Wednesday 30 November 2016
Summary!!
So I have finally written down all my thoughts and ideas for my final essay. Getting all this mess from this paper into an orderly 750-1000 word summmary is going to be interesting! Good luck with everyone's first draft!!
Tuesday 29 November 2016
Task 3d.
Do some very specific ideas emerge about your networking and sources? Does your engagement to date seem appropriate? Limited? Focused? Planned? Unplanned?
I would say so far task 3 has been the most challenging for me to Engadge with. The other tasks I found a lot easier to relate to my professional practice, where as task three has been something a little more unfamiliar with different concepts and themes which has required a lot more focus. I've also felt a little rushed with this task so I've felt a little unorganised and Unplanned. However, it has become very clear networks are alot more integrated into our lives than we originally thought. I knew it was an important way of developing a performing career but I was unaware of all the finer detail of what it entails. These tasks have opened my eyes to the much bigger picture.
Are your ideas, position or concerns shared by others within and or beyond your professional area of work?
I'd say my concerns are about completing the final essay for module one. Looking at other people's blogs it seems everyone is apprehensive about this. Also, my lack of understanding for the concept of social construction In task 3b. Is shared by others from what i can see which makes me feel a little better but it is something I really do want to research more.
Does sharing ideas and communicating with others shift your thinking, planning or practice?
Using the BAPP course as an example, the sharing of ideas via our blogs gives you the opportunity to further your initial ideas by exploring other people's points of view. It's a way of developing your personal learning by sharing ideas with fellow students, this has helped me significantly so far on the course. I also find communticating with my fellow teaching coaches allows me to gain knowledge about things maybe I havnt experienced but they have, sharing ways of dealing with different situations we are faced with daily but I never knew there was a back ground concept and ideas behind this method such as connectivism.
Does critical reflection help you decide what really matters and the actions to take?
Reflection was something I was doing religiously with in my job but again without much thought about how it is influential and beneficial it actually is. Whilst writting my journal that I have started for this course, I have began to see how recording actions and feelings can really help with future planning and processes. This task has allowed me to look inwardly and answer questions about my self that have really brought out the things I feel passionate about and made me think of ways to push, grow and develop these ideas and how I'm going to do this. After reflecting in task 2d. About things we love/makes us sad etc...it has made me even more determined to complete this course to allow me to gain my pgce to reach the higher education sector.
To what extent do concepts and theories assist you in thinking about your professional networking is different ways? And do these different ways of thinking have some purpose for you?
I am now aware of the different concepts regards to networking unlike before this task. I never knew the different networking relationships and there importance to being a professional networker. I can now be aware of how I use these within my profession and when it is appropriate to do so. Such as be aware of the fine line that is included with in affiliation concept, being professional as well as friendly. Keeping them separate is difficult but achieveable with a little thought if you assess each situation.
Are you left thinking different to this part of the module? If so, why?
I've briefly mentioned above that this task has opened my eyes to the different concepts that networking actually includes. I've always know it is a huge part of people's daily lives but I never knew the ins and outs of the ideas behind it. It's something I've used for a long time with no real thought to what it is we are actually using. The concepts and theories have really opened my eyes to the world of networking and how it is used it different manners.
I would say so far task 3 has been the most challenging for me to Engadge with. The other tasks I found a lot easier to relate to my professional practice, where as task three has been something a little more unfamiliar with different concepts and themes which has required a lot more focus. I've also felt a little rushed with this task so I've felt a little unorganised and Unplanned. However, it has become very clear networks are alot more integrated into our lives than we originally thought. I knew it was an important way of developing a performing career but I was unaware of all the finer detail of what it entails. These tasks have opened my eyes to the much bigger picture.
Are your ideas, position or concerns shared by others within and or beyond your professional area of work?
I'd say my concerns are about completing the final essay for module one. Looking at other people's blogs it seems everyone is apprehensive about this. Also, my lack of understanding for the concept of social construction In task 3b. Is shared by others from what i can see which makes me feel a little better but it is something I really do want to research more.
Does sharing ideas and communicating with others shift your thinking, planning or practice?
Using the BAPP course as an example, the sharing of ideas via our blogs gives you the opportunity to further your initial ideas by exploring other people's points of view. It's a way of developing your personal learning by sharing ideas with fellow students, this has helped me significantly so far on the course. I also find communticating with my fellow teaching coaches allows me to gain knowledge about things maybe I havnt experienced but they have, sharing ways of dealing with different situations we are faced with daily but I never knew there was a back ground concept and ideas behind this method such as connectivism.
