After consulting with my course tutor, my colleagues and my peers through the use of a Facebook SIG, I have adapted some of my questions in the following ways and for the following reasons.
Original Question: In a time within education where A*-Cs in EBAC subjects mean so much to a school, do arts subjects still have a valid place within the education system?
Feedback: On of the main things that has kept coming up in my feedback from the majority of the people I have shared my questions with is that 'arts subjects' is far to vast and can result in different answers due to the hierarchy of importance placed on 'arts subjects' within education. I have also been told that I need to consider the context that I'm asking this question within, valid to who? What I'm trying to find out through exploring this question is how important the education system rates subjects such as Drama and Dance. I will need to look at what policies are in place within the education system and also search through these policies to find any relation between Drama and EBAC subjects.
Revised Question: What emphasis is given to the subject of Drama by current educational policy and how does this emphasis compare to the EBAC subjects?
Original Question: Why do we have arts subjects within education?
Feedback: The majority of people that I have shared this question with have said that the question is too general and could also be seen as both a simple or complex question to which an answer may, once again, be very general. I have decided to get rid of this question as feel my other questions are more specific and succinct.
Original Question: Are arts subjects more important within non-mainstream education?
Feedback: The first thing that became clear after receiving the feedback on this question is that I need to specify what I mean by 'non-mainstream'. Clarifying this within the question will help with the context of this question, making it more answerable. By 'non-mainstream' I refer to educational establishments that educate students that have either been excluded from a mainstream school or that cannot deal with attending a mainstream school. I also need to decide whose opinion I am searching for on the importance within this slanted education system. I think I am looking for the opinions of the people in charge of these establishments, however it will be hard for them to judge unless they have experience of being in charge of a mainstream school. I'm struggling with this question as I think there is a basis for an enquiry here but through further exploration of this question I'm unsure if the enquiry will actually be measurable.
Revised Question: Pending.
Original Question: In non-meainstream education, are arts subjects about teaching a skill that can be judged or developing the self?
Feedback: This question raised confusion due to the uncertainty placed once again on the term 'non-mainstream'. I am going to revise this question firstly by clarifying this term but then also ensure that this question is not leading in a particular direction.
Revised Question: When working with students with Behavioural, Emotional and Social difficulties (BESD), is teaching Drama about teaching a skill that can be judged or developing the Behavioural, Emotional and Social difficulties?
Original Question: In what ways do arts subjects help in getting students back into mainstream education?
Feedback: Again, an issue with this was the term 'arts subjects'. This term is vast and when different subjects within the arts are considered the answer could be completely different. I have decided that this question needs to be revised to make it more succinct and precise so an accurate enquiry could be made.
Revised Question: In what ways does Drama help in getting students back into mainstream education?
Original Question: Is it important to include Drama within the teaching of other subjects to subject active/kinaesthetic learners?
Feedback: The feedback suggests that this is my most secure question. When asking my colleagues for their feedback on this question it became apparent that many of them struggle with how to engage their active/kinaesthetic learners and therefore will now be working closely with all of teachers at work on how they can include different elements of Drama within their teaching. The main change to this question will be to remove the judging of importance due to the fact that it will differ depending on who is judging the importance. Instead, I will be adapting this question slightly to try an minimise this uncertainty.
Revised Question: Does the inclusion of Drama within other subjects support the learning and engagement of active/kinaesthetic learners?
Original Question: In what ways is the teaching of arts subjects different in mainstream education to the teaching of them in non-mainstream education?
Feedback: Similar feedback to this question as the other questions in regards to the term 'arts subjects'. I will change this to focus mainly on Drama. On reflection I am also thinking that this question is quite similar to my question focusing on students with BESD. I need to make sure the focus is on how the teaching practice is changed in order to suit these students who have either been removed or removed themselves from mainstream education.
Revised Question: In what way is the delivery of Drama different when delivering it to students in mainstream education to the delivery of it to students who have been either removed from mainstream education or removed themselves from it?
