVtWib5nff8oQRQn5Wn3ehq3DD0U7Gn9k6-oEfGt/s1600-h/DSC00287.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 369px; height: 491px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnNHfIAyllQwI4P0Kqh9eBUd6NoepWXKxi4Nyk1lvRltUJHRiT3QAR7ObSmQJNu-V39sFzyAT-tIthG_PSJmvSM8-poUKeLzGpHiBmVtWib5nff8oQRQn5Wn3ehq3DD0U7Gn9k6-oEfGt/s400/DSC00287.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296987359150389474" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:courier new;" ><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />PS: dear Dr CM</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:courier new;" >a brief Postscript re the PhD grad survey which I just completed.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:courier new;" >there was in the survey an unspoken assumption that a PHD should include training in social skills, leadership, and even more general life skills.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:courier new;" >It may be useful to include a question of</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:courier new;" >a) whether such skills SHOULD be included, or can be expected to be included in a PhD programme (or any University programme for that matter)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:courier new;" >b) what if anything should be included.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:courier new;" >Everyone on the planet is enrolled in the University of Life, 101, or 201, etc...</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:courier new;" >some skills that are packaged and thrust upon educational institutions to teach rightly belong PRIMARILY with Life101.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:courier new;" >Sure Universities can foster those skills, and support them, but the key responsibility still rests with the individual.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:courier new;" >Personally I didn't expect my PhD to teach me leadership, - I could as part of being in life per se, have used my PhD to teach me those leadership skills, but I chose not to, I had other priorities and I focused on those.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:courier new;" >Most importantly however I did NOT EXPECT this from a Phd. I simply expected good supervision, guidance and support to carry out my research - this I certainly obtained and have no complaints.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:courier new;" >"Any hand's a winner and any hand's a loser, ...." there is an onus on each individual to make the best of things and assume their individual responsibility.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:courier new;" >Having said this: the old saying that "it takes a village to raise a child" applies in my own experience to PG study just as much: I was fortunate to do my study in a research environment surrounded by more than 100 PG students, many of whom were like myself keeping odd hours and interacting socially and informally in ONE physical location. This kind of milleu is excellent and develops its own momentum in an organic natural way.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:courier new;" >In contrast I teach and supervise in a primarily teaching University, where PG students are physically strewn all over the place, supervisors are torn between mountains of admin and teaching work. There is no critical mass amongst the PG students even though the actual numbers are quite high (approx 100 for a school of 800 UG students).</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:courier new;" >Come to think of it: I did go on a 'leadership course' in my PG days. It felt 'tacked on' - a kind of holiday camp for geeks.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:courier new;" >I far preferred the jungle principle approach to PG study: provide good soil, a variety of plants and let it all grow.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:courier new;" >I was fortunate to complete my PhD in a rich academic setting, where good supervision, solid research and was coupled with a hands off approach.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:courier new;" >After all the curriculum in the University of life never stops, and organizing my time, coping with life's ups and downs, seizing opportunities in any situation are MY responsibility.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:courier new;" >that's my two bob's worth.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:courier new;" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Heiko</span><br /><br />- picture totally unrelated to anything :-) other than it was handy from a <a href="http://heikorudolph.blogspot.com/2009/01/egypt-diaries.html">recent trip to Egypt</a><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1803874050376628769.post-31931848354537653612009-01-09T17:31:00.000-08:002016-03-30T22:54:59.526-07:00doing a PhD and getting paid for it - How to find a good supervisor<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">"Hyco how do I find a scholarship to do a PhD ?"</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";"> </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">How do I Find a good supervisor ? </span> <span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">"Where do I start ?" </span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">1) Understand how a supervisor thinks, what does a supervisor look for in a research student ?</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";"><br />
2)Read this article.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">3)Know yourself:</span> do you have what it takes? Do you have the interest, tenacity and ability to keep going with something that might bore you to tears for some of the time and thrill you for the other time ?<br />
I you are doing a technical/Engineering PhD Read this article <a href="http://pjradcliffe.wordpress.com/getting-a-phd/">pjradcliffe.wordpress.com/getting-a-phd/</a> and see if this is <span style="font-weight: bold;">really </span>what you want to do. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">If you are doing an Arts PhD similar stuff applies, the only difference is the nature of the thesis. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";"></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";"></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">You see: no one really cares what the TOPIC of your PHD is, they just care that you DO it properly. To do it for 3.5 years and to be a master at anything you have to <b style="color: #cc0000;">'really be into it'</b>. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">Doing a PhD is one of those times when you can choose whatever your heart desires, let yourself loose, go for your dream. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";"></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">This guy says it pretty well <a href="http://youtu.be/FY50vvMjX_o">here</a> and <a href="http://youtu.be/FueTswfJTGw">here</a> </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";"><br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">So, iff you are sure (ok 80% sure, pretty sure...) that research is for YOU, and you want to go ahead, then: </span><br />
<br />
Ok here is the low down: My personal experiences, recommendations and ideas from having done a PhD and supervised PhD students.<br />
<br />
Research students doing Masters or PhD's by research are the workhorses of academia.<br />
What do the students get out of it ?</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96Rq7aTXyOQxeit19JgeBYZuIApogcGSiZn0M-89tFZudUitfJVMEHIzMvOmnBNkGe0NTBB-5Dr6xrtaGwOEvkq_oPaPo2biVRRt4s3m6omjrQOqRsOUNEtHWYUzOF-BOSkYACn5foKgU/s1600-h/DSC01353.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="color: #333333; font-family: courier new;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289487457137731010" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96Rq7aTXyOQxeit19JgeBYZuIApogcGSiZn0M-89tFZudUitfJVMEHIzMvOmnBNkGe0NTBB-5Dr6xrtaGwOEvkq_oPaPo2biVRRt4s3m6omjrQOqRsOUNEtHWYUzOF-BOSkYACn5foKgU/s400/DSC01353.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 300px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<ul style="color: #333333; font-family: courier new;">
<li>time to research, usually paid,</li>
<li>supervision and guidance</li>
<li>training in how to research, how to write, how to think scholarly,<br />
</li>
<li>life training in how to "stick it out" (and everyone feels like just throwing it all out the window at some time)</li>
<li>publications and the start of an academic career if you want that, or the start for a wider careers in the big wide world out there...<br />
</li>
<li>time on their hands to deal with life issues: relationships, personal stuff, family etc... (for some reason these things happen a lot to research students) </li>
