Early Drafts of Articles
Oct 1 at 10:10pm by ObverseView
diary for Wednesday 26th September.
Seattle Coffee Shop - Taipei Station. Watching the traffic go by and waiting for inspiration to strike.
iIt's quite noisy here as I wait for class. I started this month writing five hundred or so words each day, but unfortunately, I lost the lot when my PDA crashed unexpectedly. I am still feeling the reluctance to trust it again so I have to remember to back up my data each day everyday, until it's a habit. The habit of writing in each day was a good one, I just to find the time to do it. But I feel so much pressure from all my classes right now, I don't know how to get around it right now.
The thought of writing a paper also fills with dread each time I think about it. I have to find time to be private, time away from disturbances so I can read and write, that part of me knows this but I don't seem to have the discipline to do this. I also don't know where I can make my own cubby hole, cut off from the world/telephone or net/tv. Getting what you came for is inspiring me to think long term about the fuure. I wonder if I can really bring it off by learning this, I am already 35 years old, and planning my future. It feels like I haven't really done much in my life, but that's not true. I just have this negative attitude the past, compared to what? Yes, compared to what? I have done well for myself, and I know I can do even better.
For many weeks, I have been thinking about the Jalt article, I need to keep a record of the thoughts that occur to me: what is my instrument going to be? I havent really decided the criteria for that yet, either.
iIt's quite noisy here as I wait for class. I started this month writing five hundred or so words each day, but unfortunately, I lost the lot when my PDA crashed unexpectedly. I am still feeling the reluctance to trust it again so I have to remember to back up my data each day everyday, until it's a habit. The habit of writing in each day was a good one, I just to find the time to do it. But I feel so much pressure from all my classes right now, I don't know how to get around it right now.
The thought of writing a paper also fills with dread each time I think about it. I have to find time to be private, time away from disturbances so I can read and write, that part of me knows this but I don't seem to have the discipline to do this. I also don't know where I can make my own cubby hole, cut off from the world/telephone or net/tv. Getting what you came for is inspiring me to think long term about the fuure. I wonder if I can really bring it off by learning this, I am already 35 years old, and planning my future. It feels like I haven't really done much in my life, but that's not true. I just have this negative attitude the past, compared to what? Yes, compared to what? I have done well for myself, and I know I can do even better.
For many weeks, I have been thinking about the Jalt article, I need to keep a record of the thoughts that occur to me: what is my instrument going to be? I havent really decided what I am going to do about that! I am still considering that. There are parts that I can write up, now though such as the limitations and the source of the data for the experiment. Also, I can write up the introduction (I think I already did that)
What other ideas can I use?
The Instrument:
The instrument is simply numerical and includes a list of the likely things found on a website:
links
specifically ruled out personal materials, resumes, course descriptions,
complete lessons (may include more than one element from the list below).
grammar
vocabularly
listening
reading
writing
interactive elemnts-should also include discussion lists, groups, chat forums, etc.
teaching materials (specifically designed for teachers)
An investigation should highlight the frequency with which teachers try to create materials for each specific website. This will highlight the most likely ways that teachers are providing materials for their students.
Errors
Because teachers may compile numerous websites and virtually link them together, it may be difficult to determine authorship of particular pages. This may mean that pages linked may give the appearance of being part of the teachers' homepage, but in fact may be unrelated. Pages may also have been authored that are not directly hosted on the teachers' home page, but are merely linked, these may have indeed been written for the purpose of … Also, pages that have been put up may be extracts from courses, and put up for particular students in teacher's own classes. They may have not been removed or intended for wider dissemination.
Some materials may be counted several times or be counted in one particular category, though they may be listed under other possible headings, such as a complete lessson may have vocabulary AND listening elements as well. This may well determine a new category.
I may also have to offer a definition of what a particular can and cannot include.
500 words in MacDonald’s
Oct 1 at 10:10pm by ObverseView
I am sitting in MacDonald's restaurant. What thoughts are going through my mind right now? I can't think, there seems to be a lot of noise here, with the music tv, and people talking… so it's difficult to focus on a particular topic.
Today's classes are going to be easy but it's the end of the free lunch… from next Tuesday, I have to start working again to earn my money. Yuck! The teaching season is here again. I can't believe it. I am so lucky o have a vacation of three months, I just wished that I had used the last month better than I did. I think that each morning getting up at around 9:30 and getting out at eleven seems reather too late to do much. But I need to get up early, then I H ave this curiouse morning period where I don't know what to do. I can't find a quite corner. That's what I need, and mornings are never my best time for this kind of activity anyway. I do feel spoiled by getting up later than the whole world by three hours. I just wish I had the privacy and office space like Tim has, I don't know how I can get that. Any suggestions? I don't really like my office at school, plus it's too noisy for really concentrating. Libraries are fine, if you can get to them, but hardly private. That chapter on writing is particularly helpful, I think. Perhaps I can find my own solution to this problem. At least I can find a sense of personal space in restuarants, though they are not really quiet.
Where is there a quiet place in Taiwan? away from people, tv, Internet.
I need this too in some ways, but I can't find any opportunity to exploit my time. I don't know what else o say at this moment though, I can't really type very accuartely today, not very cleaerly either, and the noise of children is annoying to say the least. It's a wonder that Fred has found the time to write as much of his book as he has, but then he has an office he can hide away in. Suggestions? I will have to think about this problem to find the answer that I can live with. I am lucky in many ways, but perhaps as the book Get what you came for suggested just writing a littel every day, like exercise, means you can eventually finish it. That element of discipline is very important to achieve completeion of the project. Don't you agree? I think I had plenty of opportunity to finish this in my other vacation, but I don't have a vacation now so what am I goihng to do? Also, people keep asking me to teach their classes, so I don't know what to say except no. It's frustrating to be asked so many times, because I only have so much time to do this. Perhaps I can ask for morning classes. Tim has three big advantages: a car, an office at home which is quiet, and not being married. I reached my allotment of words to day for my diary, good. I don't have any problem writing five hundred words, but not many of them are particularly helpful.
a littel every day, like exercise, means you can eventually finish it. That element of discipline is very important to achieve completeion of the project. Don't you agree? I think I had plenty of opportunity to finish this in my other vacation, but I don't have a vacation now so what am I goihng to do? Also, people keep asking me to teach their classes, so I don't know what to say except no. It's frustrating to be asked so many times, because I only have so much time to do this. Perhaps I can ask for morning classes. Tim has three big advantages: a car, an office at home which is quiet, and not being married.
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