Tag Archives: reading

activity

peer review

Week 18, 2012
Joensuu, Finland

In Mach, while giving the game design course, I was a student too of a Paper Reviewing Workshop organized by some active members of TEL.

The workshop was very good. I can report that I learn. Also it called my attention that we were active during the course despite that all the participants were spread all over the world. Yes, the workshop was on-line.

Screenshot of one of my sessions at the peer review workshop

Screenshot of one of my sessions at the peer review workshop

 

Let me clarify, in the past I reviewed some conference papers, however I felt something was missing in my reviews.

I admit that one is constantly learning about one’s area of expertise while doing research. One can offer constructive criticism towards one’s work and the work of others when we write together.  Additionally, one can be critical reader of colleagues’ work before they submit their manuscript, so one is somehow a pre-reviewer.  Finally, I have learned A LOT from the feedback of those reviewers who had  examine my work, despite to be painful to read sometimes.

So, what can one learn from a workshop about peer review process?

In my case, to make explicit what we know or assume tacitly. The process is the learning experience in itself, to share with others and to hear the advices from experts in this specific topic is priceless.

Last week I review some papers, and I sense that my confidence level as a reviewer has increased after the workshop. Consequently, I assumed that my performance a reviewer has improved too. There is also space for improvement, specially with practice. But I want to thank  the organizers of the workshop! as well as the expositors and colleges with whom I discussed.

To close this post, I share a presentation from Marco Kalz which I honestly like and might be useful for others as well.

getting serious at work chapter I – references

Two basic pre-conditions are needed if one wants to be a researcher:

a)     To read, read, read…..

This point does not need explanation, just one MUST read A LOT and CONSTANTLY.

b)    Have a bibliographic management software.

RefWorks has been my election for some time. But there is always a “but” each time I need to use it for my writing. My poor references are always a mess.

Some days ago I read about Zotero. It seems that the light is getting to my reference-mess.

Each person is a world, then each one takes its own decision. Zotero is just an option, which I recommend to put an eye on it!

zotero in my manzanita

zotero in my manzanita

 

 

 

reading and writing.

On April 17th, I mentioned that some of my priorities into my “to do”  list are reading and improved my writing skills. However after exactly 2 months from that post I came to be aware of some obvious things, which actually I should have learned since elementary school:
– create a senseful strategy for reading, (into wide and deepness)
– understand what the author wants to say
– think and digest this information / knowledge,
– think again before writing,
– write thoughtful (and remember simple + short, it is beautiful!!!).

In addition, to develop our own thinking is challenging. As any other Art, I would attempt to say, because it requires discipline and to be constant in its practice. All these is harder than what I thought! Or it seems in the hurry to discover the world and its possibilities, or to survive in it, I had really forgotten some of the valuable basics.

On the other hand, I am quiet surprised to realized this too. Because being someone that had spent so many years in a diversity of educational systems, and that enjoys to learn, it has taking me over two decades to get at this point, which might only mean I am a good survivor into school systems (no sure if my ex-teachers would like to hear this). Or as any human being, we have different stages, plus there are so many things to learn and digest in our life, besides school, that we are only able to really understand any subject when we are ready for that (as in a ZPD ). In the mid time keep on being open and practice your skills. As in any game, be ready for your next turn.

Eastern good wishes – reading and writing.

The last time has been a bit chaotic for myself. However, on the last days I was lucky because calm knock at my door. Its visit had helped me to start to digest better (hope so) what it is happening around (research, classes, dreams, life, etc. ). Sometimes things just go so fast! or I need my time to digest things.

And from my priorities into my “to do” list are: read, read, read…. and learn to improved my writing skills (if existent) on academic English. Oh my! That will imply effort and discipline, but one step at the time (and some of my EdTech pals will agree with me, that I have to work a lot into this subject).

On the other hand, today while having a great walk next to the lake, I remembered a phrase from Sor Juana: ‘Si estudio, no es para saber mas, sino por ignorar menos’ (If I study, is not for knowing more, instead is for unknowing less) , then it turns to be more appealing and interesting this process as well, isn’t it?

To have your goal on clear, and keep the discipline in order to reach that goal are kind of the key issues into this recipe. Actually the real hard part is: to know what you want to do, once you know that part, the next challenge is: to know what is needed to do to reach that goal?. And finally to decided yourself to do it. But on respect to this topic, today I decided myself to go for it!

Oh my!