Happy Halloween!
Here is a little treat for you all from 2 years ago...
Wednesday 31 October 2012
Trick or Treat...
Wednesday 31st October 2012
Happy Halloween!
Here is a little treat for you all from 2 years ago...
Happy Halloween!
Here is a little treat for you all from 2 years ago...
Friday 26 October 2012
Journal Writing Experience
Friday 26th October 2012
My reflective journal is going well so far. I have never been one for keeping a diary but it really does help express feelings and reminders of events. I have previously had to do a reflective journal for my Art Foundation course which was a similar process. Writing what I had achieved, what needed work and what I had actually produced and how I felt about it. It is nice to keep up to date with everything.. being such a keen photographer, I tend to capture moments with photographs. Every time I look back on them I am reminded of the event and the emotions, the smells etc that came with it.
I have tried a few various ways of writing but still want to try more as there may be a method unknown to me that works best out of them all. I have used and tested the following:
Description
I tend to use this way of writing quite often. I am quite good at writing everything down and can ramble a little too much! Being quite a visual learner, I describe exactly what happened, who was there and any parts of the event that stood out to me. I picture the event and write what I see. After this I normally move on to..
Initial Reflection
Having described the event I will always add how I felt about it, whether it be positive or negative and looking back, how it could have been made better or what I can do in the future to create the same response or a more positive one. I integrate my reflective thought processes within an entry. It may just be singular words or I may go into depth if there were a particular moment to focus on.
Evaluation and What If
These two I tend to mix in with Description and Initial Reflection. They all come together as one, I express how I felt about what was happening and how I would change it in the future etc. As I said, I can be one to ramble so I think reeling off my thoughts on everything in one helps me to get everything out as it comes to mind.
Lists
I'm an extremely organised person and would be lost without lists. I use them for 'things to do', 'things to pack in my suitcase' and general reminders. I remember at Elmhurst, being at a boarding school, I would always be writing lists of things I wanted to tell my parents on the phone. Any special events or feelings, it would sometimes be plain or boring but knew they would be interested. Without writing it all down, I'd forget certain points. Again, like my initial reflection, my list varies. Some points are singular words such as 'busy' and 'alert' where as with others, I go further. For example in my entry from Friday 19th October, when I was doing work experience at a local Primary School, I have written the following:
"Happy - a child told me today that they wished I were their teacher and that I should come back after half term. I must be doing something right here, it is so great to be getting a positive response. Another child told me they would miss me. Seeing that I've made the children happy and helped them for the week makes me happy too and has allowed me to realise that this is something I would love to do - working with others.. even 5 and 6 year olds!"
Graphs, charts and diagrams
Sometimes, the artist in me comes out to play and I will add a diagram to my writing. Never any charts or graphs but images and drawings. I feel they help me to explain what it is that I am saying and can put things into perspective. The drawings are quick and sketchy but even if they're only for me to see and understand, I can relate to them and I enjoy doing them. Here is an example of a very quick one I did after thinking about how tiny we all are within the Universe...
I shall continue to work with various methods, I still need to think about writing from someone/something else's perspective. I should imagine this would be strange, however it will allow me to look at things from another angle and not get too wrapped up in my own emotions!
My reflective journal is going well so far. I have never been one for keeping a diary but it really does help express feelings and reminders of events. I have previously had to do a reflective journal for my Art Foundation course which was a similar process. Writing what I had achieved, what needed work and what I had actually produced and how I felt about it. It is nice to keep up to date with everything.. being such a keen photographer, I tend to capture moments with photographs. Every time I look back on them I am reminded of the event and the emotions, the smells etc that came with it.
I have tried a few various ways of writing but still want to try more as there may be a method unknown to me that works best out of them all. I have used and tested the following:
Description
I tend to use this way of writing quite often. I am quite good at writing everything down and can ramble a little too much! Being quite a visual learner, I describe exactly what happened, who was there and any parts of the event that stood out to me. I picture the event and write what I see. After this I normally move on to..
Initial Reflection
Having described the event I will always add how I felt about it, whether it be positive or negative and looking back, how it could have been made better or what I can do in the future to create the same response or a more positive one. I integrate my reflective thought processes within an entry. It may just be singular words or I may go into depth if there were a particular moment to focus on.
Evaluation and What If
These two I tend to mix in with Description and Initial Reflection. They all come together as one, I express how I felt about what was happening and how I would change it in the future etc. As I said, I can be one to ramble so I think reeling off my thoughts on everything in one helps me to get everything out as it comes to mind.
