My dad

My dad died unexpectedly on 8th February 2021 (and it wasn't COVID). I say 'unexpectedly' because he was mostly pretty well and healthy as far as we knew and was heading for his 92nd birthday. But at 91 I guess that there was always the growing understanding that we were heading for something like this at some point. It's hard to avoid the inevitable.

But it was a shock. What did I wish I had asked him while I had the time? Well I actually would have asked him what music he wanted at his funeral services for sure. I had the task of organising the funeral services and I knew he liked singing but, apart from Gilbert and Sullivan which he loved, I didn't have a clue what hymns/Christian songs he would like (Gilbert and Sullivan was ruled out of the question by my mum - fair enough). I think I would also have made sure I read and replied to his email sent four weeks before he died where he attached a long document in which he wrote as many stories as he could remember about his life. I wish I'd read it instead of thinking -'I'll get to that when I have some time'. I would have asked him to tell me more.

But I also have a grateful heart that Dad hardly suffered at all, that I talked to him in a zoom call the afternoon before he died, and that all his children and grandchildren were able to gather for his funeral. I'm grateful that I still have my mum, that it's not yet the time that I become the oldest alive in my generation and where I don't have to face up to my own mortality just yet. But then my dad died unexpectedly. Basically, my dad was ready regardless of the unexpected passing and I think I am too - ready, that is, for what comes next. 

What WAS amazing about my dad dying was discovering the love and respect so many people had for him. He was a missionary and the mission society's tribute at the Crem Service was incredible and eye opening. 

And it was amazing that he sent his written memories just four weeks before he died?! The six grandchildren read excerpts from Grandpa's memories as the soundtrack to photos of him during the thanksgiving service. It's here.

My dad was a grafter, and he was truly unable to understand why people just didn't just get on and get things done, he really had no time for wellbeing (he actually said this to me, sorry). But then he lived through a civil war in a country that wasn't his own, saving a lot of lives in the process, he managed without a salary for months on end at times, just managing with as little as possible, he graciously took a junior teaching job when back in the UK at the age of 50 because his experience as Principal for a College in Africa wasn't the right kind of experience to get anything better in the UK. And if I were to tell you what kind of house we lived in when we were abroad, what the bathroom and kitchen facilities were like  - well, perhaps it's not surprising that the slight discomfort of lockdown only had the impact of him being cross that he was no longer needed (did I say he was 91) for preparing and delivering sermons anymore, and why he just accepted uncomfortable changes and got on with things, usually remarking with dry humour and a twinkle in his eye that people are too soft these days!

I'm proud of my dad - that he wasn't whingey, he was interesting to talk to, he was always interested in all the aspects of our lives, he revelled in the achievements and ambitions of his children and grandchildren, and loved to tell us about the people he knew. He had a brilliant awareness of the theatre and loved going to as many plays as possible.  He knew how make an opportunity to buy me a coffee a seriously special memorable treat. And in this small experience I feel I understand more of what I miss about my dad - the little treat that had nothing to do with money or quality of the drink but was all about being made to feel special for just a few moments.

My third dad died a few weeks ago

 

Perhaps it is surprising that I have had three sets of parents in my life. Perhaps it’s also slightly odd that my birth parents are both still alive but my 'younger' 3rd dad now isn’t.  He died really recently and, although it wasn’t a huge shock as he was ill this, plus the additional shock of a church friend’s husband dying unexpectedly last week, has made me pause and reflect about the dads in my life.

MK’s (aka ‘missh’ kids, or kids with missionary parents) are prone to having extended families that have nothing to do with blood relatives. I had loads of aunties and uncles not remotely connected to my family. And I had connections to a large community of people where I lived as a child, of all nationalities and race. It was a jumbled odd life.

At my first boarding school I had dorm 'parents' who looked after a huge family of children of all ages, but I was one of many, so they and I were passing ships in the night really. Mind you, I don't have the best memories of 'Uncle' Hank.

My second set of parents were the people who became my ‘guardians’ when I was in boarding school in the UK, acting in loco parentis - amazing people really. I mean, would you take into your home a pair of bolshy, slightly weird teenagers (my brother and I)?  Go to their school parents evenings (3 hours drive away) etc., give them time and space to grow up? Along with their own teenage kids? Much kudos to these 2nd parents of mine. On an aside they introduced me to wine......and conveniently had a dog who was lovely! It was my 'Aunty' Sheila of these second parents who was both mum and dad as 'Uncle' John was a super busy person. Sheila died last year, but we kept in touch until then. 

