As it's getting towards the end of tour all members of the company are getting tired and run down with a few illnesses and injuries circulating. Everyone is getting excited about going home for Christmas and the festivities ahead.
Unfortunately yesterday during our warm up ballet class one of the male dancers went over on his ankle and had to be rushed to hospital 25 minutes before the show. Being such a small company all of the dancers have many roles to play in each ballet and we have no understudies that come on tour with us. This, of course caused mayhem as the roles were reassigned to other company members at the 15 minute call. Dancers were manically watching recorded choreography on laptops before the curtain went up. The first role (Fritz in Nutcracker) ended up being played by a girl in a wig!!! We all worked together and the show actually looked 'quite good' in the words of our ballet mistress. It turns out our inured dancer has a sprained ankle, so unfortunatley with a week left of tour it looks unlikely he will be able to do any more performances.
Although yesterday was completely frantic it actually showed us that even when we are tired/ill/injured we can work collectively as a team and put on an enjoyable show.
In terms of my inquiry it is interesting for me to look how people are behaving differently now compared to the beginning of tour. Are less people completing a full ballet class? More people doing exercises to get rid of injuries? Less people warming up? People tired? How has the mental attitude of the company altered? This are some things I have been writing about in my journal so it will be interesting for me to be able to look back at these notes.
Friday 9 December 2016
Wednesday 7 December 2016
First Tuesday Skype chat.
Shamefully the Skype session yesterday was the first Tuesday Skype chat that I have actually been able to attend due to Tuesday morning normally being a manic working day for me. However, I am so glad I joined yesterday and I believe I took a lot away from it and will definitely try to make time for them in the future.
It was a very intimate session with only myself, Adesola and Bethany (a module 3 student) participating so it was really nice to actually have the time to talk and question each other about what we are doing/why and how our inquiry is developing. For me, it was very good to speak to someone who was ahead of me in terms of modules because I got a preview of what to come and expect in the next module when producing my artefact. It was also good to have some advice about my current inquiry from someone who has been there themselves recently. I hope I was also of help to Bethany too!
One main thing that I took away from the session was how important it is to take a step back from your work and look at whatever you are doing, whether it be your inquiry or artifiacte or even a blog post and try to look at it from the perspective of someone who has no idea who you are or what the BAPP course is about and see if what you are doing/writing actually makes sense. I think sometimes I forget that people can't see inside my head so it is important for me to make sure everything I am thinking clear on paper so the assessors and readers can actually follow my ideas and train of thought.
Thank you so much for the Skype yesterday Adesola and Bethany.
Here is a link to Bethany's blog:
http://hucklebethany.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/module-2-inquiry-research-media.html
It was a very intimate session with only myself, Adesola and Bethany (a module 3 student) participating so it was really nice to actually have the time to talk and question each other about what we are doing/why and how our inquiry is developing. For me, it was very good to speak to someone who was ahead of me in terms of modules because I got a preview of what to come and expect in the next module when producing my artefact. It was also good to have some advice about my current inquiry from someone who has been there themselves recently. I hope I was also of help to Bethany too!
One main thing that I took away from the session was how important it is to take a step back from your work and look at whatever you are doing, whether it be your inquiry or artifiacte or even a blog post and try to look at it from the perspective of someone who has no idea who you are or what the BAPP course is about and see if what you are doing/writing actually makes sense. I think sometimes I forget that people can't see inside my head so it is important for me to make sure everything I am thinking clear on paper so the assessors and readers can actually follow my ideas and train of thought.
Thank you so much for the Skype yesterday Adesola and Bethany.
Here is a link to Bethany's blog:
http://hucklebethany.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/module-2-inquiry-research-media.html
Monday 5 December 2016
Skype with Adesola
After a pretty manic week on tour being away in different hotels every night I was really looking forward to my Skype session this morning with Adesola to get me back on track with my work. After sending her my bullet pointed draft last week I was ready to talk through her written advice and apply it to my work.
I am a lot clearer about what I want to include in my plan and where I want to take my inquiry. And speaking through my ideas really helped. I voiced my concerns on areas I was less confident and also about how I was feeling in regards to time management in module three. When planning my inquiry I need to be realistic about what I can achieve in the time frame and bare this in mind when deciding which tools of inquiry best suit my circumstances.
