Are we there yet?

The final stages of editing a book are quite challenging. As well as trying to draw on the themes discussed in the chapters, it is also important to give a cohesive feel to the book. I have read all of the chapters at least 6 times and I find new and interesting links every time I read them, and so prioriting which to focus on in the concluding chapter has been quite a task.
I learn new things every time I come to the end of a writing project, often associated with how ineffective I am at estimating time. I gave one of my tutees some advice this week which, I decided to use myself today. It is better to do 2 hours of solid, dedicated work than to commit to a long day glued to the PC.
The other "little jobs" left to do before this project comes to its conclusion include checking and re-checking the bibliography, making sure the contents section is accurate, listing the additional sources and clearing up the spelling and grammatical errors (mine not the authors!) pagination, table headings and numbers.... and dealing with my deadline anxiety.... I have scheduled half of my weekend for these jobs. Will it  be enough time to get us there?
So yes we are nearly there, almost.... just a few more things to check and finish and then we will be there... and breath!

...and the tension is building...#deadlines

...Who would have thought that twitter conversations and discussions after JSWEC last year would result in an edited collection by the following March? It just goes to show what a team of dedicated enthusiasts can do when they put their minds to it. At lunchtime I had a blank word doument, this afternoon as I leave I have more than half of the book ready, chapters in order, introduction, conclusions in progress, some final revisions and edits to a couple of chapters. The chapters have been carefully crafted by the social work and social media enthusiasts who signed up to this project back in September and its all coming together really well. I will keep you posted in (more or less) real time as it happens! Happy days!

HEA Twitter project

Last April along with other tweepers and social media in social work groupies from across the UK, I attended a workshop at Birmingham University funded by HEA. Tarsem Singh Cooner @Akali655 and Chris Allen @DrChrisAllen facilitated the event.  It's fair to say we all left the building (some of us had to be escorted out) as high as kites and on fire with enthusiasm.http://storify.com/Akali65/feedback-from-the-changing-the-learning-landscape . The HEA encouraged us to bid for funding to follow up and develop some of the ideas we discussed on that day. I put in a bid for a project to develop a media resource to encourage social work academcis to use Twitter in theIR teaching and research.I was delighted receive an award the Changing the Learning Landscape project. A short progress report is now due.

 

In October three students from the School of Journalism, Media and Communication @WebsterMugavazi @TonderayiMach @AMLabelle started to work with me on the project. This is part of their final year studies for their degree.  They have designed a film which will instruct academics in some of the features of  Twitter to get them started with the basics of running a twitter account.  I saw a short version of this in December,  the film is now complete and I will be having a preview next week. The team are making a second film which will instruct viewers in how to make the most of twitter as a teaching resource, and how to use some of the advanced functions. Earlier this week I submitted an abstract about the film project to @jswec conference and I am keeping my fingers crossed that I am successful. I hope to use the opportunity @jswec to formally launch the films. There will be a full preview here @UCLanSocialWork in May and I have a growing list of sceptical but interested colleagues who are keen to come along and pilot test the films.

 

The films will be available on-line sometime later this year along with instructions on how to facilitate a seminar/webinar to use them.