inquiry plan.

So I seem to have got myself a little confused lately I think I have been trying to explore too many paths and have not explored one deeply, I feel just as I begin to develop one route it leads to another and so on. I’ve been mainly exploring the transition from a performer to a teacher and also the importance of dance inside and out of education. My problem lies with trying to incorporate my previous training which was in dance, however I also gained my teaching qualifications alongside this and also my future prospects and why I really want my career to go down this path.

After a conversation with Rosemary we think it may be a better idea to keep teaching out of my degree title.  Maybe focus more on Dance education or dance performance? I’ve started to ask myself some questions. Why do I want to become a teacher? Do I want to be a teacher inside education as well as out? I have experience in teaching syllabus for the ISTD and also teaching dance inside state schools, I believe I want the option to do both as I feel both are highly important for children. Which had lead me to the pros and cons of dance inside and outside of education. I was lucky enough to pursue dance from a young age privately and went into a private dance college, however I also did take gcse dance, a btec in performing arts and a’s dance. What is the importance of dance on students from a young age to older? I was lucky enough to meet up with a dance teacher today who I expressed my confused thoughts to and she told me something quite interesting. She currently teaches for herself with a society but mentioned that a lot of private societies including her own are starting to look to merge with the education system. Meaning that when a child takes a dance exam at a certain level they can also gain ucas points helping with their education. Maybe this would lead to more parents supporting dance if they feel there is also an educational gain? Something which I am interested to explore.

I am proposing an inquiry title ‘ The importance of dance inside and out of education’. 

This is just a preliminary thought as like I said I am torn between a couple of big questions. Any thoughts would be of great help.

proposed award title.

Based on discussions through sigs and my current employers I have been exploring dance performance, choreography and dance teaching. As this is following on from my previous training I need to focus on that more so than the future. I trained in musical theatre, primarily dance and did take my teaching qualifications in dance whilst there. I feel this is where I want to develop my knowledge as both a dancer and dance teacher, and the transition between the two. I propose my award title be.

BA (Hons) professional practice in Dance Performance and Teaching.

I feel this is where my current knowledge lies and what I would like to develop for the future.
Any thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated.

Delicious

I have been adding new research and findings for a few weeks so please do take a look.
http://delicious.com/leannewatson07

6b pilot results

The results from my pilot tasks have left me with a great deal of thinking. They have been a huge help in stimulating thoughts and ideas for my line of work.
I found the pilot survey of huge interest I have analysed my results so far but would still like to attain lots more so if anyone could fill it in that would be great :

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FSB58RR

 

I found this survey quick and simple once I had decided upon my chosen questions, It was difficult to chose the right words without being misleading, I chose a few one word answers then a few with explanations to try to get why and how answers. This is a great way of obtaining the most results in a short period of time. Most people have been very co operative I think that is the bonus of doing a survey on line people can do it when they have time ans really think about what they want to say, whereas in an interview situation people feel more obliged and under pressure to answer immediately.

Most of my participants have been 21-29 years old which is great for my perspective right now as they are all in a similar situation to me and are learning from the same position I am. I had 10% in a much older age range- people who are already established teachers with years of experience, I would like to get more responses from this age range as there experience alone is going to be of a great benefit. I need to find better ways to hit this age range maybe online is not the best way, maybe arranging a interview/ focus group would be better suited. There was a higher percentage of participants that hadn't made the transition into a teacher but would like to make that transition, I would defiantly need to find more participants who have made that transition.

 

I decided to arrange an interview with one of the more experienced participants who had 25years experience in the industry. I prepared semi-structured questions so this allowed us flexibility. I found this one to one meeting fascinating as it gave me a chance to ask all the questions i needed and follow onto to new stimulus that arose. It was great to discover what techniques this person has discovered work or don't over time. I defiantly felt I was getting more qualitive answers this way as supposed to quantitive on the survey. Unfortunately this tool is time consuming and this is only one persons view to interview enough people with varied experience would take time.

 

I am lucky enough to be around lots of teachers and classes so I find my self observing on  a weekly basis. I prefer this tool as it enables me to see first hand the tools of my industry. I am constantly viewing new techniques teachers  are trying, to see what works and more importantly what children or students it works on. If I am in a class observing i do contemplate are the children behaving differently because I am there watching? something which I always discuss with the teacher afterwards, to see if there have been any behavior changes. I normally take notes as this is allowed by the principle never record or video as this would lead to permission from all their parents.

 

I find a focus group online like our sig's is of enormous help as you can discuss in your own time and look back over the thoughts and analyse, I think forming a focus group face to face is going to be difficult I plan on engaging in one with my current cast, however it is difficult to get the time all together.

 

Please fill out my survey as I would like to analyse a wider range of people. I have so many thoughts and paths to explore from my recent research.

