CMALT 2011 and 2021: Personal narratives for professional recognition

Professional recognition through Certified Membership of the Association for Learning Technology (CMALT) provides a significant opportunity for all those who use learning technologies to be acknowledged for their experience, capabilities, and practice. The CMALT portfolio requires a personal narrative that presents description, critical reflection, and evidence of professional practice. Through an experiential lens, this paper considers three facets of the authors’ CMALT experiences a decade apart—how the portfolios as personal narratives encouraged reflection on practice; the commonalities in the technology themes presented in those portfolios; and how reflective coaching contributed to the benefits of applying for CMALT.

How Teachers Perceive the Ongoing Influence of a Portfolio on Reflection: A Case Study

<p>This case study investigated the long-term influences of compiling a portfolio on resource teachers’ (RTLB) reflection on practice. The findings provide a detailed analysis of the reflection that is stimulated by the portfolio process and the extent to which this has been ongoing in the RTLBs’ practice. Compiling the portfolio stimulated the RTLBs’ reflection on practice in a number of aspects, from selecting cases and evidence to writing, reading, collegial support, and professional supervision. It also promoted a more critical understanding of what it means to be a reflective practitioner. Among these, the writing involved in the portfolio process appears to be one of the most important factors in promoting reflection. However, reflective writing has not been maintained in the participants’ current practice, whereas other aspects of reflection have, to some extent, continued. The overall quality of reflection has thus become more technical, albeit less deep, as it grows to cater for participants’ professional needs. Much emphasis is put on formal/professional supervision and collegial support as important vehicles in maintaining the post-portfolio reflection. The former is deemed highly valuable because of the professional guidance and the sense of direction that a professional supervisor can offer as he/she triggers the RTLB’s reflection, while the latter provides them with opportunities to share with their colleagues the things that they find useful, discuss the issues that they have in common, have their practice challenged and critiqued, and look at better practice. The establishment of communities of practice particularly stands out as an effective vehicle for sustaining reflection. The study includes recommendations for maintaining reflection in the post-portfolio phase, as well as for sustained portfolio use. Suggestions are also made for the application of portfolio assessment in the Vietnamese higher education system. Further research is recommended to expand the scope and scale of this study, as is collecting empirical evidence that would validate the findings in a Vietnamese context. A more thorough investigation into the Vietnamese higher education system and its cultural, social and political features is also recommended in order to generate a more detailed proposal for the application of portfolio assessment in Vietnam.</p>

How Teachers Perceive the Ongoing Influence of a Portfolio on Reflection: A Case Study

<p>This case study investigated the long-term influences of compiling a portfolio on resource teachers’ (RTLB) reflection on practice. The findings provide a detailed analysis of the reflection that is stimulated by the portfolio process and the extent to which this has been ongoing in the RTLBs’ practice. Compiling the portfolio stimulated the RTLBs’ reflection on practice in a number of aspects, from selecting cases and evidence to writing, reading, collegial support, and professional supervision. It also promoted a more critical understanding of what it means to be a reflective practitioner. Among these, the writing involved in the portfolio process appears to be one of the most important factors in promoting reflection. However, reflective writing has not been maintained in the participants’ current practice, whereas other aspects of reflection have, to some extent, continued. The overall quality of reflection has thus become more technical, albeit less deep, as it grows to cater for participants’ professional needs. Much emphasis is put on formal/professional supervision and collegial support as important vehicles in maintaining the post-portfolio reflection. The former is deemed highly valuable because of the professional guidance and the sense of direction that a professional supervisor can offer as he/she triggers the RTLB’s reflection, while the latter provides them with opportunities to share with their colleagues the things that they find useful, discuss the issues that they have in common, have their practice challenged and critiqued, and look at better practice. The establishment of communities of practice particularly stands out as an effective vehicle for sustaining reflection. The study includes recommendations for maintaining reflection in the post-portfolio phase, as well as for sustained portfolio use. Suggestions are also made for the application of portfolio assessment in the Vietnamese higher education system. Further research is recommended to expand the scope and scale of this study, as is collecting empirical evidence that would validate the findings in a Vietnamese context. A more thorough investigation into the Vietnamese higher education system and its cultural, social and political features is also recommended in order to generate a more detailed proposal for the application of portfolio assessment in Vietnam.</p>

"I'm Ready for You. Why Won't You Come, Baby?" A Narrative Study of Induction of Labour for Prolonged Pregnancy