Does critical reflection help you decide what really matters and the actions to take?
Reflection was something I was doing religiously with in my job but again without much thought about how it is influential and beneficial it actually is. Whilst writting my journal that I have started for this course, I have began to see how recording actions and feelings can really help with future planning and processes. This task has allowed me to look inwardly and answer questions about my self that have really brought out the things I feel passionate about and made me think of ways to push, grow and develop these ideas and how I'm going to do this. After reflecting in task 2d. About things we love/makes us sad etc...it has made me even more determined to complete this course to allow me to gain my pgce to reach the higher education sector.
To what extent do concepts and theories assist you in thinking about your professional networking is different ways? And do these different ways of thinking have some purpose for you?
I am now aware of the different concepts regards to networking unlike before this task. I never knew the different networking relationships and there importance to being a professional networker. I can now be aware of how I use these within my profession and when it is appropriate to do so. Such as be aware of the fine line that is included with in affiliation concept, being professional as well as friendly. Keeping them separate is difficult but achieveable with a little thought if you assess each situation.
Are you left thinking different to this part of the module? If so, why?
I've briefly mentioned above that this task has opened my eyes to the different concepts that networking actually includes. I've always know it is a huge part of people's daily lives but I never knew the ins and outs of the ideas behind it. It's something I've used for a long time with no real thought to what it is we are actually using. The concepts and theories have really opened my eyes to the world of networking and how it is used it different manners.
Task 3b.
After looking at reader three i was left slightly confused by the five theories mentioned, Co-operation, Affiliation, Social construction, connectivism and communities of practise. I knew this task was going to take some time to sink in so i began to read through them and research how they might value my own professional networking and what new perspectives they may give me.
Co operation-
This concept is based on the idea of 'ones successes to others expenses' which is not a way i would ever consider to succeed my self. Robert Axelrod identified the importance of co-operation and how co-operating with others can be beneficial. It can be known as co-operating with others until you reach your maximum benefit from that person/people then start to detach. In a way this is saying use people to get to where you want to be. On the other hand, it can be a case of co-operating to learn a lot from others and this will then help you reach your goals with the support of other people around you. This concept can be perhaps seen in good ways and bad but is a way of using others to learn and develop your own profession with this type of networking.
Communities of Practice-
The concept was used by Lave and Wenger and is known as the idea of communities of people who share the same passion or a concern for something they do. They interact regularly to learn and work on how to do it better. The word community can be interpreted as a few things such as the area you live in right through to perhaps a group of people who meet to practice a hobby. This concept of practice is meant by people you share knowledge/skills and experience. For example my communties of practice would be: Fellow BAPP course students, fellow teaching coaches and staff, dance classes etc. These communities all share the same passions, aims and concerns whether it be working towards completing a course, or to learn and grow with in a dance class.
Affiliation-
I would say this is probably the easiest for me to relate too. Affiliation is based on more friendly terms to allow you to build networking relationships through an informal way - maybe through friends we have performed with or trained with. This is a great way of creating relationships and is a concept i would say is greatly highlighted in the performing arts industry as a lot of us are friends or know of each other which makes learning and gaining knowledge from each other easier. Although with this in mind, keeping social and professional networking separate can become a challenge. It is a concept that performers may need to bare in mind, deciding where the line is between socialising with friends and using it as a professional platform.
Social Construction-
This concept totally baffled me. I came across Alice Sampson's blog where she had posted a you tube video to help the explanation of this- Although it helped i was still left slightly confused. So i am going with how i have interpreted this concept which may be right or wrong (probably wrong.) I would say the use of social media and interactions has the power to fool the world into what ever they want us to believe, for example famous people posting photo shopped pictures which everyone then thinks that is the real them and people really do believe these photos are genuine, This is then resulting in people spending money on cosmetic surgery because they think this is what is desired and what is accepted in the world? Cosmetic companies using photo shopped images to manipulate people into spending money?
Then my second train of thought was because we have been told that the new five pound notes with certain numbers printed on them are worth a lot of money, this is what the world believes even though hypothetically speaking all it is, is a piece of paper that someone has decided is going to be of worth value? This concept is something that really has confused me and i am intrigued into finding out what it actually entails.