Further thoughts on Ethics.

After looking at the research I have discovered on codes and regulations in my workplace I have gone through the reader again to see how this compared.
Each society and workplace is different you must research and check the regulations in each venue. Ethics covers a much wider range of aspects than I originally thought. I believe we are all aware of the way we react to people and situations and the way we behave, but this is because we know that's the right way to behave but we don't necessarily know why it is, or the ethical issues that are attached.

Case study dance class (professional practice reader-ethics) This really got me thinking, as to some extremes I agree with the teacher that If a pupil cannot take criticism in class then they will not last in a dance company. Depending on the age of the pupil if over 16 and they are looking at a career in dance they need to be able to take criticism and I believe you would be a bad teacher if you were not honest with pupils. Is this ethically wrong? is this classed as emotional abuse? I feel there are so many rules and boundaries it is difficult to know when you are stepping out side of them. All of my dance teachers from a young age and particulalrly when I went to stage school were very strict and honest and said some quiet shocking things, but to me this got me where I am today and without them pushing and telling me what I was terrible at I would not have improved. Without this honesty I would have been fooling myself and wasting a lot of money.
This leads me onto a quote from the reader,
'Justice differs from state to state and indeed with the passage of time. Social changes have rendered certain types of conduct which were acceptable to being not so'
Whats right and wrong can change depending on the time and circumstance. Ethics have changed to conform with the times for example gays now being legal. I believe this is true to the teaching profession, what was acceptable when i was a pupil is not necessarily now.

Thinking about the action 'lying' I believe most of us need to tell a white lye from time to time, I do in auditions about my height, availability, even my hair, but I believe this is of no harm to anyone and is for the greater good if it gets me work, therefore deemed as consequentialist.

It has also made me think about what I need to consider in my own professional inquiry.

• The importance of digital data security
• Forming my conclusion from looking at situations from different views and creating a logical argument.
• Remaining un biased at all times.
• Asking questions that are of relevance, particularly if personal.

I feel ethics will be a never ending quest to uncover grey areas, and understand the ethics that do relate to my industry on a daily basis. However it is something I am far more in tune with now and not so ignorant about.

5B

I have researched regulations and codes of practice in a current workplace where I teach dance and also with the ISTD which is the society I took my teaching qualifications through.

The main objective is that we behave in a professional and safe manner, bringing enjoyment and learning to the pupils.
The ISTD really focuses on the appropriate size of classes and each class being of similar abilities,. My local authority suggests 10 children to one adult. Therefore each pupil is treated individually and their own needs are met accordingly. I feel this is an important point, everyone will work at different speeds with difficult abilities, and I believe this is a tough task for any teacher to try to work equally with the whole class and not neglecting any individual.

I have a child protection policy that must be adhered to at all times. This states the definitions of abuse such as: physical,emotional,sexual, neglect. Now I was aware of abuse particularly sexual and physical, but reading about emotional abuse has really made me think as I wasn't aware of this fully.

The definition of emotional abuse is 'a persistent lack of affection, rejection, isolation, exclusion, deliberate humiliation or threats. It may also refer to an absence of praise, encouragement and stimulation'
It had lead me to thinking do I praise all students equally? have I fully stimulated the whole classes needs? I feel I praise students when it is justified, I never just focus on one student, but have I been fully engaging with the whole class?

They focus on the safety of studios, correct flooring , heating, a safe place to get changed, fire regulations. I was fully aware of most safety procedures. However sometimes I do not teach at my regular place of work and I cover for all different teachers, and I always thought it was their studios and they have to make sure all the safety precautions are in place. But I have now realised  from these codes of practice that when you are alone it is solely your responsibility to check all the correct procedures and adhere to the relevant regulations as you are fully responsible for all of the pupils in your care. Something I will be taking a lot more care over in the future.

One last point I was very much unaware of was the keeping of records and confidentiality. Luckily at the moment any registers regarding puils persoanl details I have are all on paper . But if you keep your files on the computer you may need to register with the information comission. This is just something ti check out depending on what information you hold.

I feel taking a closer look at these codes of practice have highlighted the grey areas that I really was unsure about. I would like to look further into the procedures in the theatre I work as a dancer.

Ethics 5a.

Here are the codes of practice for where I work, I have two lists one for the theatre I work in as a performer and one for the studios as a Dance Teacher. These are my thoughts which i will then check on afterwards.

Theatre.

Sign In
Arrive punctually
No smoking/ Drinking
Report to Company Manager
Warm up
Correct work attire
Fire procedures
No eating/ drinking misuse of costumes

Studios

Registration
correct syllabus
CRB check
Insurance
health and safety procedures
safety checks in the studios
correct flooring/facilities/heating
No manhandling
check uniform
emergency exits

I'm sure I have missed a lot of procedures these are what I am aware of using to date, I will go and consult the correct regulations.