Lists
I'm an extremely organised person and would be lost without lists. I use them for 'things to do', 'things to pack in my suitcase' and general reminders. I remember at Elmhurst, being at a boarding school, I would always be writing lists of things I wanted to tell my parents on the phone. Any special events or feelings, it would sometimes be plain or boring but knew they would be interested. Without writing it all down, I'd forget certain points. Again, like my initial reflection, my list varies. Some points are singular words such as 'busy' and 'alert' where as with others, I go further. For example in my entry from Friday 19th October, when I was doing work experience at a local Primary School, I have written the following:
"Happy - a child told me today that they wished I were their teacher and that I should come back after half term. I must be doing something right here, it is so great to be getting a positive response. Another child told me they would miss me. Seeing that I've made the children happy and helped them for the week makes me happy too and has allowed me to realise that this is something I would love to do - working with others.. even 5 and 6 year olds!"
Graphs, charts and diagrams
Sometimes, the artist in me comes out to play and I will add a diagram to my writing. Never any charts or graphs but images and drawings. I feel they help me to explain what it is that I am saying and can put things into perspective. The drawings are quick and sketchy but even if they're only for me to see and understand, I can relate to them and I enjoy doing them. Here is an example of a very quick one I did after thinking about how tiny we all are within the Universe...
(Not to scale... obviously!)
I shall continue to work with various methods, I still need to think about writing from someone/something else's perspective. I should imagine this would be strange, however it will allow me to look at things from another angle and not get too wrapped up in my own emotions!
Tuesday 23 October 2012
Reflective Theory
Tuesday 23rd October 2012
As humans, I feel we are constantly 'learning from experience'. Without actually doing something, we would never know what an action involved or the emotions that were involved in the process. We can all learn from every thing we do in life, whether it be positive or negative - we are still learning.
Personally, I always try to reflect on events in a positive way. It is so easy for us to dwell on the negatives: "that part was awful", "I should have said [...] rather than [...]" etc. I like to think the following: "next time, I will have improved on [...]" and pick out the strongest moments.
I don't use 'I learnt that by experience' very regularly at all. I believe that we are always learning that way and every day we learn something new. However, I do think that we 'learn from our mistakes'. Once we have dealt with our mistakes we know what went wrong, not to do it again and how to avoid it in the future.
This links in with Donald Schön's ideas behind "reflection-on-action" - looking back on an action. I definitely use this rather than "reflection-in-action". At times, I do use the latter, attempting to divert the direction an action is going in order for it to all be correct and run smoothly. However, I would still then use "reflection-on-action" afterwards to prevent such an occurrence again. A mild example of this would be working with children. I have dealt with a child falling over and injuring themselves. At the time, I dealt with it by looking after the child and taking necessary actions but then looking back, I now know what else I can do to prevent children falling. Keep an eye on them at all times and clear any obstacles.
Kottcamp says that reflection-in-action is harder to achieve but is "more powerful for improvement of practice." I disagree. I feel that reflecting back on an action can be just as powerful as we gain a clear idea of how to avoid any wrong-doings next time and make any improvements. I do understand that it is important but feel that both types of reflection are equally powerful.
When at my peak in dance training, I would have been an 'online' practitioner. Every movement and performance I did, I would be thinking about what came next and how I could adapt things if I needed to. I would always also use the 'offline' approach afterwards. Nowadays, I am still actively 'online' but I'm more of a forward thinker. I look for possibilities and how I would approach something should it occur. I have to question whether this links with Kottcamp's ideas.. or does he just think about the moment there and then, not looking forward on the event?
I feel I can relate to Osterman's views on tacit knowledge. Having studied art as well as dance, I can understand the difficulty of expressing an action or emotion in words. I actually find it easy to do this with writing, however, if I were asked to write down an explanation of 'how to draw an apple' to someone, I would struggle. It would be much simpler to take out a piece of paper and pen and draw it step by step. The viewer could then reflect on what I have shown them and repeat the process.
Boud says that a journal "provide[s] an alternative 'voice' for those not good at expressing themselves" - this is how I can feel with drawing at times. As well as expressing myself in a different way to writing my thoughts down, drawing relaxes me and distracts my mind.
From my studies on being a 'reflective practitioner', I am aware that I want to improve my "reflection-in-action" skills. Now that I am not in dance training, I want to use the knowledge I had before and put it into every day life. My previous education and experiences have allowed me to think before and after actions, now I want to work on the parts in between!
When we 'return to experience', we could be re-living it (or an event very similar) or simply, re reading our thoughts on it, we can fully understand the situation and know what to do when returning to it.