Connectivism-
In my eyes connectivism is now the major part of our education/learning. People connect through the web to share their knowledge on pretty much everything. If we want to find something out we simply look online and behind every web page/information site there is a creator who has shared that information (linking back to web 2.0). Not only online but we connect with people on a daily basis taking things from everyone we meet. 'George Siens' said 'we can not not learn, good or bad'. Connectivism is socializing and connecting with other people to allow open learning. I use this already with in my career as a coach, we send videos to explain how our week has gone and things we have learnt which is how as a company we stay connected. This BAPP course is also an example of connectivism as all the students are connected through Skype sessions and blogs to help each other reach the end of the course.
I struggled with this task and i am hoping i have finally got the right ideas from it. Lots of new things learnt and much more to be discovered.
Co operation-
This concept is based on the idea of 'ones successes to others expenses' which is not a way i would ever consider to succeed my self. Robert Axelrod identified the importance of co-operation and how co-operating with others can be beneficial. It can be known as co-operating with others until you reach your maximum benefit from that person/people then start to detach. In a way this is saying use people to get to where you want to be. On the other hand, it can be a case of co-operating to learn a lot from others and this will then help you reach your goals with the support of other people around you. This concept can be perhaps seen in good ways and bad but is a way of using others to learn and develop your own profession with this type of networking.
Communities of Practice-
The concept was used by Lave and Wenger and is known as the idea of communities of people who share the same passion or a concern for something they do. They interact regularly to learn and work on how to do it better. The word community can be interpreted as a few things such as the area you live in right through to perhaps a group of people who meet to practice a hobby. This concept of practice is meant by people you share knowledge/skills and experience. For example my communties of practice would be: Fellow BAPP course students, fellow teaching coaches and staff, dance classes etc. These communities all share the same passions, aims and concerns whether it be working towards completing a course, or to learn and grow with in a dance class.
Affiliation-
I would say this is probably the easiest for me to relate too. Affiliation is based on more friendly terms to allow you to build networking relationships through an informal way - maybe through friends we have performed with or trained with. This is a great way of creating relationships and is a concept i would say is greatly highlighted in the performing arts industry as a lot of us are friends or know of each other which makes learning and gaining knowledge from each other easier. Although with this in mind, keeping social and professional networking separate can become a challenge. It is a concept that performers may need to bare in mind, deciding where the line is between socialising with friends and using it as a professional platform.
Social Construction-
This concept totally baffled me. I came across Alice Sampson's blog where she had posted a you tube video to help the explanation of this- Although it helped i was still left slightly confused. So i am going with how i have interpreted this concept which may be right or wrong (probably wrong.) I would say the use of social media and interactions has the power to fool the world into what ever they want us to believe, for example famous people posting photo shopped pictures which everyone then thinks that is the real them and people really do believe these photos are genuine, This is then resulting in people spending money on cosmetic surgery because they think this is what is desired and what is accepted in the world? Cosmetic companies using photo shopped images to manipulate people into spending money?
Then my second train of thought was because we have been told that the new five pound notes with certain numbers printed on them are worth a lot of money, this is what the world believes even though hypothetically speaking all it is, is a piece of paper that someone has decided is going to be of worth value? This concept is something that really has confused me and i am intrigued into finding out what it actually entails.
Connectivism-
In my eyes connectivism is now the major part of our education/learning. People connect through the web to share their knowledge on pretty much everything. If we want to find something out we simply look online and behind every web page/information site there is a creator who has shared that information (linking back to web 2.0). Not only online but we connect with people on a daily basis taking things from everyone we meet. 'George Siens' said 'we can not not learn, good or bad'. Connectivism is socializing and connecting with other people to allow open learning. I use this already with in my career as a coach, we send videos to explain how our week has gone and things we have learnt which is how as a company we stay connected. This BAPP course is also an example of connectivism as all the students are connected through Skype sessions and blogs to help each other reach the end of the course.
I struggled with this task and i am hoping i have finally got the right ideas from it. Lots of new things learnt and much more to be discovered.
Sunday 27 November 2016
Task 3c.
Task 3b not quite finished but here is 3c.
3c. Sources.
There are three types of sources from where we gather and recieve information. These are called- Primary, secondry, and tertiary. These terms determine whether or not the information is either the original source of evidence, information created that wasn't experienced first hand or database/bibliography information.
My sources of information are:
1. The Internet. I think this source is probably the most common. If there is anything you want to know the Web has the answers. This links back to task 1 where we explored the ideas of Web 2.0 as social media holds a lot of information its self. However, when using the Internet you have to careful as to where the information has come from, who has posted it and is it reliable. This links in with the above regards to primary, secondary and tertiary.