Capability self assesment

Thanks to Rosemary and Stephanie's advice I have decided to assess my capabilities as a performer and teacher.  I'm hoping this will help distinguish where my strength and weaknesses lye, therefore leading me to where I need to develop my knowledge and skills and giving me support in my chosen title.

Rosemary grades capability in the following format:

Novice
Advanced beginner
Competent
Proficient
Expert

I have tried to be as honest as possible with myself as I think it can be very difficult performing an accurate assessment on yourself.

• Dance Performance  - Proficient
• Dance Technique -     Proficient
• Audition Skills -         proficient
• Self management -     Competent
• Teaching Skills  -       Proficient
• Professionalism -        proficient
• Buisness Skills -         Competent
• Learning Routines -     Proficient
• Choreographic Skills - Competent
• Networking -              Competent
• Safety Awareness -     Competent

From analysing this I would ultimatly  like to become proficient in all aspects but realisticly I need to focus on what is going to enable my future, I don't want to become 'a jack of all trades a master of none as they say'.

Through compiling this list I have become aware of the fact that a lot of my techniques over lap, I am trained as a dancer and dance teacher and quite clearly these two coinsied with eachother. I came across the Venn diagram and thought this would be helpfull to identify what techniques purely enable me as a daner or dance teacher and what I need for both.

This diagram has given me a clear idea of where and what I need to develop, the skills I have as a dancer are all there to make the transition into a teacher a lot smoother. I want to enhance my skills as a dancer and become an expert where possible. Therefore leading me to move onto the skills needed solely as a dance teacher.
I am hoping I can now develop these skills through my work on this course.

Creativity and Dance in education

I have just come across the Ken Robinson's video Verity has posted and it has led me to further thoughts.
He Said ' If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original'.
This really opened up my eyes i am currently exploring ways to develop my teaching and choreographic styles and am struggling with new and stimulating techniques, and I think this is because I'm afraid to be unsuccessful and something not work. I am so used to the way I teach and the fact that it seems to work that I'm afraid of the unknown. So Ive set myself the task of the next class I teach I will explore new methods and note the outcomes- what worked and what didn't.

Another quote was 'In Every country in the world, the arts are at the bottom of the list, why do we not teach dance every day like we teach maths?'
Why is this? Is it simply because subjects like maths are deemed more important in every day life? I came to think of when I started dancing, it was my mum who noticed that I needed to be active and dance was what inspired me and I was lucky enough to go to a school that encouraged the arts. Should education be nurturing children's creativity further and opening doors in whatever genre it may be?

Creating an SIG

Through discuusions already developing on the BAPP facebook page, it is clear that quite a few of us have the same interest in dance education/ teaching. The main topics coming up in discussions are:

Teacher training.
Qualifications.
The effects of Dance in education.
Teaching Techniques.
Transition from performer to teacher.

I feel we are creating a great understanding and developing lines for enquiry. However I am also looking into choreography as a development from being a dancer I also feel this does link into my teaching as im always creating new work for the students.
I have started a new dicussion on the bapp facebook page 'transition onto choreography ' I would love some feedback from you all on this topic.

Developing lines of professional inquiry

After exploring the reader a few times I have started to narrow down the gaps in my practice and where I could start developing an inquiry.
I started by noting the skills needed to be a professional Dancer- the field I am currently working in:

Dance Technique and ability.
Discipline
Performance and people skills
Experience
Understanding of History
Anatomy/Nutrition

I then made note of the skills needed to be a Dance teacher which is something I do now but am also looking to do for my future coureer:

Knowledge of syllabus
Experience with children
Experience in performance and teaching
Health and safety
Musicality/Creativity

Already after making this list I can see areas that need developing, in peticular musicality/creativity and assesment techniques, I would like to develop ways and new concepts of how to teach, how to get the children learning. What techniques really do work? I ask myself what can I bring to this profession? Every Teacher has a way of teaching I feel i have definatly been infuenced by mine, maybe I should explore others further?

I also looked back to the inquiry task last module, I wanted to explore the lack of training in dance teachers why arn't there more regulations, anyone can set up a dance class, but does qualifications really mean more than experience? I  am also very interested in choreography i like exploring different choreographers styles and techniques, I find it facinating exploring what others can us as a stimulus could i develop this into my teaching practice?
I also feel a strong skill I will need in my future teaching is managerial skills, will I be able to run a buisness what extra skills will I need for this?

Being a competent performer doesn't mean I can teach or choreograph, What do you need to make that transition?

Lots of questions here I am going to explore please let me know your thoughts.

3b.

3B.

This reader took a lot of time to digest, but after reading it numerous times and allowing myself to let the information and concepts settle I realised how and why I am currently using my professional networks.