<li>prestige</li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new"; font-weight: bold;">What does the supervisor get out of it ?</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">- work is done on her research area. Her research is advanced.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">- publications (conference, journal papers)</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">- prestige: graduating a PhD student gives great benefits for the supervisor and government income for the University.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new"; font-weight: bold;">How to find a potential supervisor</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">- internet, Google, (the hardest way, but the only way for many)</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">- ask friends, use your social network of connections, be daring.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">- read articles in the topic you are interested in, look up the references, follow them up. SHOW the academics you talk to that you have some idea of the area you want to do research in. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">I'm not going to go into much more detail than this.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">Doing a PhD requires independence, self discipline and get up and go. Contacting potential supervisors is the first step on that path, and the first filter :-P</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">Good luck.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new"; font-weight: bold;"> How do you impress an academic so they will want want you as their student (and hopefully find </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new"; font-weight: bold;">you a scholar$hip, or use their grant money to pay you to study) ???</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">assuming you HAVE made contacts with some potential supervisors, how do you impress them ?<br />
By impress I mean: convince them you CAN do a good job of your PhD.<br />
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Try to enter into the mind of a supervisor: what motivates a supervisor and how does he gets his 'brownie points' from his superiors ?<br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";">Remember at the basic level a supervisor is looking for certain benefits from a PhD student (his "workhorse")</span><span style="font-family: "courier new";">i.e. he wants to see a thesis, journal papers, solid research.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">Any supervisor </span><span style="font-family: "courier new";">wants to minimize the risks of the student not completing. </span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">Below is a list of things that are likely to impress potential supervisors:</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">- papers, conferences ? If you have already written papers or presented your work at a conference, that's a bonus point.<br />
One of the questions that any supervisor asks of a potential student is "Can she do the work ? Can she write ?" Providing evidence of having done something that is similar to a PhD will help convince the supervisor. This is really the BEST way to impress a supervisor: it proves you can write. Make sure YOU wrote the material, or else your time will be short lived. (I've seen that too.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";">- If a potential supervisor asks you to do some writing work to show him what you can do, - do it!</span> <span style="font-family: "courier new";">- on time - if you are serious. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";">- a well written proposal. This means you have done some real research on your topic YOURSELF ! Nothing impresses me more than a student who comes to me and says: "Sir, I'm interested in the effects of frequencies on the human body and I've looked at these 5 key papers and I've read these 7 articles and it seems to me the most of them say that frequency is the key. But I would like to pursue this other angle..." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">A student like that has done some real work ! Wow !<br />
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- read the supervisor's profile: i.e. his research interests, show that you have understood the topic and taken the time to look at the profile.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";">A good way NOT get a good response: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";">"Dear Sir,<br />
I would like study in your esteemed University, do you have scholarships ? I'll do anything you want me to, just give me a scholarship."</span><br />
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This type of email will not get you far.<br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">The last paragraph in this article "</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new"; font-weight: bold;">Tips for supervisors in choosing a PhD student:</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">" offers some more clues.</span><br />
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Looking for a good supervisor: Tips for students:</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">Let's assume you have a couple of suitable supervisors in mind. A good supervisor is one who:</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">- is careful about who she takes on as a student. A lot of time and energy goes into good supervision, as well as that money stuff.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">- has already graduated a few students ON TIME.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">- gets good informal reports: talk to current & past students of that supervisor and ask about the real background story. Be realistic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-weight: bold;">Scholarships: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">- Given that PhD students make a significant contribution to the research reputation of a University and its academics, scholarships are offered to good students. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: large;">Scholarships come from the following sources: </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-weight: bold;">- competitive scholarships: </span><span style="font-family: "courier new";">a pot of money is given out the to the best students. Universities and Faculties are given a certain quota of scholarships. For Example: The Engineering School of University HeikoRudolph might receive 10 scholarships to give out to its top 10 applicants. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new";"> How this pot of money is divided and how fairly can vary. Having a well published and well known supervisor on side and barracking for you, is generally a good thing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-weight: bold;">- grant money scholarships: </span><span style="font-family: "courier new";">this is a scholarship paid for by grant money of a particular supervisor. Supervisor Heiko might have a $300K grant to do research work, with half the money allocated for PhD scholarships. Being from a grant, the topic area is usually fairly well defined. Equipment and materials should be well funded. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">An important thing about grant money: Often the supervisor will chose people he wants directly. He will choose people who have some connection to him already and where he is confident the student will be able to do the work. In others words: grant money scholarships are not as competitive. The selection and the competition happens earlier on, by proving to the supervisor that you are good, can do the work, have written some publications etc.... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";">Note: some scholarships only pay for tuition costs, and the student needs to find money for her cost of living in some other way. Sometimes casual tutoring work is offered to such students. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">My personal advice is: avoid such scholarships. Tuition and casual work tends to take over and crowd any PhD studies into a minor role. Students often they spent most of their time working for money and their studies suffer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";">The scholarships that are really worth pursuing cover the cost of tuition and pay a stipend for the cost of living. In Australia in 2009 this about $25K per annum tax free. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new"; font-weight: bold;">If you are interested in a particular supervisor:</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">Find out how long it took his students to finish ? If all his students took 10 years... keep looking. If most of his students finished in 3-4 years then fine ! :-)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">Does the supervisor have money, grant money ?</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">---- you might need equipment, travel costs for research or conferences.