3c...Sources of Information

By looking at 3a part 2, where I asked friends and colleagues their ideas on networking has also helped me in exploring how I currently network and how I can improve this.

To me, this section of the module is about exploring the network connections I use that provide me with information from career opportunities to general practice knowledge and ideas.
Methods which I currently use to actively network include,

Google – I use Google on a daily basis, it is my first port of call for nearly anything and everything, be it if I am researching something, or don’t understand something.  For me, google gives me the possibilities of documents, data and images etc that I can easily and quickly connect to.

Linkedin – Linkedin to me is a grown up professional facebook.  It is a valuable tool for me, as it enables me to connect with professionals in my particular field and industry.  The larger your network the more opportunities you have available to you, therefore the more contacts you have the better.  Getting recommended is vital if you are scouting work, it is the equivalent of getting a referral from a recruitment agency. Having someone else recommend a service - ‘you’ goes a long way to making it feel more trustworthy and reliable.  You can also use LinkedIn to find the ‘inside scoop’ on people that you’re meeting. It is a great pool of connectivity.

Facebook – I use facebook on a personal level with regards to photos, invites and groups I’m connected with.  It is a good source for obtaining instant answers from friends and colleagues, as if you post a status you can normally predict that within half an hour you will have a number of comments answering your question. I also use it to keep updated with what’s happening in the industry as I am ‘friends’ with many companies that update information and images regularly that can be relevant to my practice – companies such-as Vogue and Elle etc.

Friends & colleagues – This is by far my most used and favoured network! I have friends and colleagues that have been part of both the industries I have been part of and their advice and guidance is invaluable.  From interview advice to where to seek fabric I can always rely on this network to deliver answers or provide guidance as to where to seek answers.  I have a close network and we all work together to help one another – cooperation! 

I am a very organised individual and researched online notebooks that colleagues at work actively use - helping them not only organise their daily lives, but also gives them the option to share ideas and documents with friends and peers.  This is something that I believe I can actively benefit from and am setting up my own online notebook, as I can only see it as a benefit for me.  Whilst researching the available online notebooks I came across the below link 'Springnote'.  If I am working on a particular project at work or have a particular idea for a presentation or design ideas I can create a group notebook.  This function allows me to easily share ideas and easily collaborate with others.  I also have the option to create a personal notebook where I can jot down to do lists, log appointments and daily meetings etc. They also have an app for the iphone, which means I can access my online notebook from wherever I am! 

http://www.springnote.com/en 

The end is near...3d...

I have learnt so many things by completing this module, many of which I belive I can enhance and use in my professional practice.

I am going to answer some of the questions we have been given in the reader as direction for this blog so as not to go off on a tangent, as I would like to look back in this blog as I continue through my career path and remind myself of what I have learnt, allowing myself to reflect on all of the findings.

• In my profession I am already networking on many levels, but this module has helped me delve further into social netowrking.  Utilising tools such as Twitter, Linkedin and Spring Note that I didnt feel were hugely relelvant to me at the start of this module, but by further reading on BAPP peer's bloggs and further personal research have found that these are all invaluable sources and have set up my own accounts on all 3 social sites.  I have managed to connect with fellow professionals in similar fields on Linkedin and am looking forward to interracting with them even further.  Focussing my attention in this area.
• Sharing and communicating with others on the BAPP course has helped me think differently about my practice, rather than shift my thinking.  I have read fellow peer's blogs and we have discussed theories on certain task's. This has been extremely helpful in terms of me developing my own personal practice as I have been able to openly discuss theories and ideas and sometimes look at them from different perspectives, such as Task 3B comments with fellow BAPP peers Ahmet Ahmet and Gemma Wright Press.
• Critical reflection does help me decide what really matters and what actions to take with regards to my current practice, as although I was subconsciously reflecting I now have the ability to sit back and work through my reflection which in my opinion helps my outcome.  Keepong a journal has helped me to do this, as I am able to look back and understand why I did, when I did and for what reason.  It has made me a better decision maker and made my decisions much stronger in the workplace.

This module has been a good and solid starting point for me on this course, as I have come from a Musical Theatre background and switched careers, therefore my ways of working withing the last 24 months have changed dramatically and this module has helped me understand this even further with examples such as Twyla Tharp's reflection theory from the reader (See 2C).