I find co-operation important in our industry as I do believe the more you co-operate the more you will benefit. For example in my last job I worked consistently hard and supported my dance captain a great deal and even after the contract had finished, she is now a great contact for me always providing me with auditions and further contacts- she is someone I will not lose contact with. I also provide the same help to her creating a great trust and the want to help each other.  I think this tool combines co-operation and tit for tat together. You are always going to be more open to help someone whoever it is if you feel you are gaining yourself in return. My best contacts are through working relationships within my industry, whilst working you create a bond through a common interest which I feel naturally progresses further. It is these contacts I need to make sure I keep; it is so easy once a contract has finished to lose that network and regret it later on down the line.  Maybe I could join other networks not just work related, I’m sure there’s more opportunities out there for me to connect with. 

I feel a big problem for me is when I am in work; although I am making new contacts I feel safe and do not concern myself with networking and keeping in touch with current networks. It is when the job is over and you need more work that realise just how important those contacts are, sometimes it’s a little too late. 

A professional network is a group that has a common interest, and generally we do stick to those groups. However I think it can be beneficial to move out of those circles and create networks with people with other interests; it’s not always those with a direct link that can be of help.

The prisoner’s dilemma game makes sense of this theory; in the long run I believe co-operation is going to always be more beneficial. By competing and not always co-operating you can win by a small margin but this is going to be a short term success, I believe. Obviously there are going to be times when you need to be selfish like at auditions and castings, it’s just knowing when and where.

‘The theory of affiliation says that we need to network across a range of human activities, professionally and personally’. I think this is true we need people around us both professionally and personally. If I am looking for work I connect with my contacts within my industry and create a network of help and advice around me and the same goes for my personal life. I do believe people have the need for others around them, some more than others. I think this can have a lot to do with your genetics and upbringing. People from a large family may feel the need to have a strong network around them more than a single child perhaps.  Hofstede mentions culture as a factor in affiliation and I think these can all be factors that do affect us. We are persuaded and influenced by our surroundings and people around us. 

I believe we all learn from experience, and situations in our lives vary and send us on different paths, leading to different contacts and connections within those networks. Really understanding why we do things and need certain things is what will help us grow and understand our professional and personal lives further.

                                                          

3A CURRENT Networks.

I currently have many tools that I use to engage with my professional network. My agent and other casting sites such as: dancers pro and spotlight are my main source of connecting with my profession. I read on Laura Ann Wright’s blog about LinkedIn and this looks like a great way of networking professionally and making great contacts, something I will be now joining myself.

I also use Facebook a great deal now for my profession, I’ve joined many groups where I receive castings and also get to meet fellow peers in my industry, I have found these such sites the most benefit to me. Like most people I have found the problem of mixing my social and professional lives on  facebook, I recently had a new employer add me on facebook and this gave me the problem of not wanting to refuse her but also not wanting her to see my social life. I will now finally be creating separate pages so I can network efficiently on both sides of my life.

I also use my friends and current colleagues a lot to network, word of mouth really is a great tool, I have learnt so much about the industry I am in from meeting other people.  I do think I could use this tool to a greater advantage I don’t like to pry and ask questions which I think I should more. It comes down to tit for tat I think which is pointed out in the reader, I feel people will only want to help you or give you advice if they feel they are getting something of benefit in return.  It is very difficult to trust in this industry everyone is out for themselves, so you have to be aware of people’s intensions sometimes.

Different networks I would like to explore are setting up my own web page, it was brought to my attention how effective this is you can showcase yourself in exactly the way you want, potential employers can see you in action, many of my colleagues have gained work in this way. A very similar tool like spotlight but at least you can manage your webpage yourself and not go through an agency.

I feel being more sociable and confident when given the chance is a tool needed in the industry we are in, I think events such as after show party’s are a great way of networking and creating contacts within the industry, something I have not taken advantage of yet.

I admire the people I see that can seem to network effectively , they have the guts and goal that they want in mind and go after it. I to have the same passion but am wary of coming across annoying or to persistant, its a very fine line I believe and I find it hard to know and judge how far to push situations, such as: sending in c.vs how many times is enough? Should you call? I just don’t think I have acquired the skills to sell myself effectively yet, this is something I need to learn and being on such networking sites and watching similar people in my industry is going to help me develop this tool.

2d inquiry

I have been a dancer for a few years now, so naturally my experience is taking me into other fields such as choreography and teaching.  Through growing as a dancer and being lucky enough to have the experience, I have started to become really enthusiastic about choreography. I have many people I admire some more famous than others who inspire me and I feel i have learnt a lot from.
 Mia Michael's is a huge inspiration to me a very passionate and emotional choreographer. Here is a couple of 'Mias' quotes
"If everyone could pull the blanket away from their eyes, they'd see that there's magic in everything," 
It's about being aware at every moment and keeping your eyes open,"  "There's inspiration in everything we see."  I think this is in keeping with the course at the moment in reflecting on our work and being aware of our experiences. It draws me to think of my journal where at first some days I would struggle to find something to say, now I am looking and reflecting on every moment however insignificant it may seem at the time.