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">The 'clout' factor: Does he have a senior position ?</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">--- Can be useful if you need access to equipment, if you need world wide contacts, need to get stuff done and approved.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">Does a junior academic do all the real supervision work or does he do it himself ?</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">--- ask around how well this works, if its a working and good arrangement, then fine.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">Can you get along ?</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">--- you don't have to be best of buddies, but can you work together in a professional working relationship - 99% chance you can.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">Talk to a few (not just ONE) of his past or current students.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new"; font-weight: bold;">Tips on choosing a thesis topic:</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">- Face it: Once you are finished with your PhD, hardly anyone is going to be interested in your thesis topic. All people care about is that you did it, that you survived and did something hard, rigorous and disciplined for 2-4 years. Sorry but that's the reality.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">BUT there is good news in this: Since no one really cares too much WHAT you study, you are FREE to indulge yourself, to research whatever it is that takes your fancy.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">Do the patterns of butterfly wings in the Amazon basin hold the mysteries of life for you ? Great, study that.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">Do the marriage customs of Pygmies intrigue you ? Go for it.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">Does the atmosphere on Pluto fascinate you ? or a do you want to save the world with an antigravity widget using inverting Laplace step functions capacitors ? this is the time to do it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">Not that often in life do you get full support and prestige and help to do what you want.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">Choosing a PhD topic is one of those times.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">Use it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">Ok there is always a price: No matter what it is you choose, you need to do it in a scholarly rigorous, logical and methodical way. The WHAT you study is up to you (largely), the HOW you do it is NOT up to you.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">Doing a PhD is a course in learning to become fluent in the scholarly tradition. Whatever you do must be done in the scholarly way: logic, clear thinking, step by step progression, referencing your sources, exposing your ideas to scrutiny etc... these are the HOW of doing a PhD.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">That's the deal.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">An excercise: ask someone with a PhD about their actual PhD thesis. You'll either get shocked surprise, an evasive answer, or a looooooooooooooong lecture. If you are very lucky you'll get a brief comprehensible summary in everyday language.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">- could you make your thesis into a book that sells ? Are there people who would love to learn from the marriage customs of Pygmies ? Can you choose your topic in such a way that you can turn your thesis into something people would want to read ? depends on your topic, on your area, etc... - but worth considering for Life AFTER the PhD (there is life after a PhD I'm told)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">- do you like to travel ? choose your thesis topic in such a way you get to indulge your interests and hobbies. If you like to meet people, then a thesis in abstract physics theory is not likely to get you out there meeting people.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new"; font-weight: bold;">Tips on being a PhD student </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">(might sometimes feel like being in an underground cave)</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMsAiWFLd7o2cSTcoG3zf-qEhQn5p2yPNt0oOy5aNu9wBQgW46KXDXkBQtnlSjFqsfAZW8LNSo2KPw0V3oz6xyk4gwfhoZuzy3XVm93TL-PCLCgLEfAHTaeWSD0s8OZvNxHOHai6-qzQRu/s1600-h/DSC01226.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="color: #333333; font-family: courier new;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289490631150226050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMsAiWFLd7o2cSTcoG3zf-qEhQn5p2yPNt0oOy5aNu9wBQgW46KXDXkBQtnlSjFqsfAZW8LNSo2KPw0V3oz6xyk4gwfhoZuzy3XVm93TL-PCLCgLEfAHTaeWSD0s8OZvNxHOHai6-qzQRu/s400/DSC01226.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 300px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">- treat it as a job - and have fun !</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">- get a life outside research (this is really the same idea as the line above).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">- work hard & play hard.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">- don't do it part time - unless NO other choice (usually can't get scholarships for part time study either) .</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">- do fun things: look at spending 3 - 6 months in another University while you do your PhD. Most Universities have an exchange program, there is usually not extra charge to pay. This idea comes from the old European idea of the 'wandering scholar'. A scholar was not considered fully 'baked' until he had wandered from University to University and studied, worked, done post-doc work under a number of other Professors (if you like, research the historical idea behind the German concept of "Wanderschaft" ).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">Note: in order to find a good University to do the exchange in, spend time in your first year finding out who the top 5 heavy weights in your field are. Contact them, read their papers. Perhaps only 2 of the 5 will want to talk to you. Fine. Talk to them.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">By year 2 or 3 you might be over there spending time in their lab or doing some kind of work with them.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">- read this: REALLY read </span><a href="http://lostgarden.com/2008/09/rules-of-productivity-presentation.html" style="color: #333333; font-family: courier new;">this link</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">: </span><a href="http://lostgarden.com/2008/09/rules-of-productivity-presentation.html" style="color: #333333; font-family: courier new;">http://lostgarden.com/2008/09/rules-of-productivity-presentation.html</a><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new"; font-weight: bold;">Using Computers:</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">- The 3 golden rules of Information Technology when you type your thesis or do your research on a computer:</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">1) back up, 2) back up, 3) back up. ---That's all there is to it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new"; font-weight: bold;">Tips on actually writing your thesis: </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">- keep it simple and clear.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">- keep sentences short and clear.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">- don't don't don't try to sound 'academic', sophisticated, convoluted and hard to understand (Unless you have no f***ing idea of what you are talking about or you are trying to hide that fact, or you are really into obfuscation of the obvious).</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new";">More on 'academic mental masturbation' in a separate blog </span><note style="color: #333333; font-family: courier new;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";">From day ONE, start making a reference library. Every paper, every article your read, record the full citation reference details PLUS the abstract and perhaps even the intro and conclusion. Trust me: it's really worth doing this.<br />
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I personally really need to use this programme: <a href="http://workrave.org/welcome/">workrave.org/welcome/</a><br />