2. Employers/fellow coaches/performers. Generally people you work with are a good source of information especially if they are working with in your line of enquiry. For example if I need information or advice on behaviour management, fellow coaches may have good advice and techniques they use which I could apply . Or if I need information on which fire equipment to use when performing then fellow performers may of hand first hand experience with a good product (primary source.)
3. Books. For example i use a book called 'drama games for the classroom' To find drama games for my classes. This is a secondry source which helps me keep my lessons interesting and fun.
4. The BAPP course has supplied us with sources in the form of our readers. This allows us to take bits of information to use with in our work to help us grow our knowledge and understanding of our topics.
If I think of anymore I may use I will add them to my blog :)
3c. Sources.
There are three types of sources from where we gather and recieve information. These are called- Primary, secondry, and tertiary. These terms determine whether or not the information is either the original source of evidence, information created that wasn't experienced first hand or database/bibliography information.
My sources of information are:
1. The Internet. I think this source is probably the most common. If there is anything you want to know the Web has the answers. This links back to task 1 where we explored the ideas of Web 2.0 as social media holds a lot of information its self. However, when using the Internet you have to careful as to where the information has come from, who has posted it and is it reliable. This links in with the above regards to primary, secondary and tertiary.
2. Employers/fellow coaches/performers. Generally people you work with are a good source of information especially if they are working with in your line of enquiry. For example if I need information or advice on behaviour management, fellow coaches may have good advice and techniques they use which I could apply . Or if I need information on which fire equipment to use when performing then fellow performers may of hand first hand experience with a good product (primary source.)
3. Books. For example i use a book called 'drama games for the classroom' To find drama games for my classes. This is a secondry source which helps me keep my lessons interesting and fun.
4. The BAPP course has supplied us with sources in the form of our readers. This allows us to take bits of information to use with in our work to help us grow our knowledge and understanding of our topics.
If I think of anymore I may use I will add them to my blog :)
Task 3a. Current Networks
As everyone knows using networks are now how our world goes round. We all have Facbook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, the list is endless. It is deemed to be strange if you do not have any of the above. For me Facebook is the core of all my Networking, from contacts i have on there with in the performing industry, to finding jobs and auditions on private set up groups which you can become a member of. I also use it as a way of posting photos and videos for people to see my performing experience and skills as well as personal chit chat between friends and family. As well as a variety of things, I use my Facebook to contact my employers - a lot of my performing work is organised through Facebook messenger which again is a very important aspect of my professional practise.
Networking communication apps such as Whatsapp are also a huge part of my Daily networking. Whatsapp messenger is the core of my teaching companies communication. All the coaches are in contact through this to allow us to keep track of what everyone is up to and allows us to ask for help and give each other advice when needed. If there is a change in the timetable this is where we will be alerted and re arranged. Although this is a private way our company communicates, it is still a form of networking with in our own select group.
Over the last year and especially over the period of the BAPP course so far, being a teacher as well as a performer has made me very aware of what i do post online and making sure all my settings are private. I have to ensure it is very difficult to find my profiles through search engines so students and fellow higher members of staff are unable to find me. However, on the flip side ideally having a public page would make publicity and advertising my self as a performer much easier and beneficial regards to making my self known and gaining work. Its safe to say even though i use my dancing and performing with in my teaching career, these two professions are polar opposites when it comes to social networking. This course has made me think about making two separate accounts and perhaps even coming up with a performing stage name which will allow me to keep the two of them very separate and undetected.
Pros and cons to Networking sites when you have two different careers! Lots of consideration to go into this!
Networking communication apps such as Whatsapp are also a huge part of my Daily networking. Whatsapp messenger is the core of my teaching companies communication. All the coaches are in contact through this to allow us to keep track of what everyone is up to and allows us to ask for help and give each other advice when needed. If there is a change in the timetable this is where we will be alerted and re arranged. Although this is a private way our company communicates, it is still a form of networking with in our own select group.
Over the last year and especially over the period of the BAPP course so far, being a teacher as well as a performer has made me very aware of what i do post online and making sure all my settings are private. I have to ensure it is very difficult to find my profiles through search engines so students and fellow higher members of staff are unable to find me. However, on the flip side ideally having a public page would make publicity and advertising my self as a performer much easier and beneficial regards to making my self known and gaining work. Its safe to say even though i use my dancing and performing with in my teaching career, these two professions are polar opposites when it comes to social networking. This course has made me think about making two separate accounts and perhaps even coming up with a performing stage name which will allow me to keep the two of them very separate and undetected.