From the training I received and the industry as it is to date. I get very angry about the expectations that are put on performers and what is classed as being 'successful'.  From my family being in the industry, from a young age I wanted to travel around the world with my job and was brought up to believe that as long as I was doing what I love and earning a good wage I would be very happy.  Cruise Ships, contracts abroad etc were very frowned upon at my college it was made clear we were all expected to go straight into the west end. Something which really annoyed me after training in London for such a long time the last thing I wanted was to work there for the rest of my career, it was something I would like to go back and do at a later date. I must admit this stereotype isn't as bad as when I was in training but is still strongly there. I remember being asked in a lesson 'If you go into teaching or choreography don't you think you are giving up'. Of course not I admire the performers that manage to make this transaction successfully as I think it can be a difficult one and just because you are a great performer that doesn't mean you can teach or choreograph. I think this is sad  so many of my friends who I trained with have given up and not performed at all because they did not get into the industry where they were expected to. 
I admire my teacher and choreographer Barbara Evans she did not fit into the stereotype from her era, she was told too small? too different? none of which led her to give up she is a very successful choreographer now who inspired me a lot whilst training and without her I may have ended up giving up and not having the success I have. She shares my views and does a lot to inspire young performers.

I love being able to wake up and spend the day doing something I love and feel passionate about that's something not a lot of people can say and something we should not take for granted.
 Lil' C (dancer and choreographer) says the only thing that defines inspiration is that it's constantly changing: "When you evolve and progress as a human being, your views shift." This is what excites me our views are always changing, our experiences and progressions in life hugely effect us. 5 years ago I would never have been interested in choreography but from being made to choreograph and inspired by others around me my views have changed.

Something I don't understand is the inspiration choreographers get from all different things, I get inspired by images, music, emotions.
Mia Michaels said:
"I use anything, from photographs to the way makeup looks on someone, a hairstyle or just flipping through fashion magazines."
this is a technique I would like to explore and open myself to. I want to be able to be inspired from my everyday life.
Lil' C says:
You have to be vulnerable enough to feel your core and feel what you're going through," he insists. "That's the problem with a lot of dancers -- they're not vulnerable enough to communicate what's going on inside. You have to dig deep."
This is a new level to my profession I want to reach, I do connect with my emotions of course I do as a dancer, but there is always a part of me not fully letting go a part that is still thinking and not feeling.

I love to use film when choreographing, for example big screens on the stage showing clips, text, images. I feel it gives another depth to pieces and more for the audience to see and explore. I would like to see where I could take this, what other imagery could be effective? Art? Film? how could I shape this in a piece differently. I want to explore more choreographers and the techniques and inspiration they use. How can I use my life experiences more in my work?

2c. looking outward

After going through the reader a few times and having discussions via blogs I have a lot more thoughts on reflective practice.

In my profession as a Dancer and dance teacher I already use many tools for reflection, some more obvious to me than others. I always take notes during and after rehearsals just to remind myself of what has happened and what needs working on, this gives me the space to work problems out in my own mind away from the initial experience. (Reflection in action and on action). When working as Dance Captain it is highly important I take notes so nothing is forgotten or missed. I also find when giving notes to the cast I like to see the corrections made there and then unlike other dance captains I have worked with who just verbally give the notes, this is so I know we have made the reflection and learnt from it. Recently I experienced a situation where I needed to be dancing and taking notes at the same time, I ended up having to rely on other cast members opinions and views, after reflecting on this rehearsal for some time I was not happy and wanted to improve on this situation, therefore making sure I video recorded every rehearsal so nothing was missed. I do feel other peoples views can help the reflective process it helps to see things from a different view and from someone who plays a different part in the experience.
When first starting out as a dance teacher I watched as many classes as I could  to observe what works and what doesn't, I still take from those initial experiences now and use them in my every day profession.

Dewey 1909 said 'What matters are the reasons we have for believing something and the implications of our beliefs' This made me think and look into my own professional practice. We all believe things are right or wrong whether it being as a dancer or a teacher for me, but what really matters is why we think that, what has brought us to that conclusion, and what implications are going to come from this. A lot of my experience comes from the practitioners I have learnt from, and after experiencing how successful or not their techniques are I have grown to use these techniques myself. This is why we should carefully consider and reflect upon experiences we have.

I decided to draw my own learning cycle in my journal one day of my days events, taken from David Kolb.

