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Frances Bell

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Dimensions of power, knowledge and rhizomatic thinking

My first thought when I hear the word power is of an individual exerting power over another – getting them to do something or stop doing something (possibly by raising a physical or verbal fist). But I am guessing that’s not going to be enough in rhizomatic thinking where we are thinking about the connections…

The Perils of Rhizomatic Learning

In this post I am trying to make sense of what (little) I think I know about rhizomatic thinking and fitting it in some sort of context with other post-structuralist thinking in my journey to rhizomatic learning whilst engaged in the #rhizo14 MOOC. Comments and corrections would be most welcome. Post-structuralist Thinking Post-structuralism can be…

Rhizo14 – Cheating and Learning

This is my introductory post for the MOOC Rhizo14. I have joined because I want to understand more about rhizomatic learning. I have been quite interested in MOOCs in general (less so in the enormous MOOCs run by high-profile universities and then spun out into commercial services. What interests me is the comparison between informal…

A sorry tale of wood-burning stoves and miscommunication

A morality tale This is a morality tale for those who have or intend to purchase a wood-burning stove to help bring down their energy bills, and those who are crafting home grown gifts for family and friends. If, like us, you fall into both categories beware the hidden dangers. The excitement On Friday, I…

Learning more about WordPress

My timing for going on the WordPress Intermediate course at Madlab was excellent – just as I am recreating my online presence as I left Salford. This will be one of my last posts here but I’ll be re-directing everything to the new site. Madlab has lots of really cool courses , and Mike Little who…

Starting ETMOOC

IMG_2406, a photo by frances bell on Flickr. This is my introductory post for ETMOOC. I am Frances Bell and ,until 31 January, a Senior Lecturer in the University of Salford, and then who knows what? I will definitely be spending more time in my beloved garden. I enjoyed CCK08 my first MOOC, and I…

Identity under re-construction

moocardproof, a photo by frances bell on Flickr. I leave the University of Salford on 31 January as a member of staff, continuing as a student for 6 months as I complete my PhD by publications. Although my usual workload has gradually declined, I am very busy with the ‘work’ of re-constructing my identity. (I…

Listen to the mother’s voice

IMG_9388, a photo by frances bell on Flickr. This blog post is a bit of a departure for me – it is intensely personal and provoked by the tragedy of the death of Savita Halappanavar in a Galway hospital following the miscarriage of her 17 week foetus. I don’t usually post on personal issues but…

PhD as Time Team Episode

Preface:I was prompted to write this post by my colleague Andrew Basden’s interpretation of my ‘ critique’ of the area in which he researches and supervises PhDs. However, as I approach the end of this phase of my career (I leave Salford in January 2013), I have been reflecting on various activities, PhD supervison being…

PLE Conference 2012 Unkeynote 1

Antonio de Figuerido and Frances Bell were invited to give the opening unkeynote at the PLE 2012 Conference at the University of Aveiro, Portugal on 10 July. We hope that the resources we provide here and elsewhere might become part of our PLEs. Conference participants and other interested parties were invited to submit questions in…