I must say that I was apprehensive about this task to start....
'What will I write about?' 'Will I be embarrassed writing to myself?' 'Will I even know where to start?'
But I have to say that I am really enjoying it! I am finding it very theraputic and it really does clear my mind. For me, it seems to be a way of emptying all my thoughts and creating space for the experiences of the next day :) I have never wrote a journal before, I am a list girl, I write lists on lists and this is usually how I function. I am trying as best as possible to focus on my Professional life rather than personal for the purposes of the course, however I am tempted to start writing a personal Journal it has inspired me that much :)
I read Aicha's blog about the lovely notepad as the reward. I love this idea as I am a massive stationary geek, however I have been using my netbook as I must admit my handwriting isn't the best. Also, I feel my thoughts are coming out so quickly that I wouldn't be able to write them quick enough without having a big scribbled mess in my lovely notepad, perhaps a Cath Kidston or Paperchase :)
I was really surprised that the 'List' method really did not work for me. Being an avid list maker I thought this would be the perfect method for me, however I felt restricted and I felt that I could not develop on thoughts that I deeply wanted to expand on. In this case I don't think that true reflection could really take place. I have found the evaluation method best so far, combining with this a little bit of description to remind myself of the events that have taken place. The evaluation aspect really made me think about my day and what I had learned from the events. It made me look at a new way of going forward, and be more productive in my day to day activities. It made me ask what worked? what didn't work? and how will I tackle this in the future?
So, so far so good :) Really enjoying this task! I still have a few more different methods to try and then I will be fully analysing on my Journal Writing Experience.
Take care and happy Journal Writing xxx
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Journal: A Critical Reflection
Hi everyone,
After reading the article in Reader 2 by David Boud 'Using Journal Writing to enhance Reflective Practice' (2001) I was slightly overwhelmed (as always) by the amount of information, mostly really useful, contained within the article.
I felt I had so many thoughts whizzing around that the best thing to do was to put them into some sort of 'essay' format. I tried to follow the 'thought prompts' given in the reader and I hope that this a logical and interesting piece to read.
Here's the link to the document....
If you get chance please have a look and let me know what you think about his article.
Take care, Jo xxhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1gjaEvUyu27pGsnKBU74Er9acU29HKW0SAR9fbeERIts/edit
After reading the article in Reader 2 by David Boud 'Using Journal Writing to enhance Reflective Practice' (2001) I was slightly overwhelmed (as always) by the amount of information, mostly really useful, contained within the article.
I felt I had so many thoughts whizzing around that the best thing to do was to put them into some sort of 'essay' format. I tried to follow the 'thought prompts' given in the reader and I hope that this a logical and interesting piece to read.
Here's the link to the document....
If you get chance please have a look and let me know what you think about his article.
Take care, Jo xxhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1gjaEvUyu27pGsnKBU74Er9acU29HKW0SAR9fbeERIts/edit
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Kolb's Learning Cycle.....
David Kolb developed the idea of 'The Learning Cycle' and he was informed by the work of Dewey and Lewin.
'The Learning Cycle' is a circle of 4 steps: 1) Concrete Experience - doing or having an experience. 2) Reflective Observation - reflecting on the experience that you have had. 3) Abstract Conceptualisation - learning from the experience. 4) Active Experimentation - Trying out what you have learned.
In simple terms this is, having the experience, reflecting, what did I learn? and then putting it all into practice!
However, in order for this cycle to work you have got to be able to identify that you have had an 'experience' in the first place and you need to have the tools to reflect on that experience. In the context of the course our Journals will be the tool/vehicle for learning and reflecting on our day to day experiences. The events that we encounter will become the basis of our journals.
As stated in the Reader, everyone goes through this learning cycle and you participate in each step, sub-consciously or consciously, however the difference is the point at which we start to learn something new! When do we notice something is missing or lacking from our knowledge set?
This point at which you start to learn is your entry point into the learning cycle sometimes described as your 'learning style'.
So, where is my entry point into the learning cycle?? Everywhere?? Using the example in the reader I started to think about how I created my blog. Firstly, I looked at other people's to get an idea of my likes and dislikes. I liked blogs that were colourful and aesthetically pleasing (to my eye), I loved the use of pink and use of images. Using this as evidence I would say that I used 'Reflective Observation' and therefore this is my entry point into the learning cycle. However, this was not solely the case!! I definitely just started to create it, not really knowing how or the best way to go about it. I knew how I wanted it to look from observing others, however I had no knowledge on how to create it and definitely used the trial and error method, adjusting and adapting as I went along (I actually created one and then had to create another as I could not figure out how to delete!!) Therefore using this as evidence my entry into the learning cycle would be 'Active Experimentation'. Is this possible?? Can you have more than one learning style??
Of course you can!!! As Gardner describes in the reader..'the theories are like lenses to look through at learning and being a learner. They should not limit you by making you feel you are one kind of learner.'