Pros and cons to Networking sites when you have two different careers! Lots of consideration to go into this!
Task 2d.
In this task i am going to be answering questions regards to my professional practice.
1. What in your daily practice gets you really enthusiastic to find out more about? Who do you admire who also works with what makes you enthusiastic?
Within my daily practice i work with and teach a lot of different people of different abilities and age ranges. When i enter a class room i have a mix of students some being very confident to others that lack a lot of self esteem or even have challenging issues. I find that seeing children come out of their shell and gain in confidence in what they are doing with in my classes is something i am enthusiastic about achieving. Making those students who perhaps struggle and feel shy or embarrassed at the beginning of a class or even a weekly period, eventually grow in confidence and become heavily engaged and interested in what i am teaching is something that i am enthusiastic about and get a lot of enjoyment from.
The children/students who i work with who have these kind of confidence issues who stand up and give a dance or piece of drama a go in front of their fellow class mates are the people who i admire who i work with in what makes me enthusiastic- these students make my job worth while seeing them develop and improve despite insecurities or complications they may have. I admire them because they face their fears and remove them selves from their comfort zones, which even a lot of adults struggle to do.
2. What gets you angry or makes you sad? Who do you admire who shares your feelings or has found away to work around the sadness and anger?
For me with in my professional practise something that really does make me sad is child neglect. On a number of occasions i have worked with children who have behaviour issues due to a lack of home support. Seeing their potential and how intelligent they can be being ruined by a sudden build up of anger which results in them being removed from the lesson. I have known a case where they have had to be washed and dressed by the school staff as uniform and general hygiene is not provided at home. As a teacher seeing their potential ability to grow and do amazingly well makes me sad and angry, however you have to try and not emotionally invest your self with these kind of situations as they are being taken care of appropriately where needed by the correct support systems. This is a link to childline.org. This is a way of receiving support if you are perhaps aware of someone else's situation or your own, where they offer advice and the best help they can give regards to someone's welfare. I admire this organisation because of all the help they give to try and keep children and young people safe as well as offering help and support to those who may be involved.
https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/bullying-abuse-safety/abuse-safety/neglect/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=UK_GO_S_B_GEN_New_Grant_ChildLine_Neglect&utm_term=child_neglect_support&gclid=Cj0KEQiAperBBRDfuMf72sr56fIBEiQAPFXszbmGly8sPAhMLJsTF2MHyWHfkQrL0njJuziQU_WXx8saAhTG8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds#3
3. What do you love about what you do? Who do you admire who also seems to love this or is an example or what you love?
For me something i love with in my profession is creating and building choreography and shows. Having the opportunity to use my knowledge and skill set to create a piece of dance to be performed in front of an audience is where my heart lies. The feeling of appreciation for something you have created once your piece has been performed is overwhelming and something to be proud of. Being able to teach students how to perform and conduct them selves on stage as well as be able to make them feel confident and able enough to perform in front of friends and family is a real bonus.
A choreographer i admire, who's work has always been an inspiration is Brian Friedman. I watch xfactor purely to see his choreography, staging and productions...i think its a dancer thing! In my journal on the 20.11.16 i have put 'Starting a dance to be performed for the Christmas assembly- yesss!' clearly i get far too excited.
5. How do you decide the appropriate ethical response in a given situation? To what extent are disciplinary responses different to that you might expect more generally in society? For example, what level of physical contact would you deem appropriate (and not) from another professional that you would find unacceptable more generally?
When working in a school you have to be careful how you deal with particular situations. For example the way you comfort an upset child due to the fact you are not allowed physical contact. Natural instincts in general society would be to comfort someone in distress would be maybe a hug/arm round them to make them feel at ease, where as in a school environment you have to remember the boundaries and adapt to how you deal with that situation when you are in the teaching role. This is due to child safe guarding and protection. Remembering how our actions my come across to a child in school is different to perhaps a family member close friend of a young age could be very different.
- https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/protecting-your-child-abuse-school-your-schools-role
1. What in your daily practice gets you really enthusiastic to find out more about? Who do you admire who also works with what makes you enthusiastic?