I am looking forward to moving on-to module 2 and seeing what it brings, as well as continuing to utilise all of the tools I have learnt thus far!

Task 2B

It has taken me a while to get around to doing this task, mainly because I have been completing it slowly over the last few weeks building up a journal of notes - and it has actually makes very interesting reading.  By looking at the 9 suggestions from the reader it is wholesomely clear to me that the 'list method' is my method!  I am a very organised individual, and use lists everyday in both my personal life and my practice, and I think this is why it comes so naturally to me.  I like things to be clear and concise - I find it easier to work like this, and I find that a few words trigger a memory for me as to why I wrote it in the first place, I don’t need lots of words to back up my thoughts.

Looking back over my 'description' method summary, I have stated that although it is a clear format for me, it is not terribly personal and therefore not hugely reflective.  When it comes to writing a journal, I would probably use the description method at the start of a journal to log my exact location and time to depict the main events before I went on to describe them further.

My daily practice differs every day and my feelings and emotions reflect my actions of the day, therefore I didn’t feel a graph or chart depicting how happy or stressed I felt that particular day without any explanation could help me with reflection in terms of journal writing.

I loved the 'what if' method and it helped me push creative thoughts, but it also was slightly depressing as would also bring me back down to earth!!  Therefore I may use it in my journal writing to push ideas, but not as a sole method.

I am pleased to have worked through this task, as it has made me look at different writing methods that I wouldn’t have thought of even using before.  Although I recognise that I feel comfortable writing in the list method, I am excited to use different methods alongside this in my practice, such as the evaluation method that in my view can only help me reflect and learn which in my job is vitally important.  When a season next launches (the end of that current seasons buying cycle) I can look at what I have learnt, assess what has worked well, notice/discuss things to avoid for next season.

...Snippet of exciting info for theatre/fashion bods...

Incase any of you weren't aware...

I am very excited that designer Jean Paul Gaultier is back with Snow White...highlighting the magical love affair between theatre and fashion...last minute tickets anyone?!

http://www.sadlerswells.com/show/Ballet-Preljocaj-Snow-White

"One of France’s most successful choreographers, Angelin Preljocaj returns to Sadler’s Wells with his award-winning 2008 adaption of the Brothers Grimm fairytale, Snow White. Performed by the company of 25 dancers, this contemporary ballet is set to extracts from Gustav Mahler’s symphonies and showcases spectacular costumes designed by fashion icon Jean Paul Gaultier. "

3a Part 2...

Following on from my 'Current Networks' Part 1, See below 2 views from contrasting professionals, who both use networking to promote their practice.  This process was really interesting for me to breakdown the concept of networking and see how different professionals network.  Mainly because I have used both concepts changing from the career of a performer to my current field in retail buying.

I now network almost identically to the 2^nd example which is taken from a close friend who works for a high-end designer brand, but I believe this is due to the nature of my industry, therefore we network in a similar format. 

My perfect network would also be something along the lines of facebook, (which seemed to be a popular choice after this survey!) but with the ability to have it more closely/directly linked to the work place.  Being able to display previous or current work such as presentations and briefs, and having direct links to fashion/buying/interior blogs that other peers in my industry may find useful or interesting would be invaluable. You would have the ability to meet colleagues in a similar field and opportunities could be endless.

-What is your profession?- I am a dance & drama teacher at primary schools and I teach musical theatre at my own Saturday school.

- I have to network with schools to increase my student count and essentially work.  The majority of my school work has been through people I know or I have been recommended through other schools.  I have to network with the parents for my Saturday school to make sure they are spreading the word and to invite friends and family.

- With my schools I use every opportunity to talk to as many teachers and heads to try and get them to recommend me or to introduce me to other teachers and heads to further my work. At my Saturday school I continuously talk to parents to get feedback and have a good relationship with them, which then allows me to meet their friends/colleagues and so on, giving me an opportunity to plug my Saturday school to them! Also i hold bring a friend day which allows me to obtain details and numbers of new clientele.

-I only use email or phone to contact schools.  I use Facebook to tell people of some of the events that are happening at my Saturday school.

