International Women's Day

In support of International Women's Day 2011, OpenLearn takes a look at 60 of the world's most influential and pioneering women over the past 100 years with an interactive entitled The Real Women of the 20th Century.

The women portrayed in this interactive are just a selection of influential, pioneering and successful women from across the world. They were chosen for their remarkable contributions to their field, despite their educational, social and economic status. Many were trailblazers for future women working in male-dominated fields; many had to fight for success and recognition which may have gone ignored.

• The Real Women of the 20th Century

A video for International Women's Day 2011... Lisa Maclean, a Senior Lecturer in Nursing with the OU's Faculty of Health and Social Care, shares a moving memory of  the 19-year-old breast cancer patient who taught her how to be a genuine nurse.

Useful links

• Study with the OU - Nursing
• Study with the OU - Health and Social Care

 

Check out Platform's student blogger Carrie's post on who inspires her. She blogs ahead of International Women's Day and encourages you - male or female - to blog on Tuesday 8 March on the woman or women who inspire you.

Tuesday 8 March 2011 is International Women’s Day (IWD), celebrating the achievements and evolution of women.

It’s a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future and we’d like you to jump on board – whether you’re male or female – and sing the praises of women across the globe who’ve motivated and inspired you.

There are now more women in the boardroom, we have female Prime Minister, women can and do work alongside raising families and have more choices than were on offer 100 years ago. So, in the spirit of the day we’re asking you to put your thinking cap on and blog about a woman who inspires you on Tuesday 8 March. Maybe it’s your mum, maybe it’s an historical figure or a celebrity you look up to.

Whoever it is, we’d like you to blog and tell us – whether you’re male or female, it doesn’t matter. Just link to this group in your blog – International Women’s Day group - and email us with a link to your blog post.We'll then publish a list of all the IWD bloggers here on Platform.

Useful links

• More about International Women’s Day
• Follow IWD on Twitter
• IWD on Facebook
• IWD on YouTube

 

Having become a mum at 16 Hayley knew college and university weren’t really an option for her. But, watching her own mum complete a degree while she raised a child, Hayley  decided The Open University was a route she had to explore…

There’s no denying that children and studying do not go together very well. In fact, the two in the same room can have disastrous consequences, literally in some cases! But I knew that if I wanted to get the qualifications I desired and in subjects I enjoyed that somehow I was going to have to find a way.

Being a single parent, the thought of completing an Open University course seemed nigh on impossible. But guess what, I’ve done it! In fact, so far I have completed three - Y156, Y163 and T189. And in October this year I will be starting the first courses for my Youth Studies Degree.

So, those thoughts of “this is impossible” were proven wrong. I’m not saying it was as simple as that though, of course not; children, after all, take up every second of every day. These little people who take over our hearts and our lives are quite often not very willing to share mummy.

When I first started studying I tried the “studying at the same time as the child being awake technique” – it lasted near enough 10 minutes maybe? The toddler had wandered over with his big purple crayon and put a line straight across the page I’d just written!

Toddlers, if you’re lucky, may have a daytime nap, mine didn’t, and so if they do then make the most of it! This is precious time whilst you are still in some form of reasonable state, which you must use wisely. Read that chapter that needs reading whilst drinking that well earned cup of tea!

If you’re anything like me you may also struggle juggling parenthood with studying if you are the kind of person that works well during the daytime and needs to study in set blocks. Needless to say that really IS almost impossible when you have a toddler! Suddenly it is required that all your studying takes place during the dark hours, the hours that you would usually spend slobbing around in front of the television and relaxing with a nice glass of wine and maybe a takeaway if you’re feeling lucky! If you’re going to complete your course though then something is going to have to give.

So here are my top 10 tips on making the most of your time and fitting studying in around being a mum.

1.Have your books to hand

Whilst drinking that cup of tea mid morning and little one is playing contentedly on the carpet, have your latest book/reading material to hand and read through it. You may not be able to make notes at this time but at least you’re taking in what it says.

 

2. While the dinner´s cooking...

When you’re waiting for the dinner to cook, have your books nearby so you can glance at them and read parts that you need to. Also, I found it a very good time to brainstorm and plan assignments as my mind was motivated and on the go anyway.

 

3. Make the most of their nap time

If little one still has a nap, make a point of at least twice a week using this time as set study time. It may only be half an hour but in that time you may have managed to type up 500 words of your latest assignment. That’s 500 words less that you can worry about when they wake up.