My topics to talk about with Adesola were:
1) Is my title OK> Broad enough? Not limiting myself?
2) Clarify about what data collection is, literature review and analysis. (This was in regards to her notes on my draft)
3) Bit confused about aims and objectives.
4) Interest in mindfulness and how to incorporate within inquiry.
I am looking forward to joining the first Tuesday of the month Skype tomorrow!
Thanks for the chat Adesola.
I am a lot clearer about what I want to include in my plan and where I want to take my inquiry. And speaking through my ideas really helped. I voiced my concerns on areas I was less confident and also about how I was feeling in regards to time management in module three. When planning my inquiry I need to be realistic about what I can achieve in the time frame and bare this in mind when deciding which tools of inquiry best suit my circumstances.
My topics to talk about with Adesola were:
1) Is my title OK> Broad enough? Not limiting myself?
2) Clarify about what data collection is, literature review and analysis. (This was in regards to her notes on my draft)
3) Bit confused about aims and objectives.
4) Interest in mindfulness and how to incorporate within inquiry.
I am looking forward to joining the first Tuesday of the month Skype tomorrow!
Thanks for the chat Adesola.
Monday 28 November 2016
Task 6B - Tools of inquiry
FOCUS GROUPS:
Focus groups are similar to interviews but have different dynamics because of the interaction between participants.
POSITIVES:
-interaction and though stimulation can lead to people expressing opinions on topics they may not have thought about on their own
- can collect a good range of different people's opinions
- easier to organise than lots of separate interviews
- supportive environment for people who don't like to talk on their own
NEGATIVES:
- difficult to manage and potentially less control
- necessary to plan (seating plan) and think about how to show direction
- some people may remain more quiet and withhold opinions so important to try to encourage everyone to have an input
Focus groups are similar to interviews but have different dynamics because of the interaction between participants.
POSITIVES:
-interaction and though stimulation can lead to people expressing opinions on topics they may not have thought about on their own
- can collect a good range of different people's opinions
- easier to organise than lots of separate interviews
- supportive environment for people who don't like to talk on their own
NEGATIVES:
- difficult to manage and potentially less control
- necessary to plan (seating plan) and think about how to show direction
- some people may remain more quiet and withhold opinions so important to try to encourage everyone to have an input
How would using a focus group develop your line of inquiry within the workplace?
Are there any downsides of using this tool?
SURVEYS AND QUESTIONNAIRES:
Possible to gather a wide range of results in this way. You can take representational results and with random sampling collect more quantitative results.
POSITIVES:
- ability to gather information from a wide range of sources
- large numbers of people can answer surveys/questionnaires
- ease of use for participants
- efficient in producing quantitative data
NEGATIVES:
- limited in terms of depth of inquiry (can't ask more specific questions)
Important to carefully compose the questions to ensure participants fully understand and can provide accurate answers.
SURVEYS AND QUESTIONNAIRES:
Possible to gather a wide range of results in this way. You can take representational results and with random sampling collect more quantitative results.
POSITIVES:
- ability to gather information from a wide range of sources
- large numbers of people can answer surveys/questionnaires
- ease of use for participants
- efficient in producing quantitative data
NEGATIVES:
- limited in terms of depth of inquiry (can't ask more specific questions)
Important to carefully compose the questions to ensure participants fully understand and can provide accurate answers.
Questionnaire checking should be done as soon as the completed questionnaire is
returned. Check to ensure all the questions have been answered correctly. Add a
reference number to the form that you should put in your data file to enable
crosschecking. Ensure that you are recording data anonymously and observing the
status of confidentiality to your respondents. Questionnaires are likely to produce
quantitative data that can be statistically analysed, so be accurate when organising
the responses. Reader 6
How have other researchers analysed questionnaires?
Can you find examples?
Try locating a questionnaire that has been used in a professional capacity and analyse its success or failure as a research tool. Can it be compared to what you need for your own questionnaire?
Try locating a questionnaire that has been used in a professional capacity and analyse its success or failure as a research tool. Can it be compared to what you need for your own questionnaire?