• Audition (concrete experience)
• Correction what others in the room (Reflective Observation)
• Train home analysing what to do differently. (abstract conceptualisation)
• Class/Workshops (active experimentation).

Thanks to Kolbs cycle it helped me identify and easily reflect on this experience I had. I always reflect back after I have had an audition and think over and over what could have happened or what I would change. By using Kolbs cycle I made me reflect deeper and be much more critical in my thinking.

When choreographing I feel Howard Gardner's view on multiple intelligences really comes into play for me. I get inspired by different factors that surround me. For example the majority of the time the music is my main stimulus and I get inspired by the rhythms and lyrics. Recently I choreographed a piece inspired by a poem my dad had written, after reading this I wanted to explore the words with my body and that was my initial stimulus. I feel when creating pieces I do look through multiple lenses and therefore learn this way and reflect on my experiences through these different lenses and intelligences.

I have yet to discover many critiques with the views talked about in the reader, so would be very interested in any different opinions you may have, or have discovered from others.

                                                              

Journal writing experience

I have never written a Journal before so I was unsure of how I would take to this or how it would benefit me. I am a big list person, I love writing lists but I have never taken these lists further into thoughts. I also do this on my phone when I'm out and about anything I think of I just make a quick note of it so I don't forget.

 I seem to just keep all my thoughts in my head and I find myself analysing situations over and over in my head, I like to picture myself in situations and really believe seeing myself there for example: when I'm planning a teaching lesson I will have just a list then the rest of the planning goes on in my head I picture myself in the class and act out the lesson plan in my head I find this imagery help full rather than just reading text.

Already from starting this course I have found myself writing so much more, when going through the readers I am constantly making notes and writing down my initial thoughts on everything.
So as I do like making lists I thought writing my journal by hand would be the best initial start, I can pick it up when and where I like and put down my thoughts. I have been writing my journal for over 2 weeks now and at first I found it difficult I didn't really know what to write about and some days I didn't think I had anything to say at all. As time went on I found myself analysing my thoughts and making sure I wrote them down however insignificant I thought they were. Its difficult to get over the habit of a lifetime at keeping everything in my head but the more I did it the more beneficial I found this process. By writing everything down I found it freed up my mind therefore enabling me to reflect easier with a clearer head.

As I seem to use imagery the most I decided to apply this to my journal, so instead of imagining my classes and picturing what happened in my head I made diagrams in my journal and created pictures. I found this a great way of reflecting and an easier way to look back on previous thoughts. I also found journal writing a great way to try to express tacit knowledge and really express those feelings.

I tried task 2b based on the Reid and Moon framework and this turned out to be a beneficial task for me. I took one day from my journal where I had taught dance at a new school initially I had wrote about half a page in my journal on this day. From using this framework I ended up writing a couple of pages it took me a couple of days to do. The different boxes really helped me to analyse the day in more detail than I would usually, making me explore my thoughts and feelings deeper. I was surprised by how much reflection I could achieve from that day, just from asking myself different questions. The box what if? was of particular interest as I have never thought about this in my journal writing before, it opened up a new thought process for me. I found myself always looking back on the experience rather than to what could have happened or what I would now like to happen. I found it difficult to write from another view and think how other people may have found the day, this is something I am going to try for another day in my journal as I didn't find it of great success this time around.

I am interested now to explore different methods of journal writing so let me know if any others have been successful to you.

Reflective practices ; my initial thoughts.

Going through the reader on Reflective Practice it occurred to me how Ive never really stopped and thought about how I reflect on my work or realised that I was even doing that.

I defiantly believe I have learnt from my experiences on a regular basis, I find I talk a lot when something has happened I like to explain my emotions and feelings I never tend to write anything down.
Being a dancer I do have to reflect on events in the moment and correct my work there and then, as this maybe creates little need to reflect after the event I still do reflect on everything for days to come, I almost over think and analyse everything.

'Dewey 1934' said that an interaction with the arts leads to a unique and valuable experience. If people had full experience with their lives they would be better able to be part of society. I do agree with this I feel this shows in children from an early age. I have been working with primary school children for some time and an impact the arts has on them reflects in there general studies and life skills. I opens them to fully engage with their lives and widens their experience.

I found 'kolbs learning cycle' very interesting. It gives you the tools to reflect on your experience and identify that you have in fact had one. Thinking about where I enter the cycle was difficult as we do all of the things. So I thought about when starting my blog, and I looked through other blogs firstly to get an idea and see how it was done, so this would start me in the cycle at Reflective observation. Which I think is true for work such as this where I had little previous experience on the task. However I don't feel I always enter the cycle at this stage I would normally enter at active experimentation, I like to be in the moment hands on learning almost trial and error. Maybe when i am uncertain of a situation, IE: starting a blog for the first time I lack confidence therefore entering at Reflective Observation so it gives me the opportunity to gain confidence by reviewing first.  This is something I am going to watch and see if other experiences make me enter at a different point of the cycle.