Sunday, 20 October 2013
Monday, 14 October 2013
Task 4B - SIG Group
I am now working as part the Facebook group, "SIG MODULE 2". If you have had a look at my questions and would like to join the group add me. idreamedadream@msn.com.
I am currently gathering the feedback from my wider work based community and will post it shortly.
I am currently gathering the feedback from my wider work based community and will post it shortly.
Sunday, 6 October 2013
Task 4a - Creating Questions - Continued
So, after some more time spent looking at my themes/topics/subject areas I have come up with the following questions. Please make sure you comment on this post and give me some feedback. Also, if these questions seem similar to your subject area let me know and I'll set up a Facebook group that we can use as our SIG.
In a time within education where A*-Cs in EBAC subjects mean so much to a school, do arts subjects still have a valid place within the education system?
Why do we have arts subjects within education?
Are arts subjects more important within non-mainstream education?
In non-meainstream education, are arts subjects about teaching a skill that can be judged or developing the self?
In what ways do arts subjects help in getting students back into mainstream education?
Is it important to include Drama within the teaching of other subjects to subject active/kinaesthetic learners?
In what ways is the teaching of arts subjects different in mainstream education to the teaching of them in non-mainstream education?
I'll extend this post as I develop more questions so keep checking back. I'm going to take my questions into work this week and ask other professionals in my position to consider my thoughts and think about how they would answer them.
Make sure you comment and remember, if you want to set up a SIG with me, let me know.
In a time within education where A*-Cs in EBAC subjects mean so much to a school, do arts subjects still have a valid place within the education system?
Why do we have arts subjects within education?
Are arts subjects more important within non-mainstream education?
In non-meainstream education, are arts subjects about teaching a skill that can be judged or developing the self?
In what ways do arts subjects help in getting students back into mainstream education?
Is it important to include Drama within the teaching of other subjects to subject active/kinaesthetic learners?
In what ways is the teaching of arts subjects different in mainstream education to the teaching of them in non-mainstream education?
I'll extend this post as I develop more questions so keep checking back. I'm going to take my questions into work this week and ask other professionals in my position to consider my thoughts and think about how they would answer them.
Make sure you comment and remember, if you want to set up a SIG with me, let me know.
Tuesday, 1 October 2013
Task 4a - Creating Questions
After reading the fourth Reader I am starting to feel a little more confident with this module/set of tasks. To begin with the thought of coming up with questions surrounding my professional practice felt a little daunting and unclear but I have taken onboard what the Reader has said and started to consider a possible theme(s)/area(s) of study. Since my sideways shift into non-mainstream education I have decided to make my theme(s) surround this new area of my professional practice too, as so far, so good!
These are my current themes that I have started to think about:
These are my current themes that I have started to think about:
The importance of the arts within education.
The importance of the arts within non-mainstream education.
Using drama as a tool in non-mainstream education to
encourage progression back into mainstream schooling.
The transferable skills that are developed through the
inclusion of the arts in education.
The inclusion of the arts into other subject areas to
encourage active/kinaesthetic learning.
The differences between how the arts are used in mainstream education and non-mainstream education.
All of these possible themes are currently topics that I am coming into contact with on a daily basis and are all areas that I would feel confident approaching my new team about. I am planning on creating my questions, alongside those of you that become part of my SIG, in a way that can be accessed by both my colleagues and my students. From here I think I am now due to start developing my questions and pulling these from one of the different subject areas that I have listed above.
If anyone has any suggestions as to what my questions could be make sure you post some comments. Keep posted as to how this post develops over the next week as I will put my questions up on here as they start developing.
Sunday, 11 August 2013
EVERYTHING COMES IN 3'S
Hello blogging world!
I havent been on here much after I submitted module 1 as so much has been going on. I have moved house, got a new job and been on a surprise holiday! - everything comes in 3's.