The 'learning cylce' is definitely a tool for reflection on how you learn and can help you to know how to approach an experience, however there is no right or wrong way of learning and it is about finding the best way of learning for yourself. This may be a combination of ways, the idea of 'Multiple Intelligences' concurs with this. I have lots of different ways in which I learn and on different days I respond differently to various methods. Take for example a tap class, some days I learn best from having the names of the steps said to me, other times I pick it up best just from copying the teacher's movements. Finding this balance and the combination of learning styles that work best for you will enable you to get the most out of your experiences.
As the reader states....
'A large part of Professional Practice is about finding your own reflection method and through this reflection finding your Professional Direction/Artistic Vision.'
There are no right/wrongs or black/whites with learning and reflection. You have to find what suits you best and decide how you can get the most out of every experience :)
'The Learning Cycle' is a circle of 4 steps: 1) Concrete Experience - doing or having an experience. 2) Reflective Observation - reflecting on the experience that you have had. 3) Abstract Conceptualisation - learning from the experience. 4) Active Experimentation - Trying out what you have learned.
In simple terms this is, having the experience, reflecting, what did I learn? and then putting it all into practice!
However, in order for this cycle to work you have got to be able to identify that you have had an 'experience' in the first place and you need to have the tools to reflect on that experience. In the context of the course our Journals will be the tool/vehicle for learning and reflecting on our day to day experiences. The events that we encounter will become the basis of our journals.
As stated in the Reader, everyone goes through this learning cycle and you participate in each step, sub-consciously or consciously, however the difference is the point at which we start to learn something new! When do we notice something is missing or lacking from our knowledge set?
This point at which you start to learn is your entry point into the learning cycle sometimes described as your 'learning style'.
So, where is my entry point into the learning cycle?? Everywhere?? Using the example in the reader I started to think about how I created my blog. Firstly, I looked at other people's to get an idea of my likes and dislikes. I liked blogs that were colourful and aesthetically pleasing (to my eye), I loved the use of pink and use of images. Using this as evidence I would say that I used 'Reflective Observation' and therefore this is my entry point into the learning cycle. However, this was not solely the case!! I definitely just started to create it, not really knowing how or the best way to go about it. I knew how I wanted it to look from observing others, however I had no knowledge on how to create it and definitely used the trial and error method, adjusting and adapting as I went along (I actually created one and then had to create another as I could not figure out how to delete!!) Therefore using this as evidence my entry into the learning cycle would be 'Active Experimentation'. Is this possible?? Can you have more than one learning style??
Of course you can!!! As Gardner describes in the reader..'the theories are like lenses to look through at learning and being a learner. They should not limit you by making you feel you are one kind of learner.'
The 'learning cylce' is definitely a tool for reflection on how you learn and can help you to know how to approach an experience, however there is no right or wrong way of learning and it is about finding the best way of learning for yourself. This may be a combination of ways, the idea of 'Multiple Intelligences' concurs with this. I have lots of different ways in which I learn and on different days I respond differently to various methods. Take for example a tap class, some days I learn best from having the names of the steps said to me, other times I pick it up best just from copying the teacher's movements. Finding this balance and the combination of learning styles that work best for you will enable you to get the most out of your experiences.
As the reader states....
'A large part of Professional Practice is about finding your own reflection method and through this reflection finding your Professional Direction/Artistic Vision.'
There are no right/wrongs or black/whites with learning and reflection. You have to find what suits you best and decide how you can get the most out of every experience :)
Thoughts on Reader 2.......
So, I must say after the first read I was completely overwhelmed by the depth of information in Reader 2 and my mind was whizzing at the thought of starting any of the tasks!
However, with cup of tea in hand I sat down with my pad, pen and highlighter and battled my way through it once again. After another 3 hours or so of careful reading and re-reading I think I am starting to get my head around it (although I still stick by the quote from part 1...'It's ok to be confused').
I guess the first thing I had to do was really grasp the meaning of 'Reflection' and what we mean by the idea, not the term!! As I was getting further and further through the reader, I kept having to remind myself of what Reflection actually was. It's funny, you say or read a word so many times that you do have to stop and say, hold on, what are we actually talking about?? So, as the reader says it is the process of turning experience into knowledge and looking at your experiences and learning something new from them. I think I am guilty of going through life at such a fast pace, that I often don't reflect enough and as Dewey describes, actually not being aware that I have had an experience, therefore I cannot learn from it and gain the knowledge from it. I am hoping that the reflective journal will develop this process of reflection and enable me to learn from all of my day to day experiences.
I loved the idea of Multiple Intelligences, as developed by Howard Gardner, it gave justice to the fact that dancers are extremely intelligent!! I hate the stereotype that goes with dancers, the fact that they are perhaps not the 'brightest button', but this is definitely not the case! Gardner's idea challenges the stereotypical image of an intelligent learner and makes us aware that there is no right or wrong way to learn. It is about finding the best method of learning for you and the optimum way of turning your experience into learning or knowledge. I would often make up rhymes or songs to learn things and you can imagine what looks you might get singing a song about quadratic equations, but my brain worked in this way and at the end of the day, as long as we all achieve the level of learning we are hoping for, then it really does not matter what process you go through to do it!!