Within my daily practice i work with and teach a lot of different people of different abilities and age ranges. When i enter a class room i have a mix of students some being very confident to others that lack a lot of self esteem or even have challenging issues. I find that seeing children come out of their shell and gain in confidence in what they are doing with in my classes is something i am enthusiastic about achieving. Making those students who perhaps struggle and feel shy or embarrassed at the beginning of a class or even a weekly period, eventually grow in confidence and become heavily engaged and interested in what i am teaching is something that i am enthusiastic about and get a lot of enjoyment from.
The children/students who i work with who have these kind of confidence issues who stand up and give a dance or piece of drama a go in front of their fellow class mates are the people who i admire who i work with in what makes me enthusiastic- these students make my job worth while seeing them develop and improve despite insecurities or complications they may have. I admire them because they face their fears and remove them selves from their comfort zones, which even a lot of adults struggle to do.
2. What gets you angry or makes you sad? Who do you admire who shares your feelings or has found away to work around the sadness and anger?
For me with in my professional practise something that really does make me sad is child neglect. On a number of occasions i have worked with children who have behaviour issues due to a lack of home support. Seeing their potential and how intelligent they can be being ruined by a sudden build up of anger which results in them being removed from the lesson. I have known a case where they have had to be washed and dressed by the school staff as uniform and general hygiene is not provided at home. As a teacher seeing their potential ability to grow and do amazingly well makes me sad and angry, however you have to try and not emotionally invest your self with these kind of situations as they are being taken care of appropriately where needed by the correct support systems. This is a link to childline.org. This is a way of receiving support if you are perhaps aware of someone else's situation or your own, where they offer advice and the best help they can give regards to someone's welfare. I admire this organisation because of all the help they give to try and keep children and young people safe as well as offering help and support to those who may be involved.
https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/bullying-abuse-safety/abuse-safety/neglect/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=UK_GO_S_B_GEN_New_Grant_ChildLine_Neglect&utm_term=child_neglect_support&gclid=Cj0KEQiAperBBRDfuMf72sr56fIBEiQAPFXszbmGly8sPAhMLJsTF2MHyWHfkQrL0njJuziQU_WXx8saAhTG8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds#3
3. What do you love about what you do? Who do you admire who also seems to love this or is an example or what you love?
For me something i love with in my profession is creating and building choreography and shows. Having the opportunity to use my knowledge and skill set to create a piece of dance to be performed in front of an audience is where my heart lies. The feeling of appreciation for something you have created once your piece has been performed is overwhelming and something to be proud of. Being able to teach students how to perform and conduct them selves on stage as well as be able to make them feel confident and able enough to perform in front of friends and family is a real bonus.
A choreographer i admire, who's work has always been an inspiration is Brian Friedman. I watch xfactor purely to see his choreography, staging and productions...i think its a dancer thing! In my journal on the 20.11.16 i have put 'Starting a dance to be performed for the Christmas assembly- yesss!' clearly i get far too excited.
4. What do you feel you don't understand? who do you admire who does seem to understand it or who has found a way of making not understanding it interesting or beautiful, or has asked the same questions as you?
This question is the same for me as my answer to number 2. Child neglect is something i do not think many people will ever understand. Bringing a person into the world when you are unable or incapable of supporting and fulfilling a child's needs is baffling to me when i see what damage it can cause. I am aware there will be many many reasons people find it hard to cope or have challenges they are facing them selves but they way people deal with them and seem to be emotional detached from how they are treating that small person is something that will forever confuse me. Again the people i admire regards to this issue are they people fighting and working towards making children safe whether it be staff with in the school, child support systems and many more.5. How do you decide the appropriate ethical response in a given situation? To what extent are disciplinary responses different to that you might expect more generally in society? For example, what level of physical contact would you deem appropriate (and not) from another professional that you would find unacceptable more generally?
When working in a school you have to be careful how you deal with particular situations. For example the way you comfort an upset child due to the fact you are not allowed physical contact. Natural instincts in general society would be to comfort someone in distress would be maybe a hug/arm round them to make them feel at ease, where as in a school environment you have to remember the boundaries and adapt to how you deal with that situation when you are in the teaching role. This is due to child safe guarding and protection. Remembering how our actions my come across to a child in school is different to perhaps a family member close friend of a young age could be very different.
- https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/protecting-your-child-abuse-school-your-schools-role
Saturday 26 November 2016
Task 2c. Reflective theory,
Task 2c. Reflective
Theory
As
part of Module 1 this task is about focussing on looking at what other people
may feel and think about reflection and looking outward about those theories
which people have created. I am going to be looking at how some of these relate
to my own profession and which reflective practices fir within my own
professional career. After researching and investigating the theories of Dewey,
Schon, Kolb and Moon, i have found that i can relate to two different theories
with being both a teacher and also a performer.