it kicks me off regularly and stops me from overusing my hands and prevents RSI.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-weight: bold;">WARNINGS !</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">- you WILL feel like it's all a HUGE WASTE of TIME and effort.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">- you will at some point want to throw it all down the .....@&#(</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">- you probably will overwork and</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">- you probably will underwork.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";">You WILL get over all these and finish !</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">Staying the course, and finishing is part of the real test. It is part of the deal, part of the achievement.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";">Likely only 1 or 2 people in the world out there really care about your thesis topic (there are exceptions). What people value is that you did it even though it was hard, boring, tough, felt like giving birth to an elephant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";">Celebrate, every step of the PhD, give yourself a reward, a trip away or whatever you value. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-weight: bold;">Tips for supervisors in choosing a PhD student: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">Rule #1: test them before accepting them as your student: "try before you buy" - ask them to write something for you by a certain date. The work they show you might be by someone else. Ask them to do some simple research, fully referenced on an area you specify. Set a clear deadline. If they can't do it, forget them. You are making a big time and money investment which only worth it for a student who can do and DOES do the work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";">Rule #2: test them: see rule #1.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";">Rule #3: offer only small steps: successful completing of basis Masters degree before allowing progress to PhD.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">Yearly review of progress, and scholarship only continues if progress satisfactory.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";">Rule #4: review after 6 months and 12 months and be TOUGH!!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">The longer a student is in a PhD program the harder it is to remove them, to discontinue them. After 2 or 3 years too much time and energy has been invested by yourself and the student. A student who stops after 2.5 years and has nothing to show for her time is not a good thing. Does not make the student or you feel good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";">If after 12 months it is best that the student stop, then it is best if the student agrees, and comes to understand and sees that it is in her best interest to stop. A student can always come back. A student can always take leave of absence.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";">Meet your student regularly, weekly or every two weeks. Students can drift, stuff happens, they loose focus, things go off the rails etc...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-weight: bold;"> Note to students who have read this section:</span><span style="font-family: "courier new";"> This section was really aimed at you and beginning supervisors to show you what an experienced supervisor will do and looks for.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">Any good, experienced supervisor won't have to read this, they got to their current position by doing all these things.</span><br />
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</note><span style="font-family: "courier new";">Finished your PhD ? Congratulations, you can be proud of yourself ! Reward yourself.<br />
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</span><note style="color: #333333; font-family: courier new;"><span style="font-family: "courier new";">Let me know how useful this has been, any feedback welcome.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">Questions, just email me (tell me what you've done, tried, and where you are aiming to go)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">Hyco</span></note><br />
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<note style="color: #333333; font-family: courier new;"><span style="font-family: "courier new";">**************************** UPDATE *****************</span></note><br />
<note style="color: #333333; font-family: courier new;"><span style="font-family: "courier new";">March 2016 email to an anonymous inquirer: </span></note><br />
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Hi D</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">1)<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">read the papers that interest you and get a <b>very </b>good understanding of your area. </span></div>
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- do some more research, </div>
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- look at the research in the last 3 years. </div>
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- what are the key new things ? </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">2)</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span>Write a summary of the current state of research, what is being done, </div>
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- what the current issues and challenges are. </div>
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- reference them properly. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">3)</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span>Think about what you would like to research and HOW. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">4) </span>read the links below</div>
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<span style="color: #333399; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">http://haikoteaching.blogspot.hk/2012/10/re-smart-way-to-get-scholarships-case.html</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333399; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and </span></div>
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<span style="color: #333399; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">http://haikoteaching.blogspot.hk/2009/01/doing-phd-and-getting-paid-for-it-how.html</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333399; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">5)</span><span style="color: #333399; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> </span>contact the academics who are doing the work you want to do, area you want ot work in </div>
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good luck </div>
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Heiko<br />
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</note>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1803874050376628769.post-64153787440954460802009-01-08T19:54:00.000-08:002009-01-09T21:58:30.302-08:00Fast way to improve your English - the Black spot programme - hints for international students learning English<div style="font-family: courier new; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Another way to improve your English FAST is the black spot program: </div> <div style="font-family: courier new; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">It's simple:<br /><br /><br /></div> <div style="font-family: courier new; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"> </div> <div style="font-family: courier new; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Pick the 3 most common mistakes you make, and FIX them. </div> <div style="font-family: courier new; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"> </div> <div style="font-family: courier new; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">then<br /></div> <div style="font-family: courier new; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"> </div> <div style="font-family: courier new; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"> <div><br />pick the 3 most common mistakes you make, and FIX them. </div> <div> </div> <div>then<br /></div> <div> <div> </div> <div><br /><br />pick the 3 most common mistakes you make, and FIX them. </div> <div>etc.... </div> <div> </div> <div>he he he :-) </div> <div> </div> <div><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">For starters: </span></div> <div>Get (ask nicely) someone to fix your English and CAREFULLY find out what mistake you make often. Then fix it !<br /><br /><br /></div> <div>By that I mean: work out what it should be, and why. </div> <div>Then practice it, make sure it does NOT happen again. </div> <div> </div> <div><br /><br /><br />Many times I fix student's English and the next time they give me some work to look at: SAME D**** mistakes... same problem with definite indefinite articles (e.g. 'a' VS 'the') </div> <div> </div> <div>Example: from your own email below: </div> <div>you write "...but there may be slightly different."</div> <div> </div> <div>mistake: plural VS singular, the sentence should be (CAPS show changes): </div> <div> </div> <div>"...but THEY may be slightly different."</div> <div>or </div> <div>"...but there may be slight--- differENCES."