1. Tell us who you are and what you are about!

Hi everyone! I am Marion Craven and I live in a rural county in West England. I am a qualified Specialist Dyslexia Teacher, and have been practising part time for 5 years; and I am an assistant SENCo. I teach literacy to children with dyslexia and/or SEN. in a large town junior school; also one to one tutoring in maths.
I want to be a ‘Lead Dyslexia Teacher’ rather than a SENCo, having explored the role last year in my MA. Therefore, I am conscious of focusing my project on SpLD rather than general SEN.
My thoughts for my research project are to coincide with the ‘Achievement for All’ project that my County/school has volunteered to pilot. I was lucky to go to the initial event with my Head and Inclusion Officer, and will be involved in the planning and delivery of this. I would like to focus my project on children’s self-perceptions; and how my actions can affect these (hopefully in a positive way). However, I the number of children involved will be small.

I am Lisa and work in Enfield although I am currently on maternity leave. My previous module looked at thinking skills. I would like to explore this further but focus on the early years and whetehr they have these concepts already 'built in' as it were. I have taught reception before and loved it. Now that I have two small boys this is where my interest lies.

Hello to everyone.
I feel like the 'new kid on the block' and I finally managed to work out how to post a message. I think I must be IT challenged!!!!!
I am Lorraine Fox-Fuller and I am the Head of Centre at Woodside Children's Centre in the London Borough of Haringey. We are extremely busy at the moment as we increase our numbers of children including babies from 6mth old and develop our community services and multi disciplinary approach to all aspects of our work. We will be aligning with our local primary school by April 2010.
My 'multi tasking' is being severely challenged at the moment and I seem to be stuck in an 'operational' management mode when I need to be thinking and acting more strategically. I hope that my research topic will help me solve a problem and improve practice within the centre.

I am planning to focus on an aspect of Leadership and management to enable the developing management team to embrace new ways of working and to support the staff in their delivery of all aspects of the 'core offer' of a Children's Centre.
Yes I am aware that I will have to narrow this topic down and to be more specific in my chosen title, but I need a little more time to think.
I look forward to hearing from anyone who may share my interest and become a 'study buddy'.
Best wishes
Lorraine

Well done everyone for starting. Welcome in the rest of the group. I need to identify those that are in "Early Years" settings and "Inclusion" focused. Can you e mail me separately on i.terrell@mdx.ac.uk please.

Hi, I'm Kathryn and hopefully this year will be the final one for me on the MA programme. Previous research has been primarily AfL focused - success criteria in Maths and questioning skills for TAs. This year I'm hoping to look at improving boys' writing through ICT using a paired mentoring programme. I'm finding it harder to get started this year, because after six years at Oakthorpe in Enfield, I've just moved to Greenleaf in Walthamstow, as deputy, and it is all proving a bit new!
Glad to meet everyone else though. Good luck to all!
Kathryn

Hi everyone,
I am visiting a school tommorrow to explore the role of Inclusion Coordinator, with the intention to apply for the vacancy. If I got this job or even if I didn't but felt it was a way forward, I can see it affecting my MA focus. Inclusion of 'additional needs' rather than SpLD as discussed earlier.
Marion

I am one of the tutors supporting Ian - but at a distance, it is unlikely that I will be meeting you at Trent Park. I have worked in schools for over twenty years and then in universities for seven years before working, as a VSO in The Gambia, with the Ministry of Education as a curriculum development adviser. Reading the work of past students on the MA has been fascinating. What a variety of different working backgrounds you come from! Good luck with your dissertations! Alison

My name is Paul Miller and i am one of the tutors supporting Ian. I live and work in Enfield. I have spent the last 12.5 years teaching in Jamaica and London (Southwark and Enfield). I have written and published in the area of migration, development and identity and my PhD from Institute of Education London examined the migratory experiences of Overseas Trained Teachers.

Good luck to all of you as you embark on this fascinating journey.

Hi, I am Bronwen Chalmers, currently a deputy headteacher in a primary school in Waltham Forest. I think my project is going to be on assessing pupil progress and the effective use of assessment data to improve teaching and learning and raise attainment.

Hi my name is Mavis Scott, I am a bit late joining the conversation, but better late than never. I am a year 5 teacher in a primary school located in Haringey. I have been teaching for the past 6 years and I have worked in both Keystages. I enjoy my job. Over the past two years I have completed modules in 'Teaching and Learning and Leadership and Management. I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about new practices and meeting new people. I hope that my dissertation will be able to bring together all that I have learnt in the past two years.

Just want to introduce myself. I am April and currently work at Park View Academy. In my previous two Action Enquiries I have focused on revision strategies for Year 11 and whether thinking skills can improve the transferability of skills and motivate G&T students. This year I would like to focus on EAL students and investigate different literacy strategies to see if they can help to raise those studnets attainment at BTEC.

Hi, I'm Ann and I'm from Edwinstowe, Notts (Centre Parcs Sherwood Forest is on the same road) In my anxiety to get on with this module, I have already left my 'hello intro' on other sites (Family problems are presently causing senior moments).

I have recently given up the post of Senior Teacher in charge of the Nottingham Centre for Dyslexia Action, having previously held the same post at their Derby Centre. I completed the PGDip Dyslexia & Literacy validated by the Uni of York last year. I am now self-employed and carry out Diagnostic Assessments (Dyslexia) for all ages, including for DSA which I mostly do for the OU in the East Midlands. I also support HE dyslexic students and have applied to tutor SpLD teacher-training courses. I am currently setting up a PATOSS support group for Notts/Derbys - anyone interested please get in touch - annharrislock@aol.com.

As part of my voluntary work, I was recently invited to attend a Gypsies & Travellers Conference at Rufford, Notts and would like to base my research on relevant issues in this community.

I am Sharon Nunes. I am working in secondary education at Gladesmore Community School in North London. I have previously done research on the EAL learner in the mathematics classroom and a management research based on focussing on SEAL to effect changes in the classroom. This year I would like to focus on evaluating a range of strategies in teaching global dimensions.

Hi! My name is Denise Scantlebury, I am a Assistant Head at a school in Hackney. My project is how to raise attainment in Commuication Language and Literacy in Reception and Key stage one.

Hi

My name is Huseyin Veli and im the ICT teacher at Freman college. My project will be based on a debate society which will be up and running shortly in school.