As I said earlier, I was slightly worried after reading the reader that I hardly reflect at all, and am rushing through my day to day activites without giving them a second thought. However after reading about David Schon's idea of 'reflection-in-action' I realised that I am sub-consciously reflecting all the time. As artists we adapt whilst we are in the middle of the experience, constantly changing and experimenting to find the best result. This is instinctive in us and therefore the process of reflection happens simultaneously with the action itself!! Even when I am teaching I am using this 'On-line' method that Kottcamp describes. If something isn't working in the class, say for example a song is not working, I won't wait until it is over to do something about it, I think of ways to change it 'on the spot' - change the dynamics, shout questions at the students to prompt a new thought process within them, experiment with different tones and textures. As artists we live in the moment!! We were constantly getting told at college to live in the 'Now'....do something about it now, not when you get home, not in class tomorrow, NOW!! And I completely understand now that this was our main process of reflection during training, it was the main way in which we learned from our experiences and grew as performers!
I commented on Liam's blog regarding 'Tacit Knowledge', I love this idea :) I am extremely knowledgable, I just can't tell you quite how knowledgable I am, haha! Joking aside, this is completely true, the amount of times you say 'I know what I mean, I just can't put it into words!' Again, as artists and performers, a large percentage of our knowlege is Tacit. How do you know how to pirouette?? You just do! How do you know how to create that chemistry on stage with other performers? You just do!! Whilst on my last contract I was giving one of the singers some private dance lessons and one lesson we were tackling pirouettes. I gave all the correct directions, toe to knee, weight over, arms in a strong jazz 1st, correct spotting technique etc... She tried many times and some were good and some were not so good. I asked her what she felt was different on the good ones and her reply was 'I just knew it was going to be good!'. It proves the point that muscle memory takes over and it just becomes instinctive :) And who says dancers aren't intelligent!!!!!
So, the process of Journal writing must begin!! I plan to use each method described in the handbook and hopefully I will find a method that best helps me to reflect and actually be aware of all the experiences I am having in my busy day to day life. Emily also had a good idea to write a poem so I think I shall try this, however I am not sure how successful this will be :S
Sorry for this rather epic blog, but I think epic would be the best word to describe Reader 2!!
Happy journal writing :)
However, with cup of tea in hand I sat down with my pad, pen and highlighter and battled my way through it once again. After another 3 hours or so of careful reading and re-reading I think I am starting to get my head around it (although I still stick by the quote from part 1...'It's ok to be confused').
I guess the first thing I had to do was really grasp the meaning of 'Reflection' and what we mean by the idea, not the term!! As I was getting further and further through the reader, I kept having to remind myself of what Reflection actually was. It's funny, you say or read a word so many times that you do have to stop and say, hold on, what are we actually talking about?? So, as the reader says it is the process of turning experience into knowledge and looking at your experiences and learning something new from them. I think I am guilty of going through life at such a fast pace, that I often don't reflect enough and as Dewey describes, actually not being aware that I have had an experience, therefore I cannot learn from it and gain the knowledge from it. I am hoping that the reflective journal will develop this process of reflection and enable me to learn from all of my day to day experiences.
I loved the idea of Multiple Intelligences, as developed by Howard Gardner, it gave justice to the fact that dancers are extremely intelligent!! I hate the stereotype that goes with dancers, the fact that they are perhaps not the 'brightest button', but this is definitely not the case! Gardner's idea challenges the stereotypical image of an intelligent learner and makes us aware that there is no right or wrong way to learn. It is about finding the best method of learning for you and the optimum way of turning your experience into learning or knowledge. I would often make up rhymes or songs to learn things and you can imagine what looks you might get singing a song about quadratic equations, but my brain worked in this way and at the end of the day, as long as we all achieve the level of learning we are hoping for, then it really does not matter what process you go through to do it!!
As I said earlier, I was slightly worried after reading the reader that I hardly reflect at all, and am rushing through my day to day activites without giving them a second thought. However after reading about David Schon's idea of 'reflection-in-action' I realised that I am sub-consciously reflecting all the time. As artists we adapt whilst we are in the middle of the experience, constantly changing and experimenting to find the best result. This is instinctive in us and therefore the process of reflection happens simultaneously with the action itself!! Even when I am teaching I am using this 'On-line' method that Kottcamp describes. If something isn't working in the class, say for example a song is not working, I won't wait until it is over to do something about it, I think of ways to change it 'on the spot' - change the dynamics, shout questions at the students to prompt a new thought process within them, experiment with different tones and textures. As artists we live in the moment!! We were constantly getting told at college to live in the 'Now'....do something about it now, not when you get home, not in class tomorrow, NOW!! And I completely understand now that this was our main process of reflection during training, it was the main way in which we learned from our experiences and grew as performers!