</div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> <div><br /><br />Pick any of the essays that someone corrected and proof read for you, where 'Track Changes' has been used. Pretty quickly you will that one kind of mistake happens a LOT. Fix it, focus on it. Learn it. </div> <div>If you don't understand the reasons, for the correct way, just memorize it till it becomes second nature and sooner or later the sense and feeling of the 'correct' language structure comes to you. </div></div></div></div><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Dr Hyko, </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">here is a question about academic writing:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">(1) as you said, you have to FEEL the language , as you studied a foreign language.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">But when I am summarizing the academic articles, a foreigner liek me always have a question:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">For the English words of similar meanings in Chinese, how to identify their differences? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">As a Chinese, the meanings of "rubbish" , "trash" and "garbage" are the same, but there may be slightly different.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">So are there any specific dictionaries explaining this kinds of words ?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Also, are there any good books teaching academic language fore foreigners ? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">According to your part instruction to some Chinese engineering students.</span><br /><br />G<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:courier new;" >Dear Mistress G, </span><br /><div style="font-family: courier new; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Here are some suggestions: </div> <div style="font-family: courier new; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Read LOTS, of books in English which INTEREST you...<br />That expands your vocabulary.</div> <div style="font-family: courier new; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"> </div> <div style="font-family: courier new; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">If not sure, about distinctions of rubbish, "rubbish" , "trash" and "garbbage",</div> <div style="font-family: courier new; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">pick a native speaker, ask them to explain, - this way you: </div> <div style="font-family: courier new; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">- get to meet more people</div> <div style="font-family: courier new; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">- experience more real life opinions.</div> <div style="font-family: courier new; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">- get an answer to your question that is up to date and real. </div> <div style="font-family: courier new; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"> </div> <div style="font-family: courier new; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Books and dictionaries, are last on my list of useful tools :-P<br /><br />H<br /></div> <div style="font-family: courier new; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1803874050376628769.post-51830420038822756862009-01-07T22:48:00.001-08:002009-01-09T22:06:37.351-08:00Things you won't believe until you find out for yourself. - Heiko's guide to programming.Just how hard can it be to write a program that plays a nice sounding chord every few minutes ?<br />Answer: no worries mate, do it in a day!!!<br /><br />Real Answer: Well, not that easy. At least not as simple as I first thought. I wanted to make a program that would play the sound of a set of chimes every 15 minutes, like an old Grandfather clock, the program would be called: the TimeChime program.<br /><br /><br />When I started I expected it would be so simple I could finish the program in a day. That was mid 2007. Many interruptions later, it was finished in March 2008. In my own defence I should say that I don't program for a living, I teach it instead.<br /><br /><br /><br />I found out that contrary to my optimistic and naïve assumptions you can’t just call a sound file and hope it will run and exit nicely. No no no !!! I needed to figure out how to call another program from my TimeChime program and make it do what I wanted it to. That took a lot of time and didn’t always work, the whole show would often just ‘hang’.<br /><br /><br /><br />That’s when I found out that ‘pipes’ were a lot better than ‘system calls’ and that running the whole process in a second thread gave me a really neat way to kill any processes that didn’t toe the line (“There iz only ONE Way, and zat is my vay”).<br /><br />Using the good old ‘try – catch’ pair helped a LOT as well. All of those fairly advanced techniques were required just to make a program that played a couple of sound files every 15 minutes. I had no idea it was that complicated when I started.<br />In the process I learnt a lot, or rather I remembered a lot from my programming days which I had forgotten. I learnt all the old lessons again.<br /><br /><br />Lesson 1: NO Theory please we've got to get some real work done ! I realized (again) that when you write software for a living you don't read theory, at least I don't. I don't go to lectures run by people like myself teaching about programming.<br />I don't read manuals and I certainly can't even begin to make sense of those Microsoft data pages on what or how to use a function or API.<br />Instead what I do first is search for anything and everything that is in any way similar to what I want to do.<br />Then I copy their code. Yes, I copy ! Now don't get me wrong, its not copying large chunks of code and passing them off as my own, - large chunks of code are called 'libraries' and everyone uses them all the time.<br /><br />All I need to see is an EXAMPLE - copy it and run it ! Give me a small demo program that uses the functionality I'm looking for and which works, and the rest is history, I'm off and running.<br />In the TimeChime program all I needed was a small 5 line program that showed me how to create and use a thread, - spare me the theory, just show me. I'll figure out the theory much easier once I SEE the example.<br />Then I needed a way to call an external file and get the operating system to run it. I didn't have a clue where to look. So the first thing was finding the technical jargon words, then finding examples at actually worked. Voila, done ! Sounds easy but took days and quite a bit of asking around.<br /><br />And that takes me to the other often neglected key about programming. Programming is a SOCIAL ACTIVITY ! Yes we all know about the image of programmers as antisocial and awkward and all that. Apart from the fact that the image is wrong, programmers are actually a very gregarious bunch.<br />That's because programming is simply not possible to do in isolation.<br />How will you get your hands on all those examples ? Unless you are one of the rare geniuses, who CAN actually make sense of data sheets and Microsoft function descriptions, you will have ask other people for help. It's great if you have other programmers who are present in the flesh, that can be a real bonus. For most of us it's a matter of becoming part of those online forums. While I remember, there is an etiquette about using those forums, please remind me to rave about that another time.<br /><br /><br />Lesson 2: Pessimism can be useful: Of course I should have mentioned earlier on that the very first step in any programming task I do is, to look for what scares the living daylights out of me. I look for the things that really I have no clue about and that make or break the project.<br />When I wrote the windows AutoTester I knew I had to find a way to call the operating system from my program, make it run another, second program, get the output of that second program and bring it back to MY program. In other words I wanted my program to behave like a computer user who clicks on a program or a file and runs it, gets the output and then takes some actions depending on the output. That's all. Is that asking too much ? <br /><br /><br /><br />Sure, for the AutoTester there is also a whole lot of database management stuff, and admin work which the program has to do, but that is all just sheer hack work. If can't solve the core issue of running another second program from MY program and reading the output, I might as well not bother starting. No point taking off in a plane if you don't have enough fuel to get to the next landing strip.<br />So that's why I focus on the really scary bits. After they are taken care of the rest is "carry water and chop wood" as they say. Not to be underestimated, but its the second thing, the first thing is the core task, get that done and then the rest is a matter of hard work only.<br /><br />How do I find the scary bits ? I go through the steps, break it down until I'm confident I can handle all the parts.<br />Do I ever miss anything ? Yes, but not too often. There is always an expected problem ready to pounce, after all remember Murphy's laws ! :-) But this method has stood me in good stead.