two sides to every coin

One of the things I have loved in my years of coming to UoB, were some of the exercises in year 1 and year 2, that helped me to analyse that I read in the media.

Now I've always liked to keep an open mind, and I'm generally suspicious of anything someone tells me is black-and-white. When people get so angry and heated about something they are bound to become blind to another side of the story or, in the case of politicians, are deliberately trying to draw attention away from evidence or incidents.

Welfare Systems (year 2), we had several articles to analyse choice words in the media, how the foreigner is labeled 'the asylum seeker' or' 'benefit scrounger', regardless of their real reason for coming to the UK. The single mum who doesn't work is one of thousands of people living off our hard earned taxes, it doesn't matter if a large percentage of that are acting as carers or genuinely struggling to find a job to balance their child's needs and their local opportunities. And not even that, but how sometimes there never is a right and a wrong, and there isn't always someone to blame.

University I feel has shown me the flip side of the coin in many people’s circumstances, it may not mean that there aren’t elements of truth in some articles published out there, but at least I'm not one of those people adding to the judgment and hatred without at least looking a little deeper into facts and what our perception has distorted.

One particular article I read recently I feel gives credit to the other side of the story is alongside Malala Yousafzai is being formally recognised with a joint-Nobel Peace Prize for her determination and fighting for her rights to getting an education, while those who are not the epitemy of western democracy, are being ignored and lost in the wars that are being waged. Now I may not agree with every word written on this reporting front, but to read articles from difference sources can help to give a perceptive I might not have considered or heard because it is being ignored just like this little girl is.

The Last One

My my hasn't this year gone quick. Only yesterday it seems I happened to see the internships advertised by the UoB and thought I'd look into it. Ten months later and it's all coming to an end. Just another adventure of mine that I've encountered and tackled, and one of many I hope.

So, earlier this year I counted down the highlights of 2013 which included my academic year 1, so I suspect it suitable to count those of year 2. Here goes...

10: Year 2 completion! 4 units, 11 assignments: 3 essays, 5 reports, 1 proposal, 1 mock conference and a wiki article.

9: Completed a periodical blog through the UoB Blogging Internships (thanks for the opportunity guys - you've been great!) with this making my 40th post!

8: Made my first application for funding for a community project (my CAS Conference 2014) which was approved by out very own UoB StEPS programme.

7: Co-wrote my first wiki article on The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

6: Attended an two-day introductory course in Life Coaching which I hope will compliment my professional service.

5: Recieved an appreciation award for Course Representative for my signposting and advocacy. 

4: Documented my 1 year Personal Development Plan (PDP) which I have already crossed over a third off from.

3: Organised a degree wide networking and presentation event for the Child and Adoloescent Society.

2: Was put under more responsibility at work and offered a promotion which I hope to take up this coming year.

1: Applied for and was accepted into the Peer Assisted Leaders (PAL) team - my next adventure - maybe I will meet you there!

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So I guess this is where I sign off! Thank you all for listening and if you want to get in touch for any reason please leave a comment or two. :)

And good luck in whatever you choose to do in the university of life. Don't give up in your vision! Make it work for you and enjoy the learning experience!

Descriptive > Analytical > Critical analysis.

These were the three degrees of university learning that my lecturer told of me yesterday. I had asked to meet him due to getting a grade (not a very bad one I might add), but wanting to go further and keep progressing, I needed to find out where I was going wrong and could improve - I'm going to need to if I want a decent degree to talk about like a first or an upper second.

You're on a trajectory path, he said. Something I had never heard of before. In your first years you 'die' for an A, but you don't always get it, perhaps due to the challenge of the assignment or your personal ability. But one doesn't simply arrive on site at university and within days become a raging, A+ academic. And I realised that in order to be happy professionally, efficient and achieve my goals, I needed to stay on this 'trajectory path'. (1) Descriptive = our first year academically, describing what we read and see. (2) Analytical = dissecting, looking carefully at, reasoning within ourselves the theories and current policies. (3) Critical Analysis = making our contributing, taking all we have learnt and arguing what holds true and what does not.