Reflection is something that occurs naturally, whether we are conscious about it or not. It is so important to assess what we do every day. We can look forward to the next few days or weeks, give ourselves aims but also think back to what we have already achieved and how this will help us reach our goals.
Without these reflective skills it would be difficult to progress and to grow in confidence within our professions.
“My own brain is to me the most unaccountable of machinery - always buzzing, humming, soaring roaring diving, and then buried in mud. And why? What's this passion for?”
- Virginia Woolf
As humans, I feel we are constantly 'learning from experience'. Without actually doing something, we would never know what an action involved or the emotions that were involved in the process. We can all learn from every thing we do in life, whether it be positive or negative - we are still learning.
Personally, I always try to reflect on events in a positive way. It is so easy for us to dwell on the negatives: "that part was awful", "I should have said [...] rather than [...]" etc. I like to think the following: "next time, I will have improved on [...]" and pick out the strongest moments.
I don't use 'I learnt that by experience' very regularly at all. I believe that we are always learning that way and every day we learn something new. However, I do think that we 'learn from our mistakes'. Once we have dealt with our mistakes we know what went wrong, not to do it again and how to avoid it in the future.
This links in with Donald Schön's ideas behind "reflection-on-action" - looking back on an action. I definitely use this rather than "reflection-in-action". At times, I do use the latter, attempting to divert the direction an action is going in order for it to all be correct and run smoothly. However, I would still then use "reflection-on-action" afterwards to prevent such an occurrence again. A mild example of this would be working with children. I have dealt with a child falling over and injuring themselves. At the time, I dealt with it by looking after the child and taking necessary actions but then looking back, I now know what else I can do to prevent children falling. Keep an eye on them at all times and clear any obstacles.
Kottcamp says that reflection-in-action is harder to achieve but is "more powerful for improvement of practice." I disagree. I feel that reflecting back on an action can be just as powerful as we gain a clear idea of how to avoid any wrong-doings next time and make any improvements. I do understand that it is important but feel that both types of reflection are equally powerful.
When at my peak in dance training, I would have been an 'online' practitioner. Every movement and performance I did, I would be thinking about what came next and how I could adapt things if I needed to. I would always also use the 'offline' approach afterwards. Nowadays, I am still actively 'online' but I'm more of a forward thinker. I look for possibilities and how I would approach something should it occur. I have to question whether this links with Kottcamp's ideas.. or does he just think about the moment there and then, not looking forward on the event?
I feel I can relate to Osterman's views on tacit knowledge. Having studied art as well as dance, I can understand the difficulty of expressing an action or emotion in words. I actually find it easy to do this with writing, however, if I were asked to write down an explanation of 'how to draw an apple' to someone, I would struggle. It would be much simpler to take out a piece of paper and pen and draw it step by step. The viewer could then reflect on what I have shown them and repeat the process.
Boud says that a journal "provide[s] an alternative 'voice' for those not good at expressing themselves" - this is how I can feel with drawing at times. As well as expressing myself in a different way to writing my thoughts down, drawing relaxes me and distracts my mind.
From my studies on being a 'reflective practitioner', I am aware that I want to improve my "reflection-in-action" skills. Now that I am not in dance training, I want to use the knowledge I had before and put it into every day life. My previous education and experiences have allowed me to think before and after actions, now I want to work on the parts in between!
When we 'return to experience', we could be re-living it (or an event very similar) or simply, re reading our thoughts on it, we can fully understand the situation and know what to do when returning to it.
Reflection is something that occurs naturally, whether we are conscious about it or not. It is so important to assess what we do every day. We can look forward to the next few days or weeks, give ourselves aims but also think back to what we have already achieved and how this will help us reach our goals.
Without these reflective skills it would be difficult to progress and to grow in confidence within our professions.
“My own brain is to me the most unaccountable of machinery - always buzzing, humming, soaring roaring diving, and then buried in mud. And why? What's this passion for?”
- Virginia Woolf
Friday 19 October 2012
Further thoughts..
Friday 18th October 2012
I went to my local library yesterday... They didn't have the particular ones I was after so I took out 'The Development and Education of the Mind - The Selected Works of Howard Gardner'.
As mentioned in my earlier blog, Gardner talks about 'multiple intelligences'. In his chapter 'MI Theory - Beyond the IQ' he discusses these intelligences in a little more detail. The two I felt I linked best with when reading the reflection reader were Interpersonal and Intrapersonal. From my further reading I now know I am mostly interpersonal.