<br />In June 1997 I was on my way to Tokyo. I knew they wanted me to write a windows GUI program. I had no idea how to do that. Borland Builder 1.0 for drag and drop GUI design had just come out, and I bought a copy at Panthip Plaza in Bangkok on the way. That saved me.<br /><br /><br />Lesson 3: Debugging - how to make it less painful: I have been through the laborious and frustrating -want-to-throw-computer-through-window phase too many times. So I like to make life simpler for myself. I set up a simple way to turn debugging on and off by using<br /><br />#define DEBUG 1<br /><br />By range checking everything and I mean every argument passed to a function both BEFORE its passed to the function and once its IN the function itself.<br /><br />Any errors are immediately flagged, and printed with filename and line number using<br />___FILE___ and __LINE___<br /><br />I even go to the trouble of creating special error logging and display functions that are called the instant anything goes the tiniest bit off the track I want it to follow.<br />Why ?<br />Because I'm a control freak ?<br />No, because I want an easier life.<br /><br /><br />If I find out the second a parameter goes out of range it's much easier to pin down where it went wrong and why. What usually happens is that something goes wrong, which is not picked up, but affects something else, that is not picked up. By the time the chain of bugs grows and is noticed it's a long way from the place where the trouble started. You don't really want to have IO problems and messy databases before you realize something is wrong.<br /><br />This is the way to have such an easier life as a programmer.<br />How much of my code is error checking code ? definitely more than 50%, probably 60 to 75%.<br /><br />I didn't start like this. I had not read anything about debugging and error logging. These things came out of the school of hard knocks, great frustration and painful silly errors.<br /><br /><br /><br />Lesson 4: The slow way is faster –o- Less is more - and other clever Zen Koans.<br />The principle is simple:<br />Compile and run EVERY time you change anything ! that means anything, even stuff you are SURE won't make any difference. Trust me everything makes a difference. (Everything is part of the whole and even one grain of sand changes the mountain forever - Thank you Grasshopper... for more of that Zen stuff... )<br /><br />This brings me to the three golden rules of programming:<br />1) compile and run and test EVERY STEP<br />2) compile and run and test EVERY STEP<br />3) compile and run and test EVERY STEP<br />Yes, you can be lucky and write 10 lines of code and they work ! Just as you can be lucky and win the lottery.<br />More often than not when I write 10 lines of code I spend an hour or more debugging it. If I had written and compiled it after every line I would have easily picked up the error in line 3 and be done in 20 minutes.<br /><br /><br /><br />Lesson 5: Ignore all advice and find out for yourself. Whenever I came across articles of advice like this one, I used to ignore them. These things were almost as bad as reading instructions manuals. Everyone knows that reading a manual is like cheating in way and lets face it: we’re all clever and smart enough to write code and figure out things for ourselves.<br /><br />So yes, ignore all the above, find out for yourself. If you do happen to read up to this point, some of it might have sunk in and made the learning a bit faster. I hope so.<br /><br />And one last thing: Why did I choose to write the TimeChime program ? Because I really like those Grandfather clocks that chime every quarter hour. I saw a Yahoo widget that did just that but I didn't want to run the Widget engine, and wanted to play different sounds and when they played them.<br /><br /><br /><br />----------- DOWNLOADS -----------<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />TimeChime program<br />A simple program that plays a chord of chimes every few minutes.<br />Developed: Melbourne 2007, 2008 - using DevC++ and nothing else.<br />Full version: Download exe here<br />Full version: Download eee here<br />Source code included.<br /><br />Other software milestones/pebbles:<br />(- note: this is now old software and will look old and dated, but was once state of the art. )<br /><br />AMI program - Measures the transient conductivity of acupuncture points in the tips of the fingers. From this it makes an inference about the health of the meridian and the organ to which those points belong. -<br />Developed: Tokyo 1997 at the Tamamitsu Shrine Inokashiara Koen, Tokyo - using Borland C++ Builder and graphics libraries.<br />Demo version only: download exe here<br />Demo version only: download eee here<br /><br />Adaptive Patient Controlled Analgesia Program.<br />Imagine the worst pain possible, then imagine the most powerful pain killer. Patient Controlled With Analgesia (PCA) patients press a button and an infusion pump injects pain killer directly into their bloodstream. The principle is demonstrated in this demo version.<br /><br />Developed: Version1: Melbourne 1991 - 1995 in C++, University of Melbourne and The Royal Melbourne Hospital. Not for public release.<br />Version2: Melbourne 1998 - 1999 Borland C++ Builder and graphics libraries. Mondo Medical PTY, (venture capital company).<br />Demo version only: download exe here<br />Demo version only: download eee here<br />Adaptive PCA was Heiko's PhD research project: For thesis click here.<br /><br />http://eprints.infodiv.unimelb.edu.au/archive/00003162/<br /><br /><br />What’s an ‘eee’ file ?<br />The download files are givens as zip packaged containing .exe files or .eee files.<br />At the "paranoid" setting some security software prevents the download of .exe files. If this is a problem simply download the zip package with the file that has the .eee extension, save it to disk, and manually change the extension to .exe then run it in the usual way by double clicking on it. Example : download the Zip package containing Ami.eee then rename it to Ami.exe and run it like a normal .exe file.<br /><br />Any DLL or other files should be kept in the same folder as the .exe files for the programs to run properly.<br /><br />Disclaimer: All software was clean, secure and working when created, i.e. no spyware or malware has been intentionally introduced. However in these days of dearth of commonsense and complicated crazy legal scare mongering, no warranties of any kind are given or implied. Use as is, at your own risk.<br /><br />And spelling out some more commonsense: All software is for demonstration of my programming skills only and is not intended to give any kind of medical advice or recommendations - again one would hope that this should be commonsense for the average man-in-the-street.<br /><br />© 2003-2005,2006 heiko rudolph<br /><br />Sometimes the threads on the loom suggest the picture to come. Then we know that our children-to-be Hope for us in the bardo. For them we weave until out arms grow tired.<br /><br />from: The years of Rice and Salt - by Kim Stanley RobinsonAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1803874050376628769.post-83710222025725632432009-01-07T22:45:00.000-08:002009-05-01T00:28:30.269-07:00How to ask ‘intelligent’ questions in forums and discussion boards. ... & get the information you want..<ul><li><span style="color: #3333ff;">People don’t like being take advantage of.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #3333ff;">People like helping.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #3333ff;">You get back what you give out.</span></li>
</ul><br />
<br />
Those three lines sum up all I will talk about here.<br />
<br />
<br />
Whenever a student asks me a question a little filter system runs in my mind: It goes something like this:<br />
‘Have they put in a fair effort ?’<br />
Are they just using me to because they are too lazy to lift the spoon to their mouth ?’<br />
If I get the feeling that some effort at finding an answer and some thought has gone into the problem, I will answer it.<br />
<br />
If I get the feeling that the question has been dashed off in a great hurry without much thought or effort I’ll simply ignore it, or I might write an article like this instead.<br />
<br />
<br />
If you are ASKING a question:<br />
<br />
You are asking for a favour, the forum does not HAVE to give an answer, they don’t OWE you anything.<br />
<br />
The people who answer do so out of goodwill, from the goodness of their hearts.<br />
<br />
They are not stupid and they don’t like being taken advantage of.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Therefore:</span><br />
<br />
Make it easy for them to answer you.<br />
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Thank them.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
If you are ANSWERING a question:<br />
<br />
Reward genuine effort, ignore everything else.<br />
