conceptual what? Huh?

My WIPS presentation happened today.

I wasn't that nervous (just a little bit at the start when the technology was letting us down) - a new thing for me in the UK. Since my return from Cape Town I've been saying to myself - own what you know and be confident in who you are - stop trying to fit into what you think 'other' people expect you to be. Oh and believe that I have something meaningful to contribute.

I had a good turn out, both my supervisors along with one of my probationary report assessors (who I really like for his approachable disposition and solid feedback) came to the session. Interestingly, when you prepare a presentation, it all sounds so logical, so coherent, even so funny - but when you do it, say the words you wrote down and people ask questions about things you didn't even contemplate - you realise how much you have taken for granted about people's understanding of your research/topic, and how you can never predict how people will interpret what you are saying. I know the communication experts will probably have some theory about what I have just tried to explain - but it never fails to amaze me how this is almost, always the case. Yet I will probably diligently prepare my presentation making all these assumptions again. I'm reminded of what I believed about learning when I was still teaching - i.e. the limited amount of control a teacher really exercises over what a student might learn in her class. The learning moment rests almost exclusively within the student's locus of control. Sure, as a teacher you can do things to help facilitate learning process, structure particular activities in certain ways etc...but it is the student who ultimately decides what it is they want to take away from the event. For learning to happen the student needs to be open to the possibility of learning.

On a more positive note I came away from the session inspired to write my probationary report and to clarify for myself and the reader what it is I have been doing for the past 6-8 months and why I'm interested in this research study. So I think I've achieved a encouraging outcome - I think I sound better written down anyway.