My 3rd dad (and mum) were teachers at my boarding school. How impossible it is to talk sometimes about the pros and cons of schools such as these. I know instinctively I said 'no' to my children ever attending a boarding school. But at this particular school were the loveliest, kindest (sometimes quite sharp and challenging too) couple who taught me Physics and Cookery respectively. They lived on site, had a young family themselves and just opened their house to waifs and strays from the School. They collected a lot of us. They mothered and fathered us, they fed us (cakes and cakes and more cakes),  they allowed us to spend time in their garden, they taught us (sorry M, I was always rubbish at Physics but 'we' got a B at 'O' level! How amazing was that?!), and they gave of themselves and their lives. My 3rd dad (and mum) kept in touch when I left, they came to my wedding (well, I did ask them), they wrote us long letters and kept up with what we were doing on social media.

So when your dad dies it's awfully hard. When your 3rd dad dies it's definitely weird as well as hard. But writing something about him and what he did to become my 3rd dad helps a little.

Framework Five: Thing 5: Creation and communication

Finally just in the nick of time - my final 'thing' write-up.

Part A: Re-write the following in 40-50 words

Learners should see themselves as being information creators as well as information users. Information creation, such as presentations, data visualization, writing, maths models etc, is a process which embraces review and change, reusing and re-purposing discovered content in different formats or for future study. Learners will understand the processes by which scholarly material in their discipline is produced, reproduced and disseminated. Learners consider how they contribute to the body of knowledge through original research work (projects and dissertations) and by joining the scholarly conversation within their discipline specific community of practice.

My re-write: 

The process of creation results in manipulating and reviewing information within a framework, and using contextual aids to inform what the shape of the final product might be. Communicating the created product needs an understanding of the product's purpose and its audience.

Part B: Case Studies

1. Personal - Creating a Qwillow (this is a cushion that is also a quilt)

(from pinterest)

I made a qwillow for my grandson. He likes Paw Patrol on TV so I sourced fabric for this and sourced the instructions about how to make a qwillow. There were several instructions I found, one of which made no sense to me, so I abandoned that. I needed this to be a quick project as I was planning on seeing him and wanted to be able to give it to him. The cost was relatively insignificant as I used some materials I had stashed away from other projects. Key issues - measuring the size of each of the pieces of fabric to be used accurately, including the panel and the borders and wadding. Pinning and tacking before sewing revealed a classic error of mine of putting the pillow panel on wrong way around! Once checked and changed then just a quick sew later and it was done. 'Dissemination' involved giving the qwillow to my grandson who really didn't care about the quality of the product - he just liked the Paw Patrol panel!

2. Professional - Sway presentation - libraries supporting teaching and learning in the online environment.

The audience for the Sway document was library staff. It was based on user research - student, academic and library staff feedback gathered. The aim of the research was to explore the issues and benefits of moving into an online learning environment. I participated in a number of meetings and focus groups in the process of gathering this data.  I used storyboarding to outline the key messages I was hearing and also put the concepts into a scribbled model, together with the aspects of library support that appeared to be most relevant. I asked for help to find a mechanism to disseminate the information, and once I had an idea of how I could present the ideas that were forming, the process became easier.

Colleagues helped me with the process in many ways: advice on the presentation 'carrier'; advice on taking a case study approach to presenting parts of the model; peer reviewing of the content, including testing the summary of student experience; advice gathered from CCTL, advice from the Director of Library Services; input from professional services staff and academics. The peer review process was essential in refining materials and explanations. It was useful to have a new Education Programme Operational Group to which I could take the model for comment, promotion and an agreement that although the model is not prescriptive it could be strongly encouraged. How effective this will be going forward is dependent on the next steps of communication. Key to this will initially be small scale presentations and discussion via Team workshops; followed by a) line manager conversations and b) the academic liaision team engaging with it. Ownership by subject libraries and those from other areas of the library community supporting teaching and learning will be vital to the success of the model.

This has been costly in time, but a thoughtful process and one which does not ask too much of staff, but ensures that students receive and excellent experience from libraries. Current working draft is available.


