Can it really be the last month of 2009? The festive break is nearly upon us as I write this blog and certainly English winter weather is getting into full swing.
Great news at work was that after months of involvement in the institutional initiative to develop a professional development framework, our framework was finalised and accredited by the Hgher Education Academy, a significant achievement for the group of colleagues that worked together on this. Also, over the last couple of months I have been working with colleagues to develop our Faculty Teaching and Learning plan and am now in the final throws of consultation on the draft. There are so many exciting and innovative teaching and learning activities that it is difficult to reflect the depth and breadth of this, alongside our enhancement aspirations, in one accessible document. The plan will be finalised in the new year. This month has also been a busy marking time, with more submission dates looming in January.
At home the festive spirit is well underway; decorations are up, presents are nearly all wrapped. It will be a lovely quiet family time. December was a bit ‘dogged’ with car problems. I drive long distances between University campuses and am heavily dependent upon a reliable vehicle. Yet twice in the last couple of weeks, I have had the inconvenience of major faults and breakdowns. Whilst repairs have been carried out under warranty, it being a fairly new vehicle, the inconvenience is significant.
So, just a few more working days before a welcome break. I hope that anyone reading this has a peaceful and restful break and a joyous new year.
November has been another productive and busy month. Many of the strategic aspects of my work have been making visible progress this month, for example the revision of the Faculty Teaching, Learning and Assessment implementation plan for 2009-10 is now being prepared as a final draft for consultation. Additionally I have worked closely with colleagues to progress our institutional application for Higher Education Academy accredition of our professional development framework for academics. I have also been busy working with part-time undergraduate students, teaching, assessing and marking work throughout the month.
A particular highlight this month was signing a book contract for a new text with the publishers Learning Matters, a book that will be co-authored with and led by my colleague Ian Mathews. We both have a strong interest in the use of knowledge and evidence in professional practice and this will form the subject matter for this book. The photo below was taken when the publishers commissioning editor came to the University to meet with myself and other colleagues who have authored texts for them.
I am third from the left in this photograph with colleagues who have also written for the publisher Learning Matters
May has been another incredibly busy, but very productive month, on a number of fronts. My doctoral thesis has received positive feedback from my supervisors and with some minor amendments should be finalized for submission next month. I have also now signed contracts with Sage Publications to sole-author two social work books over the next two years, details are on my ‘publications’ page. This is a really exciting opportunity and, as I always enjoy writing, I look forward to getting ‘stuck into’ this work very soon. I have also submitted an abstract proposal for a chapter in a new edited book to be published by Continuum, but I am not going to say too much at this stage, as this has yet to be negotiated.
May has been a month for completing all the marking and beginning to think about teaching commitments for the next academic year. The marking process is lengthy but is now in the latter stages with reports being prepared for various examination boards in the next couple of months. I know that students wait anxiously for confirmation of grades, so this is an important time of the academic year.
At home, the kittens, or rather ‘cats’, were one-year old. As pedigree pusses, they are house-cats, but following a safe exploration in the back garden, it became clear that they would enjoy the experience of fresh air and some different scenery. So amid much laughter in the family, my ‘other half’ has agreed to build them a cat run – I will upload some photographs here when the run is finished and in use!