Firstly,
as the role of a teacher the Kolb theory is something i can relate to. The Kolb
theory was published in 1984 where David Kolb developed a four stage cycle. It
is the idea of our learning/reflective cognitive process is something that has
no end and is continuous within our lives. There is the idea that everyone
enters the Kolb cycle at a different point within the four stages depending on
their own learning and reflective style,
When
I first started teaching I would say I entered the cycle at 'concrete
experience' needing to gain my classroom experience and teaching different age
groups as the start of my learning and growth. Experience was crucial as you
learn a lot from your hands on experiences dealing with a number of challenging
occurrences. It is the time within the classroom that has allowed me to adapt
my teaching style such as behaviour management, every day you face a different
situation. However, now a year on from my very first teaching session and with
more experience under my belt, after looking and reflecting on the Kolb theory I
have found my entry point of the cycle has changed.
I
would say I now enter the cycle at 'active experimentation' because as my
teaching experience has grown I now plan my sessions and classes at home from
things I have learnt in the past and previous lessons, building and creating
lessons around things I know will work and are beneficial to the students. This
then goes on to 'concrete experience' as talked about above, which would mean
for myself, delivering my planned lesson and 'having the experience' teaching
the lesson. I then have to reflect on that class which takes me to the stage of
reflection observation and abstract conceptualisation thinking about what worked
well and things that I could of changed and improved. This reflection process
will then help me to start the cycle again with planning my lesson around
things I learnt and gained from that specific class enable to improve for the
future.
Following
further research into the different theories I have found that on the flip side,
as a dancer and a performer I think the Dewey and Schon's theories link
together to best describe the learning
and reflective process for this role. These two theories of reflection are
primarily based on learning and reflecting as you experience it. As a dancer,
we pick up choreography from our teachers and choreographers by watching them
do it and then mirroring it. This requires quick thinking and reacting on the
spot, for example, if I was to get something wrong I have to have the ability
to react, respond and change there and then by covering up a mistake. This
means we are reflecting as we are going through the experience meaning we are
learning things from our mistakes without necessarily sitting down and writing
about them.
I also came across Sarah Persons blog from the
course in 2012 and she had posted a 'which style of learner are you' quiz. My
results were a visual learner which I would say is correct as a performer as I
mentioned above, learning by watching and copying then having to reflect and
react quickly. This links to Dewey and Schons theories by doing and experiencing
in the moment. Doing and copying the dance links into being a visual learner
because doing the movements as you see them (visual) is also the learning style
of Dewey and Schon (doing and experiencing.)
Over
the period of the last few tasks, I have mentioned in the previously about
reflective writing I am finding it hard to reflect on a personal level regards
to feelings and emotions. Looking into these different theories really have
brought to light the importance of reflecting on thoughts and feelings. Whilst
researching into various avenues over this task I found this-
'Boud and Walker were also critical
that the level of personal disclosure required might be beyond the capacity of
some novice teachers. They point out that "it is common for
reflection to be treated as if it were an intellectual exercise - a simple
matter of thinking rigorously. However, reflection is not solely a
cognitive process; emotions are central to all learning."
http://www.brainboxx.co.uk/a3_aspects/pages/Reflective.htm
I have learnt that this is something I really
do need to work on and need to include. This quote links back to task 2b. It is
an aspect that links back and could be included in the reflective observation
part of the Kolb cycle as well as considering it with in the Schon and Dewey
theories regards to how you felt in that moment.
Tuesday 15 November 2016
2b. 9 writing styles
After reading task 2b. I thought I may as well start straight away by combing 2a and 2b together. So I decided due to lack of time (running a little behind) I would take 1 week to reflect on my lessons that I teach and try out the 9 different writing styles to see which I found best at the same time as starting my journal.
By day 3 I'd already found that 'what if?' And 'another view' just weren't the writing styles for me as I found they became rambling on about things that probably weren't going to be beneficial to my reflection process in the future.
It took me less than the week I had allocated to decide on my preferred reflection style of writing or should I say 3! I have discovered that encorperating list, diagrams, and evaluation helps me to write my thoughts /feelings and experiences in a clear way that will make sense to me when I look back on them later down the line.
