This month saw progress on various research projects. I got selected for an innovation sandpit*, which I am really excited about (except for the guilt about being away from home while child 2 has GCSE exams); and took the first steps on a project related to improving attitudes to learning among an at-risk population. The fruits of these initiatives will materialise in the medium term, only, though.
I also made some progress on two grant applications which, I hope, will be submitted in May. Moreover, I started constructing the data collection instruments for a project on online information consumption, with the aim to getting everything ready for the ethical clearance application.
On the writing front, two of the papers that I have been involved with have, finally, been submitted: one about the metaverse; the other about online information consumption (related to the project for which I am preparing the ethical application, as mentioned above). Fingers crossed. I also did some work on a paper about chatbots as well as on a paper about generative AI.
The big target submission for this month was the Research Methods book. Though, there was a slight delay, and we are now aiming to submit by mid-May.
My teaching for the semester (Research Methods) is now done (yay). The end of term marking will soon follow (nay). I also marked the dissertation posters, and I am now busy with reviewing drafts for dissertations, which are due in mid-May. I also reviewed some new programme proposals for the education authority in Portugal.
On a personal front, we celebrated a big sporting achievement by child 2, and my other half’s big birthday. There was Easter, and I went to the theatre with child 1.
May will be a busy month at home and at work, not helped by hay-fever. I need to plan carefully, and remember to celebrate the small wins. How was your April?
* UKRI defines sandpits as residential interactive workshops, bringing together multidisciplinary teams, to “to drive lateral thinking and radical approaches to address research challenges”.
Ana Canhoto 
I don’t get the reference to Goldilocks. Pictures of digger buckets are much more common on my social media feeds than yours! Congratulations to OH, and good luck to Child #2, who used to be known as the Kiddo?
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When I saw the three differently sized diggers, I thought of the three bowls of porridge / chairs / beds… in the Goldilocks story.
Yes, Child 2 is the Kiddo. But the Kiddo is now very much a teen, and taller than me.
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