Differences between the two case studies? 

• Completely different audiences - an audience of one vs an audience of lots. 
• Intention - the intention to please in a very simple way vs the intention to get others on board with a way of thinking. 
• One needed a lot of revisions, one didn't; 
• One was just given away for free with no obligation, one was given freely but with the intention of drawing people in to engage with it.

Similarities? 

• Both required research, 
• Both resulted in a created 'thing', and 
• Both needed communicating

Framework Five: Thing 4: Managing Information

Managing Information: 

The CILN Framework's ACTUAL DEFINITION 

Understanding the scholarly practices within their discipline, learners engage with relevant information, related workflows and develop strategies for handling information of all kinds. They demonstrate the ability to identify, gather and synthesise perspectives relevant to a research topic. Information has value and, as creators and users of information, learners will understand their rights and responsibilities (ethics) when participating in a community of scholarship. Information use requires learners to provide appropriate attribution and citation to sources they use and to develop practical skills to manage the range and variety of information sources they employ. 

PART A TASK: Managing Information: my definition

Managing information: gathering and handling relevant information for a purpose; dealing with it in an ethical manner, understanding the responsibilities we might have for that information, whether for ourselves, our colleagues and/or the wider community. Understanding our responsibility leads to establishing robust systems which are effective and efficient. 

PART B TASK 

Personal Story: Managing flower images for a collage 

When we’re not in lockdown I usually spend time creating flower displays for the church I go to. And especially Easter Sunday! Endeavouring to find a way to emulate displays of the past, I had the idea of creating an online equivalent which could use lots of people’s flower/garden images and create a collage. My first priority was to request images and I used Facebook and Instagram to reach out to friends. Photographs soon started coming through but in quite a variety of different formats and through different tools! First job was to download them from FB, WhatsApp, email, instagram, MSM (this was a picture of a painting from a 4-year old sent in by her mum!)  and then to store them ready for working. I was determined right from the word go to make sure that I included at least one image from everyone who had contributed so it was vital that I downloaded and stored and named all the images systematically. I labelled each image with a number and the name of the person. (70 images in total). Spending the time at this point was crucial to being confident that I was handling their images appropriately and not leaving anyone out. The result was fun (at least I had fun), I completely enjoyed the process and was able to put it back onto FB and Instagram for Easter Day confident that I had fulfilled my intentions. 

Work Story: Action items in notebook 

At work I have failed miserably to have a consistent ‘place’ for a to-do list. I am messy and disorganised a lot of the time and fly from one thing to another at great speed. Essentially, I have the kind of memory which means that if I put something somewhere, or if I call something a name, or if I write something down, I generally remember it. There have been two other main things (apart from my memory) which have made the biggest consistent difference to me.  Neither are fool-proof, but help. 

1. 1. My notebook which I carry everywhere and scribble in (when I occasionally revert to post-it notes, that is usually a ‘bad thing’ for information management). At my best I date the top of every page, or at least put ‘meeting with x or y’. I can go back to the notes, follow up with a summary email and return to them if I meet the person again 
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2. 2. The key to the notebook (and an action list) is a system for annotating notes. Having been present in an annual lecture for several years on the trot, given by an academic for students on taking notes in lectures, some of the key messages mentioned had an impact on me. Primarily the academic was recommending techniques for the students to use to protect their future selves. Eg colour code an important sentence written down, or write QN for direct quotation you have written verbatim, or R for reference etc. Doesn’t matter what the system is, but have one. I do and this is what helps me manage actions. About once a week I flit through my notebook spot the items marked for action that I have not already done and make my to-do list.  
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Success at information management? Sometimes. Combined with my email inbox style of not using folders and leaving everything in one box, but quickly searchable in one place, and a pretty good memory for when a thing happened, as well as putting everything in the calendar are what I depend on. And a habit of looking ahead in the calendar. The other crucial thing for my own information management is knowing how I operate at my best with organising things. Last thing in day is not my best time, but 7.45 am is better. I feel that when I am completely focused I manage information ‘better’ but I’m not especially good at professionalism or collaboration because of two key issues: a) I form habits exceptionally quickly  b) it is imperative that I find ways of ‘seeing’ a system of organisation for myself in order to understand it, and that usually takes me engaging with writing and storing those items for myself.