Gardner says that interpersonal intelligence is the "ability to understand other people. What motivates them, how they work." He gives salespeople, teachers, politicians, clinicians as examples of professionals that may use this intelligence.
Going back to the idea of becoming a Dance Movement Therapist, I can see why, having this intelligence myself, I want to explore such a route. I tend to understand people, and if I don't, I want to! I will go to all measures to find out more and learn about their lives and emotions.
Intrapersonal has the same definition but "turned inward". Gardner quotes: "A capacity to form an accurate, veridical model of oneself and to be able to use that model to operate effectively in life."
Reflecting on Gardners views on the MI theory, I am seeing connections with myself and fascinated to discover the reasons behind my aims and interests in life. Without knowing about multiple intelligences and learning styles, I just assumed that everyone did what they did because they enjoyed it.. Now I understand that there are groups of people with similar thought processes, all of which will tend to eventually have a career in similar fields.
Reflective Journal...
I am writing daily. As Boud says: we are "attending to feeling" and "express[ing] ways of experiencing". I feel it is so important for us to express ourselves.. even if no one else reads it. Letting go of emotions, any problems or simply writing a positive part of our day enables us to not let things 'bottle up' inside. Writing something down will let us get things 'of our chest' and having it there on paper - it won't go any where. So, expressing an emotion or thought in writing is one less thing for our mind to be going over and trying to remember. Yes, we will still feel it but we don't have to dwell on the thoughts and can move on to the next. I think it is important to keep the journals private. This allows us to discuss and organise our thoughts to ourselves before we consider sharing them with others. Looking at other blogs, it is good to see how everyone is using the reflective theory within their own professional practice. I shall go into further details on my own reflection when completing tasks on reflective writing.
I went to my local library yesterday... They didn't have the particular ones I was after so I took out 'The Development and Education of the Mind - The Selected Works of Howard Gardner'.
As mentioned in my earlier blog, Gardner talks about 'multiple intelligences'. In his chapter 'MI Theory - Beyond the IQ' he discusses these intelligences in a little more detail. The two I felt I linked best with when reading the reflection reader were Interpersonal and Intrapersonal. From my further reading I now know I am mostly interpersonal.
Gardner says that interpersonal intelligence is the "ability to understand other people. What motivates them, how they work." He gives salespeople, teachers, politicians, clinicians as examples of professionals that may use this intelligence.
Going back to the idea of becoming a Dance Movement Therapist, I can see why, having this intelligence myself, I want to explore such a route. I tend to understand people, and if I don't, I want to! I will go to all measures to find out more and learn about their lives and emotions.
Intrapersonal has the same definition but "turned inward". Gardner quotes: "A capacity to form an accurate, veridical model of oneself and to be able to use that model to operate effectively in life."
Reflecting on Gardners views on the MI theory, I am seeing connections with myself and fascinated to discover the reasons behind my aims and interests in life. Without knowing about multiple intelligences and learning styles, I just assumed that everyone did what they did because they enjoyed it.. Now I understand that there are groups of people with similar thought processes, all of which will tend to eventually have a career in similar fields.
Reflective Journal...
I am writing daily. As Boud says: we are "attending to feeling" and "express[ing] ways of experiencing". I feel it is so important for us to express ourselves.. even if no one else reads it. Letting go of emotions, any problems or simply writing a positive part of our day enables us to not let things 'bottle up' inside. Writing something down will let us get things 'of our chest' and having it there on paper - it won't go any where. So, expressing an emotion or thought in writing is one less thing for our mind to be going over and trying to remember. Yes, we will still feel it but we don't have to dwell on the thoughts and can move on to the next. I think it is important to keep the journals private. This allows us to discuss and organise our thoughts to ourselves before we consider sharing them with others. Looking at other blogs, it is good to see how everyone is using the reflective theory within their own professional practice. I shall go into further details on my own reflection when completing tasks on reflective writing.
Wednesday 17 October 2012
New photos!
Wednesday 17th October 2012
Just to let you all know I've added a new selection of photos onto my Flickr Photostream. They are a random selection of important events or places in my life. Although they aren't linked to the BAPP course, I thought you'd find it interesting to see some!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/88183647@N03/
Just to let you all know I've added a new selection of photos onto my Flickr Photostream. They are a random selection of important events or places in my life. Although they aren't linked to the BAPP course, I thought you'd find it interesting to see some!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/88183647@N03/
Tuesday 16 October 2012
Cycles, styles and processes...
