PDP Mania :@

Nothing have ever driven me as half crazy as I am now like this PDP thing !. Read the CPRS more than one time, went through number of site and blogs talking about the write way to plan your PDP. Wether it means Personal Development Plan or Personal Development Portfolio or even Professional Development Plan. With no clear answer ! < kill me pls :/

Just before writing this blog, I found this website !

http://www.personalselfdevelopment.co.uk/PDP.php

What I liked the most, regard the fact that it have no clear answer too :D, is a diagram explaining the pre-planning/writing, suggested before actually you start to write your PDP. 

I decided to make thursday Nov the 22th PDP self work shop :D. What ever happens that day I'll write about it. probably in this entry !

Anyway, you may ask whats the big deal ? will ! it's the fact that this PDP will be marked as PASS or FAILED ! :S and what we know for now that Clive is really serious about every little info you include in it !

Please anyone have done this before and knows what to do, please please let me know :)

Wish me Luck :*

Presentation Day 14.11.12

Last Wednesday was Research Methods proposal presentation to all the MA and PhD student. Unfortunately Clive was ill so he didn't attend the session, but Gareth was there. Sara started followed by Adam, Nab then ME :D, Clair, Shelley and Emily ..

As usual, I freaked out and almost chickened to go ! I literally held the flash drive in my hand all the time while those who went before me did their talks but didn't had the courage to say " I'll go next !". Not until the first break, which made me realise that I'm running out of time so as quick as you may remove a bandage, looked at Gareth and said: I'll go next after the break !. Must say that I felt less nervous from this time on !

YAH !! as the question suggested.. I'm going to work on the field of WAYFINDING studies . My main concern was that my topic appears to simple and easy in comparison to my colleague, and that I don't get any responses from them due to the fast that it's not a pure art/philosophy related topic ! 

skipped this slide while explaining, just because I felt afraid of not covering all the point, then I'll be criticised for lack of information :S < I know it's a not assessed presentation, but unfinished work is something that I always try to avoid !

A general slide ( followed by 5 more slides with pictures and brief   about every and each one of these elements ), I'm not sure if it was necessary one !

Now this is the real deal, and the point highlighted in red, is the specific aim and subject of my study. I loved my colleagues participations in the discussion ! felt my confidence of my work and direction of research ! Fewww 

In less than two weeks from now, I'm suppose it write the essay and the final presentation of this thing !. Is it ok to be lost after all this brainstorming session ? will I'm stuck ! or at least I think I am ! 

I'll be digging deeper and contacting the people Gareth has suggested them to me. Hopefully more guidance and suggested reading and idea that will sit my creativity ( if I have one ) free !!

WISH ME LUCK ...

HUGE STEP

        Next Wednesday we are suppose to prepare a 10 min presentation for Research Methods, and a work-in-progress for a Critical Position workshop !. therefore, I requested a tutorial from Theo, which took place today afternoon in HG cafe'.

14 Nov  Student research methods presentations 1 and 2

Tutors: Clive Cazeaux, Gareth Loudon 

        How good it feels when you discuss your ideas with someone actually understand and knows what are you saying !. The session was so helpful even though it didn't take more than 15-20 minutes. I am more confident of what I'm doing and going to do in the long term. What you - as a postgrad student - need is not someone who tells you what to do, rather someone who listen to your ideas and guide you to the right direction. < am I right or what ?!

        Don't get me wrong I don't know how to start organising my thoughts on paper - or shall I say power point - but at least ! I have ideas worth sharing, to me this is a BIG big step ! something I didn't have in Critical Position Carnival couple weeks back ! AlHamdulellah

Wish me LUCK !

_____________________

Some information from Research Method Brief :

0. Research methods report for Project Briefs A and B:
   
   
1. Demonstration of familiarity with a range of research methods and skills.
2. Sustained exploration of a selected aspect of your research area using one or
   more relevant methods.
3. Clear account of how the selected method(s) is (are) appropriate to your research
   question, and what it (or they) might allow you to show.
4. Written presentation: clarity, structure, grammar, adherence to conventions of
   manuscript presentation, including bibliographical apparatus, and illustrations Even though your presentation is not assessed, it will help the presentation to inform your written report if it is also planned using the above criteria.
   
   
   _____________________________________
   
   
   Research presentation for Project Brief C:
   
   

   1. Demonstration of familiarity with a range of research methods and skills.
      
   2. Sustained exploration of a selected aspect of your research area using one or
      more relevant methods.
      
   3. Clear account of how the selected method(s) is (are) appropriate to your research
      question, and what it (or they) might allow you to show.
      
   4. Presentation of how you analysed the research data collected together with your
      research findings.
      
   5. The appropriateness of your new design concept. 
      
      
      
      
           

Research Method

Promised myself to write this blog, just wanting to express my feelings from yesterdays Research Methods lecture. Oh God, all lecture long, I was collecting KeyWord - except when I was playing with my phone LOL- from here and there trying to understand whats what.

Session outcome =2 A4 pages filled with complicated phrases 
and things that doesn't make any sense to me !