Task 6B - 4 Tools of inquiry
I need to match the collection tool(s) to my research problem(s) I will explore.
Purposive- choosing people who can answer the questions using defined criteria
(qualitative) in order to look at particular or situated phenomena (qualitative approach)
Representative- selection of the sample population (quantitative and mixed - i.e. the interviews might follow a survey) more ‘scientific’ - using a version of probability or non-probability sampling (quantitative approach)
OBSERVATION:
- Watching, recording and analysing events of interest
There are a number of different approaches of observation:
Representative- selection of the sample population (quantitative and mixed - i.e. the interviews might follow a survey) more ‘scientific’ - using a version of probability or non-probability sampling (quantitative approach)
OBSERVATION:
- Watching, recording and analysing events of interest
There are a number of different approaches of observation:
-
the events may be recorded, either at the time or subsequently by
the researcher
-
the observations may be structured in terms of a predetermined
framework or may be relatively open
-
the observer may also be a participant in the events being studied or may act solely as a ‘disinterested’ observerPOSITIVES:- rich source of information- can show behavioural nature of individuals
- observation can show reactions/events in natural environment.
- read body language
NEGATIVES:
- time consuming
- must plan in advance
- have to be present at session being observed
- confidentiality problems in filming/taping people
- requires agreement of 'Gatekeeper'
- ethical considerations, difficulties when observing minorsANALYSING OBSERVATIONS:INTERVIEWS:Analysing and interpreting data recorded from observations is complex and requires a sound understanding of the context for the event/meeting that was observed. Data is often both qualitative (how and why) and quantitative (how much and when). As such the researcher might need to draw up a coding framework that ensures the data is analysed within the neutral framework recognised in academic practice. Bell’s section in Doing Your Research Project (2005) on analysing observations is a good starting point if this is a tool you are using and it is recommended that you practice developing your analytical skills by observing meetings (or similar events) on television or in the workplace. Any notes about the interactions with interviewees can also be noted in the analysis. READER 6
Questions to consider:What preparation do you need to do for your pilot observation?
Are there specific things on which you are focusing?
How are you recording the data? Why?
Qualitative method where you can use what people say as evidence. Can be carried out in an formal or informal method.
Can be carried out in a number of different ways:
-
face to face or over the telephone
-
with an individual or a group of people
-
using a structured list of questions or a more informal method of
interaction.
The interview method involves questioning or discussing issues with people. There are a number of different types of interview method (indebted to Bell, 2005).
-
semi-structured interview which includes set questions or themes with
the flexibility of following interesting or useful emerging issues is often
most appropriate for the work-based researcher because of its
inherent flexibility.
-
non-directive or open interviews that allow the interviewee to talk
about anything they like.
-narrative inquiry (related to open) where the participants use a storytelling format
-
informal interviews which have an overall data gathering aim using an
extremely non-structured approach
-
informal/guided interview which provides topic areas to cover but no set questions. Interviews are time-consuming but they can allow the collection of valuable data about motives, expectations and attitudes that are very difficult to collect by any other means.MUST AVOID USING LEADING QUESTIONS.To conduct interviews you must consider:
-
What data do you need to collect to answer your research questions that may
only be provided by other people?
-
Who do you need to interview and why?
-
Where would be most appropriate to hold the interview – neutral ground or
‘home’ ground?
-
At what point in the research process would it be best to interview?
-
What questions need to be asked?
-
The degree of structure in the interview – structured, semi-structured or
unstructured?
-
Whether all the interviews will include the same questions and follow the
same structure? If not, why not?
-
How are you going to record the interview – whether to make notes during the
interview or use a tape recorder and transcribe notes afterwards?
-
How are you going to access the data from the interview – transcribe tape
recordings, order and/or reflect on your written notes?
-
How will you ensure that you comply with ethical and confidentiality issuesand relevant legislation such as the Data Protection Act? What is the status of what is said, i.e. is everything on the record?POSITIVES:- Adaptable, can conduct on Skype or phone.- Can get a wide range of intervieweesNEGATIVES:- Inverviewer could influence the interviewee- Don't ask leading questions- If I am interviewing people in my workplace the answers could vary between colleges depending on how friendly we are
http://paulanottingham.blogspot.com/2010/03/3rd-campus-session.html
-
What data do you need to collect to answer your research questions that may
only be provided by other people?
