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How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?

 
 
Deirdre Flood
How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Deirdre Flood - Monday, 1 August 2011, 8:18 PM
 

I would like to apologise for the time its taken to open this forum in relation to the paper I tentatively submitted to Ejolts in June.    I did not wish to open the forum and invite feedback until I had completed all the videos that form such a large part of my work in relation to this paper.  However this took  longer than expected

Nevertheless, I must recognise that during this time I did receive feedback from Tim Cain, Jacqueline Scholes Rhodes, Moira Laidlaw and Pip Bruce Ferguson and I am most grateful indeed for the time taken to review my work.

Although I have now completed all of the videos, I am currently reworking my paper and making amendments in line with the comments from the reviewers and I will complete this in a couple of days time.  I will therefore publish the revised paper on this forum on or before Thursday this week.    Therefore I have opened the forum now to invite comments against my original submission to allow the open review process to begin.

Best Regards

Deirdre

 
Tim Cain
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Tim Cain - Tuesday, 2 August 2011, 6:32 PM
 
I found this a really interesting piece of work. The fact that you are not a 'professional' educator gives a rich vein of possibilities for a reader to understand how you 'do' education and the setting is both unusual and of great human interest. The piece is well written, with a clear narrative thread. It tells a good story.

However, I'm not sure that the article, as written, is appropriate for an academic journal. It is very practical and descriptive but not very theoretical - i.e. I don't get a sense of real engagement at a theoretical level. There is no doubt that you understand the living educational theory approach to action research, and several big ideas are referenced (Csikszentmihalyi, Polanyi, Dewey etc.) but this is not the same as engaging with theoretical concepts, in an analytical and critical way. Part of the problem is to do with your research question - 'How can I produce a web accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time in Special Olympics at Club level?' It's a bit functional. I want to ask a prior question: 'why would you produce a web accessed video?' Why is a video a good medium for achieving this aim - what can a video do, that can't be done by a traditional classroom based induction programme? (or maybe, what can a video do instead of a traditional classroom based induction programme?) What are the educational affordances and constraints of video?

I would also like a greater sense of what the problem is, that is addressed by this research. I understand from your article that Ireland needs more volunteers but I'm not sure how your project addresses the problem. What is it, about educating volunteers, that allows this problem to be alleviated? What sort of education do volunteers need? You refer to competence & authority - what part does the video have, in people gaining competence & authority? I have a good understanding (I think!) of how the video was made, and how your values were realised in making the video. However, I don't know how it was received and understood by the volunteers for whom it was intended. Were they more or less aware of the various roles of volunteers, as a result of watching your video? Were they more competent and authoritative - i.e. did the video achieve its aims? How do you know?

I'm aware that this might sound rather negative so I must add that the appendix material is fantastic. I couldn't access the videos but the posters (Appendix 2-8) are informative, concise and very attractively presented although it is not in the nature of such posters to grapple with theoretical issues in a deeply analytical or critical way.

So one suggestion would be to present the paper to a less academic journal - one which would value the practical, human-interest narrative. Alternatively, it might be worth increasing the theoretical aspect by focusing, for example, on the literature around educating volunteers. (I'm assuming that there is one!)

Best wishes,

Tim Cain

 
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Picture of Moira Laidlaw
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Moira Laidlaw - Wednesday, 3 August 2011, 11:13 AM
 

Hi Deirdre, Tim and others. I am offering the following simply out of interest. I am not a peer reviewer, but the paper moved me so I would like to be part of the dialogue about it.

I like the paper very much, I have to say. I'm not sure I go along with the critique of it not being sufficiently academic. The subject-matter is very qualitative and personal, yes, that's true - but that doesn't have to matter in itself. In fact it can be seen as a strength, because you substantiate claims, Deirdre, and place your enquiry very clearly within the living theory approach. You develop your arguments, write with passion and commitment and show sensitivity to the views of others. I like in particular your use of Polanyi.

I would endorse the paper and go further to say that such a paper is important because it highlights both Olympic values of excellence with humanitarian values of equal opportunities for all. That's got to be worth publishing in EJOLTS. Although I concur about the importance of rigour, I am not sure that the paper can be classed as being of lesser academic value. The importance of theory is an important point, but Bassey (2000) problematicses the assumptions about validating research in terms of the generation of theory. In positing the idea of relatability instead, I feel he offers a chance for us all to widen what is perceived as legitimate educationAL research.

