Author Archives: pat thomson

About pat thomson

Pat Thomson is Professor of Education in the School of Education, The University of Nottingham, UK

online learning for all

Posted on June 1, 2020

This is a guest post from Anna Pilson. Anna is a PhD student at Durham University School of Education. Her ESRC-funded project aims to create a participatory action research model that positions children with a vision impairment as knowledge producers and … Continue reading →

Posted in ableism, academic writing, online identity, online meeting, online teaching | Tagged ableism, Anna Pilson, online meetings, online teaching | 2 Comments

five suggestions for universal PhD ‘after-care’

Posted on May 25, 2020

One of the things that has become obvious during lockdown is how much more we might do for PhDers contemplating their futures. If ever there was a time to start something better and more supportive for researchers in our care, … Continue reading →

Posted in academic mentoring, academic writing, after-care, library, mentoring, PhD, PhD completion, postdoc, research mentoring | Tagged hot desk, library access, mentor, Pat Thomson, PhD after-care | 4 Comments

lockdown diary

Posted on May 18, 2020

I’ve been in lockdown with my partner for two months now. I have hardly left the house, apart from the occasional walk. Well I have been outside, of course, but in our small backyard and not proper outside outside, if … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, emotional labour, lockdown, pandemic, productivity | Tagged emotional regime, FONDA, lockdown, pandemic, Pat Thomson, producivity | 5 Comments

gulp – deadlines despite lockdown

Posted on May 11, 2020

Be kind to others and to yourself. Do what you can do. Make small daily goals. Be realistic. Celebrate every victory. Don’t be hard on yourself. These are extraordinary times. These are the messages that I and a lot of … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, deadline, list, pandemic, to do list | Tagged deadlines, list, lockdown, pandemic, Pat Thomson | 5 Comments

progress

Posted on May 4, 2020

Progress – getting somewhere. Good progress – doing what is expected and a bit more. Poor progress – the reverse. Remember those ambiguous school reports? “Patricia is making good progress with… , but she could do better in … ” Patricia … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, pandemic, progress | Tagged academic wriitng, pandemic, Pat Thomson, productivity, progress | 7 Comments

we need to talk about Zoom

Posted on April 27, 2020

This is a guest post from Mark Carrigan who works as postdoctoral research fellow in the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge. There’s a peculiar kind of exhaustion which comes from spending an afternoon staring at Zoom. I’m mentally drained … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, Mark Carrigan, meetings, online meeting | Tagged Mark Carrigan, online meetings | 7 Comments

a parable for online teaching

Posted on April 20, 2020

The early 1930s. Pre Nazi Germany. Walter Benjamin, philosopher and cultural critic, regularly presents a twenty minute “book lore”programme on German radio. In his story “On the minute” Benjamin tells us that when his programmes were first commissioned, the department … Continue reading →