- My ideal network would have to be like Facebook with all the schools info accessible in my local borough.  Enabling me to send out an overall message to the entire school borough! And for my Saturday school again it would be like Facebook but something that allows me to send my message to all my contacts and their contacts and so on! The simpler the better, just straight to the point!
-What is your profession? PR and Press Assistant/Illustrator

-Do you network? Yes

-What are the current and different ways you network? LinkedIn, Facebook, I'm not so hot on Twitter but we used it a lot at Ralph. Free events, gallery openings and magazine launches, Fashion Monitor is good for keeping up to date with things going on and you never know who you might meet and even if you don't there's usually a free drink involved or goody bag! ;)

-Are there technologies you use socially that help you develop your professional network such as facebook, twitter etc?
Facebook has helped me keep in touch with contacts I have already made elsewhere, but I've never been approached or approached anyone professionally that I didn't already know.

-What would your ideal network look like and why?
I like the idea that Facebook has a structured profile for everyone but you can inject your personality by the photos you choose to display and info, groups you join etc. It would be great if there was a network that combined this with more space to write about what you doing professionally or to show examples of previous or current work, and that was able to be viewed by a wider audience (safely) and not just by "friends".

I found this image whilst surfing the internet with regards to this task, and whilst I am inclined to agree with the statement, I also believe that networking can enforce it.  It stimulates the idea that creatives can find their comfort zones within their art/practice (after much reflection!) and although they may be finding/have found themselves, the concept of creating yourself is a much fresher theory and one I like and will continue to use!

2C - Reflective Theory

What is reflection and why?

The day to day activity we engage in gives us information that we can draw from - experience (BA (Hons) Professional Practice in Arts WBS 3730 - Reader 2, The Reflective Practitioner - 2011/12). 

Every day we are engaging and subconsciously learning from new experiences, I am interested to learn how scholars believe we can 'turn our experience into learning' and what tools we can use to do this, growing as a professional practitioner this seems key to our growth - learning is developing.

Reflection is a key tool for our development, and I personally reflect on a daily basis, learning how to improve, looking at experiences from a different perspective. 

At the start of this module I would reflect on all of my blogs and my creative passions and began to create ideas for task 1C - my video.  Using previous life experiences to gain ideas for a video that I wanted to reflect both me as a person, my personality and my passions.  I learnt from experiences at work, reading articles, studying photography, visiting exhibitions etc – all of which when I came to plan my video I had to reflect upon to help me start. I have learnt new experiences along the path of life all of which help me every day, as every day one is reflecting and learning.

In my current profession I use reflection in the process of creating and designing, but at what stage do I start to learn?  Using Kolb’s learning cycle (Kolb, D, A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall). I believe my learning style starts at the point of abstract conceptualisation – working it out in my head first, before getting on with the task in hand.  I then move on to active experimentations, concrete experience and then reflective observation.  Using my previous experiences through life whilst training, working as a performer and now in my current profession has defined my learning cycle to me – this is my grounded style and the way I am used to working across any situation.  I have to gain an effective understanding before I can continue.

I think Howard Gardner’s theory of using multiple intelligences (Gardener,1983) to engage with understanding and learning is really interesting as it validates a number of ways in which one can ‘turn their experience into learning’ – there is not one method by which we all must learn which makes reflection more abstract and interesting.  Gardner’s intelligences includes,

• Spatial
• Verbal-linguistic
• Logical-mathematical
• Bodily-kinaesthetic
• Musical
• Interpersonal-understanding people and relationships
•  Intrapersonal-relates to one’s emotional life as a means to understand oneself and others

Gardner believes that we should not limit our learning, and pigeon-hole ourselves to be one kind of learner introducing the idea of multiple lenses (Gardener, H. (1983). Frames of Mind : the theory of multiple intelligences. New York, Basic Books).  In my opinion this is wholesomely refreshing, as everyone can relate to at least one or more of the above intelligences, making our learning and development more expansive, we have more tools to draw experiences from be it spatial, verbal or musical – we have more to reflect on and therefore more to learn and grow from.  “They give value to the different ways we can engage with real world experiences” (A, Adesola (2011/12) - BA (Hons) Professional Practice in Arts WBS 3730 - Reader 2, The Reflective Practitioner).