In my opinion, Deirdre is pointing towards extremely significant values in education through her narration of her own educational processes. I hope by taking on board the comments you've made, Tim, she might then satisfy both sides of the debate on this issue.

A few technical points.

* P. 7 - McNiff has been written as two words.
* Pagination should be p. 45, rather than p45. That's apparent throughout.
* Leaving two spaces at the beginning of each sen tence doesn't look right to me. But that may be just a personal idiosyncracy on my part.

Best wishes to all. Moira

References:

Bassey, M. (2000). ‘FuzzyGeneralisations and best estimates of trustworthiness: a step towards transforming research knowledge about learning into effective teaching practice’. Retrieved on August 3rd 2011 from http://www.tlrp.org/acadpub/Bassey,2000.pdf

 
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Margaret Farren
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Margaret Farren - Thursday, 4 August 2011, 11:02 AM
 

Pip Bruce Ferguson has asked me to post her response as she is having problems with login. Pip is not the reviewer but would like to be part of the dialogue.


Hi Deirdre and others

I am inclined to agree with Moira in her comments about the benefits of this paper in EJOLTS, but also take Tim’s point about theory. In some ‘informal’ comments to you earlier, Deirdre, I had suggested that (a) you ensure that early in the paper, you incorporate some of the collaborative work that doesn’t shine through until later, in the iteration that I read. That would enable you to build on the theory of action research being collaborative (there’s heaps on that), and I also referred you to the Carr and Kemmis work on location of the ‘researcher’ vis-à-vis’ the group’.


Again, Tim’s point about literature around volunteering could be addressed – I recently proofread an entire PhD thesis that looked at volunteers and volunteering, and if you wished, could connect you up with the author, who has just submitted. She’ll be fully au fait with the literature around volunteering and could give you a steer.


Having said that, it is also obvious from the reference Moira cited (and recent work here in New Zealand – see the Leach paper attached) that conceptions of theory are far from uniform. I would certainly encourage you to continue work on this paper and to keep it with EJOLTS rather than locating it elsewhere.

And I’d still love your clearance to use your tables showing the AR process, in a workshop I’ll be running later this month!


Kind regards and all the best with the paper.


Pip

 
PDF document Tertiary_Teachers_and_Theory_Avoidance_-_Linda_Leach_2011.pdf
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Margaret Farren
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Margaret Farren - Thursday, 4 August 2011, 10:52 AM
 

This review is from Jacqueline Scholes-Rhodes - one of the formal reviewers of the paper.

Dear Deirdre

I have very much enjoyed reviewing your paper – both from the perspective of reading a narrative account that represents an area of work/life very different from my own, and from the perspective of appreciating an account presented through a multi-media framework. The two cycles of action reflection are clearly evident as a structure to the paper.

As I read through your work l pick up evidence of your claim to embrace your own values in your educative work, and can hear that element of your voice very clearly. I am more intrigued by your claim to influence the learning of others, and the degree to which their voices are heard in expressing their personal knowledge and creativity. Having read the paper several times your own ‘I’ as researcher comes over as very formative in the research – and I wonder how you might allow us to hear the voices of others a little more strongly in a way that would evidence their participation in the research. Did they influence your shaping of the work in any way? Did your shared dialogues co- create new knowledge? I would encourage you to see if you might include an exploration of this.

I find the opening video clip very powerful and immediately feel a connection with Tim Shriver, and wonder what it might feel like to hear your own voice at this moment, expressing similar values and perhaps evidencing your connection with your sister and how it feels to be so impacted. This leads me to pose a question about the way in which you might integrate your clips – rather than simply include them. As a reader unfamiliar with mixed forms of presentation I need to feel that the clips enhance my connection with your text.

So, may I suggest that you read through the text and see what you yourself hear and feel when you access the clips? Can you track the connections, do you have sufficient signposting to appreciate the meaning of the clips, do the clips in fact offer additional insights or are they illustrations? Can the reader pick up an indication of your intent – where should they put their attention so that they can better appreciate specific expressions of feeling, so that they can look out for the point of an emergent insight or a shift in knowing?

If these questions represent your own purpose in including the clips – and they may not of course - then I would also encourage you to reflect on the relevance of the links to pages such as Skype or Google Blogger, or a link to an EU report of 326 pages. As a reader I need more signposting please.