Tuesday 16th October 2012
I bought myself a note book to use as my journal yesterday and have begun writing in it already.. After reading through the Reflection reader and our tasks for part 2, my mind has been busy and I am finding it all very interesting. With a plan to become a Dance Movement Therapist, a lot of the theories and cycles we are reading about link to previous reading I have done about therapy. Assessing an event and the emotions involved is often a way of getting to the bottom of a problem that may be causing stress or anxiety. Thinking how we can change how we feel about the event, looking at it more positively will help us to overcome the negative, uneasy thoughts that come with it.
From looking at Kolb's learning cycle, I have come to realise that my personal learning style is as follows:
1. Abstract conceptualisation
2. Reflective observation
3. Active experimentation
My dance educational experience taught me to use active experimentation as a priority and also reflective observation. I would adapt movements for convenience purposes. For example, I would change direction or miss a few steps in order to prevent any collisions or running out of space. I would use reflective observation after a performance or exercise in class in order to look back and think about what I could have done better and what I need to adjust or improve on for next time.
I still use reflective observation in every day life but feel that my active experimentation has changed to abstract conceptualisation now that I am out of training.
Being fascinated by all of this, I have done extra reading on Kolb's learning cycle and styles.
(http://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html)
As well as the 4 points on the cycle given in the reader, he shows an axis of two continuums. East to West being "processing" (how we approach a task) and North to South being "perception" (our emotional response to it).
With the axis in place, we now have four mixed styles. For example 'north-east' of his cycle is a mix of concrete experience and reflective observation.. here is the diagram taken from my reading to explain:
"The Assimilating learning preference is for a concise, logical approach. Ideas and concepts are more important than people. These people require good clear explanation rather than practical opportunity. They excel at understanding wide-ranging information and organizing it a clear logical format. People with an Assimilating learning style are less focused on people and more interested in ideas and abstract concepts. People with this style are more attracted to logically sound theories than approaches based on practical value."
You can give me learning styles over Harry Styles any day...!
I bought myself a note book to use as my journal yesterday and have begun writing in it already.. After reading through the Reflection reader and our tasks for part 2, my mind has been busy and I am finding it all very interesting. With a plan to become a Dance Movement Therapist, a lot of the theories and cycles we are reading about link to previous reading I have done about therapy. Assessing an event and the emotions involved is often a way of getting to the bottom of a problem that may be causing stress or anxiety. Thinking how we can change how we feel about the event, looking at it more positively will help us to overcome the negative, uneasy thoughts that come with it.
From looking at Kolb's learning cycle, I have come to realise that my personal learning style is as follows:
1. Abstract conceptualisation
2. Reflective observation
3. Active experimentation
My dance educational experience taught me to use active experimentation as a priority and also reflective observation. I would adapt movements for convenience purposes. For example, I would change direction or miss a few steps in order to prevent any collisions or running out of space. I would use reflective observation after a performance or exercise in class in order to look back and think about what I could have done better and what I need to adjust or improve on for next time.
I still use reflective observation in every day life but feel that my active experimentation has changed to abstract conceptualisation now that I am out of training.
Being fascinated by all of this, I have done extra reading on Kolb's learning cycle and styles.
(http://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html)
As well as the 4 points on the cycle given in the reader, he shows an axis of two continuums. East to West being "processing" (how we approach a task) and North to South being "perception" (our emotional response to it).
With the axis in place, we now have four mixed styles. For example 'north-east' of his cycle is a mix of concrete experience and reflective observation.. here is the diagram taken from my reading to explain:
I feel that I used to come under the 'Diverging' style. I am still very interested in the Arts and culture and it was whilst dancing that I showed emotion and imagination and wanted the 'personal feedback' that Kolb describes..
"Kolb called this style 'Diverging' because these people perform better in situations that require ideas-generation, for example, brainstorming. People with a Diverging learning style have broad cultural interests and like to gather information. They are interested in people, tend to be imaginative and emotional, and tend to be strong in the arts. People with the Diverging style prefer to work in groups, to listen with an open mind and to receive personal feedback."
- McLeod, S. A. (2010). Kolb | The Learning Style Inventory
Nowadays, I feel I use 'Assimilating'. I have always loved academic work but within dance, the artistic side to me overshadowed this and now, I feel my interest in structure, concepts, ideas and information are more apparent.
