This is my blog and I am back.
Where was I?
Think Wikileaks.
Where am I?
Where am I headed?
So folks, to sum up, I'll be here, on the page, sharing whatever I learn with you. I hope you'll still pop on over every now and then to say hey.
Talk soon,
Karenne
p.s I missed you all muchly and if you missed me, am sorry for being away so long! I'm back and boy, watch-out, do I ever have a fire in my belly.
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| http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/64615651/sizes/o/in/faves-kalinagoenglish/ |
Where was I?
Head down, working on new materials for Voxy - by the way, we're now >>> INCREDIBLY<<< at 250,000+ users! Excellent, interesting, challenging work. But then, I am working with a seriously talented team of thinkers and doers plus a brilliant, innovative boss I've never actually met but talk to weekly!
Head down, writing a book aimed at IT students for Pearson. But that's pretty much now over as despite finishing a week ago, after refusing to sign a ridiculous contract that would soon render me without the mere pennies promised we are parting ways... too many unacceptable clauses, editorial digital illiteracy - a long story - so much more on signing away your creativity to publishing houses, book contracts, minimum-wage advances, the effect of global markets on royalties and oh, digital rights - coming soon.
Dance with the devil, get burned?
Think Wikileaks.
Where am I?
Working at a great school with a wonderful team of teachers in the UK - we're working together in face-to-face sessions (so much more personal than the virtual), on professional development for European teachers.
Wonderful site and great students. Having a super time, more on that later.
But! My various sites have informed me there's a great set of virtual sessions on this weekend at the The Reform Symposium. Although I'm busy up to my gills, am going to try to change around my schedule and catch some of these, tho' luckily they'll also be recorded.
Where am I headed?
I'm off to do a Masters in September, gently easing out of social-media and other than Switzerland they'll be no more presenting at conferences for a while (though I do have a kick-a**e idea for IATEFL...hmm....hmmm €€€) but I do really have to turn my focus and attention towards the psychology of language learning, motivation and gaming mechanics. It is a digital future after all.
So folks, to sum up, I'll be here, on the page, sharing whatever I learn with you. I hope you'll still pop on over every now and then to say hey.
Talk soon,
Karenne
p.s I missed you all muchly and if you missed me, am sorry for being away so long! I'm back and boy, watch-out, do I ever have a fire in my belly.
Posts
The Lady is BACK! Yipee.....great to c u!
have missed reading you! I'm glad you are back and full of projects! Kisses and hugs from Bs. As.
Happy to see you are back Karenne. have been missing your voice.
hugs,
Eva
Welcome back Karenne! Very disappointing about the book project, but you know you are highly valued on your blog and PLN (even if there is no financial reward ^_^ )
Thank you so much Leahn, Sabrina, Eva and Lesley. Am glad to be back! Will enjoy plotting lots of new posts and reading your blogs again!
Re the book, Lesley, hmmm... maybe it hasn't settled in yet, am really not so much disappointed as annoyed.
It was a very stressful and time-consuming project to work on, especially given that the editor assigned had zero IT knowledge - I really didn't think she was competent which of course, simply made things rather emotionally stressful.
In the end, when I dug in my heels on the e-rights they dug in theirs too - but it was not just e-rights, they also tried to get away with some rather unacceptable clauses *which I will be posting up on these pages - so it's really fine!
Ta 4 popping by,
K
It is good to have you back dear. Good luck on your future projects and I'll follow your blog from number 1 sit, I hope. LOL
Love the title. It is wonderful to be driven by passion and those who are are a lucky lot.
Best of luck to you with all your projects and look forward to what you'll be sharing considering the amazing studies ahead !
Cheers, Brad
Welcome home! It's great to hear from your, Karenne. I'm so sad to hear about your textbook adventure gone bad. I'm sure you learned tons from this experience, but I'm sorry if you lost a lot of time that you can never get back. Hopefully you're going to think about self-publishing! Big hug and best of luck in your new chapter.
Hey Rose, thank you so much and I really sincerely want to tell you that it's readers like you that after all these years always supporting me here and on FB, as you always do, well you are the reason I'm back. :-)
Thank you Brad, I'm really quite nervous. To be honest I worry very much about whether or not I will have the intellectual capacity for what I am embarking on but I can't help it, it fascinates me - drives me round the bend - I need to know more! more! more! I am very lucky and excited to be doing these studies and hopefully I won't bore folks when I post about this stuff from now on!
I know, Tara, I'm a little sadder now this afternoon.
I was so sure I'd be able to get the chance to contribute an alive and dynamic text (that sounds so big-headed) - but I really pushed the boat, spent ridiculous hours in research for tiny paragraphs, designed activities to stimulate conversation... and it's not just my wasted time, but a massive loss of income I can never recover.
I am indeed thinking about self-publishing, especially digitally, but oh god, the design issues, the soundtrack, and of course I am not so big-headed as to think there isn't an editorial need. It's a total shame.
But there you go... this is my life, this is my harder than hard year. What doesn't kill you and all that...
But chins up, it's my own fault for not knowing better than to trust the "big-boys"... I am reminded of one of Brad Patterson's posts about the people you hang out with and what happens next :-((
I am more than thrilled and am over the moon at this great news. You have been missed!!!
rgds Heike
LOL, Heike, I am suddenly remembering our conversation at IATEFL and you telling me how disappointed you were in me for taking on the textbook project! Okay, okay, I'll say it - you were right!
Dear Karenne,
Then definitely do go for self-publishing, and all the best of luck to you with that, and keep on loving what you're doing :)
Anne
Welcome back Karenne. Good luck with all you're doing - those you work with are lucky. Stoke that fire :)
I. Am. So. Glad ur back!
Didn't realise you were back! Great to see you at RSCON3.
Welcome back. I have missed you and I am really looking forward to reading your posts again.
Thanks so much, Natasa, glad to be back!