 

4. Take time out

Don’t study so much that you feel it’s taking over your life. Let yourself have a day off, or allow yourself to finish studying early so you can watch that TV programme you like. Don’t be your own worst enemy, I’ve done it and it’s not fun!

 

5. Ask for help

Like they say to new mums, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Whether it’s a babysitting exchange which may mean that at some point you have your friend’s little one, if it means you can grab a couple of hours to study is it really such a price to pay? If you have family nearby ask them if they wouldn’t mind babysitting, chances are they will jump at it, and if they know you’re studying they will be even more pleased.

 

6. Talk to your tutor

If you’re struggling then speak to your tutor. They are there to help and may be able to offer advice. If you have a deadline you don’t think you’re going to meet then ASK for an extension and explain why you need one. They aren’t mind readers and they can’t give you one if you don’t ask, what’s the worst they can do? Say no, even then at least you tried!

7. Talk to other students

Contact other students through Firstclass, there are also often groups on Facebook, Twitter etc of fellow students on the same course as you. Fellow students are a great source of support as they know exactly how tough the latest assignment is and can sympathis. They may also be able to offer hints and tips on how they’ve managed to understand the latest topic.

 

8. Use your local library

If you need to visit your local library don’t be afraid to take your little one along with you, it can turn out to be a fun morning/afternoon out for you both. Visit the children’s section first so that whilst you are looking for what you need the little one has something they can look at. Don’t forget libraries do books for babies upwards, no child is too young for books.

 

9. Plan ahead

Plan your assignments and studying. Buy yourself a diary/calendar and mark on there when you are going to try and fit in some study and most importantly mark on when your next assignment is due and what it is. Keep an eye on that date as it will quickly come around.

 

10. Make them proud

Last of all try not to lose sight of why you are doing your course. We all have different reasons for studying with the Open University but just remember that you are also going to be inspiring your children and showing them how talented and self disciplined you can be, and this will make them proud one day.

Being a mum and studying is hard work, there’s no denying that. But just remember that there are other mums out there doing it and websites such as netmums are full of other parents who are studying with the Open University and who can offer advice and a friendly ear. Don’t suffer in silence, if you do you’re more likely to give up. The support is there, no matter how lonely you may feel; sometimes it’s just about looking and asking around.

 

• Read Hayley´s personal blog, simplyhayley.co.uk

 

Dr Aleks Krotoski puts the glamour into technology. She’s an academic, a journalist and the presenter of the BBC/Open University co-production of The Virtual Revolution. She takes time out of her hectic schedule to chat via Skype to Platform's Robyn Slingsby…

Talking about her most prized possession, Aleks Krotoski’s iPhone shoots out of her hands and onto the floor. “You see, you really can’t break technology!“ she says over the computer monitor, laughing as she retrieves her smart phone.

“The thing that freaks people out about technology is they’re afraid they’re going to break it,” she says. And with just 20 per cent of the world’s population online, there are huge numbers out there without access to or knowledge of the internet, something a lot of us take for granted. “We need to be aware that we’re in a very connected country. We live in an environment in which we have this extraordinary access and we’re blinded by this and think everyone’s got it, and not everyone in the world has,” she adds.

Not everyone is as confident with technology as Aleks either. She’s studied it, has a PhD in it and is the face of BBC2’s The Virtual Revolution, a four-part series exploring the social history of the world wide web. But even Aleks can’t keep up with it all.

“That’s why I’ve ended up remaining a journalist because you have to be, by the very nature of your job, at the leading edge of technology. In terms of how to manage one’s social environment, it’s very difficult and I literally I don’t know how to do everything. At the moment I’m only on Twitter and Flickr and occasionally I go to  Facebook, and the reason for that is because that’s where my different networks are. If my networks went to different technologies then so would I, I’m a sheep. As we all are, we have our social flocking because these are social technologies. The only way I can recommend that people keep up is just by getting a sense of where people are. My favourite thing that’s come out over the past couple of years, the thing I’ve really engaged with, is the smart phone. It allows me to tweet on the road, it allows me to check emails, allows me to use Facebook, allows me to upload my Flickr pics and it’s all there, it’s with me. The smart phone industry‘s going to love me when I say I’m a big promoter of the technology. I mean, it looks like a science fiction/Star Trek kind of thing but ultimately allows you to remain connected, which for some people isn’t the right thing but for me it really is.