-
face to face or over the telephone
Task 6A - Research Inquiry Tools
Now I am beginning to look at different research inquiry tools and find one which is most relevant and beneficial to my individual inquiry and professional practice. I will be researching into the main tools of inquiry; observation, interviews, surveys and focus groups and engage them with my SIG. I also need to take into account how time consuming each tool would be and plan out how I will use this research to collect and compare my data. I will explore the methods other researchers have obtained data and try to learn how this can apply to my inquiry.
In the reader it clearly states that evidence needs to be categorised in order to analyse and interpret results. It is in this stage that differences and patterns are identified thus it is vital for this to be completely accurate. The reader informs me that often quantitative date can be anaylsed and validated using quantitate data and vice versa using a mixed methodology. I need to plan which inquiry methods I will use in module 3 to avoid being overloaded with data.
Common pitfalls:
- vague and ill-defined aims
- lacking detail about research design
- being overly ambitious in terms of scope and time
I need to make sure I am aware of these pitfalls to avoid making these mistakes. This is something I will have to consider in my inquiry plan and when I am trialling methods of inquiry with my SIG.
Common distinction between qualitative and quantitative.
Qualitative - relies on peoples words phenomena. Often collect written or audio data.
Qualitative - can be translated into numerical data.
Three important concepts - VALIDITY, RELIABILITY, GENERALISABILITY.
In order for me to produce an informative and accurate artefact in module 3 it is necessary for me to ask the appropriate questions and collect data in a format relevant to my topic. I also need to consider the reliability factor and how it is important to be consistent with my research told throughout my research.“if another researcher were to look into the same
questions in the same setting, they would come up with essentially the same results”
(Blaxter et al., 2001, p. 221). The concept of generalisability relates to whether the research and results from the inquiry could be applicable to other situations outside of the small scale inquiry.
In the reader it clearly states that evidence needs to be categorised in order to analyse and interpret results. It is in this stage that differences and patterns are identified thus it is vital for this to be completely accurate. The reader informs me that often quantitative date can be anaylsed and validated using quantitate data and vice versa using a mixed methodology. I need to plan which inquiry methods I will use in module 3 to avoid being overloaded with data.
Common pitfalls:
- vague and ill-defined aims
- lacking detail about research design
- being overly ambitious in terms of scope and time
I need to make sure I am aware of these pitfalls to avoid making these mistakes. This is something I will have to consider in my inquiry plan and when I am trialling methods of inquiry with my SIG.
Friday 25 November 2016
Personal, professional and organisational ethics
Intro to ethics:
Through doing more research about ethics I aim to find about more about the implications ethics may have on my professional practice and continue to develop my approach to ethics for my inquiry. In module 1 we started looking at the topic of ethics and the effects it may have on your practice via social media and in my previous blog (professional ethics) I created a mind-map about ethics, so it'll be interesting to see how my thoughts and knowledge burgeon and alter.
The professional ethics reader states that there are three main areas of ethics:
- personal (family values, religion, culture)
-professional (professional code of conduct)
-organisational
These all contribute to the promotion of social good in a larger society.
The reader states that there is a rippling effect through all of the different areas of ethics:
Personal - profession - organisational - society.
History of ethics:
The history of ethics is long and its development can be traced from Plato and Aristotle right up to today where almost every philosopher has a view on ethics. The word ethics is widely held to have its origins in the Greek work ethos, which means character. The Greek philosophers were much taken with the notion of good and bad in their discourses and writings. Ethics has its roots in moral philosophy and is concerned about the right or the good way to carry out actions.
Ethical dilemma in workplace:
Key words from the reader about ethics:
- civil
-moral
- rules
Now I have a broader knowledge about ethics and the wide spectrum surrounding it I will continue to do some more research specifically about ethics in the arts, dance and theatre. As this will hopefully continue to increase my awareness about the topic.