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Remember the questions you once asked.<br />
<br />
If you want tell someone where to go: don’t !<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
A famous hacker guide on how to ask questions<br />
<a href="http://www.catb.org/%7Eesr/faqs/smart-questions.html">http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">On a discussion forum:</span><br />
<br />
<br />
When posting a question:<br />
<br />
Use a descriptive subject line for your posts :-)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Don’t do this:</span><br />
<br />
Q: “help, my code won’t run”<br />
<br />
A: do you want me to play twenty questions and tease out the problem for you ? If you can’t be bothered thinking about the key issue you want help with I can’t be bothered reading past your subject line.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The twenty questions game:<br />
<br />
“What is wrong with your code dear ?”<br />
<br />
“Every time I run my code I get an exception and the system crashes”.<br />
<br />
“What did you do just before the problem happened?”<br />
<br />
“I don’t remember”.<br />
<br />
“Can you go back to a previous version?”<br />
<br />
“I don’t remember what my previous version is”<br />
<br />
“How about chopping out the most recent code and seeing if the problem still continues?”<br />
<br />
Etc… Unless the person answering is being paid a huge rate by the minute the conversation will probably never get this far in real life.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Most self-respecting programmers won’t bother to extract the key question from you, you have to give them the core problem in a clear and precise a way as you can. Convince them that you are worthy of an answer. It’s not really that hard.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Do this:</span><br />
<br />
Q: “ modulus operation for hexadecimal base conversion gives random results ”<br />
<br />
A: this shows some thought, and tells me what we are dealing with. An experienced programmer immediately clicks through her list of common mistakes using modulus. It only takes a quick read to identify the issue and voilá the problem is solved !<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Q: “After encapsulating the complex number addition in a function the program crashes every time a negative real number is passed. I’ve tried XYZ”<br />
<br />
A: This question shows some thought, effort and is clearly expressed. It sounds like someone I want to help.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Posting questions summary:<br />
<br />
tell us what you have done so far, what you tried, and what you really need help with.<br />
<br />
- what errors did you get ? what was the error message ?<br />
<br />
- what exactly did you enter ?<br />
<br />
- supply relevant information - your code, just the RELEVANT bits... . if you don’t want to wade through pages of someone else’s code don’t send them pages of your code.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Golden rule before you post a question:<br />
<br />
Put yourself in the shoes of the person reading your question.<br />
<br />
Read your post and imagine how you would feel if someone asked you that question.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
BLANK general questions that sound like the questioner wants others to do the work<br />
<br />
for him and that does not get much response.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
SOME kind of attempt at an answer is a good idea and means that others are much more likely to want to help you.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
How to get useful help:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Read this: <a href="http://www.catb.org/%7Eesr/faqs/smart-questions.html">http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html</a><br />
<br />
Really I mean it, read this, not just for this course, but it is a wonderful hint sheet on how to get what you want in life GENERALLY, not just on a discussion forum !<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Do the following:<br />
<br />
- say what you tried.<br />
<br />
- what did you get ? what is the EXACT error message ?<br />
<br />
- give code, but ONLY relevant code, give enough to give me an idea, but do NOT dump the whole file into an email and hope I will have time and inclination to sort it out for you. I won’t. I’ll help if I get the feeling you have made an effort to present your problem clearly and you have tried the logical next steps.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Most people are happy to help if they see that the person is genuine and has tried the help himself.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
A humourous look at how to ask good questions here: <a href="http://stackoverflow.com/faq">stackoverflow.com/faq</a><br />
<br />
Favourite programming cartoons <a href="http://stackoverflow.com/questions/84556/whats-your-favorite-programmer-cartoon">stackoverflow.com/questions/84556/whats-your-favorite-programmer-cartoon</a><br />
<br />
What not to do:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
A real example:<br />
<br />
Q: " i get error "invalid variable " and don't know what it means ? how do I compile to get it working ?can u help? "<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Well yes, I "can" help.<br />
<br />
Next question?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The kindest answer would be simply to send them a link to this page. <a href="http://hycoteaching.blogspot.com/2009/01/how-to-ask-intelligent-questions-in.html">http://hycoteaching.blogspot.com/2009/01/how-to-ask-intelligent-questions-in.html<br />
</a><br />
If you get a link like that, then please read and take notice J .<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
For some reason bad spelling, sloppy grammar often go together with lack of effort and careless thinking. Whenever I see bad spelling, sloppy formatting and fuzzy grammar I lower the effort I put into my answer by 70%+. It may not be fair and it may not be a logical response, but it is how much of the world reacts too.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Another real example: (names changed)<br />
<br />
On Wednesday, 12 October 2008 at 04:01 pm, "Mr Speedie" <s1234567@student.rmit.edu.au> wrote:<br />
<br />
hii, i'm having some problem on lab 4.<br />
<br />
First, for the decoded part, are we just separate into three in a group from the begin even the strlen of parameter is not multiple of 3?<br />
<br />
Second, how can we separate the parameter into 3 in one group?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Hi Mr Speedie,<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
- ask at the discussion board,<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
- have you asked a tutor in your labs ? What did they say ?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
- come to Wed 12;30 help session.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
- talk with friends...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
- when you ask questions like this: it would be good to show some effort: what have you tried yourself ? your question is TOO general.<br />
<br />
Even for discussion board: show what you have tried, show what you think, then ask for confirmation.<br />
<br />
It sounds like you are asking people to do the work FOR you. That never gets much of a response....<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
- when you have tried the above and have some code of your own to show, let me know :-)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
good luck<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Mr Grumpy.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
How much time would you spend answering a question that looks like it was dashed off between a browser refresh cycle ?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The same principles that apply to getting help with programming and coding apply to the rest of life:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Example email from a student to a lecturer.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
...my report mark is too low could you please reconsider ?<br />
<br />
thanks.<br />
<br />
J. Student<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
This is what the lecturer would have to do to answer such an email:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
1) Lecturer has to forward email to tutors and ask who the tutor was: “is this student in your lab class ?”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The student simply did not put herself into the shoes of the person who was receiving this email) -> result: student collects 3 virtual negative grumpyness points<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