I commented on Liam's blog regarding 'Tacit Knowledge', I love this idea :) I am extremely knowledgable, I just can't tell you quite how knowledgable I am, haha! Joking aside, this is completely true, the amount of times you say 'I know what I mean, I just can't put it into words!' Again, as artists and performers, a large percentage of our knowlege is Tacit. How do you know how to pirouette?? You just do! How do you know how to create that chemistry on stage with other performers? You just do!! Whilst on my last contract I was giving one of the singers some private dance lessons and one lesson we were tackling pirouettes. I gave all the correct directions, toe to knee, weight over, arms in a strong jazz 1st, correct spotting technique etc... She tried many times and some were good and some were not so good. I asked her what she felt was different on the good ones and her reply was 'I just knew it was going to be good!'. It proves the point that muscle memory takes over and it just becomes instinctive :) And who says dancers aren't intelligent!!!!!
So, the process of Journal writing must begin!! I plan to use each method described in the handbook and hopefully I will find a method that best helps me to reflect and actually be aware of all the experiences I am having in my busy day to day life. Emily also had a good idea to write a poem so I think I shall try this, however I am not sure how successful this will be :S
Sorry for this rather epic blog, but I think epic would be the best word to describe Reader 2!!
Happy journal writing :)
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Tackling Reader 2......
Hi everyone,
Looking forward to reading everyone's blogs on the campus sessions yesterday. Really wish I could've made it, but I'm sure I'll pick up lots of useful tips and hints from all your blogs.
So, now I have to start tackling Reader 2/Part 2. I had a brief read through it but I think I need to sit down and really analyse it properly so that I can make a good start on the tasks in hand. Thank you Emily for all your posts on Reflection, these have really helped :) If anyone has any advice on how to best get started it would be greatly appreciated.
Well, here goes.......
Looking forward to reading everyone's blogs on the campus sessions yesterday. Really wish I could've made it, but I'm sure I'll pick up lots of useful tips and hints from all your blogs.
So, now I have to start tackling Reader 2/Part 2. I had a brief read through it but I think I need to sit down and really analyse it properly so that I can make a good start on the tasks in hand. Thank you Emily for all your posts on Reflection, these have really helped :) If anyone has any advice on how to best get started it would be greatly appreciated.
Well, here goes.......
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Further thoughts on Reader 1
So after posting my 'Initial thoughts on Reader 1', reading other people's thoughts and thinking about the comments people had made on my blog, I felt I wanted to discuss some of the points further and develop certain initial thoughts.....
Bruns (2007) described the Web 2.0 creation as 'Produsage'. The idea that as we each participate in Web 2.0, we are both producer and consumer and that we both produce the material and use it for our own purposes. Phil Carroll uses a great analogy of the 'Chicken and Egg' scenario. Which came first, did we change the way we communicate with each other, i.e did we choose web based interaction over actual human interaction and hence Web 2.0 sites were created, or were these sites created and this made us change our method of communication? I personally feel that it is a circle effect, just as is the Producer and Consumer idea. I feel the demand was there for the Web 2.0, but its growth is inconceivable and now there is a whirlwind of sites and tools, a handful of which I am just starting to get to grips with!
Although the idea of Producer/Consumer has to be utilised in order for Web 2.0 to remain successful, where do we draw the line? or is there no line to be drawn? The purpose of developing my Web 2.0 knowledge will be mainly for Professional reasons. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea that with Facebook you can catch up with old friends at the touch of a button and on Youtube you can watch that favourite song from back in the day with just a quick search, but personally I feel we need to make more effort to interact with people in the 'Old Fashioned Way'. With each development in Web 2.0 we are losing more and more of that personal interaction, something which no amount of technology can replace and I truly believe we need more of this in today's society, however I do understand that today's pace of life does not always allow for this.
There is no doubting that Web 2.0 can enhance our professional practice and my focus for now is how can I utilise it further to enhance my career? I touched briefly on the use of Youtube in my initial thoughts, I would usually use Youtube to watch a funny video that had been recommended or listen to a favourite song, however I could utilise this so much more. For example, if I was struggling with a certain piece of choreography I could search for videos of that specific choreographers work and so much could be taken from this; the generic style, themes, motifs, consistent features in each piece etc...
After reading other people's initial thoughts it is clear to see that everyone thinks of it as a great creation, but we have to manage it for our specific purpose. Do we really want our future employer to see inappropriate facebook photos? Think carefully about it's power, the power to enhance us professionally, but also the power to destroy us professionally. As the producer you control the content but it is so easy for this control to slip out of our hands. For me, I shall be really thinking about Web 2.0 as a professional tool and hopefully how it can enhance my Professional Practice!
Bruns (2007) described the Web 2.0 creation as 'Produsage'. The idea that as we each participate in Web 2.0, we are both producer and consumer and that we both produce the material and use it for our own purposes. Phil Carroll uses a great analogy of the 'Chicken and Egg' scenario. Which came first, did we change the way we communicate with each other, i.e did we choose web based interaction over actual human interaction and hence Web 2.0 sites were created, or were these sites created and this made us change our method of communication? I personally feel that it is a circle effect, just as is the Producer and Consumer idea. I feel the demand was there for the Web 2.0, but its growth is inconceivable and now there is a whirlwind of sites and tools, a handful of which I am just starting to get to grips with!