References:
Professional ethics reader:
http://mdx.mrooms.net/pluginfile.php/631105/mod_resource/content/2/Reader%205%20Professional%20Ethics%202016-17.pdf
Through doing more research about ethics I aim to find about more about the implications ethics may have on my professional practice and continue to develop my approach to ethics for my inquiry. In module 1 we started looking at the topic of ethics and the effects it may have on your practice via social media and in my previous blog (professional ethics) I created a mind-map about ethics, so it'll be interesting to see how my thoughts and knowledge burgeon and alter.
The professional ethics reader states that there are three main areas of ethics:
- personal (family values, religion, culture)
-professional (professional code of conduct)
-organisational
These all contribute to the promotion of social good in a larger society.
The reader states that there is a rippling effect through all of the different areas of ethics:
Personal - profession - organisational - society.
History of ethics:
The history of ethics is long and its development can be traced from Plato and Aristotle right up to today where almost every philosopher has a view on ethics. The word ethics is widely held to have its origins in the Greek work ethos, which means character. The Greek philosophers were much taken with the notion of good and bad in their discourses and writings. Ethics has its roots in moral philosophy and is concerned about the right or the good way to carry out actions.
Religion and law are both closely
associated with morals and ethics. - I found this an interesting sentence because law wasn't something I had really associated when it comes to ethics, but in reality ethics play a massive part in the justice system and law. Law exists to provide a structure for society and set standards for social norms and expectations for behaviour.
Other philosophers:
Ethics comes from the theories of moral philosophy. There is the notion also of the
natural man which is animal like and the conventional man who is shaped by the
social rules and norms as argued for by Hobbes in his social contract proposal.
Hobbes (1651) viewed ethics as a practical solution to social harmony and good
through the vehicle of a social contract. He posited that in order to achieve peaceful,
co-operative social order we need to adhere to a set of moral rules. These rules are
necessary because of certain facts about human life which he subscribed to. These
were equality of need, scarcity, essential quality of human power and limited altruism.
Without moral rules, these facets would lead to a constant state of war with one and
all, which would be intolerable. In order to overcome this, the social contract would
Thinking point: produce a list of virtues relevant to you as an individual and
include the two extremes. Then do the same for your profession.
Middlesex University ©2016
facilitate beneficence through its set of rules. The Social Contract works on the
premise that rational people will accept it on the understanding that everyone else
will as well and is supported by the idea that morality is a set of rules for mutual
benefit.
In the nursing profession, those who were members of the catholic church
were forbidden by their faith from assisting in terminations of pregnancy. Again, this
is an example of an ethical dilemma which requires negotiation with employers.
In the corporate world the near collapse of the banking system in 2007, which many
would contend was as a result of unethical behaviour where short-term gains were
viewed as preferable to ensuring sustainability of the banking system is a case in
point. Employers in the banking sector drove short-term profits at the expense of the
greater social good.
Research ethics:
Research ethics:
When planning an inquiry or research, you need to adhere to sound ethical practice
in carrying out the actions themselves. On another level, it is also good to consider
the broader ethical implications attached to the research or inquiry. For instance
what is the motivating factor behind the inquiry? Does the inquirer want to bring
about a social (professional) good? Who stands to benefit most from the research?
Being a researcher carries many responsibilities to a range of reference groups, including participants, employers (in the case of practitioner-researchers), the academic institution (where the research is part of a course) and the research community. In the special case of research carried out as part of a course, the supervisor additionally has important responsibilities – holding the ultimate responsibility for ethical practice and gaining approval and having responsibility to minimise the risk of harm to the student researcher.
This section about research ethics is very relevant to me and to my professional inquiry so I need to make sure I where to sound ethical practice in all parts of my research. I have begun thinking about this when filling out my ethics forms and can see how important it is to have knowledge in this area.
Being a researcher carries many responsibilities to a range of reference groups, including participants, employers (in the case of practitioner-researchers), the academic institution (where the research is part of a course) and the research community. In the special case of research carried out as part of a course, the supervisor additionally has important responsibilities – holding the ultimate responsibility for ethical practice and gaining approval and having responsibility to minimise the risk of harm to the student researcher.
This section about research ethics is very relevant to me and to my professional inquiry so I need to make sure I where to sound ethical practice in all parts of my research. I have begun thinking about this when filling out my ethics forms and can see how important it is to have knowledge in this area.