I started off by listing keys points of things I felt relevant throughout the lesson. I then transferred them Into a spider diagram with those points around the outside such as:
-Event
-Activities
-What worked/didn't
-Things I learnt
-Feelings/thoughts
-Feedback
Then under each category I expanded them using description/evaluation. I've found doing this allows me to write in sections about important and relevant things rather than covering insignificant parts that don't need to be looked back on.
I've found using colour breaks up the information making it easier to process and will also help when looking back at a later date. (Makes it a little more fun and creative too.)
Over the task I found my self reverting back to wanting to just summarise my lessons as I do this on a day to day basis already. This method forces me to fill in the sections that make me reflect on a personal level rather than a quick overview like I am used to which I am finding beneficial. Hopefully this will continue to encourage me to get into the habit of writing more personally over the time of the course.
By day 3 I'd already found that 'what if?' And 'another view' just weren't the writing styles for me as I found they became rambling on about things that probably weren't going to be beneficial to my reflection process in the future.
It took me less than the week I had allocated to decide on my preferred reflection style of writing or should I say 3! I have discovered that encorperating list, diagrams, and evaluation helps me to write my thoughts /feelings and experiences in a clear way that will make sense to me when I look back on them later down the line.
I started off by listing keys points of things I felt relevant throughout the lesson. I then transferred them Into a spider diagram with those points around the outside such as:
-Event
-Activities
-What worked/didn't
-Things I learnt
-Feelings/thoughts
-Feedback
Then under each category I expanded them using description/evaluation. I've found doing this allows me to write in sections about important and relevant things rather than covering insignificant parts that don't need to be looked back on.
I've found using colour breaks up the information making it easier to process and will also help when looking back at a later date. (Makes it a little more fun and creative too.)
Over the task I found my self reverting back to wanting to just summarise my lessons as I do this on a day to day basis already. This method forces me to fill in the sections that make me reflect on a personal level rather than a quick overview like I am used to which I am finding beneficial. Hopefully this will continue to encourage me to get into the habit of writing more personally over the time of the course.
Sunday 13 November 2016
Task 2a. Reflective practice.
So looking over this part of the module these were some of the things that came to mind...
I have never been one to keep a diary or journal. However, I am the kind of person who is always making lists, planning out my lessons before teaching them, even down to writing out an important email or piece of work such as an essay on paper before processing it onto the computer (even down to a spider diagram before blogging this!)I also have a phone full of 'notes' where I keep reminders and lists and anything that springs to mind that I think I may need to look back on.
As part of my current job as a dance and drama coach, part of our role is to fill in 'brief sheets' after every session about areas we covered, milestones achieved and plans for the next lesson. So in one sense I am already using reflection on my teaching sessions on a daily basis. Although, these are more for the offices benefit to keep track of what their teachers are delivering rather than on a personal level for my self.
I think I am going to write a journal in a book form where I can store ideas, diagrams and lists as these are things I already do but make them more personal, about my feelings and thoughts and my own progress within my practice.
This is going to be something very different for me as I'm going to have to adapt what I already do now religiously as part of a job, into something which is on a much more personal level which is going to be a new process.
I have never been one to keep a diary or journal. However, I am the kind of person who is always making lists, planning out my lessons before teaching them, even down to writing out an important email or piece of work such as an essay on paper before processing it onto the computer (even down to a spider diagram before blogging this!)I also have a phone full of 'notes' where I keep reminders and lists and anything that springs to mind that I think I may need to look back on.
As part of my current job as a dance and drama coach, part of our role is to fill in 'brief sheets' after every session about areas we covered, milestones achieved and plans for the next lesson. So in one sense I am already using reflection on my teaching sessions on a daily basis. Although, these are more for the offices benefit to keep track of what their teachers are delivering rather than on a personal level for my self.
I think I am going to write a journal in a book form where I can store ideas, diagrams and lists as these are things I already do but make them more personal, about my feelings and thoughts and my own progress within my practice.
This is going to be something very different for me as I'm going to have to adapt what I already do now religiously as part of a job, into something which is on a much more personal level which is going to be a new process.
Wednesday 9 November 2016
Time to get back to work
So unfortunately the last few weeks for me have been manic and work progression on the course has slowed down to say the least! From moving part time teaching to a full time teaching position to a job offer in Ghana of all places...its safe to say its all been a little crazy and I still have not actually made a decision on what to do regards to my contract offer!! Ive finally found a little time today and I have a day off tomorrow so the work will be kick started again! I hope everyone elses course is going well :)
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