Time flies!
Classes have already started. I can't believe how time passed so fast. 3 months ago I was wondering whether it would be possible for me to have the chance to be a graduate student of Middle East Technical University(METU)and now I am a student of this lovely institution for almost three weeks.
This semester, I am only able to take one class called "Cultural Aspects of Language Teaching" because of my workload and the distance between Istanbul and Ankara. Having to travel really doesn't bother me as I am really happy with the quality of the lectures.
My adivisor Assistant Prof. Dr. Betil Eröz has been helpful. As I was a graduate student last year in a different institution, I took some courses which are also included in the Master's program of METU. Therefore, I asked her whether I could be exempted from some of these courses or not. She provided me with the names of the professors to consult immediately. When I contacted and sent my assignments to them they, sent me notifications to inform me that I was exempted from two courses. :)This means I have to take only five courses and write a thesis in order to graduate.
I will try to write weekly reflections about the course I am taking if I have the chance to multitask.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Changes
Hello,
I am so glad to announce that there have been some changes in my MA studies. From now on I am going to do my MA in Middle East Technical University in TEFL. I will share my reflections as soon as the classes start.
B.
I am so glad to announce that there have been some changes in my MA studies. From now on I am going to do my MA in Middle East Technical University in TEFL. I will share my reflections as soon as the classes start.
B.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
New Term- New Responsibilities and Insights
Hi all,
Time has passed so quickly ! I remember when I first started the MA program and now I am nearly in the middle of the second term!
I am taking two classes this term because of my overloaded programme at work. I feel better as I have time to focus on other things rather than the programme. The classes I am taking this week are:
TEFL Theory Into Practice ( in which I will be observed, observe the others and reflect upon my practices , do some classroom research and keep them in a portfolio, probably online.)
Language Testing ( based on CFR principles)
I will be observed by the course tutor next week. I have already made my plan but I need to go over it a little bit.
I hope to be more productive in this semester
Wish me luck
Time has passed so quickly ! I remember when I first started the MA program and now I am nearly in the middle of the second term!
I am taking two classes this term because of my overloaded programme at work. I feel better as I have time to focus on other things rather than the programme. The classes I am taking this week are:
TEFL Theory Into Practice ( in which I will be observed, observe the others and reflect upon my practices , do some classroom research and keep them in a portfolio, probably online.)
Language Testing ( based on CFR principles)
I will be observed by the course tutor next week. I have already made my plan but I need to go over it a little bit.
I hope to be more productive in this semester
Wish me luck
Sunday, February 1, 2009
My feelings after finishing my article on my wiki use and motivation
My dear readers,
I have just finished my article on my particular wiki use and learner motivation. As you can guess, I am extremely relieved after going over all processes of research starting from finding a topic and ending with discussing the result and writing implications for further research.
I am extremely grateful to these people below as they really helped me in the process of my research in many different ways.
1-My family (for their endless support)
2-Assistant Professor Kamile Hamiloglu (for her assistance throughout the research and giving me the opportunity to write my first article to be published)
3-Vance Stevens ( for helping me to narrow my research problem down)
4-Cristina Costa (for helping me to reconsider my research questions)
5--Sedat Akayoğlu (for providing me with feedback and ideas on my research)
6--Vanessa Vaile (for giving me alternative ideas on how to use wiki and taking part in the wiki activities of the class I conducted my study on)
7- My classmates in my MA classes (for their support and assistance)
8- My students (for accepting to take part in this research)
Thanks to this study I am now more aware of the fact that conducting a research is a really tough process and I now respect people who conducted such studies more .
I hope to replicate it and conduct another one soon again on CMC and language learning.
B.
I have just finished my article on my particular wiki use and learner motivation. As you can guess, I am extremely relieved after going over all processes of research starting from finding a topic and ending with discussing the result and writing implications for further research.
I am extremely grateful to these people below as they really helped me in the process of my research in many different ways.
1-My family (for their endless support)
2-Assistant Professor Kamile Hamiloglu (for her assistance throughout the research and giving me the opportunity to write my first article to be published)
3-Vance Stevens ( for helping me to narrow my research problem down)
4-Cristina Costa (for helping me to reconsider my research questions)
5--Sedat Akayoğlu (for providing me with feedback and ideas on my research)
6--Vanessa Vaile (for giving me alternative ideas on how to use wiki and taking part in the wiki activities of the class I conducted my study on)
7- My classmates in my MA classes (for their support and assistance)
8- My students (for accepting to take part in this research)
Thanks to this study I am now more aware of the fact that conducting a research is a really tough process and I now respect people who conducted such studies more .
I hope to replicate it and conduct another one soon again on CMC and language learning.
B.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
my article-difficulties
Hi again,
I have been struggling to make a blog post for so long and finally I could find time to write one! It is almost the end of the first semester and I only had a final. The other two classes I take require me to prepare assignments taking a lot of time but helpful in terms of learning how to conduct a research and they are also urging me to read more.
Having a lot of responsibilities like teaching 2o hours, co-moderating an online workshop and teaching voluntarily, I usually find myself rushing from one task to another quite fast.I think I am improving my multitasking ability in that way! :))
I got my first feedback on the introduction, literature review of my article. Most of it was about my use of APA style in the paper. As my topic is motivation and my pbwiki use I really stuggled to summarize all the resources and studies I found and relate them to instructional design. I finished the second draft yesterday and submitted it. I hope I did it right this time. As it is my first article, I think Ilearn from my own mistakes .