Its been a busy few weeks and after reflecting I have realised from September that my new job is going to be very challenging, and therefor my blogs to the rest of the modules may change as my perspective may change. Although my new job is going to be challenging I am very excited and ready to start!.
I hope you all are having a wonderful summer break and enjoying the sun!
I havent been on here much after I submitted module 1 as so much has been going on. I have moved house, got a new job and been on a surprise holiday! - everything comes in 3's.
Its been a busy few weeks and after reflecting I have realised from September that my new job is going to be very challenging, and therefor my blogs to the rest of the modules may change as my perspective may change. Although my new job is going to be challenging I am very excited and ready to start!.
I hope you all are having a wonderful summer break and enjoying the sun!
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
Task 3b - Response to Reader 3 - The Networked Professional
After first reading Reader 3 I have decided that I will be approaching my reflection on the Reader in relation to my professional practice as a teacher in a mainstream secondary school. The reason to this is due to the fact that after undertaking the previous tasks in this module I have found that the different areas of my professional practice have me reflecting, networking and acting in different ways.
A professional network is 'a work related community held together by either close
working affiliation or more distant but common work interests or needs’ (Cited in BAPP Reader 3). In my opinion, in all professional practices the professional network is a very important tool which can be used positively to encourage positive outcomes, such as; 'your success, promotion and development, your sense of worth and
fulfilment, and even enjoyment in your working life' (Reader 3). Within the idea of the professional network there are five different concepts which I will now reflect on a analyse their worth in relation to my professional practice.
Cooperation:
The concept of cooperation is one which looks at the rewards and gains available to an individual or all parties within a working relationship. The concept of cooperation works in relation to Game Theory, a theory based on the idea of two participants working with each other but resulting in the gain of one participant at the loss of the other. Robert Axelrod states a question within his writing that on reflection I have realised faces every individual every day, 'When should a person cooperate, and when should a person be selfish, in an ongoing interaction with another person?' (Axelrod, Cited in Reader 3). As society we are constantly questioning what we are being subjected to and the tasks that are put before us. The one reason that tasks are completed by the individuals is for a personal gain. That gain could be something that only enhances the life of the individual, or a gain which also enriches the lives of others.
There is a game which links to the Game Theory called 'Prisoners Dilemma'. In this game the individual plays 'against' the computer choosing between two choices, one of which is to 'cooperate' or the option to 'compete'. If both parties choose to cooperate both parties will gain 3 coins, if both parties choose to 'compete' they will only gain 1 coin each and if one party chooses to 'compete' but the other chooses to 'cooperate' they will gain 5 and 0 coins respectfully. The system is set up in a 'tit for tat' methodology, as long as the individual is willing to 'cooperate' then so is the computer, but as soon as the individual decides to 'compete', the computer will 'compete' in the following test. Therefore, the only way to beat the computer is to only 'compete' before withdrawing after selecting to 'compete'. This game holds strong links with the ideas presented by Axelrod as he presents the idea that there are only benefits in cooperating with others until one reaches their highest point of benefit (Reader 3).
In my current professional practice it is important that I undertake the concept of cooperation with all of the other staff that I work with. An example that I have had recently of cooperation in the workplace is in the trading of expertise with another member of my department. I offered to take a practical workshop with my colleges class whilst she took a theory session with my class. This benefited the both of us as we both experienced gains by the reward of our classes being taught by the most capable teacher. When I offered to take the practical session which I knew my college wasn't keen on delivering I put myself in a position where I could loose out as she could have taken my offer but not given me anything in return. This would not of been a good idea for my college to carryout as although should would have had an instant gain, she would not be able to 'defect' in the way that Axelrod suggests as she still remains part of the establishment after the 'deal' has been carried out and therefore if she had of defected leaving me as having lost out her reputation would have then gone down amongst all the staff and her reputation tarnished, thus, removing all possibilities to cooperate in the future.
This aspect of professional networking has made me realise that there are people that are continually looking at different situations strategically rather making a decision based on emotions, something that I think I will now be wary of within my professional practice.