May I also encourage you to check the guidelines on referencing, especially where you are including extracts in the text. At the bottom of page 8 for example you refer to Jean McNiff as Mc Niff (including a space) and have inserted an apostrophe at the end of the quotation. There are several apostrophes throughout the text that seem either inappropriate or incorrect and I would encourage you to review them carefully; for example on page 18 ‘the video’s seemed to be...’ there is no need for an apostrophe. Similarly there are a few punctuation errors that need correcting before you submit your final text – such as on page 5, section 1.2 where at the end of the first paragraph you have either omitted the second inverted comma or have included both a question mark and a full stop. I also ask you to review your use of under-scores and commas – I’m not sure they always add to the flow of the text.

If you are able to review the above comments and respond in a way that has meaning for you then I will be happy to support a revised submission.

Best wishes

Jacqueline


 
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Deirdre Flood
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Deirdre Flood - Thursday, 4 August 2011, 11:53 AM
 

Thank you Tim, Moira, Pip and Jacqueline for posting your comments and references to the forum and indeed finding a way to do so through Margaret.

I would like to acknowledge that I have now read all of the comments and understand that there are clearly differences in views and I would like to take a few more days to find a balance that reflects that in my reworked paper. 

I would also like to note that it is my intention to submit my paper to EJOLTS because its commitment to ' publishing the accounts of practitioner-researchers from a wide range of global, social, cultural and professional contexts that explain their educational influences in their own learning, in the learning of others and in the learning of social formations' is one that I endorse.

Pip I have no problem at all with you using my visual AR tables from my paper in your workshop.  I have some European research on volunteering which I have pulled into my reworked version to date but I would be very interested in being directed to any body of knowledge that might further my own learning in relation to education in the voluntary sector.

Thanks again to you all.

Best Regards

Deirdre

 
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Picture of Moira Laidlaw
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Moira Laidlaw - Thursday, 4 August 2011, 2:42 PM
 

Hi Deirdre again. I am delighted that you are still planning on publishing your account in EJOLTS. It is my experience of this process at EJOLTS (see first publication in 2008) that opening myself up to the honest critique of my peers really was helpful in establishing what I cared about, what I was prepared to concede and what remained central to my sense of who I was and what I was about in the world. In addition it improved my thinking, encouraging a flexibility creativity in response to the ideas of others.

I look forward very much to reading the new version of your very important paper.

Love and respect, Moira

 
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Deirdre Flood
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Deirdre Flood - Thursday, 4 August 2011, 4:25 PM
 

Hi Moira

Thank you very much for your earlier contribution which I found most helpful and for being so generous as to express your own experience of this process on EJOLTS for a first timer like me!  Honesty is one of my educational values therefore I am very open and grateful to experience this process of critquing from the calibre of members who have responded on this forum.   I certainly have lots to consider and assimilate like you say in a way that retains the essence of who I am and what I am trying to do.   I really hope I will be able improve the intelligibility of this work to a wider audience and I look forward to sharing my next step in that direction.

Take care

Best Regards

Deirdre

 
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Picture of Jack Whitehead
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Jack Whitehead - Monday, 8 August 2011, 1:28 PM
 
Hi Deidre (and all), I've enjoyed very much this open review process for your paper. It's been one of the most stimulating set of responses I've seen and I'm looking forward to reading what I'm hoping is your final draft before publication.

There is one point that I've enjoyed thinking about in relation to your original draft and Tim's reviewer's comments. The point relates to two ways of understanding 'Theory'. What I like about your original paper is the way you used values as explanatory principles. I take values to be necessary to explanatory principles in the generation of a living educational theory. What I understand by a living educational theory is that it is an explanation of an individual's educational influence in their own learning and in the learning of others (it can also include the learning of social formations). I think your paper is fulfilling this sense of living theory.

I also liked Tim's response where he was asking for evidence of more engagement with theory. I took Tim's point to be focused on a second way of understanding theory as a set of propositional relationships that form abstract generalities from which explanations of individual actions can be derived and explained. This open review process has been most helpful to me in clarifying for myself these two different ways in which 'theory' can be used.

Love Jack.
 
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Tim Cain
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Tim Cain - Wednesday, 10 August 2011, 12:39 PM
 
Dear Deirdre, Jack and others,
I think the discussion about theory, contained in Linda Leach's paper posted by Pip, is really helpful. There are many ways of understanding theory and this article provides, in my view, a great overview.