I agree with 'garders 1983' view on multiple intelligence, I don't feel you can only learn in one way or a particular method, many factors influence the way I learn and I feel it all depends on the situation at hand. Many variants can spark my thoughts, light, sound, music, text, pictures,influences,peoples opinions,emotions. This makes me aware of the different ways I can turn my experience into learning.
I use interpersonal intelligence when in an interview or meeting with a new person, it makes me aware of what they are thinking and feeling in the situation it allows you to make judgement on how to react yourself, sensing emotions and understanding.

I would initially feel I learn best kinaesthetically being a dancer this is where i feel most comfortable therefore open to learning. However thinking into this I learn a lot visually again this comes from being a dancer from watching people move and express themselves, I love learning from seeing something it sparks my thoughts and I find this an easier way for things to be explained to me.

'Peter Honey 1982 and Alan Mumford's 1983' model is a very simple straight forward way of thinking about the cycle and your process I am going to keep this in mind when writing my journal.

I reflect in action being a performer and teacher, I have to solve problems improve and reflect there and then on the spot you couldn't carry on if you didn't do that. However do we still need to reflect on action, to make sure we have not missed anything and also giving us the chance to discuss with others and gain views and opinions, surely this would only enhance the reflection?

Stephanie Thomas  made some great points on tacit knowledge on her blog, this really got me thinking and made me understand tacit knowledge as I was unaware it existed. I feel as a dancer I do use this without even realising. 'Twyla Tharps' quote on muscle memory explains tacit knowledge for dancers perfectly. After creating a dance piece yes I can explain my ideas and thoughts but at some point tacit knowledge really does take over and I cannot put into words everything, maybe it was the music, steps, images all things you cannot simply just explain in black and white. I feel a lot of experience you cannot explain, how could you that is what it was an experience, something that happened there in the moment sometimes for a straight forward reason that you can pass on and reflect in words, other times it is the feelings,emotions,senses,what you feel in your body that you cannot possible relive and put into text. So i feel tacit knowledge is vital in performers and probably takes over more than we can even realise.

I am now going to go on and explore ways I can reflect and try new things to see what effect they have on my reflective practice.

1.c starting out on bapp

Here is my clip on starting out on Bapp, I enjoyed exploring ways of creating this and improving on my skills using different tools, I think this is something I definatly need to develop and improve. I would like to improve on my own showreel, So please do tell me if you have any tips or great tools to use.

1b: My initial thoughts on professional communication technologies.

When I first read through the course reader I realised this is a topic I know little about. Although I use web 2.0 in my everyday life socially and professionally I did not realise I was doing so, I did not even realise the definition of web 2.0. This is something I am facinated about although I am part of various networking sites I havnt even began to take full advantage of what web 2.0 has to offer. I am not saying I fully agree to living my life through social networking I am still very much on the fence about the effects it has on my life, but I am intriged to explore this and discuss other peoples views.

There is an interesting point that we are indeed taking part and creating these networks, by meerly having a facebook profile you are a part in creating that network and database whether you post and blog or not.
We believe that social networking and facebook in particular are allowing us to keep in touch and communicate with more people that we maybe would have lost touch with in the past. Is this true? Do we use such sites to meerly drop the odd email and look at friends profiles thinking that is enough rather than actually taking the time to meet up with friends and share your lives personally. Of course we couldn't possibly find the time to do this with everyone so facebook does allow us to have an insight into peoples lives, but I do worry that we are hiding behind computers too much and not creating enough personal experiences.

I feel like social networking has sped up my life it enables me to connect with such a wide community in the space of seconds, this course is going to give me a good chance to sit back and reflect on the choices I make in reflection to web 2.0.

1d: flikr images.

I have just added some photos from a recent show I did onboard a cruise ship. I found it simple to create a flikr account I have never posted any images to such sites before, i found this fun looking through all my photos. I am definatly going to use this site and search for images that may be of use and interest to me. I feel the more I do such tasks the more confident I am getting with finding my way around the web. Here is the link below for my images.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/leannewatson07/?saved=1

Do web technologies enhance professional practice?

This was the topic we discussed at the session on the 8th Feb. After the session I left feeling positive and ready to start this course.

First of all we discussed the pros and cons of social networking in our profession. Naturally we found lots to discuss as we all use networking sites in our everyday lives.
The pros we discussed were:

• Access to a database of millions.
• More opportunities, access to casting directors/ agents.
• Receive emails/info instantly.
• Find more confidence in approaching people by hiding behind emails.
• Access info on any job/show/techniques.
• Post your profile for millions to see and cast through.

