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Congratulations to Simon Hughes who has just been recommended by his examiners for his doctorate from the University of Wolverhampton in the UK: 'Towards auto/pedagogy: A reflexive auto/biographic case study of professional learning mediated by technology' You can access Simon's thesis in the Living Theory section of http://www.actionresearch.net or directly from: http://www.actionresearch.net/living/simonhughes.shtml . Simon's conclusion in Chapter 5 on pages 297 and 298 includes the following: "This, then, is my living theory. I believe that the auto/biographic research process, written up in chapter 4, has generated some fresh theoretical perspectives on professional learning. They have emerged from the case study of myself, in keeping with the methodology of 'living theories', but on dissemination, I think these perspectives may be assimilated by others, re-worked to illuminate other professional contexts, provide meaning to others in analogous contexts or may be applied in programme development activities. Were any of these to be the case, my living theory would acquire the status of 'conceptual underpinning' or 'theoretical perspective'. It could even become a methodological approach for others researching their own professional contexts. In my view, the theoretical framework is most applicable in the context of teacher initial or in-service education, but e-learning programmes in other professional disciplines might well benefit from the adoption or adaptation of this model." (297) "2) A piece of ‘living theory’ I assert that this is warranted true belief. In my case it was evinced through my own auto/biographic processes. As such, it stands as a living theory. I believe that others may find the method useful and the framework interesting were they apply it to their own life-histories or narratives and that its use might produce for them their own living theories about their own professional practice and context. " (298) Lonnie Rowell and others are organising the first Action Research Network of the Americas immediately after AERA in San Francisco and I'm hoping that those of us who are going to attend will be able to have a meal/drinks/conversation together. Love Jack.