Personally (in response to Jack's comment) I wouldn't want to be associated with an understanding of theory as being only "a set of propositional relationships that form abstract generalities from which explanations of individual actions can be derived and explained". I like Handal and Lauvas (1987) who describe ‘practical theory’ (which is one understanding of theory) as ‘a person’s private, integrated but ever-changing system of knowledge, experience and values’ (p. 9). I think this comes quite close to Jack's view of living educational theory.

Handal and Lauvas (1987) describe three 'levels' of practical theory: reflections on actions, reflections on theoretical and practical reasons for actions, and reflections on the ethical and philosophical principles which underpin those reasons. As I understand it, they call for a system of supervision which enables teachers to better integrate these three levels of reflection in their practical theory.

When I was reviewing your article, Deirdre, I felt that it might have been better if this aspect had had more attention. I've just re-read it and I still feel the same - it covers loads of ground but I'm really not sure what the core of your (theoretical, rather than practical) learning was. You discuss each level - you did these things, you had these reasons and you had these ethical principles - but I don't get a sense of how these were developed and perhaps became better integrated through the research.

However, if it helps, I withdraw my suggestion that you find another place to publish it - the quality of discussion that it has stimulated clearly shows its contribution to the EJOLTS community! I hope the revisions go well.

Warm regards, Tim

Handal, G. & Lauvas, P. (1987) Promoting reflective teaching: supervision in practice. Buckingham: Open University Press.
 
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Deirdre Flood
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Deirdre Flood - Saturday, 27 August 2011, 9:48 PM
 
Thank-you Jack and Tim for your recent responses which were much appreciated.

I am most grateful to all who offered a critique of my research paper and I would like you all to know that I have fully and carefully considered all contributions made. I would now like to offer my revised paper in direct response which I have attached.

All of the videos I completed in June are now integrated into this reworked version of my paper and signposted along the way (thank-you Jacqueline). Tim I know you could not access video from your location on the first review of my paper but I would ask that you review the videos in this version as I believe they are integral to the explanations of my practice. Also in pursuit of clarifying the meanings of my embodied values as explanatory principles in my Action Research Living Theory methodology, I offer the visual representations embedded and linked to my paper as my expression of being critical in this regard. The videos also represent my cognitive enrichment/transformation as I sought to maximise the pedagogical capabilities of the medium of video to the level of visual literacy and technical proficiency I was able to achieve during this time.

I have also added Appendix A and B which provides (hopefully) an easy reference and access to all of the videos presented. Appendix A lists the six video links for the final product of my research i.e. the Changing Lives videos which will be uploaded to Special Olympics Ireland Moodle learning management system very shortly. All of the videos are quite short.
Finally I have also provided some evaluative comments from the volunteers towards my research question which I received in July this year which I hope provides some indication of the response to my teaching intentions in the video which I have included in Appendix C as a full evaluation was beyond the scope of my original enquiry.

Thank-you once again and I hope you enjoy the paper.

Best Regards
Deirdre
 
Word document DF_2.doc
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Picture of Moira Laidlaw
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Moira Laidlaw - Sunday, 28 August 2011, 12:35 PM
 

Hi Deirdre. I've just spent a really wonderful time going through the re-edited paper. It reads so clearly, and so cogently in pursuit of the values you show us. I particularly like the idea of passion and how you contextualise it. For me the absolute highlight in a paper full of highlights, is the outtakes. Why? Because in there are the love, the joy, the passion, the humour, the warmth, the humanity, indeed all those values that I am sure all your readers will identify with. It's a beautiful paper, Deirdre. Congratulations!

Just one tiny thing I noticed: p. 14 at the bottom: Farrens, should read Farren’s.

Good luck in everything you're doing.

Love from, Moira x

 
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Deirdre Flood
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Deirdre Flood - Tuesday, 30 August 2011, 10:34 AM
 

Hi Moira

Thank-you very much for taking the time to read the re-edited paper and for your kind comments and good wishes.  I am delighted that you enjoyed it. 

I am very lucky to volunteer with a fantastic group of people and I think the Outtakes video probably captured best the nature of our interactions using the video camera. 

I will also fix that grammatical error thanks for identifying it Moira.