Key words from the reader about ethics:
- civil
-moral
- rules
Now I have a broader knowledge about ethics and the wide spectrum surrounding it I will continue to do some more research specifically about ethics in the arts, dance and theatre. As this will hopefully continue to increase my awareness about the topic.
References:
Professional ethics reader:
http://mdx.mrooms.net/pluginfile.php/631105/mod_resource/content/2/Reader%205%20Professional%20Ethics%202016-17.pdf
British Educational Research Association (2004, 2011) Revised Ethical Guidelines
for Educational Research. Cheshire: BERA. Available from:
https://www.bera.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BERA-Ethical-Guidelines-
2011.pdf?noredirect=1
Tuesday 22 November 2016
Week 9 panic
So this term has gone scarily quickly and it is already week 9 approaching week 10 which is when we should be sending our drafts to the tutors for feedback! This has crept up on me and I can see from the posts of our module 2 BAPP Facebook group that I'm not the only one who feels like this. So I have filled out my employer consent form and have begun filling out the ethical consideration form ready to send these off to my tutor Adesola for feedback.
2. Briefly state why your inquiry is important and who wiII benefit (max 100 words).
3. State your Inquiry methodology and explain the following (max 250 words):
How you will ensure participant wellbeing (with particular reference to any under 16's)?
What are the data protection issues of your project?
Can you outline the potential impact of your project?
Is there any ethical approval or permission required from other bodies?
These are two of the questions on the ethical consideration form that I initially found more tricky to answer. However, after I began drafting my inquiry and getting my thoughts more organised this became a lot clearer to me. I also initially struggled with drafting my plan because I hadn't completed all the the part 6 tasks yet, but I actually found it helpful to do this alongside rather than a hinderance.
Wednesday 16 November 2016
Professional ethics - 5A
Part 5A -
Initial thoughts:
I decided to make a mind map to help me begin drafting my thoughts about professional ethics. I found this initially quite hard because lots of the points I made are taken for granted within the industry. For example, 'learn and retain choreography', this is taken for granted within the company and no one specifically tells you to do this but it is expected of you as part of your job as a dancer.
I was thinking that our industry also crosses a lot of lines that wouldn't be acceptable in other types of work place. For example, we are wearing costumes and having lots of quick changes meaning that often you will see your colleges in next to no clothes. This is obviously rather unusual for a work place and is just one area where the professional ethics in a theatre arts environment differ to alternative places of work.
Also in a dance environment it is normal for you teacher/choreographer to touch you to give you corrections or ensure you are using you muscles without you giving consent. Again in other work places this would probably be quite unusual!
I will now do some research and reading into the topic of ethics within the work place and it will be interesting for me to compare what I learn to my initial thoughts! I find this a very interesting topic and think that it will be insightful to talk to other BAPP students about it because we work in different places so our points of view on ethics will vary.
Tuesday 15 November 2016
Quick blog!
I'm rather short of time this morning but trying to fit in a quick blog post before going off for tonight's performance! I missed the campus session yesterday but Paula kindly has posted a blog about the session and also a video on youtube which I've found very helpful:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCdYXqER-oA&feature=youtu.be
The topics of discussion were arts-based research and activism. From watching the video and reading Paula's and other students blogs I can see that a transdisciplinarity approach is encouraged in arts-based research and this centres around a problem and utilises a collaboration between two or more disciplines. The students were saying that it's not only about your personal point of view but also looking at social needs and seeing how your research could benefit fit others on a larger scale. They also mentioned about thinking about outside the box and outside your own arts area of expertise. I am going to try to incorporate other arts into my arts-based research and will be interested to see the effects this has on my research and in turn my inquiry.
They also spoke about activism and the involvement of currents cultural and political affairs. It was interesting how people's perceptions of this topic varied but the word 'respect' was repeated by several students.
...................................................................................................................................................................
On another note ...
Adelsola commented on my recent blog about research techniques into dance and movement therapy:
'So where does your research sit along the scientific and phenomenological? We are not really looking at scientific methods in this course, right? We are interested in experience - see all the ideas in Module one. So where does that indicate our research sits as you plan it?