Although the idea of Producer/Consumer has to be utilised in order for Web 2.0 to remain successful, where do we draw the line? or is there no line to be drawn? The purpose of developing my Web 2.0 knowledge will be mainly for Professional reasons. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea that with Facebook you can catch up with old friends at the touch of a button and on Youtube you can watch that favourite song from back in the day with just a quick search, but personally I feel we need to make more effort to interact with people in the 'Old Fashioned Way'. With each development in Web 2.0 we are losing more and more of that personal interaction, something which no amount of technology can replace and I truly believe we need more of this in today's society, however I do understand that today's pace of life does not always allow for this.
There is no doubting that Web 2.0 can enhance our professional practice and my focus for now is how can I utilise it further to enhance my career? I touched briefly on the use of Youtube in my initial thoughts, I would usually use Youtube to watch a funny video that had been recommended or listen to a favourite song, however I could utilise this so much more. For example, if I was struggling with a certain piece of choreography I could search for videos of that specific choreographers work and so much could be taken from this; the generic style, themes, motifs, consistent features in each piece etc...
After reading other people's initial thoughts it is clear to see that everyone thinks of it as a great creation, but we have to manage it for our specific purpose. Do we really want our future employer to see inappropriate facebook photos? Think carefully about it's power, the power to enhance us professionally, but also the power to destroy us professionally. As the producer you control the content but it is so easy for this control to slip out of our hands. For me, I shall be really thinking about Web 2.0 as a professional tool and hopefully how it can enhance my Professional Practice!
Monday, October 10, 2011
Video - 'Starting out on BAPP'
Hey guys,
After 2 and half hours spent with my sister giggling in the kitchen, I have eventually managed to upload my video to Youtube. However I don't know how you post it from the BAPPMDX channel, any clues would be greatly appreciated. I will however post the link on the channel in the comment box in the meantime.
The video is a little insight into how I'm finding the course, the things I'm struggling with, the things I am finding most interesting etc... and if nothing else, I hope you find it entertaining to watch :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsHaqcJ9PTs
Enjoy :) xxx
After 2 and half hours spent with my sister giggling in the kitchen, I have eventually managed to upload my video to Youtube. However I don't know how you post it from the BAPPMDX channel, any clues would be greatly appreciated. I will however post the link on the channel in the comment box in the meantime.
The video is a little insight into how I'm finding the course, the things I'm struggling with, the things I am finding most interesting etc... and if nothing else, I hope you find it entertaining to watch :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsHaqcJ9PTs
Enjoy :) xxx
Task 1a - Professional Profile
After reading through my version 2 numerous times and making niggly changes here and there, I have decided to stick with this version as the final version. I really like the way it reads and feel it is a true depiction of who I am and what I want to express.
As others have mentioned, I would consider adapting it for each usage. Each employer or casting director will be looking for very specific things within a performer or employee, therefore it is necessary to adapt for each purpose. This certainly does not mean completely re-wording and changes my views to suit those of the employer, but I believe small adaptions would be necessary to be as desirable as possible to as many people as possible.
Thanks for everyone's comments and advice. All were constructive and extremely helpful, thank you xx
As others have mentioned, I would consider adapting it for each usage. Each employer or casting director will be looking for very specific things within a performer or employee, therefore it is necessary to adapt for each purpose. This certainly does not mean completely re-wording and changes my views to suit those of the employer, but I believe small adaptions would be necessary to be as desirable as possible to as many people as possible.
Thanks for everyone's comments and advice. All were constructive and extremely helpful, thank you xx
Task 1d: 2d Images - Images of my professional work and work whilst training.
Hey guys,
Below is the link to my 'Images of Work' set on Flickr......
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68484823@N07/sets/72157627859761198/
Hopefully as the time passes I will be able to add more and more photos to this set, fingers crossed :)
Take care xxx
Below is the link to my 'Images of Work' set on Flickr......
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68484823@N07/sets/72157627859761198/
Hopefully as the time passes I will be able to add more and more photos to this set, fingers crossed :)
Take care xxx
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Hooray!!!!
Hooray, so I have finally figured out the problem with not being able to comment on other blogs.
So for anyone else that is having trouble with this...when you log into your google account make sure that the 'stay signed in' is not ticked and this should solve the problem. How annoying that a very simple thing like that caused so much frustration!! Anyhoo, all sorted, time for a brew :)
So for anyone else that is having trouble with this...when you log into your google account make sure that the 'stay signed in' is not ticked and this should solve the problem. How annoying that a very simple thing like that caused so much frustration!! Anyhoo, all sorted, time for a brew :)
Saturday, October 8, 2011
HELP!!!!
Can anybody help me?
I'm really having trouble commenting on people's blogs and comments that people have made on my blog. I thought I had solved the issue last week but it appears that was just a fluke!!