Take care

Best Regards

Deirdre

 
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Picture of Moira Laidlaw
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Moira Laidlaw - Wednesday, 31 August 2011, 12:35 PM
 

Hi Deirdre. It's been a real pleasure seeing the paper develop. My personal hope is that you might write another paper further down the line about what you're doing. I think your work is very significant in terms of showing us the kinds of values we need to live by in order to bring a greater quality of life FOR ALL into focus.

Best wishes, Moira x

 
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Picture of Pip Bruce Ferguson
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Pip Bruce Ferguson - Wednesday, 31 August 2011, 9:43 PM
 

Dear Deirdre

I have now had the fun of reading your latest iteration, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was also able to reproduce your two diagrams showing your cycles of AR to a workshop that I ran yesterday. Thanks so much for the permission, and like me, my participants were most impressed by the way you had used technology to record and present your work.

I think, as one of your respondents noted in the latest iteration, that you have produced a resource that will be very useful not only in Ireland but across the world. I plan to forward the link to my brother and sister-in-law who have two children with Down Syndrome, one of whom is also an ardent (and sneaky) video operator! I'm sure both they and their children will enjoy the work, and they may be able to disseminate it more widely within their own circles.

All the best for your future work Deirdre, and thanks for your positive reception of reviewer comments and incorporation of these in this latest iteration.

Warm regards

Pip

 
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Deirdre Flood
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Deirdre Flood - Tuesday, 6 September 2011, 9:26 PM
 

Hi Pip

Thanks so very much for your review and feedback on both versions of my paper.  I would be thrilled if your brother and sister in law could relate to my work as I have found visual media particularly video really changed the landscape of my practice as a volunteer.  I also now appreciate the potential that video as a medium holds in allowing people with an intellectual disability express themselves directly particularly when the written form is not always an option that is available.    I'm sure that your niece/nephew as an ardent video operator demonstrates this self expression to you regularly even if you are the subject of the video!

Thanks again Pip and I would be very interested in taking you up on your offer to connect with the author of the PHD paper you proof read on Volunteering/Volunteerism.  Perhaps if you prefer we could do this outside this forum if Branko or Margaret would kindly provide my personal email address to you. 

Best Regards

Deirdre

 
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Picture of Jacqueline Scholes-Rhodes
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Jacqueline Scholes-Rhodes - Monday, 5 September 2011, 2:10 PM
 

Hi Deirdre

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your revised paper. My sense of connectivity with your 'I' and the embodiment of your living values makes this a very different experience. I now hear clearly your two cycles of research, and appreciate the meaning of your wishing to use video to express dimensions of the work that might not otherwise be expressed. Your insights feel authentic and pull me into the text, and I both see and hear the voices of your fellow researchers. Their sense of fun and enjoyment is so clear. Like Moira, I look forward to hearing and reading more about your learning and research. Thank you for sharing it. Jacqueline    

 
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Deirdre Flood
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Deirdre Flood - Wednesday, 7 September 2011, 12:08 PM
 

Hi Jacqueline

I found the comments you made originally in this review process very helpful because although I had not completed all of the video material by the time I was invited to make my first submission, I understood from your review that the integration of the existing videos and media elements needed more signposting if an objective reader like yourself were to fully appreciate their meaning and purpose.   As I re-engaged with my paper with your comments in mind, I also recognised  the need to integrate and relocate the visual tables back into the main body of the paper in a similar fashion.  I hoped that this would also provide more clarity within my self study framework using Living Theory action research of how I engaged and collaborated with the participants in a way that was designed not to overburden particularly the volunteers over the year I conducted my enquiry. 

However, although I felt it was important in the sense of being honest that I recognise and declare how I was introduced to Special Olympics through my sister I feared that drawing on that connection further would have expanded beyond the scope of my educational values and I therefore chose not to.

So thank you Jacqueline for your voice in this process which became the supportive voice in my mind as I re-edited my paper.   I am so glad you enjoyed reading it and that you were able to connect with the meanings I tried to make explicit and sensed the fun and enjoyment in the process.

Best Regards

Deirdre

 
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Tim Cain
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Tim Cain - Monday, 3 October 2011, 5:45 PM
 
Dear all,
I'd really appreciate help to access Deirdre's YouTube clips.

So - I've downloaded the article and gone to the pdf headed 'Cycle 2: How I worked with the club'. As I understand it, this is where the important clips are.

