Blog Five

Work has now started in earnest on my first assignment and I'm currently getting to grips with some readings. After starting a couple of days ago in a fairly logical fashion, I've suddenly began to read as if I'm accessing webpages, constantly flipping from one thing to the next ! I'm not sure if this approach has necessarily helped me, but it has been interesting, not least because it has led me to read one or two chapters from Gee (1996) Social Linguistics and Literacies - Ideology in Discourses, which has really helped me to understand some underlying principles of the whole literacy v literacies debate.

Lots more reading and more questioning/reflections needed, before I start writing !

Blog Four

Now it's getting serious. First assignment is due within the next few weeks and the pressures on ! Having been off work for over a week, I've had some major catching up to do, which means very little MA work has been done. And am I starting to panic......YES ! Aaaahh ! I REALLY need to do some reading ! So no time for blogging ! Bye.

Blog Three

Determined to keep my promise of at least one blog entry a week, I'm writing this blog from my sick bed. I've been struck down by a horrible flu-like virus that has completely pole-axed me for almost a week now. I've not managed to do any reading during my illness, which has been really annoying, as I've found that many of the readings on my MA have really shifting my perspective on things and I am really hungry to read more, but I just don't seem to be building up the momentum I was expecting, it's been a real stop start throughout, which is really frustrating.



However, since my last blog I have pushed things on at work. I've had an introduction to our Blackboard site and have set up my own course to experiment on, as well as convincing two colleagues to create a podcast with me (just got their agreement at this stage, still lots of work to do !). While at home, I'm beginning to take an interest in some PC games that originally came as part of my computer package and which have never even been out of their wrapping. This decision has partly been influenced by the Marc Prensky book that I have recently bought on Amazon (based on the "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants" article read on my course) and a sudden interest in how games could be used as a teaching tool.

Blog Two

Feedback has been fairly positive to my first blog, which is encouraging. I'm keen to keep the entries going and hope to post at least one a week, which at this stage I think is realistic. I must admit I'm becoming really interested in the possibilities technology can offer and I'm definitely changing my mindset. At the weekend, whilst shopping for potential christmas presents for my daughter, I found myself checking out iPods (something that to date I've had no interest in at all). Whilst at work, I'm currently investigating the possibility of creating a podcast to share good practice with colleagues across my organisation. Exciting times ahead I think !

First Post !

Well here I am ! Taking my first GIANT step towards engagement with the Digital Age. This will hopefully be one of many blog messages I will post over the coming year, as I reflect on life whilst on my Online MA in New Literacies at the University of Sheffield.



I have to say I'm absolutely loving my MA (even if I'm not doing it justice at the moment in terms of the time I can commit to it) but the readings and practical tasks are giving me a fresh perspective on things and a well needed push towards embracing digital technologies both at work and at home.



To date I've sampled the delights of YouTube , signed up to Skype and had my first chatroom get together with colleagues from my course, all of which has been great fun, but this feels REALLY exciting ! A real act of creation ! I have some doubts as to whether I'll be motivated enough to keep my blog going in the long run, but for now I am curious as to where it will take me.





Nick hopes to be as relaxed and "Native" with the digital world as he was in Wales in August 2007