The cons were:

• Not speaking to people face to face and creating a bond.
• There are still people in the industry from the generation before social networking.
• Not everything is true that you read online.
• Miss communication technology can fail at any time.
• Cannot fully portray yourself through text and images.
• Your information could fall into the wrong hands.

These are all ideas I am now going to explore further and develop my thoughts on.
One thing I realised was something that could be a positive for one person may not be for me so I need to reflect on what is positive and negative with using  social networking  for my own personal situation. I need to remind myself why I use these sites and focus on that. Verity made a good point that we seem to get distracted and end up following other peoples lives instead of maybe focusing on own. I think this is true for a lot of people it is easy to forget why we are using the web, sometimes following other people is of great benefit but I think there is a fine line between professional and social when it comes to these sites and that is something that can easily get blured into one. This is a topic I will personally be focusing on and try to really create that separation.

I personally don't normally following trends or what the majority of people are doing, for example i won't buy the new style of trousers just because that's what everyone is wearing I will buy it if it suits me. I found I was the same with social networking I never wanted a facebook account as much as everyone persuaded me I didn't want one. Then realising it could benefit my career I gave in and got one and it really has benefited me in that way, however being on such sites has distracted me from the real reason I went on in the first place and I feel my views and opinions are getting influenced by other people more easily than they would do in life already. For example: If making an important decision I would have consulted my close family and friends who would have influenced my decision now I am more likely to share this with my online network, some may think this is a benefit, you are getting a much wider range of opinions and views this is something I would like to explore and get your opinions on.

From these discussions on the 8th I really believe we should reflect day to day why we are social networking and make sure we are using it positively. I realise that it is ok to not come to a conclusion straight away my thoughts are going to change on this subject and that is something I'm going to enjoy exploring.

Personal profile

My name is Leanne watson I am a professioanl dancer. Originally from Blackpool I now live in weston Super mare. With my mum being a Dance teacher I have danced since the age of three.

I trained at laine Theatre Arts in all styles of dance and theatre I graduated with a three year musical theatre diploma and I.S.T.D  F.D.I.

Since graduating I have performed in three pantomimes as Dance captain, various cruise ships, Disney tour and various gigs throughout the country. I am due to work out in Greece this year as a dancer.

I am a Passionate and reliable dancer, my job has allowed me to travel the world and experience various cultures of dance.

I am a qualified dance teacher and found myself getting more involved in teaching these last couple of years, this is something i would like to pursue further in my career.

Please comment on this profile I would love to hear any suggestions.

c.v

                     LEANNE WATSON

                        Date of Birth               ¨                     1^st August 1986

                        Nationality                  ¨                     British

                        Height                         ¨                     5’4

                        Eye Colour                  ¨                     Brown

                        Hair Colour                 ¨                     Brown

            Complexion                 ¨                     Olive

            Vocal Range                ¨                     Bottom F# to Top F (Belt toBb                                       

                   

                      PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

                                  LAINE THEATRE ARTS

Musical Theatre Course encompassing Singing, Drama, Performance, Contemporary, Jazz,                                                    

Modern, Classical Ballet, Pas De Deux, Tap

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Aladdin  2010/11                                         Bruce James Productions.

Dance Captian

Ocean Village  2010                             Micha Bergese- Final Cast.

Dancer

Camp Rock 2-  UK Tour 2010                Disney- choreographer Beth Honan

Dancer

MJ History 2010                                          Rick Bhullar/ OV Cruises.       

Dancer

Ocean Village Cruise  09/10                   Micha Bergese Productions

Dancer

SNOW WHITE & THE 7 DWARFS

08/09                                                              Bruce James Productions

Dancer/ Dance captain

BOWOOD HOUSE CONCERT 

Backing dancer to Liberty X                            Bowood House

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK  07/08

Dancer                                                             Bruce James Productions

CHEEKY GIRLS –                                       

Dancer                                                            CHEEKY FLAMENCO VIDEO AND PA GIGS

BOWOOD HOUSE CONCERT 06

Supporting Act to Chico & Journey South        Bowood House

                                   QUALIFICATIONS

            Ballet                                      ¨                    Advanced 1 ISTD & Inter RAD

            Modern Dance                       ¨                     Advanced 2 ISTD & FDI

            Tap                                          ¨                     Advanced 2 ISTD

            Acting                                      ¨                  Gold Medal Lamda                                                          

                                                SPECIAL SKILLS

Roller Skating - Full Clean Driving Licence - Pas de deux - Accents , Qualified deep water diver.

leanne watson c.v

I am starting to read through all the materials and tasks. So to start off with I am going to post up my c.v as it currently is then i will rewite it as a profile. I would love any comments and suggestions.

First Blog!

So i have never had a blog before so I am taking it step by step and hopefully will all become clear! I am very excited about starting this course and will hopefully be communicting with you all soon.