I click on the link - nothing happens.

So I zoom in to 200% and copy the URL by hand, on a piece of paper. (for example, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKgfF_hiYog)

I then type this into the browser and hit return. The link tells me that it is private and I need a log in (my ejolts one doesn't work for this).

I've tried this procedure at home and at work and get the same results; it's pretty frustrating.

What is most frustrating is that I feel like a technical idiot. Obviously EVERYONE else can access these files and I can't!

So - what am I doing wrong?

Best wishes,

Tim Cain
 
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Picture of Pip Bruce Ferguson
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Pip Bruce Ferguson - Tuesday, 4 October 2011, 2:20 AM
 

Hi Tim

There's obviously a glitch in your system as it works fine from the paper for me. But I have copied in the URLs for the youtube clips from the end of Deirdre's paper - if you copy the URL into a web browser, it ought to take you to the clips. There is, however, a statement at the top of the clip saying it's only accessible to some users who have the link, so perhaps your system has a firewall in or something that's blocking access?

Good luck, and I hope that something helps.

Pip

Video 1 Eunice Kennedy Shriver – Narrated by Tim Shriver 2

http://www.specialolympics.org/CBS_human_highlight-reel_long.aspx

Video 2 Verbal Ethics Presentation to the Senior Club Athletes 16

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewi1MomzF-E

Video 3 Changing Lives video Production 2 of 6 30

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmJnYG7-YeI

Video 4 Committee roles from Changing Lives video production 4 of 6 32

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M41U3pHtu08

Video 5 Planning the Film Night 35

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tOXxqnVUzw

Video 6 The Film Night Production 36

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yaNYMc4W3g

Video 7 Working with Susie – from distraction to action 42

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4irfqqNy40

Video 8 Fun with Susie making the video 43

 
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Branko Bognar
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Branko Bognar - Tuesday, 4 October 2011, 1:29 PM
 
Dear Tim, to open a link in a MS Word document left-click while holding down the ctrl key. And Pip is right - videos are available but only for those with the links. Since you have links there should not be a problem. If you would still have any problem, please let me know. I will try to help you with that. We could use Skype for our communication too.
 
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Tim Cain
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Tim Cain - Tuesday, 4 October 2011, 9:38 AM
 
Hi Deirdre,
I've just been able to access your videos for the first time since getting your paper to review (Thank you for your help, Pip!) Suddenly I understand why people love your paper so much. The videos show what the written word can't - I'm thinking especially of the one 'From distraction to action', which seems to me to show a deep level of understanding that can't be captured in other ways.

So I have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending that this paper is published. (Given the skills you've acquired, you could be in demand to give up the day job and to produce high-quality, sensitive and emotionally mature, educational videos!)

Reviewing this paper has raised several questions for me. I do believe that Deirdre's videos show embodied knowledge, in a way that the written word simply can't. So what is the relationship between the written article and the videos or, to put it another way, between theoretical knowledge and embodied knowledge? Might it be more helpful to put the videos centre-stage and make the paper subordinate? How about getting rid of the paper altogether?

Deirdre - How did you find the relationship between your academic writing and the video? Do they seem to complement each other or do you perceive any areas of disconnection? If you could have done this again, knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently?

These are just questions, and I don't have any answers in mind. I guess the are part of a journey into embodied knowledge, how it is represented, how it can be developed, and how it relates to other sorts of knowledge.

Warm regards to all,

Tim
 
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Picture of Jack Whitehead
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Jack Whitehead - Tuesday, 4 October 2011, 3:50 PM
 
Dear Tim, Deirdre and all, What a delightful review Tim. I do agree about the significance of Deirdre's video in communicating a deep level of understanding. I also echo your point about Deirdre's skills in producing high-quality, sensitive and emotionally mature educational videos - I was in Dublin City University a couple of weeks ago where this work is being supported by Yvonne Crotty. Yvonne is working on her PhD in this area. I do like your questions Tim and will work on them myself.

This coming Thursday evening (6th October) at the University of Bath there is a meeting of an international continuing professional development project on embodied knowledge and I'll bring your point to everyone's attention:

"I guess the are part of a journey into embodied knowledge, how it is represented, how it can be developed, and how it relates to other sorts of knowledge."