 

Afraid of breaking technology
“This thing has changed my life,” she adds, pointing to her iPhone. “It really is the thing that allows me to maintain my connections with friends, in every possible way. This thing is my brain, a little distributed piece of technology, like in Harry Potter; I feel I should be able to pull out my memory and stick it in there.

“The thing that freaks people out about technology is they’re afraid they’re going to break it – and I just threw mine across the room! – but I think that stops a lot of people from using the web the and really engaging with it; not the fear of losing themselves and becoming an anti-social creature, it’s more a fear they’ll break the internet. But this phone did the most incredible thing I have ever seen with a new piece of technology… as soon as it comes out of the box you’re forced to confront the thing you fear the most. You don’t have a manual, you don’t have anything, so you have to touch the screen. In order to turn in on, in order to do anything with it the first thing you have to do is touch the screen and that breaks down the boundaries instantly.”

Aleks Krotoski is the face of The Virtual Revolution, a four-part series on BBC2 which delves into the world wide web, and she started filming just two weeks after finishing her PhD thesis examining how information spreads around social networks on the internet. But being a TV presenter isn’t something she’d ever imagined pursuing.

“It was a crazy adventure, “she says. “The team approached me, they kinda stalked me a little bit on the web and discovered who I was and what I was doing and that I was writing about technology and studying it too. They got in touch and it was just completely accidental perfect timing. The making of the series was incredible, because filming came two weeks after I submitted my PhD, literally. So I had two weeks of recovery time before I started interviewing all the people I referenced in my PhD thesis. It’s been quite frenetic, I don’t actually remember 2009, so I’m glad I incessantly took photographs and tweeted so I have a record of this extraordinary opportunity and extraordinary time.”

Aleks worked with academics from the OU on the finalised script for the series but, if given the choice, she’d choose an OU course which takes her away from the computer screen. “Do you do under water botany?“ she asks. “I’d like something that’s not in front of my machine actually. I could really use something that uses my physicality and forces me out and away from all of my connections. I’ve been thinking for the last five years, very academically and very hard about the web, and could really use an OU course that sends me out. I want something practical so I can get my hands dirty – like under water basket weaving,” she laughs.

 

Under water basket weaving?
While under water basket weaving isn’t on the OU prospectus Aleks is a fan of the OU’s development and international relations courses which she describes as “fascinating”. But she’s unlikely to drag herself away from the computer screen anytime soon.  So, social media or anti-social media? While the internet helps create relationships, it’s also been blamed for breaking them. What’s Aleks’ take on this?

“I often invoke John Humphreys when asked this question. I listen to Today programme when I wake up in the morning and any time there’s anything about the internet he presents this extraordinarily black or white scenario. If you use the web then that’s it, that’s all you do; if you use Facebook then that’s it, that’s all you do; and there’s nothing else in your entire life. The problem with looking at it in black and white, like any social psychology and media affect, it’s difficult because you don’t see the entire context, you don’t understand what is it about the social system that’s creating the bullying, you know, you can’t just blame Facebook for that kind of thing. Now on a more meta level my PhD was premised on the idea that in fact these communities do exist and they’re very powerful and they’re very influential communities. For good or for ill, literally, for good or for ill.

“I am extremely passionate about the power of online community to bring people together, whether it’s single interest groups, whether it’s communities at practice, these are environments where people are able to come and in many ways ascend to a higher understanding when it comes to identity, when it comes to who one believes one is, through the very nature of meeting people with other viewpoints.

“But at the same time it also creates what’s called cyber balkanisation; this vast environment of communication and community, of potential interaction, with all of the people in the world, is too difficult for individuals to parse so ultimately they end up creating very small groups and communities, where you can ascend to your higher sense of your identity and who you are, which can ultimately antagonise other groups of people because as there’s no real way nor reason for these communities to interact.

 

The glamour factor
“In one sense, yeah these online communities are awesome because they bring people together but the online communities can also be bad, like any other kind of interaction could be bad. So there’s a nice woolly answer for you… It’s an agnostic tool, it is a tool, and what people bring to it is their own agenda and some don’t even realise they have an agenda and that’s the most exciting thing. It’s simply another media channel, it’s simply another communication platform and what’s most exciting about it at the moment is that it’s utterly uncontrolled, so you have all these stakeholders really rallying around, realty jostling to see who can control this information and how they can manipulate, ultimately, people’s thoughts and what they believe and how they believe.”