Affiliation:
The second concept within the area of professional networks is the concept of affiliation. The concept of affiliation in relation to professional networks is that of having a support network described by Crisp and Turner as 'a network of support that will help us when we are in need’ (Crisp & Turner 2007 pp266). To affiliate with someone is to associate one's self with another due to a common interest. I believe that affiliation isn't only created for professional gain and support but is also an ingrained instinct that is established within us from an early age. In their writing, Crisp and Turner cite research presented by Larson, Csikszentmihalyi and Grief in 1982 which stated that 'it was found that adolescents spent about 75 per cent of their waking time with other people. Such sociability appears to yield benefits' (Crisp & Turner 2007). As children we are constantly with others from an early age, mainly due to the fact that we are dependant, from their we start to affiliate with others similar to ourselves throughout education before then moving into adulthood and affiliating with others.
In my current professional practice I am affiliated with others that working within my department and then my school as a whole, but I do find that I support my expertise through the use of other individuals who I have previously been affiliated with, such as individuals that I trained with. I often will bring these individuals into school to speak to my students, in a way providing a guarantee to my students of what I have said to them in relation to my professional training or my knowledge of the industry.
Having just writing the last two sentences I have just started to question my understanding of affiliation, once you have become affiliated with something or someone can you then become unaffiliated? I have suggested that these professionals are people that I once was affiliated with, but does affiliation die or get removed? If so, by what?
Looking at affiliation has allowed me to create challenges to me viewpoints, something that until this point I have been less comfortable with doing. In life it is important to be able to look for another point of view, especially in relation to the concept of cooperation, as it is important to be able to make balanced and secure judgments on occurrences and situations that are presented.
Social Constructionism:
Like some of the other students on the BAPP course, this is the concept that I have found the hardest to establish a concrete understanding of. In essence I understand that it is a concept of creating meanings for the justifying their social interactions. In my professional practice I engage with multiple people, both staff and students, and through my experiences I have found that I have established, constructed and justified these interactions and therefore been presented with a meaning for them.
In my opinion, all interactions within the workplace commonly hold more relevance than that of a social interaction as they are always prompted by the working environment which is pushing for a result from the interaction and therefore it is easier to establish understanding from them. It could be argued however that affiliations that are constructed in the workplace are not solely there for work related interactions and support which then opens up a whole new argument counteracting my previous statement.
Social constructionism is a concept that I need to expand my understanding of and in my opinion is an area that I will be able to gain a greater understanding of now that I am aware of it alongside carrying out my professional practice.
Connectivism:
Connectivism is something that has been thrust into light in the recent years to acknolodege the change in the wy we learn, change caused by social environment. In essence, connectivism is a learning theory, focusing on the social and cultural context of the information which is being taught and being learned by the individuals. It focusing on learning being a cycle of practice and reflection on the practice rather than to be taught directly in the more 'traditional' way. I have witnessed teaching change from being teachers reciting the method, the process and the answer to students doing. In my current teaching position, independent learning is something that we are encouraged to include into our lessons, letting students do, learn and teach, with minimal teacher input. Cited in Siemens, Driscoll relates to this idea by acknowledging that 'learners create knowledge as they attempt to understand their experiences' (Driscoll in Siemens, 2004), and thus the learners are creating their knowledge themselves and it is not being embedded in them by their classroom teacher.
I am a strong believer in the fact that it is our experiences that we grow from and we are constantly learning and developing everything in our lives on a daily basis as we inevitably strive for perfection. Acknowledging the change in a approach and the change in the social context of learning is something that I feel is very important not only for those who teach to undertake but for everybody to reflect upon in their lives. As I stated, I am a strong believer in the power of experiences and undertaking the reflection upon these concepts is beginning to make me justify and analyse my development and my professional practice.