<p>The voice of women's experience of prolonged pregnancy and induction of labour is largely absent in the literature. This research relays and reflects upon the stories of four women who were induced because their pregnancies were overdue. The date a woman's baby is due has assumed huge significance. However our methods for dating a pregnancy remain imprecise. Despite this, a very precise timing is recommended by some practitioners as to when to induce, since increasing length of pregnancy increases level of risk of morbidity or mortality to some babies. For the women awaiting the onset of labour and their families, the undercurrents, which affect the milieu as the days pass, include powerful dichotomies. For example the best available research makes a clear recommendation to intervene but reinforces the woman's choice of management, suggesting that it is acceptable to choose to wait. Women experience emotional vulnerability due to apprehension both about continuing to wait, and about having the increasing likelihood of an induced labour. This is a decision that comes closer and closer, yet may not be necessary - a tense 'race' of sorts is in progress. Women experience mounting physical and social pressures, and a generalised, escalating frustration. Some of the common assumptions made about what it is like for women are that it is a struggle to accept the concept of the unreliability of the due date, to parry well meaning but unhelpful comments and the associated pressure, and to remain confident and phlegmatic when there is an alternative to waiting. An increasing number of women go on to be induced. The primary indication cited is 'prolonged pregnancy'. I have employed a narrative approach, using a feminist process and story telling, to convey the experience of being overdue and being induced, together with commentary informed by the literature and reflection on practice. Here women are speaking to women. The vivid detail and openness of the stories engrave messages to caregivers regarding women's needs for support while waiting, and for more information. The stories repeat messages documented in research carried out 25 years ago. Women require best available information, wish to be included in decision making, and should be encouraged to question their midwives and other caregivers on all aspects of pregnancy and proffered interventions.</p>

"I'm Ready for You. Why Won't You Come, Baby?" A Narrative Study of Induction of Labour for Prolonged Pregnancy

<p>The voice of women's experience of prolonged pregnancy and induction of labour is largely absent in the literature. This research relays and reflects upon the stories of four women who were induced because their pregnancies were overdue. The date a woman's baby is due has assumed huge significance. However our methods for dating a pregnancy remain imprecise. Despite this, a very precise timing is recommended by some practitioners as to when to induce, since increasing length of pregnancy increases level of risk of morbidity or mortality to some babies. For the women awaiting the onset of labour and their families, the undercurrents, which affect the milieu as the days pass, include powerful dichotomies. For example the best available research makes a clear recommendation to intervene but reinforces the woman's choice of management, suggesting that it is acceptable to choose to wait. Women experience emotional vulnerability due to apprehension both about continuing to wait, and about having the increasing likelihood of an induced labour. This is a decision that comes closer and closer, yet may not be necessary - a tense 'race' of sorts is in progress. Women experience mounting physical and social pressures, and a generalised, escalating frustration. Some of the common assumptions made about what it is like for women are that it is a struggle to accept the concept of the unreliability of the due date, to parry well meaning but unhelpful comments and the associated pressure, and to remain confident and phlegmatic when there is an alternative to waiting. An increasing number of women go on to be induced. The primary indication cited is 'prolonged pregnancy'. I have employed a narrative approach, using a feminist process and story telling, to convey the experience of being overdue and being induced, together with commentary informed by the literature and reflection on practice. Here women are speaking to women. The vivid detail and openness of the stories engrave messages to caregivers regarding women's needs for support while waiting, and for more information. The stories repeat messages documented in research carried out 25 years ago. Women require best available information, wish to be included in decision making, and should be encouraged to question their midwives and other caregivers on all aspects of pregnancy and proffered interventions.</p>

Creating Space Where Music can Happen

This article examines the role of pre-composed musical material as the basis of a band’s output, from the perspective of composer-bandleaders who direct ensembles of improvising musicians. The article proposes five distinct methods by which composer-bandleaders can navigate the ‘space’ of their band’s output and musical direction. The categories are described originally as follows: Setting a Mood, Call to Arms, Bookend, Elements in Free, Composition as Destination. These proposed methods -— or approaches -— are discovered through the analysis of existing recorded materials and reflection on practice.

A methodology of translatological and sociological cooperation in data collection, analysis, and interpretation

The aim of this study is to present a methodology of joint translatological–sociological cooperation in data collection, analysis, and interpretation to study translation strategies and norms. In order to identify norms, research cannot be restricted to translations: it is imperative to include translators and their practice as well. Thus, key research methods drawn on in this study are textual analyses and semi-structured interviews. The use of these two methods allows for the merging of the observable results of translation practice with translators’ social contextualisation and their reflection on practice (doxa). This method aims to answer the following questions: How do translators translate? Why do they translate the way they do? What do they really do when translating?