Deirdre - looking forward very much to seeing your paper published in the next issue of EJOLTS.

Love Jack.
 
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Deirdre Flood
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Deirdre Flood - Friday, 14 October 2011, 1:08 AM
 
Thanks a million Jack!
I look forward to following future discussions and developments in this area and of course your media presentations!

Take care
Best Regards
Deirdre
 
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Deirdre Flood
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Deirdre Flood - Friday, 14 October 2011, 12:48 AM
 

Thank-you very much Tim.

I am sorry you appear to have had some difficulty accessing my video work. I wish I had known earlier as I would have been happy to assist you even if it were over a Skype call. Nonetheless, I am glad you persevered. I noticed the link you referenced was related to my original submission in early June at which time only a portion of the videos were complete. In my revised paper which I submitted in August, I considered that some people may have difficulty accessing the video work from the multimedia tables therefore I added a listing of all the videos referenced in the paper in Appendix A and B.

Appendix A contains the formal product of my research i.e. a set of videos produced for Special Olympics Ireland to upload to their Moodle learning management system. The integration of these videos into the online induction module is underway at present. The set of six videos is titled 'Changing Lives', and I have listed them below.

Video 1 of 6 Overview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-SfIUY1WyU

Video 2 of 6 Introduction

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmJnYG7-YeI

Video 3 of 6 Beyond Sport

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhebRApAIF0

Video 4 of 6 Committee Roles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M41U3pHtu08

Video 5 of 6 Volunteering in Action

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZST2lobZss

Video 6 of 6 Questions?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ8rwR4GOmw

In Appendix B, I provided a listing of all the video links directly referenced in the paper which Pip kindly sent to you last week. Note there was just one link missing on Pip's posting i.e. ‘Fun with Susie Making the Video’, which I have included below along with the remainder of my own videos.

Video 1 Verbal Ethics Presentation to the Senior Club Athletes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewi1MomzF-E

Video 2 Planning the Film Night

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tOXxqnVUzw

Video 3 The Film Night Production

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yaNYMc4W3g

Video 4 Working with Susie – from distraction to action

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4irfqqNy40

Video 5 Fun with Susie making the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcLrjHb-Weg

In response to your questions I think that my academic writing and the videos (especially in paper 2) do indeed complement each other on the basis that both need to be examined in tandem to fully appreciate the manifestation of my values in education and the embodied meanings I have tried to communicate whilst attempting to make the 'Changing Lives' video. However, it was your initial questions Tim that made me realise just how easy it was for disconnection to occur in relation to meaning particularly when you were cut off from the videos. I also understood that I needed to forge better links and signposting in relation to the integration of the videos and my writing based on the feedback I received in this forum from the folks who could access the videos and I hope I addressed this adequately in paper 2.

I have therefore found this review process to be a most educational experience in itself and I believe it has afforded me an opportunity to listen to different perspectives and examine how I could present my paper in a way that would perhaps address diverging opinions. I carefully considered the initial review you made and in my revised paper I expanded my literature review and presented it up front in response to your queries as I could see the value of a reader connecting with the theory first.

In reality however, my heuristic approach towards my action research enquiry, drove me to connect regularly with the literature but it was a non linear procession in relation to the timeline of the action itself. For example Cycle 1 became a reconnaissance on whether video would be viable as a non formal educational medium in Special Olympics. Through the process of reflection on my actions I could attempt to make sense of what I was experiencing in this cycle using the literature to ground my analysis of meaning.

The particular challenge for me was to identify how living my values through action research affected the way I interacted with my environment, the decisions I took and how it shaped the production of the non-formal learning video called 'Changing Lives'. Without that continual process of reflection in relation to my values in my research I would have taken important aspects of the process of making the video for granted in the context of possibly ignoring the impact of my own tacit knowledge as a volunteer with Special Olympics. If I had taken a positivist stance to theory generation using propositional and dialectical logics perhaps using a deductive research approach, my focus would probably have been purely on the technical aspects and evaluation of educational video production. My fear in relation to going down this route in my writing was that I would disconnect from my values and the embodied meaning would be lost as I do not think this approach would have connected with readers in the same way.