Aleks certainly knows what she’s talking about when it comes to the world wide web. In a comment on one of her technology-themed blog posts for The Guardian it’s suggested that Aleks has done for technology what Nigella Lawson has done for cooking - added the glamour factor. She’s not only embarrassed by this, she’s also very proud. “I’m honoured and I think one of the reasons why I signed up for the programme is because I was told that the BBC was looking for new expert female presenters and that was the most compelling, powerful and moving reason for me to do it. Being a woman in technology, I often hang out with other women in technology, so for me it’s normal that there are beautiful, powerful, enthusiastic and intelligent women in this space, but it’s not the common perception. For me, to be a representative of the clever female person who isn’t afraid of technology and can see the bigger picture is very moving and exciting. It makes me feel very proud because just by the very nature of being a woman talking about this stuff, it says to other women that this is an option, you can do this.”

It’s been a busy year for Aleks. So, what’s next? “This year is all about writing. 2009 just didn’t happen and this is my articulation point. Everything ended at the same time, my PhD, the TV programme and now it’s like woah, what now? Continuing with the status quo, this year is all about writing but I don’t really know what will happen next. There’s the book, which I aim to have out by November and which will touch on the themes of the series; I want to write two articles accepted by periodical review journals; I’m special editing two peer review journals and I aim, in terms of media stuff, to extend some of the themes and questions raised from the series and do a longitudinal study that looks at the development that may befall the continent of Africa as it gets highspeed broadband.”

 