- McLeod, S. A. (2010). Kolb | The Learning Style Inventory
Moving on from Kolb, I am also interested in Howard Gardner's views on 'multiple intelligences'. I think I associate best with 'interpersonal' and 'intrapersonal'. I am often the 'agony aunt' amongst friends and will always be willing to help to understand and relate to people and their emotional lives. I think that this is a reason why I am so interested in therapy, I enjoy being able to help others, especially by listening and talking things through. As well as these intelligences, I fall under Gardner's 'VAK' category. I am a very visual learner and always will be. For instance, in exams at school, if I were trying to remember a certain fact or quote, I would visualise the page from my revision notes or the text book and see the words in my mind rather than actually always remember a fact. It also helps being a visual learner when finding my way round new places. If you know me, you know that my sense of direction is appalling. Visualising specific buildings or road names allows me to end up in the right place.. eventually.
"They should not limit you by making you feel you are one kind of learner but they can be used as a tool for your understanding of how you and others learn. The give value to the different ways we can engage with real world experiences" - Reflection Reader
With my reading so far, I am already so intrigued by how we learn and how our minds work. I shall continue my studies and explore further into it.. expect another lengthy blog post soon!
You can give me learning styles over Harry Styles any day...!
Sunday 14 October 2012
End of Part 1
Sunday 14th October 2012
Winter seems to have arrived as we reach the end of Part 1 of Module 1...
2 weeks into the BAPP course and I’m already feeling a lot more confident that both my reflective and technology skills are improving. I’m looking forward to hearing any feedback on my first blog entries and interested to know what I can improve on and work towards for Part 2 and all future posts.
It was great reading about the campus session and seeing the videos of everyone’s thoughts about Professional Communication Technologies. After just 2 weeks, it has been proved how web 2.0 and social networking can enhance and develop professional practice. Within our BAPP group, I have been able to read everyone else’s blogs, have discussions and ask questions on Facebook groups and always keep up to date with each others progress.
I found this helpful on Rosemary’s blog summary of the session...
1 to 1
Examples are phone calls, letters, e-mails, face to face meeting. Advantages suggested were that it was non-filtered, personal, intimate, more to the point and relevant.
1 to Many
Examples come from the broadcast media and include newspapers, radio, TV. The advantages are that it is a reliable resource, there is control therefore less confusion and that it’s for mass consumption (therefore efficient?) Downsides were also considered such as influence of ownership of broadcast media and whether it is propaganda or censored.
Many to Many
Examples are social media such as Facebook, Conferences, Blogs and You tube. The advantages are that more questions can be asked, there is more energy and there is the opportunity to create through performance.
Rosemary Mcguinness
1 to 1 - It is good to have direct contact with some one. They can offer you their own advice and thoughts. Yes, they may not always be correct but you can take this information from various 1 to 1 contacts and create an overall web of ideas. Some you will agree with, others you won't but it is interesting to hear individual thoughts, not always influenced by a media broadcast.
1 to many - I agree that some media that is broadcast could be biased and therefore give out the message that they think we want to hear.. even if it isn’t 100% truthful. However, it is a good way to express an opinion or message to a wide audience as the majority will see it, especially if it is a well known company.
Many to many - These are the communicative ways in which our BAPP group have been working. There is constant uploading, discussing and it brings everyone together. It never stops and there is always something new to see or read.
I’ll be starting part 2 soon so watch this space for ‘The Reflective Practitioner’...
Monday 8 October 2012
CV thoughts..
Monday 8th October 2012
"Curriculum vitæ, is a Latin expression which can be loosely translated as [the] course of [my] life" - Wikipedia
It is the start of week two, module 1 and with the majority of my current tasks under my belt, I want to express a few thoughts on the importance of a good CV.
Your CV needs to show all that it can about your education and qualifications, your experience and your personality. Employers want to see why you would be good for them but also like to get an immediate impression of who you are.
Depending on experience, it can be difficult to fit it all onto a maximum of 2 sides of A4. It always needs to be well structured and presented. It should show off your strengths in a positive way and be adaptable so that further details can be added to emphasise certain skills etc, depending on the job you are applying for.
Through researching, I discovered an article 'How to write a successful CV before applying for a job' on BBC News website from November 2011.
They state:
The basic format for a CV includes:
- Personal details, including name, address, phone number, email address and possibly any professional social media presence. You no longer need to include your date of birth, owing to age discrimination rules.
- Career history, starting with your most recent job first. Include dates and temporary or voluntary jobs if appropriate.
- A personal profile which sells yourself and your qualities, tailored towards the job you are applying for.
- Achievements from previous jobs that are relevant.
- Qualifications and training from previous jobs, with the most recent first.
- Interests, if they are relevant and especially if the skills or teamwork concerned are relevant for the job.