2) the lecturer usually has many different courses, it would save time and effort to clearly say what course the student is in. Having to hunt around for student numbers and searching spreadsheets means the student collects another 3 virtual negative grumpyness points<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
3) no history of what the problem is: it would be nice to know if there was anything unusual about this request, (there often is and it takes a lot of emailing back and forth to dig it out)<br />
<br />
“Why do you think you deserve more marks ?” etc…etc… etc.. 3 more emails.<br />
<br />
-> result: student gets anther 3 virtual negative grumpyness points (in the mental counting system)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
4) Tell the lecturer if you have dropped a copy in the digital drop box, perhaps attach a copy to make it easier to see. Each time a person has to hunt around a database or a Hard Drive the chances of you getting what you want drop.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Ok you get the idea by now, I'm sure.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The basic principle is: if you want something from someone and you rely on their good will then make it AS EASY AS POSSIBLE for the person to give it to you.<br />
<br />
How ?<br />
<br />
Show that you value the person's time by<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
+ Supplying all relevant information: student number, course, tutor name, exact clear description of problem<br />
<br />
Don’t make them play detective.... they may not bother to answer you.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
+ Show respect, it won’t hurt and might even help J<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
+ Put yourself into the receiver's shoes and imagine what they might want to know, do your really think they will increase your mark just because you ask ? OR do you think they might like to have a GOOD reasons ??? ........... )<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
These are basic simple tricks and tips you can use in any situation in life where you deal with a bureaucratic rule based systems (University, Government, Companies... cubicle life a la Dilbert www.dilbert.com ).<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Surprise surprise: Lecturers actually DO want to be fair to you, and do the best for you.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
From now on, if someone emails me with some cryptic kind of message I'll reply with a link to this page and let you figure out what might be missing :-)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Heiko<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Dilbert:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dilbert.com/comics/dilbert/archive/dilbert-20061105.html%20">http://www.dilbert.com/comics/dilbert/archive/dilbert-20061105.html<br />
</a><br />
<br />
© 2003-2009 heiko rudolph<br />
<br />
Sometimes the threads on the loom suggest the picture to come. Then we know that our children-to-be Hope for us in the bardo. For them we weave until out arms grow tired.<br />
<br />
from: The years of Rice and Salt - by Kim Stanley Robinson</s1234567@student.rmit.edu.au>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1803874050376628769.post-68951789080713209802009-01-07T22:43:00.000-08:002009-01-09T22:03:39.049-08:00Does Groupwork destroy Individual skills ?- does working in groups degrade individual skills ?<br /><br />You all know the familiar scenario: Many groups of approximately 5 students each. In each group two or three students drive the project, do the bulk of the work (80%) and the others are effectively passengers and take care of the remaining 20% of the work.<br /><br /><br /><br />As teamwork and group building goes this works fine, it teaches skills that are required in all walks of life and it can be argued that this is actually what tends to happen in the workplace anyway.<br /><br />The only casualties are the skills of the ‘passengers’.<br /><br />This has been one of the main arguments against group work assessment in the past.<br /><br /><br /><br />The other approach has been to eliminate groupwork (usually because of the ‘passenger phenomenon’) and to assess students only on their individual skills. This ensures that the each student actually DOES acquire a certain level of skills.<br /><br />The casualty in this approach are teamwork skills. Teamwork skills are an essential component in any job and should be part of a University education. Most work is done in teams because they are more productive. Software programming and most professional engineering jobs benefit from a team approach. It is comparatively rare for professional individuals to work alone.<br /><br /><br /><br />Open Combining the benefits of groupwork and individual work:<br /><br />There is a way of combining groupwork and still ensuring students acquire individual skills in what are called ‘public assignments’.<br /><br /><br /><br />A public assignment is an assignment which is well known before the test and allows students to work out solutions in teams, with friends.<br /><br />Assessment is at an individual level, where each student is tested and must be able to complete the assignment tasks on her own.<br /><br /><br /><br />Here are some practical steps for this approach to work best:<br /><br /><br /><br />Ø The public assignment problem must not be so small it can be easily memorized with little understanding, nor should it be too difficult for a one or two hour test.<br /><br />Ø Testing should be carried out in standard examination conditions i.e. students should not be able to copy others work nor bring outside work to the test.<br /><br />Ø Skills assessment is carried out outside laboratory classes in a clearly defined way. The assessment criteria should be publicly known and students are advised to prepare for it.<br /><br />Ø Assessment is best carried out by one person or in a standard way. This may be through an automated marking process, or by the lecturer or tutor.<br /><br /><br /><br />In using the public assignments approach there have been some unexpected benefits –<br /><br /><br /><br />Ø Non-performing students are identified early in the semester and can be contacted and requested to come in for extra help.<br /><br />Ø Students see little advantage in attempting to get a delay in marking through simulated ‘illness’. In actual practice the incidence of medical certificates for illness at test times dropped dramatically when compared to the standard secret test questions approach.<br /><br />Ø Students with medical certificates and absent due to illness do not require a new assignment.<br /><br />Ø In most laboratories tutors spend most of their time marking and so have little or no time to tutor and help students. In our labs the tutors were totally relieved of any marking during laboratory times and so were able to help students for the entire time.<br /><br />Ø We have found that many tutors find it difficult to move between the roles of tutor and assessor. Most tutors in our experience give a pass for little or minimal work thus masking student incompetence to both staff and the student.<br /><br />Ø Marking carried out outside the laboratory along clearly defined guidelines has little such bias and competency issues are discovered early in the semester when there is still the possibility of intervention and recovery.<br /><br />Ø Students often reported problems with different tutors marking to different standards, some were easy markers, others were disproportionately severe. Public assignments are marked to a consistent standard. To achieve this, marking best carried out by one person, or one method outside the laboratory times, and along well defined paths.<br /><br />Ø It is easy to give students a second or third chance at the problem, with either a marks discount or some variation of the original problem.<br /><br />Ø We have tested this approach with engineering problems and found that students not only had to focus on programming but also needed to carefully read the specifications of the public assignment. This was exactly the educational outcome we desired and matched what employers tell us they value in graduates.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Groupwork has always been a reality of study at any University, whether students worked in ad hoc friendship groups and then underwent individual assessment of or whether they worked in formal groups. It could even be said that a good support network of friends is a key ingredient of success at University.<br /><br /><br /><br />By using public assignments, students are encouraged to work in teams and yet each student is assessed on their individual skill level. Passengers are eliminated and the best of groupwork and individual work is obtained.<br /><br /><br /><br />This approach is clearly communicated to the students. Students are encouraged to work in small teams to share, help each other and learn in groups.<br /><br /><br />© 2003-2009 heiko rudolphAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0