Congratulations to Joan Connolly and Liz Harrison who have just been awarded the Durban University of Technology 'Top University Research Initiative Award' for their research with the 'Transformational Educational Studies Group - see the award at:
http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/durban/TESawardjoanliz.jpg
Joan Walton and Marian and Shaun Naidoo participated in a workshop in September at Durban University of Technology with participants in the Transformational Education/al Studies Project. See the details of the successful proposal (2011-14) for funding to the National Research Foundation of South Africa at:
http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/southafrica/TESproposalopt.pdf
with its generic question 'How do I transform my educational practice as.....?'
This focus on researching one's own practice stimulated the following 4 minute video conversation with Joan and Jack at Liverpool Hope University (LHU) in the UK on the 24th October in which we are inviting you to co-operate in organising a conference on 'Researching Our Own Practice' at LHU between 11-13 September 2013 (The dates are provisional, to be confirmed).
For the 4 minute video click on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X57CH5vZdg
Because of my interest in multi-media representations in explanations of educational influence, I'm interested in whether the video helps to communicate our embodied values and contributes to attracting you into sharing your ideas. Here's the written invitation to support the video....
Researching Our Own Practice
Three-day conference
Invitation to you
You are warmly invited to co-operate in the creation of, and to participate in, a 3 day international conference at LHU – provisional dates 11-13 September 2013
The conference will be based on the rationale given below, and has the following provisional aims – both of which can change and evolve as part of our co-operative planning process.
Aims
1. To bring together practitioners/researchers/professionals from around the world to pool together and explore experiences, techniques and results from their research into their own practice.
2. To include practitioners from as wide a range of disciplines as possible.
3. To collate the evidence which
a. challenges the view that researching own practice can only be anecdotal, and is consequently self-indulgent, and/or solely a form of personal development;
b. supports the view that researching own practice makes a significant and valuable contribution to academic research;
4. To explore the hypothesis that researching own practice in co-operative relationships may be a necessary requirement to ensure human flourishing in the face of current global crises.
Rationale
Our rationale for this conference is based on the view that the study of our own consciousness within a social context is fundamental to understanding what it means to be human; and that the practice of mindfulness is a helpful way of enabling each of us to be aware of our own practice on a moment by moment basis. We believe that in exploring this view, it is possible to make a positive difference in the world, based on values for which we are accountable, and that carry hope for the future of humanity.
We look forward to your thoughts, responses and ideas.
Joan and Jack
For me, the last frame of the video carries a relational affection that resonates with my signature of Love Jack.
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