Blogging and communicating with others - so important for thinking out loud

I really love talking to people on the course - face to face, phone, email, Skype. 

I just left a session with Isla talking about her inquiry. 

One of her emerging findings might be that social networking is important for young professionals. Now this resounds because of the thinking that we all do in Module 1… However putting this into practice can sometimes be difficult - especially in Module 3 when people are carrying out their inquiries and are also very busy.

A lot of people in Module 3 have not been keeping up their blogs. As a lot of us work at a distance - blogging means you get to talk to everyone on the course. It is also good to see challenges and consensus and the development of ideas mirrored on the blogs. It helps give a sense of progression.

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The blogs are used as evidence for communicating with others about what you are doing. Everyone also probably has evidence from their workplace about discussions they have had with others who do what they do (professional practice).  Communication is important for making decisions about your work.  You can do some thinking out loud with others.

I am helping to write a chapter in social networking toolkit for an IT professional organisation. One of my arguments is that academics use social networking because the skills for communicating and connecting this way are so important. I am convinced and now need to outline this pint of view in the chapter - not just talking about the risks or the scary stories. 

Making the time is always difficult but please do this for your work. Can I have some comments and some discussion - on this blog and on home blogs? There are some good discussions out there and they are great to see. Communicating should help you do what you need to do. It is a joy to see this process working for you - so great - it is wonderful when you get through the confusing part and get to clear messages that resonate with other professionals. Communicating is a part of the rehearsal, preparation and practice are useful.

Here are repeated time planning schedules to help.

• 30 September Week 1
• 7 October Week 2
• 14 October Week 3
• 21 October  Week 4
• 28 October Week 5
• 4 November Week 6
• 11 November Week 7
• 18 November Week 8
• 25 November Week 9
• 2 December Week 10
• 9 December Week 11
• 16 December Week 12

7a Tasks with an indicative timescale for the study period

Week 1 After looking at your adviser feedback from Module 2 send a 1 page

summary to your adviser with your inquiry title, your research/inquiry

questions and ideas, ethical issues, literature review up to this point,

changes to your plan, ideas for your artefact, and any questions or issues

that might have arisen for the module after reading the Module 3

Handbook. Feedback from adviser. Blog using suggested topics from

this handbook.

Week 2 Continue discussions with advisers and peers. Blog.

Week 3 Continue discussions with advisers and peers. Blog.

Week 4 Send adviser 1-2 paragraphs as a sample of your inquiry analysis.

Formative feedback will be given on the structure, the quality of the

arguments and the quality of the supporting evidence discussed.

Written feedback from adviser. Blog.

 Week 5 Continue discussions with advisers and peers. Blog.

Week 6 Continue discussions with advisers and peers. Blog.

Week 7 Send 1 page description explaining plans for your professional artefact for

written formative feedback. Written feedback from adviser. Blog.

Week 8 Continue discussions with advisers and peers. Blog

Week 9 Send to adviser draft sections of your Critical Review (Introduction,

Evaluation, Analysis and Critical Reflection) for written feedback. Written

feedback from adviser. Blog.

Week 10 Continue blogging and oral formative feedback. Blog.

Week 11 Continue blogging and oral formative feedback (i.e. artefact).

Week 12 Continue blogging and oral formative feedback (advisers do not give

written feedback in the final week). Continue to blog about learning and

oral presentation, ending with a final summary blog.