Communities of Practice:
Lave and Wegner define a community of practice as 'a set of relations among persons, activity, and world, over time and in relation with other tangential and overlapping communities of practice' (Lave & Wegner, 1991). After reading the section of communities of practice within Reader 3 I have come to form the opinion that this concept places ideologies from the other concepts and puts them together to form a way of learning, doing and developing. One of the main key functions for a community of practice is the fact that it needs to be community orientated, cooperation must be present amongst the community members with each taking on their opportunity and responsibility to develop the community. The process encourages the social interactions amongst it's community, finding meaning within these interactions and developing from these. The fact that these communities of practice are present in professional and social 'situations' makes links with the changes of learning that is expressed through the idea of connectivism.
By all means I may be misunderstood or wrong, it may be that as communities of practice was the last concept that was presented to me, but what I have come to realise in my mind and the opinion that I have formed of the communities of practice theory is that it is a group of people that are confident in their social context, willing to put in an equal amount of work and are within the blurred boundary between professional and social, but above all, working within a network which they feel supported and confident within to enable them to develop.
To Conclude:
On looking back at my work it would be easy for me to suggest that the concept that I have found myself drawn to the most is the cooperation theory, and in some aspects that is correct, but from what my mind is now telling me, I believe that I could assosiate with all of these concepts within the ideas of development and networking. Networking is something that until recently meant to me attending occasions that I didn't necessarily want to be at to talk to people that I didn't necessarily want to speak to, but now I have realised that a network is far more than this. Within the influx of Web 2.0 and social media, networking has spread into all fields across social, professional and cultural. Networking is as much there for support as it is for opportunity. The different concepts above hold a huge amount of relevance in relation to the opportunity of development but I have decided that in my opinion, the best for of support network is one which you have to give into as much as you take out and therefore confirming my trust in cooperation theory, or is that social constructionism, or affiliation or it could even be the formation of a community of practice.
You decide.
Cooperation:
The concept of cooperation is one which looks at the rewards and gains available to an individual or all parties within a working relationship. The concept of cooperation works in relation to Game Theory, a theory based on the idea of two participants working with each other but resulting in the gain of one participant at the loss of the other. Robert Axelrod states a question within his writing that on reflection I have realised faces every individual every day, 'When should a person cooperate, and when should a person be selfish, in an ongoing interaction with another person?' (Axelrod, Cited in Reader 3). As society we are constantly questioning what we are being subjected to and the tasks that are put before us. The one reason that tasks are completed by the individuals is for a personal gain. That gain could be something that only enhances the life of the individual, or a gain which also enriches the lives of others.
There is a game which links to the Game Theory called 'Prisoners Dilemma'. In this game the individual plays 'against' the computer choosing between two choices, one of which is to 'cooperate' or the option to 'compete'. If both parties choose to cooperate both parties will gain 3 coins, if both parties choose to 'compete' they will only gain 1 coin each and if one party chooses to 'compete' but the other chooses to 'cooperate' they will gain 5 and 0 coins respectfully. The system is set up in a 'tit for tat' methodology, as long as the individual is willing to 'cooperate' then so is the computer, but as soon as the individual decides to 'compete', the computer will 'compete' in the following test. Therefore, the only way to beat the computer is to only 'compete' before withdrawing after selecting to 'compete'. This game holds strong links with the ideas presented by Axelrod as he presents the idea that there are only benefits in cooperating with others until one reaches their highest point of benefit (Reader 3).
In my current professional practice it is important that I undertake the concept of cooperation with all of the other staff that I work with. An example that I have had recently of cooperation in the workplace is in the trading of expertise with another member of my department. I offered to take a practical workshop with my colleges class whilst she took a theory session with my class. This benefited the both of us as we both experienced gains by the reward of our classes being taught by the most capable teacher. When I offered to take the practical session which I knew my college wasn't keen on delivering I put myself in a position where I could loose out as she could have taken my offer but not given me anything in return. This would not of been a good idea for my college to carryout as although should would have had an instant gain, she would not be able to 'defect' in the way that Axelrod suggests as she still remains part of the establishment after the 'deal' has been carried out and therefore if she had of defected leaving me as having lost out her reputation would have then gone down amongst all the staff and her reputation tarnished, thus, removing all possibilities to cooperate in the future.