I'll explain.....I sign into my google account and on my dashboard it says I am signed in. When I am then re-directed to whoever's blog page to comment it says 'sign-in' in the top left hand corner of the screen. So I click to sign in which re-directs me back to the dashboard where it appears I am signed in. It's one huge vicious circle.
Can anybody help?? xxxx
P.S Thank you so much to everyone who has commented on my blogs. I am not being rude and not responding, I just can't!
I'm really having trouble commenting on people's blogs and comments that people have made on my blog. I thought I had solved the issue last week but it appears that was just a fluke!!
I'll explain.....I sign into my google account and on my dashboard it says I am signed in. When I am then re-directed to whoever's blog page to comment it says 'sign-in' in the top left hand corner of the screen. So I click to sign in which re-directs me back to the dashboard where it appears I am signed in. It's one huge vicious circle.
Can anybody help?? xxxx
P.S Thank you so much to everyone who has commented on my blogs. I am not being rude and not responding, I just can't!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Task 1b: Initial thoughts on Reader 1
This task has definitely been made a lot easier after attending the campus session on Tuesday. I had read the reader at least twice previous to the session, but somehow it all started to make sense!
I guess my main thought after reading Reader 1 was 'Am I utilising web 2.0 as much as possible for my own Professional Practice?' One of the key concepts within the reader is 'How we use technology professionally?' As with most professionals in the industry I am a member of Spotlight, the online CV directory, I regularly check and apply for jobs through casting websites such as 'Casting Call Pro' and 'Star Now', and actually my current job is something which I applied for through 'Star Now'. But how much more could I be utilising web 2.0?
The answer is much more and it is not that I am unaware of certain sites, wikis, forums etc. just I have never thought to utilise them in a professional way, rather just using them for social purposes. Anyone in this industry knows how you have to make things happen and that the jobs are not just going to walk right up to you. I need to do everything I can to maximise my product, me and Web 2.0 certainly allows us to do this.
Youtube is a great example of this. For example, if I needed to create a piece in the style of a certain choreographer but did not have the knowledge in this area, I can simply search on Youtube and no doubt hundreds of videos would be available at the click of a button. I could then take this video and post it to other dancers I may be working with, but edit it to suit our specific needs. This is an example of remixing data and transforming it for your own specific purpose, in order to develop your professional practice.
The great thing about Web 2.0 is that we are all play a part in it, as Bruns (2007) says 'we are both producer and consumer'. We take something, i.e. we consume it and then we remix it and put it out there again, therefore we are the Producer. Web 2.0 is easy and accessible to everyone and the web is ours to use and change as we see fit.
During the campus session someone made a very interesting point...
At the end of the day we as performers have to audition in person. We can maximise our chances as much as possible by utilising Web 2.0 and developing and enhancing our product, but this will only take us so far.
I completely agree with this comment and no piece of paper or document or fancy photo is going to guarantee us that job, but surely it's going to help us get to that point of contact and sometimes the foot in the door is the difficult part to get! We are selling a product, take for example a chocolate bar. If the product has a lovely attractive packet and a great advert on the TV we are more likely to buy this product than one that looks ugly and uninviting. At the end of the day the dull, uninviting chocolate bar may taste much better but it will never be tasted and no-one will ever know. It never got it's foot in the door ;)
I guess my main thought after reading Reader 1 was 'Am I utilising web 2.0 as much as possible for my own Professional Practice?' One of the key concepts within the reader is 'How we use technology professionally?' As with most professionals in the industry I am a member of Spotlight, the online CV directory, I regularly check and apply for jobs through casting websites such as 'Casting Call Pro' and 'Star Now', and actually my current job is something which I applied for through 'Star Now'. But how much more could I be utilising web 2.0?
The answer is much more and it is not that I am unaware of certain sites, wikis, forums etc. just I have never thought to utilise them in a professional way, rather just using them for social purposes. Anyone in this industry knows how you have to make things happen and that the jobs are not just going to walk right up to you. I need to do everything I can to maximise my product, me and Web 2.0 certainly allows us to do this.
Youtube is a great example of this. For example, if I needed to create a piece in the style of a certain choreographer but did not have the knowledge in this area, I can simply search on Youtube and no doubt hundreds of videos would be available at the click of a button. I could then take this video and post it to other dancers I may be working with, but edit it to suit our specific needs. This is an example of remixing data and transforming it for your own specific purpose, in order to develop your professional practice.
The great thing about Web 2.0 is that we are all play a part in it, as Bruns (2007) says 'we are both producer and consumer'. We take something, i.e. we consume it and then we remix it and put it out there again, therefore we are the Producer. Web 2.0 is easy and accessible to everyone and the web is ours to use and change as we see fit.
During the campus session someone made a very interesting point...
At the end of the day we as performers have to audition in person. We can maximise our chances as much as possible by utilising Web 2.0 and developing and enhancing our product, but this will only take us so far.