Nancy Duarte in her 2010 book called 'Resonate', talks about creating visual presentations that connect with their audience. Duarte cites Martha Graham a famous American dancer and powerful communicator who once said 'There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost'. Graham believed that the emotional world made visible by a dancer's movement could not always be expressed in words. Although not through dance (ignoring my Thriller dance in the 'Beyond Sport' video), I enjoyed the freedom of creative visual expression within the scope of my research enquiry. This allowed me to attempt to express embodied meanings of my values as explanatory principles in why I am doing what I am doing in my own unique way.

I do think a skilled writer could convey these meanings using the written word by painting concrete imagery and emotions in a persons mind but video can portray it in seconds. In my case my value of honesty also drove me to produce the supporting video evidence because I wanted the viewer to apprehend the mediated experience for themselves.

To answer your last question Tim about doing things differently, I know technically I could have improved the videos e.g. in relation to lighting and sound although it would have required additional equipment which may have been more intrusive and took away the realism. However setting aside the technical aspects for a moment I am not sure I would have changed too much for the purpose of what I set out to do.

If I were to expand on this work in the future, I would love to have the opportunity to work with the athletes and invite their participation in the storyboard process and the production of a video that directly represents their interests in the Club in relation to volunteering. Many videos I've watched in the media relating to Special Olympics builds on the emotions stirred by the achievement of an athlete in the face of adversity. I have come to know each athlete in our Club as their own unique person and if I were to produce an appropriate video concept in the future I would welcome the athletes involvement and voice in the process. I now know from my experience that the athletes would be very open to working collaboratively on a project like this as Susie in particular demonstrated to me. Also for informal learning, I am interested in the concept of using stories within a pedagogic screenwriting framework as volunteers may remember the content over facts and figures.

Hope this is not too long of a response and thanks again Tim

Best Regards

Deirdre

 
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Anke Jauch
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Anke Jauch - Friday, 14 October 2011, 10:23 AM
 

Liebe Deirdre!
Die herzlichsten Glückwünsche zu Ihrem faszinierenden Artikel! Ich durfte den reviewing prozess verfolgen und drückte Ihnen fest die Daumen während des Prozesses. Ihr engagiertes, mutiges und wichtiges Projekt mit den aussagekräftigen Videoclips sind richtungsweisend für ein respektvolles Miteinander in unserer schönen Welt. Sie öffnen die Herzen mit dem passenden Schlüssel und ich wünsche Ihnen weiterhin viel Freude, Erfolg, Mut und Kraft sperrige Türen bewusst auf zustoßen.
Beste Grüße aus Deutschland!
Anke Jauch
***


Dear Deirdre.

Congratulations for your fascinating article! I was able to follow the reviewing process and kept my fingers crossed all the time. Your heartfelt, courageous and important project with the moving video-clips are indicative of a respectful sense of community, much needed in the world. You open people's hearts with your writing, and I wish you in the future much success, happiness and courage, and the strength to continue to open those doors with your particular kind of understanding.

Best wishes from Germany.

Anke Jauch.

 
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Deirdre Flood
Re: How can I produce a web-accessed video that will educate volunteers on how they can contribute their time at Club Level in Special Olympics?
by Deirdre Flood - Saturday, 15 October 2011, 12:01 PM
 

Dear Anke

Thank-you for your kind words and wishes. I am very happy to know that you cared enough about my work to cross your fingers through this review process and I am most grateful that you invested your personal energy in responding in this forum to let me know your thoughts.

I am relatively new to EJOLTS but I must tell you that I was drawn to your published paper earlier this year because the title of your paper stood out as it was about rebuilding the relationship your sister. I was intrigued about how a person might write and present a research paper about something so entirely personal and I was not disappointed. I read your paper at that time from beginning to end and it held my attention the whole way through. I thought it was a wonderful inspiring example of how Living Theory action research can be used to make a difference and to finding a pathway to the bigger picture in life. In your self study you put a real effort into living your values and committed yourself through self reflection towards changing old patterns and I don't imagine for a moment that it was easy. I could also see from your writing how much you valued your critical friend Moira who appears to have assisted in opening a safe space and place of clarity in which you were able to challenge your assumptions and decipher what you were in fact learning from the action you took. It struck me how much Moira really listened to where you were coming from and with such sensitivity. I am also most grateful to Moira for her attention to reading my paper and her voice in this review process.

Schönen Dank Anke and I hope you don't mind me taking the opportunity to tell you about my experience reading your paper!

Best of luck to you and your sister in the future!

Best Regards

Deirdre


 
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