This aspect of professional networking has made me realise that there are people that are continually looking at different situations strategically rather making a decision based on emotions, something that I think I will now be wary of within my professional practice.
Affiliation:
The second concept within the area of professional networks is the concept of affiliation. The concept of affiliation in relation to professional networks is that of having a support network described by Crisp and Turner as 'a network of support that will help us when we are in need’ (Crisp & Turner 2007 pp266). To affiliate with someone is to associate one's self with another due to a common interest. I believe that affiliation isn't only created for professional gain and support but is also an ingrained instinct that is established within us from an early age. In their writing, Crisp and Turner cite research presented by Larson, Csikszentmihalyi and Grief in 1982 which stated that 'it was found that adolescents spent about 75 per cent of their waking time with other people. Such sociability appears to yield benefits' (Crisp & Turner 2007). As children we are constantly with others from an early age, mainly due to the fact that we are dependant, from their we start to affiliate with others similar to ourselves throughout education before then moving into adulthood and affiliating with others.
In my current professional practice I am affiliated with others that working within my department and then my school as a whole, but I do find that I support my expertise through the use of other individuals who I have previously been affiliated with, such as individuals that I trained with. I often will bring these individuals into school to speak to my students, in a way providing a guarantee to my students of what I have said to them in relation to my professional training or my knowledge of the industry.
Having just writing the last two sentences I have just started to question my understanding of affiliation, once you have become affiliated with something or someone can you then become unaffiliated? I have suggested that these professionals are people that I once was affiliated with, but does affiliation die or get removed? If so, by what?
Looking at affiliation has allowed me to create challenges to me viewpoints, something that until this point I have been less comfortable with doing. In life it is important to be able to look for another point of view, especially in relation to the concept of cooperation, as it is important to be able to make balanced and secure judgments on occurrences and situations that are presented.
Social Constructionism:
Like some of the other students on the BAPP course, this is the concept that I have found the hardest to establish a concrete understanding of. In essence I understand that it is a concept of creating meanings for the justifying their social interactions. In my professional practice I engage with multiple people, both staff and students, and through my experiences I have found that I have established, constructed and justified these interactions and therefore been presented with a meaning for them.
In my opinion, all interactions within the workplace commonly hold more relevance than that of a social interaction as they are always prompted by the working environment which is pushing for a result from the interaction and therefore it is easier to establish understanding from them. It could be argued however that affiliations that are constructed in the workplace are not solely there for work related interactions and support which then opens up a whole new argument counteracting my previous statement.
Social constructionism is a concept that I need to expand my understanding of and in my opinion is an area that I will be able to gain a greater understanding of now that I am aware of it alongside carrying out my professional practice.
Connectivism:
Connectivism is something that has been thrust into light in the recent years to acknolodege the change in the wy we learn, change caused by social environment. In essence, connectivism is a learning theory, focusing on the social and cultural context of the information which is being taught and being learned by the individuals. It focusing on learning being a cycle of practice and reflection on the practice rather than to be taught directly in the more 'traditional' way. I have witnessed teaching change from being teachers reciting the method, the process and the answer to students doing. In my current teaching position, independent learning is something that we are encouraged to include into our lessons, letting students do, learn and teach, with minimal teacher input. Cited in Siemens, Driscoll relates to this idea by acknowledging that 'learners create knowledge as they attempt to understand their experiences' (Driscoll in Siemens, 2004), and thus the learners are creating their knowledge themselves and it is not being embedded in them by their classroom teacher.
I am a strong believer in the fact that it is our experiences that we grow from and we are constantly learning and developing everything in our lives on a daily basis as we inevitably strive for perfection. Acknowledging the change in a approach and the change in the social context of learning is something that I feel is very important not only for those who teach to undertake but for everybody to reflect upon in their lives. As I stated, I am a strong believer in the power of experiences and undertaking the reflection upon these concepts is beginning to make me justify and analyse my development and my professional practice.
