My writing

I value the writing of others and have found both their drafting and publishable writing helpful and informative. In the spirit of walking my own talk I thought I should make public some of mine; not because I think them of use but because I dont know what use they may be.

my paper ARNA

For my ease of use I have split this section into 3.

Work that has been published or presented

Work that has not been published

Work in progress - which is very rough work

I have got to understand a bit more about Jack Whitehead's (1989) Living Theory research and Belle Wallace (1993) TASC (Thinking Actively in a Social Context) model and see the creation of an 'account', whatever that form may be, as an essential part of the researching, the learning, process.

I have found trying to write and think very difficult and painful. I draft, redraft and sometimes abandon some work altogether and start again. Because I have to work so hard to create something that communicates to me and, I hope, communicates to someone else, I thought I was not good at writing. I still don't know whether I am 'good' at writing or researching but I can see this attitude as a good example of Carol Dweck's (2000) notion of a fixed mindset. I have so often heard other educators say as I do - I don't have time to think, thinking is too hard, writing is too difficult, I'm not bright enough... I think in so doing we maintain a damaging fantasy that perfect is possible and if it isnt easy you are not able to succeed. I hope by making some of my imperfect efforts visible I might contribute to the dissolution of the myth.

Dweck, C. (2000) Self-Theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality, and Development; Hove: Taylor and Francis Group

Wallace, B. and Adams, H. (1993) TASC Thinking Actively in a Social Context. Bicester; A B Academic Publishers.

Whitehead, J. (1989) Creating A Living Educational Theory From Questions Of The Kind, 'How Do I Improve My Practice?' Cambridge Journal of Education, Vol. 19, No.1, 1989, pp. 41-52