What does this all say about finding a definitive 'answer' to our research or just finding out more and being more informed about your own practices?'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCdYXqER-oA&feature=youtu.be
The topics of discussion were arts-based research and activism. From watching the video and reading Paula's and other students blogs I can see that a transdisciplinarity approach is encouraged in arts-based research and this centres around a problem and utilises a collaboration between two or more disciplines. The students were saying that it's not only about your personal point of view but also looking at social needs and seeing how your research could benefit fit others on a larger scale. They also mentioned about thinking about outside the box and outside your own arts area of expertise. I am going to try to incorporate other arts into my arts-based research and will be interested to see the effects this has on my research and in turn my inquiry.
They also spoke about activism and the involvement of currents cultural and political affairs. It was interesting how people's perceptions of this topic varied but the word 'respect' was repeated by several students.
...................................................................................................................................................................
On another note ...
Adelsola commented on my recent blog about research techniques into dance and movement therapy:
'So where does your research sit along the scientific and phenomenological? We are not really looking at scientific methods in this course, right? We are interested in experience - see all the ideas in Module one. So where does that indicate our research sits as you plan it?
What does this all say about finding a definitive 'answer' to our research or just finding out more and being more informed about your own practices?'
Although I had been researching this topic I don't think I had really looked at how it links to me and my research in the course so it was very helpful for Adelsola to point this out to me. This indicates that my research will be very much phenomenologically based as I will be researching into people's perceptions and perspectives. I have found lots of texts online about phenomenological research so it will be interesting for me to read these and see how they can inform me of how best to carry out a phenomenological inquiry!
Friday 11 November 2016
Research techniques in dance/movement therapy ...
From reading into the topic of dance/movement therapy (DMT) I can see that there is some controversy surrounding the topic of the accuracy and validation of various research techniques. The need for research in this subject is quite clearly pinnacle and although the idea of research inquiry is commonly encouraged there is much controversy around the issue of traditional scientific methods of research being advantageous for dance/movement therapy. This is where qualitative methods of research have burgeoned and less structured techniques of research have been channeled. I have found a paper which examines these research methods (scientific and phenomenologic) and discusses which of these are most applicable to the research of dance therapy and other creative arts therapies. It is interesting for me to read into these topics as it may give me some guidance for the future about how I may wish to conduct my research for my professional inquiry.
The Spectrum of Research Options in Dance/Movement Therapy:
- Berrol, C.F. American Journal of Dance Therapy (2000) 22: 29. doi:10.1023/A:1005518409716
- Lenore Wadsworth Hervey - Artistic inquiry in dance/movement therapy. -
- 'I believe the greatest research asset of the creative arts therapies profession is the fact that we cannot be exclusively identified with either art of science' (Mcniff. 1986)
- This quote above put a really thought provoking spin on the subject and although this is described here as a 'research asset' I guess it could also be regarded as a hindrance. People will have different views about where the creative arts therapies lie on the scale of science/art, and therefore will potentially have conflicting opinions about how research and development should be conducted. In a more science based environment it's more black and white. A fact is a fact. But in the creative arts there is perhaps more room for perspective.
- Although when I sat down to do work today I actually wanted to find another piece of literature to analyse and blog about I ended up finding a whole range of information and learning a lot about research techniques for dance/movement therapy which will be very useful for the future of my inquiry.
Wednesday 9 November 2016
Literature - 1
Literature - Generally refers to what other professionals or researchers who have expertise in your inquiry have written about your topic.
Reviewing literature - 'Reading with the purpose of reviewing is very different from reading for pleaure. Reading to review has the goal of producing a product: an analytical evaluation of the research on your topic. This means that you are expected to unravel the reasoning that informs the research and arguments you find in the literature.' Hart - Reader 4
I am continuing my hunt for literature and decided to start with looking for articles about supplementary training for dancers as there seems to be more easily accessible information on this topic rather than dance therapy. I came across this article of the Trinity Laban website and it raised some interesting thoughts.
The benefits of supplementary training for dancers:
https://trinitylaban.wordpress.com/2015/11/28/the-benefits-of-supplementary-training-for-dancers/
Firstly I wanted to do some background research about the article and who wrote it and why.