Communities of Practice:
Lave and Wegner define a community of practice as 'a set of relations among persons, activity, and world, over time and in relation with other tangential and overlapping communities of practice' (Lave & Wegner, 1991). After reading the section of communities of practice within Reader 3 I have come to form the opinion that this concept places ideologies from the other concepts and puts them together to form a way of learning, doing and developing. One of the main key functions for a community of practice is the fact that it needs to be community orientated, cooperation must be present amongst the community members with each taking on their opportunity and responsibility to develop the community. The process encourages the social interactions amongst it's community, finding meaning within these interactions and developing from these. The fact that these communities of practice are present in professional and social 'situations' makes links with the changes of learning that is expressed through the idea of connectivism.
By all means I may be misunderstood or wrong, it may be that as communities of practice was the last concept that was presented to me, but what I have come to realise in my mind and the opinion that I have formed of the communities of practice theory is that it is a group of people that are confident in their social context, willing to put in an equal amount of work and are within the blurred boundary between professional and social, but above all, working within a network which they feel supported and confident within to enable them to develop.
To Conclude:
On looking back at my work it would be easy for me to suggest that the concept that I have found myself drawn to the most is the cooperation theory, and in some aspects that is correct, but from what my mind is now telling me, I believe that I could assosiate with all of these concepts within the ideas of development and networking. Networking is something that until recently meant to me attending occasions that I didn't necessarily want to be at to talk to people that I didn't necessarily want to speak to, but now I have realised that a network is far more than this. Within the influx of Web 2.0 and social media, networking has spread into all fields across social, professional and cultural. Networking is as much there for support as it is for opportunity. The different concepts above hold a huge amount of relevance in relation to the opportunity of development but I have decided that in my opinion, the best for of support network is one which you have to give into as much as you take out and therefore confirming my trust in cooperation theory, or is that social constructionism, or affiliation or it could even be the formation of a community of practice.
You decide.
Monday, 1 April 2013
Task 3c - My 5 Most Important Sources of Information
As well as acknowledging the five sources of information that I consider to be the most important to me, I have decided to rank these top five to see what is my most important source of information and therefore will be presenting this blog as if it was the countdown of the chart on Top of the Pops. So here we go!
In at 5 we have - Colleagues
In my current professional practice, my colleagues act as a kind of support network for me. Not only do they support me whilst I am working through informing me of various techniques and teaching practices but also through informing me of developments within the professional and also information on potential job opportunities along with other outside information. The reason I believe colleagues to be one of the top five most important sources of information is because on a whole they are individuals that commonly do a similar job to me and therefore they are also professionals in my field. In any profession, I believe that it is very important for colleagues to work as a team and therefore help each other. The most common way this help is delivered is by the answering of questions and the delivery of information that may be useful.
At 4 it's - Traditional Media (Newspapers/Magazines)
Newspapers and Magazines, that I have labeled 'Traditional Media', are still a great source of relevant information in my day-to-day undertaking of my professional practice. One of the main ways in which I use magazines is mainly for looking for job opportunities and also researching the opportunities that are out there to continue my professional development, like classes and seminars for professionals. Magazines also play a large part in the gathering of information by the delivery of popular culture. This may seem like something that is not important in the professional industry but it is most definitely important within the arts industry. The reason for this is because the arts industry is largely based in the world of popular culture and therefore it is important to have a knowledge of the developments within the popular culture world.
