The Pomodoro method is a time management strategy aimed at maximising your time while at the same time avoiding the distractions that often beset your best intentions to write. The developer of the approach, Francesco Cirillo created the Pomodoro Technique in the late 1980s when he was a university student and used a tomato-shaped kitchen timer to organize his study schedule; hence the name Pomodoro as it is the Italian word for tomato. While keeping the general principle of a series of timed intensive writing sessions I have incorporated peer feedback and reflection into the overall session. The aim of this session is to encourage the participants to take an idea or some existing rough work and try to turn that idea or rough draft into a tangible output by the end of the session.

Thinking about what you want to write:

In order to maximise the session, I ask the participants to consider the specific writing task they want to complete during the Pomodoro session. I generally contact participants 4/5 days prior to the session and ask them to think about what they want to write about.  This could be writing an article, a report, a chapter of a book, or any other writing task. If you're already working on an existing large writing project, decide on the specific section or task you want to focus on during this session. It may be a task that you have previously started before and left down; this is the perfect opportunity to resurrect that project. Or perhaps it is a writing project that you wish to embark on, and you want to get the necessary ‘push’ to get things moving. If this is the case, it is important that you do some preliminary research in advance as the purpose of the session is not to engage in more research; it is a writing session. If they want, they can bring some notes to have to hand, but they should not be using anything more than BRIEF notes, ideally little more than a series of bullet points to act as an aide memoir. It is important to remember that they are not to be using the Internet for further research during the session. They can always fill in the blanks later so to speak. It is important to have a reasonably clear idea of what they want to write about and want to achieve as they will need to be able to articulate their intentions and plans in the peer feedback process as set in stage 2 below. The total time for the full session is 200 minutes. In such a relatively short period of time, it is not feasible to expect to produce a fully polished extensive piece of work. However, the session aims to provide a support hothouse experience that can help you to either kickstart a new project or to inject new life into a hitherto stagnated project; think of the session as a sort of academic writing jumper cable. This session can be used by anybody across a range of writing experiences; however, I have found it particularly useful for people that have very little experience and need that bit of encouragement and support.

Session Outline:

1. I begin with a brief PowerPoint presentation where I will explain the purpose and structure of the session again just to get everyone focussed. I also draw on the work of Paul J Silvia to have a brief discussion about what prevents people from writing.  [15 Minutes].
2. At the Pomodoro session I will ask participants to break into pairs [if needs be, there can be a group of three – max]. Each group will use this time to tell the group/pairs members what they wish to achieve by the end of the session. The listener should make a written note of the stated intentions for the day. [15 Minutes].
3. Before you start, eliminate any potential distractions. Turn off your phone, close your email and any other tabs that are open. The aim is to get into the flow of writing; I will only provide a 10-second warning before the 25 minutes are up for each Pomodoro session.
4. Pomodoro 1: The Pomodoro then begins with the first 25-minute slot. Participants should not use the internet to check sources, they may bring some brief notes, but the intention is to just get writing – getting into the flow. Where required, I encourage the participants to simply write [REF] in the text; whereby they can insert the relevant references or sources of evidence after the session. Try to write without stopping or editing for the full 25 minutes. If you get stuck or don't know what to write next, just try to keep writing and don’t agonise over the text. The goal is to keep writing and stay focused for the full 25 minutes.
5. When the first 25-minute slot is finished everyone must stop for a 5-minute break. Hopefully, you will be engaged and, in a flow. Use this time to stretch, take a quick walk, or do something else that relaxes you. This break is important to help you recharge before the next Pomodoro.
6. Pomodoro 2: Repeat for 25 minutes.
7. 10-minute break
8. Pomodoro 3: Repeat for 25 minutes.
9. Peer Feedback – 15 minutes.  Pairs/Triads reconvene and read each other’s work and give feedback relative to the stated intentions at the start of the session. This will allow each participant to amend their work during the final Pomodoro session. The whole idea of this session is to create a supportive environment where we work together in order to encourage each other and where all advice and feedback is to be delivered in a constructive and supportive manner. 
10. Pomodoro 4: Final 25-minute slot.
11. Final wrap-up: 15- minutes. This activity occurs initially in pairs and then if you are comfortable to share, with the rest of the participants. Take a moment to reflect on what you've accomplished during the Pomodoro session. Some points for consideration: Did you write more than you expected? Did you face any challenges? Use this reflection time to plan your next steps and adjust your approach if necessary.

Workshop Elements:

State of Play of International Students in Ireland

While the numbers of international students in Ireland in comparison to Canada are far lower, we have seen the number of international students coming to study in Ireland increase steadily over the past 10 or 12 years. While the full impact of Brexit has yet to be felt, we have already seen an increase in EU students coming to Ireland although what the longer-term impact will be remains to be seen. I will begin with a pen picture of the extent and type of international students in the Irish higher education system.

Cultural Transition Insights

As you know from your own experiences international students often face cultural adjustments upon arriving in a foreign country, even when there is no apparent language barrier. Nominally, English may be a shared language between Canada & Ireland; but don’t forget, that in Ireland, “I will yeah” means No! Social norms and networks can be very different, even for someone that comes from an apparently similar type of society. This can be both exciting and challenging and can impact how successful the transition can be. I will be sharing results from my research and my teaching and supervision experience with international students, but I would also welcome anybody to share their own thoughts and experiences, especially if they have visited Ireland.

Academic Systems

Excelling in a new educational system can be both exciting and demanding, but ultimately, it can also be demanding. All the more so when the system is somewhat unfamiliar. Even how we use terms such as college and University may be understood to mean slightly different things. I will begin this section with an outline of the different elements of the Irish HE system. However, aside from the academic and qualification systems, there are often unspoken elements that constitute and shape a system. Differential expectations and norms about student-to-faculty and student-to-student interaction and communication can vary from country to country and may prove to be challenging for students. Likewise, expectations of assignment types and grading systems have shown to be a challenge to many international students, and I would be keen to learn what it is like in Canada.

As part of the Office of Open Learning's International Visiting Fellowship, Dr Johanna Funk will share this workshop based on the learning she has done leading up to, and during her stay here in the region.
This session will share Northern Australian experiences on developing intercultural pedagogies and practices in education systems. The background to this scholarship spans a teacher's experience of working within a range of education systems including The UK, Australia and Canada with a focus on growing socially just learning for underserved students.
A series of social policy projects at  Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University, led to digital and public educational resources and practices working with Indigenous workforce development knowledges, as well as informing a critical approach to pedagogies used within CDU teaching and learning. Further doctoral scholarship and fellowships with senior Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authorities in Northern Australia built on earlier work and collegial practice to explore intersections with how we care for knowledge management in universities.
Johanna's  brief but rich visit to the territory of the Three Fires Confederacy has developed deeper learning from multiple cultural perspectives both within and beyond institutional infrastructures.
 In the spirit of true fellowship, this workshop hopes to discuss ongoing learning and critical engagement in how our institutions can build stronger, more meaningful partnerships with Indigenous students, scholars and communities... incorporating Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, or Inuit) content, perspectives, or material into the curriculum.

As the global cultural landscape changes to address and / or incorporate different levels of knowledge governance, educational systems can work towards embedding intercultural perspectives in the curriculum in an Indigenous Led, co-designed process that can transform conventional learning dynamics in order to develop more principled participation by, and in, education systems.