Throughout my career as a performer I was subconsciously using Donald Schon’s theory of ‘reflection-in-action’ (Schön, D, A. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner: toward a new design for teaching and learning in the professions, San Francisco, Jossey-Bass).   I responded to what was happening as it happened, reflecting automatically at how my body moved using my musical intelligence.  In comparison to my current profession, where I am more inclined to use reflection-on-action, I gather information and brief out ideas, complete a task in hand and then go back to tweak and refine it.  I completely agree with Dewey’s temporal distinction of looking at how time impacts on how you engage with new ideas – the present or future being 2 distinct and different ways to engage with experiences )Dewey, J. (1934). Art as experience, New York, Minton).

 You will reflect differently on an experience in the present ‘right here, right now in comparison to how you will reflect in ten years time.  Both develop our learning and I think is a really interesting concept to look at, as in the future your maturity has developed, you will have gained more life experiences and will reflect using different intelligences.

From the reader, I found the extract below from Twyla Tharps’ Creative Habit (Tharp, T & Reiter, M. (2006) The Creative habit : learn it and use it for life : a practical guide.  New York. Simon & Schuster.) hugely interesting and has actually helped me recognise the difficulties I initially had in reflecting when changing career paths.

‘...muscle memory.  Automatic. Precise. A little scary.  The second time through, however, or trying to explain the steps and patters to the dancers, she will hesitate, second-guess herself, question her muscles, and forget.  That’s because she’s thinking about it, using language to interpret something she knows nonverbally.  Her memory of movement doesn’t need to be accessed through conscious effort’

As a performer I completely associated myself with the above reflection, as a dancer your body helps to talk for you ‘non-verbally’, yet in my profession - buying I have no muscle memory to reflect on whatsoever.  I have to reflect on current experiences in an entirely different situation, therefore using different reflection techniques.  This transition was difficult for me to initially accept and understand as I spent so many years relying on my non-verbal reflection that now needed to be physically articulated and communicated.

Initially I was not convinced writing a journal was the most effective way of voicing a critical reflection, but after some research I stand corrected.  ‘Journals promote reflection on experience’ (BA (Hons) Professional Practice in Arts WBS 3730 - Reader 2, The Reflective Practitioner - 2011/12). 

David Boud (‘Boud, D. (2001) English, L. M. & Gillen, M. Promoting Journal Writing in Adult Education, Eds.Education No. 90. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 9-18.) concludes that we can capture experiences, record events, explore feelings, narrate something of importance – it can be viewed as a form of self-expression.  Individuals can use journals to enhance their own learning – turning experience into learning, we are exploring experiences in order to learn new things from it.

Any events provide the base material for journal writing and reflective practice, be it events from the past, mundane day to day activities, workshops and exhibitions, the list is endless!

‘In learning terms, the journal is both the place where the events and experiences are recorded and the forum by which they are processed and re-formed.  This working with events is intended as a way to make sense of the experiences that result, recognise the learning that results, and build a foundation for new experiences that will provoke new learning’ (‘Boud, D. (2001) English, L. M. & Gillen, M. Promoting Journal Writing in Adult Education, Eds.Education No. 90. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 9-18.).

The above highlights that we can reflect and learn from every experience, utilising it in every professional practice.  One can look at past experiences and emotions and recognise what factors were used in gaining this new experience to learn and grow from it and use it subconsciously in future experiences. 

Bibliography

A, Adesola (2011/12) - BA (Hons) Professional Practice in Arts WBS 3730 - Reader 2, The Reflective Practitioner.

BA (Hons) Professional Practice in Arts WBS 3730 - Reader 2, The Reflective Practitioner - 2011/12

Boud, D. (2001) English, L. M. & Gillen, M. Promoting Journal Writing in Adult Education, Eds.Education No. 90. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 9-18.

Dewey, J. (1934). Art as experience, New York, Minton.

.

Gardener, H. (1983). Frames of Mind : the theory of multiple intelligences. New York, Basic Books.  

Tharp, T & Reiter, M. (2006) The Creative habit : learn it and use it for life : a practical guide.  New York. Simon & Schuster.

SchÖn, D, A. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner: toward a new design for teaching and learning in the professions, San Francisco, Jossey-Bass.