I completely agree with this comment and no piece of paper or document or fancy photo is going to guarantee us that job, but surely it's going to help us get to that point of contact and sometimes the foot in the door is the difficult part to get! We are selling a product, take for example a chocolate bar. If the product has a lovely attractive packet and a great advert on the TV we are more likely to buy this product than one that looks ugly and uninviting. At the end of the day the dull, uninviting chocolate bar may taste much better but it will never be tasted and no-one will ever know. It never got it's foot in the door ;)
Campus Session - 5th October
Well, it was an early start as I was up at 4.30am to do the long drive down to Middlesex, however I am so glad I did and that I was actually able to make it. It was so lovely to meet people face to face, rather than having only a cyber relationship. This is interesting as it is something we discussed a lot during the session. Have we lost the ability to have actual Human Interaction?? Are we simply machines that now communicate only via the web and would we be equipped to have an actual conversation with another person?? Sounds a little drastic perhaps, and especially with our profession I believe we would all have great people skills, but as a generation on the whole is this now the case???
When handed the day's schedule I thought a 1hr 20min group task would be very difficult to conduct, however this was definitely not the case. Ideas were bouncing around, the creative juices were flowing and the time simply flew by!! Thank you to Group 2 for a great team task :)
It was great to hear everybody's ideas, beliefs and opinions and it definitely made me stop and ask, well what do I think about this?? The 3 hours were over before I knew it and I came away feeling much more settled and I have to say excited about the journey ahead!!!
I really do hope I can make the other campus sessions and to anyone who perhaps could make them but it is perhaps a long journey or you have to re-arrange work, I would advise to do so as it was a huge help to me!! Thanks to Alan and Paula for a great session :)
When handed the day's schedule I thought a 1hr 20min group task would be very difficult to conduct, however this was definitely not the case. Ideas were bouncing around, the creative juices were flowing and the time simply flew by!! Thank you to Group 2 for a great team task :)
It was great to hear everybody's ideas, beliefs and opinions and it definitely made me stop and ask, well what do I think about this?? The 3 hours were over before I knew it and I came away feeling much more settled and I have to say excited about the journey ahead!!!
I really do hope I can make the other campus sessions and to anyone who perhaps could make them but it is perhaps a long journey or you have to re-arrange work, I would advise to do so as it was a huge help to me!! Thanks to Alan and Paula for a great session :)
Professional Profile - Version 2
Hi again,
Once again thanks for all the comments and suggestions. I have altered my Professional Profile and used some of the suggestions people gave, so please take a look and see what you think.
I personally prefer this version. I think the expansion on certain points such as the styles of dance I trained in and how the 2 diplomas worked well together, gives a much better insight to the reader, so thank you for those suggestions :)
Performing has always been a true love of mine and is an integral part of my life. I am passionate about all areas of the arts, in particular Musical Theatre and from an early age I made this part of my life, performing in amateur productions and taking classes in Dance, Singing and Acting. I soon became committed to pursuing a career in this industry and was thrilled to be offered a scholarship at the prestigious Laine Theatre Arts.
I spent three fantastic years training intensely in all areas of Musical Theatre and Dance, including Jazz, Ballet, Tap and Contemporary but to name a few and my passion for the arts continued to grow, along with the development of my skills and technique. Whilst training I was fortunate enough to play such diverse roles as Ida in Honk, Ava in Stop the World I want to Get Off and the Narrator in UnderMilkwood. I found a particular love for Acting during my three years at Laine’s and decided to take an additional Level 6 Diploma in Performing Speech and Drama, along with my Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre. The further specialisation in Acting definitely enhanced my Performance skills within the Musical Theatre genre, after all, is Acting not the basis for the success of a performance? Without the ability to portray a character believably, how can the audience engage and believe in your performance?
The experiences, skills and knowledge gained during my training are invaluable and they have enabled me to pursue a career in something I truly love. After graduating I was fortunate enough to be offered a job as Singer/Dancer for QDOS Entertainment and have recently enjoyed a great contract onboard the Celebrity Infinity.
Whilst training, I also discovered a love for teaching the Arts and began to consider this as a possible future career. My time in between performing contracts is spent teaching Musical Theatre to Children and I get a buzz from this which is parallel to that of when performing. I hope that in the future I can undertake a more permanent career in teaching, sharing my experiences and passion for the Arts with a younger generation.
Professional CV - Original and Updated Version
Hey everyone,
Thank you so much to everyone that commented on my CV. It seems that when I've put it into google docs it has altered the layout, I have tried to change the spacing but it won't let me. I've now put them up as word documents on google docs but the spacing has still been altered.
If anyone can help me that would be great! If not, please imagine that the spacings are all in line and whether you prefer version 1 without headshot or version 2 with headshot.
I am still unsure, being slightly OCD the one without the headshot is more desirable to me as then all the spacings match (imaging that it hasn't been altered by Google Docs).
Would be great to know what you think, thanks again xxx
Version 1 link....
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B2rPT27LPWqxZjQ1Y2FiMjUtMDkyMy00MWZlLTkwY2ItYmExZmNlMDNjMmM5&hl=en_GB
Version 2 link....