- Any extra information, such as reasons for a career change or reasons for gaps in career history, such as caring duties.
- References, ideally two or more and including a recent employer.
All of these above points are very necessary. You must make your CV relevant to the job in which you are applying for and give the important details which will make you stand out from all of the other applicants - think about why they should choose you.
From looking through other CVs on blogs, I have found it interesting to see that some people have numerous versions, depending on the type of employment they are looking for whether it be dance, drama, musical theatre or every day work. When in education and for some time afterwards, I too had a 'dance CV'. This showed all of my performance and work experience within the dance world and to prove to employers why I would be suitable for them. I do the same now with all vacancies that I apply for and include the skills I gained from my dance experience e.g. self-motivation and good time keeping, to boost my strengths and attributes.
Sunday 7 October 2012
My Flickr photostream
Sunday 7th October 2012
Here is the link to my photostream on Flickr...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/88183647@N03/
So far I have added a selection of photographs from my dance education and dance-related employment. As I am a keen photographer, I am sure I will upload a variety of my photographs which I hope you should all enjoy!
Here is the link to my photostream on Flickr...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/88183647@N03/
So far I have added a selection of photographs from my dance education and dance-related employment. As I am a keen photographer, I am sure I will upload a variety of my photographs which I hope you should all enjoy!
Thursday 4 October 2012
Starting out on BAPP
Thursday 4th October 2012
Here is the link to my YouTube video of my thoughts on 'Starting out on BAPP'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZM1qi8ER1E&feature=youtu.be
I apologise in advance for my 'telephone voice' (as my sister calls it).. it just came over me. I'll be interested to view other videos and see how everyone else is feeling and what they hope they will achieve from the course.
Here is the link to my YouTube video of my thoughts on 'Starting out on BAPP'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZM1qi8ER1E&feature=youtu.be
I apologise in advance for my 'telephone voice' (as my sister calls it).. it just came over me. I'll be interested to view other videos and see how everyone else is feeling and what they hope they will achieve from the course.
Monday 1 October 2012
Professional Communication Technologies
Monday 1st October 2012 - First day as an official BAPP student!
Reader 1 - 'Professional Communication Technology'
If you have seen the film 'The Social Network' you will know how Facebook began and how quickly it developed and became a worldwide phenomenon. I have now realised how important web 2.0 and social networking have become in both every day life and in the workplace. It makes me wonder how people ever survived without it...
We share so much through social networking such as: personal details, where we have been, photos of recent events and what we're doing at a particular moment in time. It has become a whole new 'world' which is constantly developing and expanding. These details that we share are then seen by hundreds, and if you're lucky enough to become a Youtube sensation, millions. Just by one click of a button we can share a piece of information or image etc that maybe another few hundred have already 'shared'. The chain continues and before we know it, billions of people have seen the same thing, which connects us all.
It reminds me of 'chain mail' from my childhood. If you were to send on a certain letter to 10 friends, and each of those friends sent it on to 10 others etc, you would receive a chocolate bar (which I realise now was a bribe to send it on).. unfortunately I never actually received any chocolate but the idea is similar, a network of people building from the same singular piece of 'chain mail'.
That links me to 'participation'. Without everyone taking part in the 'chain mail', it wouldn't work and the networking would collapse. As for social networking and web 2.0, if we all participate, we can interact with those around us and who share our interests, and build up strong relationships. These relationships could be important contacts who will potentially lead us down other paths and introduce us to new and exciting opportunities.
Participating in such a way, as a creator of our sites but consumer of other people's information takes us on to 'produsage' - a term used by Bruns (2007) as "a portmanteau of production and usage". We take an idea from another creator, edit and adapt it to our own taste and it becomes a development of the original piece. We, as a creator, consume an idea from a producer, then taking the role of the 'producer' ourselves, we make something new. If another consumer were to take on our new development and edit it, the ideas would always be improving and moving forward.
All of this takes me back to the idea that we are all networking and connecting because we share the same interests which leads us to become a social group (most of which we have never and will never meet). Sites like Facebook are intelligent. It understands what we like and will suggest pages that we should join, or people that we may know so that we are able to make further connections all of the time.
Just by having a Facebook site, you are immediately within a social network group. If you meet someone new, more than often you will add them on Facebook first before writing their number down. I find it fascinating how it seems to have become a norm in society to talk in 'Facebook language'. From walking around and being in public spaces, I hear sentences such as: "did you see [name]'s status this morning?" or "I saw that on his wall". A few years ago, these wouldn't have made any sense, but now, we don't think twice about their meanings.