Why the hell should we study research methods ? why can't we just do what we have to do without calling it difficult to pronouns words ! Qualitative, Quantitative Bla Bla Bla. I mean how did the first researcher in the world wrote his research ? was it bad ? AAA I DON'T THINK SOO !

Sincere question, why do we have to accept other philosopher thinking outcome as the right

way to get things done ?

don't judge me because of my opinions, I'm a good student :$ made notes from this mind-blowing-boring-lecture, and I plan to share my knowledge with you all - LUCKY YOU :D.. so firstly, I'll mention the main terms that you've came across several times during the sessions .. 

- AUTOETHNOGRAPHY: is a form of self-reflection and writing that explores the researcher's personal experience and connects this autobiographical story to wider cultural, political, and social meanings and understandings. (1)

- GROUND THEORY: is a systematic methodology in the social sciences involving the discovery of theory through the analysis of data. (2)

- HISTORICAL ANALYSIS

- CASE-STUDY: is an intensive analysis of an individual unit. (3)

Interesting question was asked by Clive:

Whats the different between Method and Methodology ?

HAH ! as I'd really care ! but of course because I'm a good student who pay attention even in the most boring lectures ! I know the answer :D
METHOD: is the series of steps in which you do something with < fancy LOL
METHODOLOGY: the study of method, arguing why a certain method works and whats the reason of choosing it .. does this make any sense ? correct me if am wrong please !

On top of all this we have to prepare a 10 min presentation due next week. I just overcame the topic dilemma and started to feel a bit lighter and happier ! this crushed all the good feeling away !
It's not like I can't do it, it seems manageable ( background about my topic area, the search question/s, the method - how and why-, heuristic enquiry THEN the essay body and conclusion ). I haven't started working on it yet I suppose setting down and putting a focus effort, things will come around.

WISH ME LUCK

____________

(1)(2)(3) - definitions from wikipedia

Inspiration found :D

Early this week I went to HG library and picked up some books, I wasn't flying of excitement but kept my minds opened and hoped for the best. The first book was a waste of time ( not really ;) < drama queen ). But the second one, and my personal least favourite of them all, is actually very good !. Seems like it's getting inside my head and completing the missing words from the sentences .. BRILLIANT !

THE WAYFINDING HANDBOOK Information Design For Public Places 

by DAVID GIBSON

I haven't finished the book and not even nearly there LOL, but I like how my minds think while reading it, and the rush of ideas and motivations that I'm considering now. I actually went in my very first photographical hunting mission *_* to the city centre and the main train station Cardiff Central today because of a sentence.

Wayfinding designer is responsible for enhancing how a space - whether public, commercial, or private - is experienced by finding order in chaos without destroying character. 

While taking the photos, which I had no previous planing to, found very good topic to address  :DANCING: and a delicious cake shop YUM XD, can't wait to show it to Clive or anyone and see whats their feedback about it !, although I'm confused whats good for Critical Position and whats for Research Methods !!! ?? won't freak out about it for now, a tutorial with Theo might be just what I need :D

QUESTION OF THE DAY:
It's ok to get excited to something and work hard for it and get threw in you face right ? I knew it ! I'm an Interior Architect grad. I'm used to that :>

A Book Down !

Just finished reading

ARCHITECTURAL THOUGHT by Michael Brawne

It is what's the name suggesting, an Architect thoughts ! goes on and on about building and architects philosophy and how different it is from a name to another, Louis Kahn, Mies van der Rohe, Daniel Libeskind, Frank Lloyd Wright ....ext. And a bit about history and culture and development which affected in one way or another the architectural industry.

Wont say that I didn't like the book or that it wasn't interesting enough cause it was. But it didn't inspire me to anything good !

I was attracted by one thought " The Typology Theory " .. and I wrote in my " Idea Notebook " 

How is a building facade ( entrance ) is affected by it's function ?

Could by a start for a very interesting topic, isn't it ? but don't feel right to me, don't know.. shall I go for such a pure ARCHITECTURAL related topic ? 

______________________________

SO, what do I want ? I don't have a clue !!!!!!!! < how relaxing ..

The KeyWord Stage !!!

After a very good interesting lectures last Wednesday, I had my first one-to-one tutorial with Clive.. was I happy ? WILL ! it was calming, but I'm not sure if I was clear enough ! I think I have a problem !!

I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WANT TO DO ! LIKE ,,, REALLY :sad face:

So, I went to the library and picked up some books !

Isn't this the strangest collectivist book selection ever !!

I plan on reading then brain storming and wish something good happens LOL 

_____________

I'm also planing to go hunting for a good/bad examples (Entrances - Signage ) around Cardiff, so if anyone noticed something worth to look at, PWEEEEEEZ let me know ...  THANKS

About Me...

Hello there, I'm Hussah Alotaishan an MA student at Cardiffmet university, Cardiff, UK
The initial reason of this blog is to talk to myself and keep a track on my PDP thought the my journey as a post-grad student..
Any comment/notes and positive criticism is highly appreciated ..

Cheers,
Hussah