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B2rPT27LPWqxNzE0ZTc3YmUtMjEwYi00YmQ1LWFjNWQtYzQxNWY0ZDE2MWY2&hl=en_GB
Thank you so much to everyone that commented on my CV. It seems that when I've put it into google docs it has altered the layout, I have tried to change the spacing but it won't let me. I've now put them up as word documents on google docs but the spacing has still been altered.
If anyone can help me that would be great! If not, please imagine that the spacings are all in line and whether you prefer version 1 without headshot or version 2 with headshot.
I am still unsure, being slightly OCD the one without the headshot is more desirable to me as then all the spacings match (imaging that it hasn't been altered by Google Docs).
Would be great to know what you think, thanks again xxx
Version 1 link....
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B2rPT27LPWqxZjQ1Y2FiMjUtMDkyMy00MWZlLTkwY2ItYmExZmNlMDNjMmM5&hl=en_GB
Version 2 link....
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B2rPT27LPWqxNzE0ZTc3YmUtMjEwYi00YmQ1LWFjNWQtYzQxNWY0ZDE2MWY2&hl=en_GB
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Thank you :)
Just want to say thank you for everyone's great comments. For some reason I'm not able to post comments on anyone's blogs?? If anyone can help with this that would be great. An error message keeps coming up, even though I am signed in and using the Google Account option in the drop down box.
Thank you so much for all the comments, I will take them all on board and use them when doing my 2nd draft! Looking forward to seeing some of you on Tuesday xxx
Thank you so much for all the comments, I will take them all on board and use them when doing my 2nd draft! Looking forward to seeing some of you on Tuesday xxx
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Task 1a: Professional Profile - 1st draft
Hey guys, this is the 1st draft of my Professional Profile. I'm sure it will need lots of adapting, so any comments are really appreciated. Thank you :) xx
Jo Bradley - Professional ProfilePerforming has always been a true love of mine and is an integral part of my life. I am passionate about all areas of the arts, in particular Musical Theatre and from an early age I made this part of my life, performing in amateur productions and taking classes in Dance, Singing and Acting. I soon became committed to pursuing a career in this industry and was thrilled to be offered a scholarship at the prestigious Laine Theatre Arts.
I spent three fantastic years training intensely in all areas of Musical Theatre and my passion for the arts continued to grow, along with the development of my skills and technique. Whilst training I was fortunate enough to play such diverse roles as Ida in Honk, Ava in Stop the World I want to Get Off and the Narrator in UnderMilkwood. I found a particular love for Acting during my three years at Laine’s and decided to take an additional Level 6 Diploma in Performing Speech and Drama, along with my Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre.
The experiences, skills and knowledge gained during my training are invaluable and they have enabled me to pursue a career in something I truly love. After graduating I was fortunate enough to be offered a job as Singer/Dancer for QDOS Entertainment and have recently enjoyed a great contract onboard the Celebrity Infinity.
Whilst training, I also discovered a love for teaching the Arts and began to consider this as a possible future career. My time in between performing contracts is spent teaching Musical Theatre to Children and I get a buzz from this which is parallel to that of when performing. I hope that in the future I can undertake a more permanent career in teaching, sharing my experiences and passion for the Arts with a younger generation.
Link to current Professional CV
Hey everyone, here is a link to my current Professional CV.....
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17rs_y-Alka68ndNwrHWOEDQ-cMhHH-Dp26U9Y_v0agM/edit?hl=en_GB
I've taken a look at some of your Task 1a: Professional Profile and have got some useful tips, so thank you very much :)
I'm having trouble commenting on other blogs at the moment, so as soon as I get that sorted I'll be commenting lots!!!
So, I best make a start then........
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17rs_y-Alka68ndNwrHWOEDQ-cMhHH-Dp26U9Y_v0agM/edit?hl=en_GB
I've taken a look at some of your Task 1a: Professional Profile and have got some useful tips, so thank you very much :)
I'm having trouble commenting on other blogs at the moment, so as soon as I get that sorted I'll be commenting lots!!!
So, I best make a start then........
It's ok to be confused......
Well, today I had a skype session with Paula, my Academic Advisor and I must say it put my mind at ease. I have to admit I'm a bit of a stresser and have lists coming out of my ears but I think things are starting to become clearer. Something which I found very interesting last night reading through the Module 1 Handbook....'You will benefit from being willing to work with ideas you do not fully understand. It will be more helpful to you to work and engage unfamiliar ideas until they make more sense, rather than relying on, or expecting explanations from others'.
Hence the title of the blog, it is ok to be confused!! This is meant to be a challenge and this is what we are all here for :)
A teacher I had whilst training used to say.....'It may not make any sense now, but once you graduate you'll thank me!' and true enough we are all extremely thankful!!!
Hence the title of the blog, it is ok to be confused!! This is meant to be a challenge and this is what we are all here for :)
A teacher I had whilst training used to say.....'It may not make any sense now, but once you graduate you'll thank me!' and true enough we are all extremely thankful!!!
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