I also received feedback on themethod part of my study. I need to make the tables more detailed .I also need to analyze them more in detail. (question by question). As thereare 13 questions in the survey I conducted, I think it will take longer than expected for me to report and analyse the data.
There are still some questions in my mind about how to use content analysis in order to discuss the results of the study. The lecturer advised me to use pattern coding and I guess it requires me to look at some particular phrases and words the interviewees used using pattern coding. I will learn by doing for sure! Sleepless night are waiting for me again.I am really in need of ideas in order to anlayze and interpret the interviews.
Hoping to learn more through interaction.
Beyza
I have been struggling to make a blog post for so long and finally I could find time to write one! It is almost the end of the first semester and I only had a final. The other two classes I take require me to prepare assignments taking a lot of time but helpful in terms of learning how to conduct a research and they are also urging me to read more.
Having a lot of responsibilities like teaching 2o hours, co-moderating an online workshop and teaching voluntarily, I usually find myself rushing from one task to another quite fast.I think I am improving my multitasking ability in that way! :))
I got my first feedback on the introduction, literature review of my article. Most of it was about my use of APA style in the paper. As my topic is motivation and my pbwiki use I really stuggled to summarize all the resources and studies I found and relate them to instructional design. I finished the second draft yesterday and submitted it. I hope I did it right this time. As it is my first article, I think Ilearn from my own mistakes .
I also received feedback on themethod part of my study. I need to make the tables more detailed .I also need to analyze them more in detail. (question by question). As thereare 13 questions in the survey I conducted, I think it will take longer than expected for me to report and analyse the data.
There are still some questions in my mind about how to use content analysis in order to discuss the results of the study. The lecturer advised me to use pattern coding and I guess it requires me to look at some particular phrases and words the interviewees used using pattern coding. I will learn by doing for sure! Sleepless night are waiting for me again.I am really in need of ideas in order to anlayze and interpret the interviews.
Hoping to learn more through interaction.
Beyza
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
baby article of a baby researcher
Hi again,
As I already written in my previous post, I need to conduct a study for one of my classes (TEFL and the learner) in the MA program. As I am a webhead, a technology enthusiast, I decided to choose a topic about CMC (Computer Mediated Communication) and relate it with a factor affecting foreign language learning, which is motivation and when I narrowed it down to a reseachable topic, I came up with an idea suitable to my own teaching context. I am using a wiki with my elementary learners for a month and I want to investigate its effects on their motivation. I intend to investigate this problem using an adapted questionnaire from Austin and Skinner and interviewing with some of my students. As the questionnaire is an adapted one, I guess will not have any problems. However, I am not sure what kind of questions to ask in the interview.Can you give this baby researcher a hand? What other instruments can I use to conduct this study?
As I already written in my previous post, I need to conduct a study for one of my classes (TEFL and the learner) in the MA program. As I am a webhead, a technology enthusiast, I decided to choose a topic about CMC (Computer Mediated Communication) and relate it with a factor affecting foreign language learning, which is motivation and when I narrowed it down to a reseachable topic, I came up with an idea suitable to my own teaching context. I am using a wiki with my elementary learners for a month and I want to investigate its effects on their motivation. I intend to investigate this problem using an adapted questionnaire from Austin and Skinner and interviewing with some of my students. As the questionnaire is an adapted one, I guess will not have any problems. However, I am not sure what kind of questions to ask in the interview.Can you give this baby researcher a hand? What other instruments can I use to conduct this study?
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Assignments
Hi again after a long time!
I was busy again for the last three weeks so I had to ignore my blogs :( Actually I am still very busy reading, planning,designing and trying to be creative. Luckily,I have a long break which will last for 10 days so I think if I make an action plan beforehand, I will be able to manage the time effectively.Here are the assignments I need to complete in this long holiday:
1- writing the literature review of my article for TEFL and the learner class.(and read a lot in order to do that!)
2- Deciding on a topic for my Research Methods class and doing the take home quiz.
3- Preparing a powerpoint presentation about my research topic .
4- Writing an essay for the Approaches and Methods class.
5- Doing the take home homework of the same class.
I also need to find a good thesis to evaulate, write an essay on audiolingual method and add more activities to my class wiki but the first five are the most urgent ones to be carried out.
I hope I will be able to complete all of them on time. Wish me luck!
B.
I was busy again for the last three weeks so I had to ignore my blogs :( Actually I am still very busy reading, planning,designing and trying to be creative. Luckily,I have a long break which will last for 10 days so I think if I make an action plan beforehand, I will be able to manage the time effectively.Here are the assignments I need to complete in this long holiday:
1- writing the literature review of my article for TEFL and the learner class.(and read a lot in order to do that!)
2- Deciding on a topic for my Research Methods class and doing the take home quiz.
3- Preparing a powerpoint presentation about my research topic .
4- Writing an essay for the Approaches and Methods class.
5- Doing the take home homework of the same class.
I also need to find a good thesis to evaulate, write an essay on audiolingual method and add more activities to my class wiki but the first five are the most urgent ones to be carried out.
I hope I will be able to complete all of them on time. Wish me luck!
B.
Posts
