clop

as in the sound a horse makes, clip clop.

Hi Ruby

Yes, I have sort of wondered how pirates got this makeover from harsh and mean and unsavoury violent sorts into what they are today....and yes, again, why the mass appeal? Something to ponder on....

A strange effect of writing up? I remember seeing a cartoon in a newspaper of a little kid trying to fall asleep, explaining to his mother that his brain would not stop talking to him! Does anyone have that--you are trying to sleep, and your brain just keeps chattering away? Hate that! This morning, as a good alarm clock effect, I woke up at 6:00 with the song "Switchin to Glide" roaring through my head, just as loud as if it were really playing--the relevance? A lovely part of the song that says, " Nothing matters but that weekend--from a Tuesday point of view--" Thanks, brain, now I know what day of the week it is and what matters!!!!!! :p:p Maybe it is suggesting a day off?!

chap

brash

for a moment I thought Ruby meant she had peanut butter on a brush --my bad reading, not enough caffeine, was thinking, a new toothpaste?!

trees

crow

grab

bran

How are you structuring your seminar plans? Are you asking students to participate or be called upon based upon having done the reading? One thing I think is more or less effective is to use small groups, and interweave your lecture with small group answers; in other words, have a variety of short small group tasks and ask for answers, know what results you need ( or if no one provides--you provide) to do the lecture. I found it helpful to explain to students WHY we were structuring the tutorials doing small group and interactive work--it boosts THEIR learning! I don't have any magic bullets. Its daunting to be faced with a group of people who have not read and look as interested in the tutorial as watching paint dry. Small group work holds people somewhat accountable--if you say, ok you have five minutes to work on x and you need to select a spokesperson to report back, I am going to ask each group for an anwer--five minutes being in no way long enough to do the task well if they did not read or prepare---seems to be effective.

If you do groups, mind how they get set up. I go back and forth between random groups, where people number off, and letting people work with their friends, in semi self-selected groups. Random group formation does not let people have the comfort of hiding behind their friends in having not prepared. Circulate while groups are working--ask them what they have come up with, remind them everyone needs to contribute, etc.

How do you respond when students speak out--if an answer is not right, how do you deal with that? Even when an answer is off base, I try to find some element I can work with, and not just say, no thats wrong. I try to say, yes, you identified a very key component of the answer--this is a great place to start. Let's look at this--and ask questions to guide people towards the right answer. I try to create an atmosphere where just as there are no stupid questions, there are no stupid answers--just ones that need to be rehoned and refined.

oooh what a morning, trout and boat in the change a letter games..........do we accept Scots words in this?

If so........

TROOT! if not.....its still trout...

http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/hooked-on-troot-by-iain-mcgregor

what else but

BOAT! (up):p:p

No-no--its GOOD news, you got GIVEN an hour. The clocks turned back one hour.....so while yesterday this would have been 3 p.m. today its 2 pm.

I know that writing up is meant to be a horrible stressful time.....this is not my experience, at least so far. Yes, there is stress, but its a very manageable sort, and actually, for the most part, I am ENJOYING the work. This is not something like relief to be finished--because I plan one way or another to carry on with some strands of research from the PhD, I am rather attached to my PhD work actually.

I don't really know why its enjoyable. I decided why look a gift horse in the mouth? Maybe its a deep denial of stress, or part of the mass hallucination of pirates......but I say, whatever ( within reason) gets you through........

I wonder if the pirates are part of a mass hallucination? I am, after all, far from alone with this pirate thing!

Check out www.venganza.org--and note the handy chart that links the decrease in the number of pirates to global warming. Note to the religious minded, this website also promotes a particular religion, so you might want not to look at the link if that causes potential offense.

As well, there is this International Talk Like a Pirate Day, September 19 of each year. It is an international holiday...http://www.talklikeapirate.com/

And there are all kinds of handbooks on becoming a pirate......such as this, 'The Government Manual for New Pirates' http://www.amazon.com/Government-Manual-New-Pirates/dp/0740767909


Just a sampling of pirate resources.

A thread for anyone writing up ( or anyone else who wants to join in about any of the strange effects of doing a PhD at any stage!) and the strange effects......in which Olivia tries to come to grips with pirates.

OK--Pirates. That is one strange effect of writing up. Pirates preceeded International Talk like a Pirate Day ( 19 September) and the fact that there is an international holiday to talk like a pirate means at least I am not alone with this thing about pirates.

Glorious Guitar Heros--perhaps related to pirates? I am mesmerized, whilst typing, by the sounds of rock guitar music pouring into my brain, music of the sort I have never really enjoyed listening to before. Slash of Guns and Roses is now on my playlist. I almost bought his autobiography today at Waterstones--I mean, big as life, there it was for sale! I didn't get it.....well not today anyway, but no doubt I will yet. Jon Bon Jovi. Videos that have Slash or Jon Bon Jovi standing alone on a mesa in the American West, playing guitar, with camera work that goes panning and spinning around them. More mildly, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen... both of which I actually did like before writing up.

Constant hunger. I eat three healthy meals a day. I am always hungry. If I bring lunch to the office, its eaten as soon as I sit down, like a second breakfast. If I don't eat it I am starving well ahead of lunch and have to find something to eat.

Strange and vivid dreams. Probably a manifestation of stress. I usually never remember my dreams, or if I do, they are of a very peaceful sort, like horses in a green meadow. Now I have very strange and very vivid dreams, not nightmares, but perhaps close. Sleep feels like as much brainwork as being awake!