/Life was good for Jill McLachlan. Happily married to an Army Corporal, Jill and her husband both enjoyed OU study while living in Germany and raising their young daughter. But at six months pregnant with their second child, Jill’s husband – himself only two courses away from completing his dream of a degree – was killed in a road traffic accident. Jill’s world turned upside down. Now, she is the proud recipient of the prestigious Walter Hines Page Scholarship 2009/2010. And this is her story of how she decided not to become just another victim.../   I qualified as a primary in 1997 – I have always loved learning and being in school, and so primary teaching seemed to be the right path for me. After graduation I settled into life at Mayhill Junior School, in Hampshire. After a NOF funded ICT initiative we were all given the opportunity to continue our staff training with an ICT course offered by the OU – E850 teaching and learning with ICT. Little was I to know that it was the start of a strange and interesting journey for me. I began my Masters in Education with the OU in 2000 with encouragement from my head teacher and family.   In 2001 my eldest daughter was born and I took a short break from studying.  Then in 2002 my husband, a Lance Corporal in the Logistic Corps received some surprising news - after one year he had earned a second promotion, complete with a move to Germany. It was a difficult decision to leave everything and everyone behind, but the pull of the unknown and the opportunity to explore new cultures and places was just too great. The advantage of the OU was that I could take it with me, and with the extra money a Cpl earned, plus overseas allowance, my husband Robin embarked on a life-long ambition to study for a BSc degree in Environmental Sciences.  Happy times. Once our six month old daughter was asleep we would fight for custody of the dining room table – junior rank quarters are not huge.    When Robin achieved his diploma on route to his degree I was so proud of him. We both loved the OU study and method, but I found it a much more natural pursuit. Robin, on the other hand, had been diagnosed with two of the three forms of dyslexia and often studied on deployment, including Macedonia, Cyprus, Nigeria and a windowless basement in Northern Ireland having recovered a chair and table from a skip! The OU were fantastic, they offered extra support and equipment to help with the dyslexia and with the study schedule.   *Widowed at 29* In 2003 life couldn’t be better, I was expecting our second child and Robin’s OU study had earned him recognition, with him being recommended for Sergeant and helping other soldiers with their dyslexia and with starting OU study. Little was I to know what lay ahead. In September 2003 Robin was killed in a road traffic accident, returning to the fuel park where he worked. My world fell apart, my best friend was gone, he was 32 and just two courses away from his beloved degree. I was 29, pregnant with a two-and-a-half year old toddler in Germany. Again, the Army were very good, and nothing was too much trouble.  I was brought back to the UK and decided to live with my parents for a while.  Each year I go back to Germany and present a trophy in Robin’s name to the best adult learner at 34 Army Education Centre.   I continued my studies, embarking on ED209 Child  development in 2004.  I can honestly say OU study was a lifeline, it kept me sane and gave me a place in my head to escape to. My husband would have never forgiven himself had I given up and I couldn’t let him down!  In 2005 I studied E840 Child development in families, schools and society, and achieved my Advanced Diploma in Child Development in 2006. One of the many things I love about OU study is the fact you can build qualifications as you go, you can mix and match and you are in control of what you choose to study.  Six years of part-time study and full-time commitment can seem a long time, so earning a diploma or advanced diploma part-way is a real boost and gives you something to show for all of your hard work.   In 2006 I completed my Masters of Education (MEd) with E835 Educational research in action.  My graduation at the Sage in Gateshead was strange.  I was elated that I had overcome so much and the OU staff had worked very hard on hosting the ceremony.....but the day was marred in sadness, as although my girls stood proudly in their best frocks, someone was missing…   *Not Mrs, not Miss, but Doctor* The final course of the M.Ed (E835) was to design a research project, and we were encouraged to submit our ideas as a research proposal for the OU’s doctoral project.  Why not, I thought!  Looking back, I think I was caught up in the euphoria of achieving the M.Ed and it hadn’t really sunk in what I was about to do.  Through my experiences I have always been a member of the Army Widows’ Association steering committee and at one of the veterans meetings in London I jokingly told a retired RLC officer that as I was no longer a Mrs, and could never go back to being a Miss, I was thinking of becoming a Dr. Before I knew it my research proposal had been accepted, and the Army benevolent fund approached me wanting to sponsor childcare costs etc so that I could afford the fees!   So in May 2006 I was amazed as my research proposal was accepted by the OU and I embarked on the long pursuit of achieving my doctorate in education, the Ed.D.  It still hasn’t sunk in yet, as doctorates are what brainy people do, not people like me! So far I have enjoyed every minute as I feel I am being really challenged to my absolute limit.  As predicted, it has not been easy and I wouldn’t want it to be. Due to changes in work commitments and the demands of family life, I have had to resubmit my first year report. But I am hanging on, I have the support of my tutor and the EdD team and am determined to keep going.   In 2008 I was appointed as an OU Associate Lecturer for the North West region and in March 2009 I was awarded one of six prestigious Walter Hines Page Scholarships for my EdD research. The scholarship is awarded and co-ordinated by the English Speaking Union (www.esu.org.uk).  It is open nationally to all teachers who are members of the three main teaching unions (NUT, ATL, NASWUT) – so if anyone reading this is an OU student and teacher – why not have a look.  Each teaching union sponsors two places, and I was awarded one of the two places offered by the ATL. The purpose of the scholarship is to support professional development and to share ideas and research between the UK and USA. Walter Hines Page was a significant figure during WW1, as US ambassador to Britain he laid the foundation for  the UK-US partnership.   *Enjoying the ride, pass or fail* The award consists of a two week professional tour, covering four cities.  The ESU New York branch will help organise a suitable programme and I will be placed with a number of host families.  During my tour I will be able to research my topic, exploring teacher training in the US. I will get to work with some of the top professionals in their field.  I will participate in giving talks and I have to complete a blog throughout the trip.  Finally, after the trip I will need to submit a report to the ESU and ATL on my experience and what I´ve learnt.   The tours have to be taken between October 2009 and May 2010 to match the USA school holidays.  In July I will attend an orientation day in London and once regions are confirmed, I can begin to make contacts with institutions I would like to visit.  I am really hoping for the New York/Boston area as my research points to this area (especially Harvard).   It all seems very surreal and the news hasn’t sunk in yet.  I’m not quite sure what I expected, but it is already starting to bring further educational research opportunities via the OU in my direction.  I have just been offered a place as an assistant researcher on a small scale pilot. I have the best of both worlds, as I can combine family life with my love of learning and enjoyment working with children.   I am very grateful for the support of my family, my tutor Sally Heaney, Region 8 Staff Tutor James Roy and the OU Ed.D team. Somewhere along the line I decided that life was too short to waste being a victim and that I just had to get on with things the best way I could. I have no idea where the journey will end, pass or fail, and am just enjoying the ride and possibilities. / / /Picture: Jill McLachlan with her two daughters during her graduation at The Sage in Gateshead/