A friend of mine started out her first year as a C student, which might have discouraged or hit me hard, but then in her second year she was a B, and her third she is now an A student (getting regular A-, A and A+). And when we talked about it, that was a success story. In today's climate where it's more than the paper that says you've got a degree, it's the 3D learning, it's the character you build and display from your learning years. Perhaps this is a good thing, employers (while they look at your qualifications) are looking even more at YOU. What has our degree made us, how do we present ourselves, how have we spent our time. I could be wrong but I believe this is the way of future employment and success stories.

Which brings me to what my lovely unit co-ordinator told us in an informal meeting one day: I don't care if you get A's, B's or C's, as long as you work to the best of your ability.

We are each on a different journey, with different abilities and talents (some aren't even academic), but to know you had been through university and not reached your full capabilities, THAT'S painful.

And it comforts me to know that even if I don't get the first or even the upper second class degree, if I challenged myself, and aspire to the next level at all time, then I will reach my full potential and be happy no matter what my grades are.

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On another topic, if you would like to see the StEP project I have been working on, here's is a sneak peak poster advertisement made for the event….

#100HappyDays highlights

As we are at the end of the academic year in UoB I thought I would share the last of my #100HappyDays and some of the joys of the last term and a half in my eclectic world called Luton, Bedfordshire.

1. Working in a Primary School isn't all fun and games, it can be quite draining and yes monotony creeps in, it's always nice to go on a field trip and London Zoo was a great time to enjoy some quality time with the children, I'm such a sop I know!
2. I'm not usually your A+ student but it was nice to get a few this year and see my academic skills developing nicely.
3. Enjoying my days at work as I've been given my own little classroom for interventions and groups sessions. Great practice in handling groups of children and opportunities for initiative taking - BLESSED to have a job that is letting me explore my abilities and take on new challenges.
4. Getting a sweet pick up from university by the fiancé rather than have to walk up my MASSIVE hill home, and did some sky watching instead.
5. Had some terrific weather and in between all the assignment madness it was nice to take a stroll through the town and St George's Square while all the kids were coming down to the water fountains.
6. Can't help but mention getting my blogging contract, a great feeling to be paid for being creative, even if it's just something on the side.
7. Ah yes, as noted I have a fiancé so naturally wanted to handmake my wedding invites with an eco-vibe, lots of fun and found these nifty card cutters from Tiger in the Mall - one of my favourite shops here in Luton!
8. Moutabbal at Damas Grill with the girlfriends. A great catchup after all our hard work of the year behind us.
9. Just loving the bluebells in my garden!

Dialectical Thinking

In my last two years as a student I've experienced as many as, if not more, emotions as the next student.

Excitement, anticipation, ambition, enthusiasm.

Disappointment, disillusionment, frustration, apathy. 

You name it, negative and positive I've felt it. 

But I've plodded on, for many reasons. It was only during research for my assignment on Perceptions and Discourses of Childhood, that I identified the type of thinking I had developed, and how powerfully it can be used.

Firstly I would like to disclaim any understanding of this mode of thinking, analysing and reasoning. I'm going to give my take on the matter and how I apply it in my own life and learning, but if you are join going to reference it please make sure you understand it well before using it.

Referred to as dialectical thinking, I have read Basseches' takes and examples of this mode of thinking, and to be honest I love it! It's a way of taking life but the 'horns', not letting it effect you negatively or ride you, but using what life throws at your to your advantage.

Person A might think … let me dump these assignments, I don't like them and I won't be controlled by grades and universities, or future corporate agencies for that matter. I'll do my own thing whenever I want however I want.

Person B might think … I've GOT to get these grades! I have to agree with everything that theory says. This is the only way that I can get anywhere in the world.

But Person C meanwhile thinks … well I've got this opportunity for learning and experimenting with some of the great theories out there. I've got lecturers that want me to get good grades and tell me what I should do. I don't HAVE to do all these things because I have my own mind and my own agenda, but I will utilise what I have been given. I will listen to what they have to say, I will do my best at my assignments according to my learning and what I get out of the research. I will try to get the best grades I can but I will not compromise on what I believe in and dream of doing with my life.

It's a type of thinking that takes everything into account, doesn't make harsh, rash decisions, but thinks for the long term and with the respect to who and what is around. It's not letting situations use you, it's utilising your situations to build your life! And today is the beginning of the rest of your life!

Here's a little more reading on the topic, please comment if you understand something different as I am curious if I'm the only one who sees it think way.

Michael Basseches 2005

CriticalThinking.org

Transitions and Transformations in Learning and Education