I see Facebook and social networking as useful tools in our lives and communities. They allow us to keep on top of our social lives but also connect us with potential employers or people who may help us along our career ladders.
My sister, a freelance copywriter, uses networking sites daily as part of her career. Updating on Twitter, Facebook etc for companies, ensuring that a wide audience reads them and takes the information on board. Without social networking, she wouldn't have a job, so I'm thankful to social media for allowing her to continually climb higher and higher within the industry.
She is currently travelling in America (yes, we're all jealous) and visited a talk in Los Angeles the other day.. I found it interesting as it links to the ideas of 'Professional Communication Technology' and shows how companies use social networking at a high, professional level. The link to her write up 'Who really owns your social media?' is as follows:
http://www.elephantcreative.co.uk/2012/09/28/social-media-week-los-angeles-who-really-owns-your-social-media/
I shall end with a quote from Reader 1 'Professional Communication Technology' which I hope, is the case for my blog:
"The users add content to the site, and the more the users access the site and add data, the better the site becomes."
Reader 1 - 'Professional Communication Technology'
If you have seen the film 'The Social Network' you will know how Facebook began and how quickly it developed and became a worldwide phenomenon. I have now realised how important web 2.0 and social networking have become in both every day life and in the workplace. It makes me wonder how people ever survived without it...
We share so much through social networking such as: personal details, where we have been, photos of recent events and what we're doing at a particular moment in time. It has become a whole new 'world' which is constantly developing and expanding. These details that we share are then seen by hundreds, and if you're lucky enough to become a Youtube sensation, millions. Just by one click of a button we can share a piece of information or image etc that maybe another few hundred have already 'shared'. The chain continues and before we know it, billions of people have seen the same thing, which connects us all.
It reminds me of 'chain mail' from my childhood. If you were to send on a certain letter to 10 friends, and each of those friends sent it on to 10 others etc, you would receive a chocolate bar (which I realise now was a bribe to send it on).. unfortunately I never actually received any chocolate but the idea is similar, a network of people building from the same singular piece of 'chain mail'.
That links me to 'participation'. Without everyone taking part in the 'chain mail', it wouldn't work and the networking would collapse. As for social networking and web 2.0, if we all participate, we can interact with those around us and who share our interests, and build up strong relationships. These relationships could be important contacts who will potentially lead us down other paths and introduce us to new and exciting opportunities.
Participating in such a way, as a creator of our sites but consumer of other people's information takes us on to 'produsage' - a term used by Bruns (2007) as "a portmanteau of production and usage". We take an idea from another creator, edit and adapt it to our own taste and it becomes a development of the original piece. We, as a creator, consume an idea from a producer, then taking the role of the 'producer' ourselves, we make something new. If another consumer were to take on our new development and edit it, the ideas would always be improving and moving forward.
All of this takes me back to the idea that we are all networking and connecting because we share the same interests which leads us to become a social group (most of which we have never and will never meet). Sites like Facebook are intelligent. It understands what we like and will suggest pages that we should join, or people that we may know so that we are able to make further connections all of the time.
Just by having a Facebook site, you are immediately within a social network group. If you meet someone new, more than often you will add them on Facebook first before writing their number down. I find it fascinating how it seems to have become a norm in society to talk in 'Facebook language'. From walking around and being in public spaces, I hear sentences such as: "did you see [name]'s status this morning?" or "I saw that on his wall". A few years ago, these wouldn't have made any sense, but now, we don't think twice about their meanings.
I see Facebook and social networking as useful tools in our lives and communities. They allow us to keep on top of our social lives but also connect us with potential employers or people who may help us along our career ladders.
My sister, a freelance copywriter, uses networking sites daily as part of her career. Updating on Twitter, Facebook etc for companies, ensuring that a wide audience reads them and takes the information on board. Without social networking, she wouldn't have a job, so I'm thankful to social media for allowing her to continually climb higher and higher within the industry.
She is currently travelling in America (yes, we're all jealous) and visited a talk in Los Angeles the other day.. I found it interesting as it links to the ideas of 'Professional Communication Technology' and shows how companies use social networking at a high, professional level. The link to her write up 'Who really owns your social media?' is as follows:
http://www.elephantcreative.co.uk/2012/09/28/social-media-week-los-angeles-who-really-owns-your-social-media/
I shall end with a quote from Reader 1 'Professional Communication Technology' which I hope, is the case for my blog:
"The users add content to the site, and the more the users access the site and add data, the better the site becomes."
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