A tie at number 2 between - Mobile Phones and The Internet
Much like Melanie Brown I am quite ashamed to say that I do rely on my mobile phone and the internet to gather a great deal of information and I agree with her when saying - how bad is that! It is crazy to think about how much we all rely on modern technologies when things like these have only been accessible by all in the last few years. It really raises the question of how people survived, developed and progressed in the past. My mobile phone is connected to the internet and the two work in unison to make sure that I am continuously updated with the information that I want to receive, so much so that I can wake up to job adverts and go to bed watching the latest choreography of my friends and professional colleagues. Though said in jest previously, I do feel it is important that we all remember that people were able to develop, progress and ultimately survive without these technologies before the last 15 years and therefore we should not base our existence on them either. The influx in the reliance on modern technologies is slowly breaking down the use of older sources of gathering information but in a fast moving world it is most important to stay up to date with the progression than work against it.
At number 1 - Friends
The source of information that I consider to be the most important is my friends. As I said in my previous post, my friends are a huge part of my networks and play a great role in my professional practice and further development. Through my networking of friends it has been common that if I have a problem or puzzle that I need to solve I will usually have a friend that knows the answer, either due to having gone through a similar puzzle previously or knowing someone else that knows the answer. Ultimately, friends are a working network that is constantly being developed, but to be able to rely on this network and this source of information, it is important to help the network out in the same ways that they help you out. If one was to become a non-active member of a network, and by that I mean not contributing information to the problems, questions and puzzles of others, it is possible that one could become ostracised from the network and therefore loose that which is, in my opinion, the best source of information.
In at 5 we have - Colleagues
In my current professional practice, my colleagues act as a kind of support network for me. Not only do they support me whilst I am working through informing me of various techniques and teaching practices but also through informing me of developments within the professional and also information on potential job opportunities along with other outside information. The reason I believe colleagues to be one of the top five most important sources of information is because on a whole they are individuals that commonly do a similar job to me and therefore they are also professionals in my field. In any profession, I believe that it is very important for colleagues to work as a team and therefore help each other. The most common way this help is delivered is by the answering of questions and the delivery of information that may be useful.
At 4 it's - Traditional Media (Newspapers/Magazines)
Newspapers and Magazines, that I have labeled 'Traditional Media', are still a great source of relevant information in my day-to-day undertaking of my professional practice. One of the main ways in which I use magazines is mainly for looking for job opportunities and also researching the opportunities that are out there to continue my professional development, like classes and seminars for professionals. Magazines also play a large part in the gathering of information by the delivery of popular culture. This may seem like something that is not important in the professional industry but it is most definitely important within the arts industry. The reason for this is because the arts industry is largely based in the world of popular culture and therefore it is important to have a knowledge of the developments within the popular culture world.
A tie at number 2 between - Mobile Phones and The Internet
Much like Melanie Brown I am quite ashamed to say that I do rely on my mobile phone and the internet to gather a great deal of information and I agree with her when saying - how bad is that! It is crazy to think about how much we all rely on modern technologies when things like these have only been accessible by all in the last few years. It really raises the question of how people survived, developed and progressed in the past. My mobile phone is connected to the internet and the two work in unison to make sure that I am continuously updated with the information that I want to receive, so much so that I can wake up to job adverts and go to bed watching the latest choreography of my friends and professional colleagues. Though said in jest previously, I do feel it is important that we all remember that people were able to develop, progress and ultimately survive without these technologies before the last 15 years and therefore we should not base our existence on them either. The influx in the reliance on modern technologies is slowly breaking down the use of older sources of gathering information but in a fast moving world it is most important to stay up to date with the progression than work against it.
At number 1 - Friends
The source of information that I consider to be the most important is my friends. As I said in my previous post, my friends are a huge part of my networks and play a great role in my professional practice and further development. Through my networking of friends it has been common that if I have a problem or puzzle that I need to solve I will usually have a friend that knows the answer, either due to having gone through a similar puzzle previously or knowing someone else that knows the answer. Ultimately, friends are a working network that is constantly being developed, but to be able to rely on this network and this source of information, it is important to help the network out in the same ways that they help you out. If one was to become a non-active member of a network, and by that I mean not contributing information to the problems, questions and puzzles of others, it is possible that one could become ostracised from the network and therefore loose that which is, in my opinion, the best source of information.
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