Amelia Wilkinson - I found this biography about Amelia on the Trinity Laban website:
Reviewing literature - 'Reading with the purpose of reviewing is very different from reading for pleaure. Reading to review has the goal of producing a product: an analytical evaluation of the research on your topic. This means that you are expected to unravel the reasoning that informs the research and arguments you find in the literature.' Hart - Reader 4
I am continuing my hunt for literature and decided to start with looking for articles about supplementary training for dancers as there seems to be more easily accessible information on this topic rather than dance therapy. I came across this article of the Trinity Laban website and it raised some interesting thoughts.
The benefits of supplementary training for dancers:
https://trinitylaban.wordpress.com/2015/11/28/the-benefits-of-supplementary-training-for-dancers/
Firstly I wanted to do some background research about the article and who wrote it and why.
Amelia Wilkinson - I found this biography about Amelia on the Trinity Laban website:
Amelia graduated from The Royal Ballet School in 2008 and has a BA (Hons) degree in Sociology (research major: dance) from Goldsmiths University of London and an MSc in Dance Science from Trinity Laban. Also working as the Health Administrative Intern at Trinity Laban, she is heavily involved in the provision of Dance UK’s POP package as well as the screening for TL dance students. Amelia delivers the lab skills component of the MSc in Dance Science at Trinity Laban and visits undergraduate institutions to provide Dance Science workshops. To date, her research has primarily focused on the notions of identity, passion and injury related coping and she is continuing to develop these ideas based on findings from her masters final project.
Knowing a little about Amelia's background is very useful for me and I now know that similarly to me she also has a ballet trained background, which may mean that we have similar outlooks on various subjects. I also found the bold section at the bottom of her biography very interesting because these are areas of research that I am also interested in.
The title of the article is 'The benefits of supplementary training for dancers' so this immediately shows the reader that the article will solely be looking at the benefits of supplementary training rather than the negatives as well. The article starts by stating 'dance class has been shown to be fairly ‘stop start’ or intermittent in nature and as a result dancers’ cardiovascular training needs may not be simply met by participating in class or rehearsal'. Obviously some types of repertoire may be more stop start than others and some will require higher stamina so her careful use of the conditional 'may' is relevant.
Amelia mentions 'screening' as one way you can identify areas that require focus and says that this could be in relation to cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, muscular endurance, strength or power. She also mentions how for each dancer the effects a dance class has on their individual body will be different because everyone has varying physical capacities and capabilities. This makes me think how although everyone is doing the same class everyone will take something different away from it and the physical effects will vary from person to person. This is not something I had really given too much thought to before so this could be an interesting area for me to do some further research into. Amelia refers to a training principle called 'overload' which is needed in order for physiological adaptations to occur and she points out that the dance class alone may not facilitate such changes, hence proving how supplementary training is important to make physical improvements and changes in oneself. Amelia also mentions 'fatigue' and how it increases the risk of injury so if one can delay the onset of fatigue it could, in consequence reduce the risk of injury!
She then proceeds to talk about various types of supplementary training such as:
- Pilates
- Yoga
- Aeorbic and endurance training
- Plyometric training
- A more somatic approach
I am already familiar with the background and history of Pilates and yoga as I have previously done research into these topics as part of my diploma work at Elmhurst but the other three areas I have a lot less knowledge about so it has been interesting for me to broaden my knowledge and research into these areas too. I was especially interested in the results I have found about 'somatic approach' because the first thing that came up on google was 'somatic dance therapy'. As I have previously spoken about, dance therapy is another topic I was interested in researching for my inquiry and I feel like now I am definitely building a bridge between these two fields of research. I have found a lot more literature about dance/movement therapy now and look forward to reviewing it!
Amelia finishes the post by stating:*The extra stress placed on the body through supplementary training can cause temporary fatigue. You should aim to leave at least two weeks between end of training and any scheduled performance periods. - This really got me thinking because when I am on tour with my company I am performing 6 days a week, so if I am following this guide it is impossible for me to fit in any sort of training! I began considering if perhaps this article is aimed more for for students who will have perhaps have less performance periods than professionals. I was also surprised that she has said allow two weeks because to me this seems like an awfully long time. Maybe there is some evidence to back up this statement, perhaps that is the optimum muscle recovery time? But for us professional dancers two weeks seems like a very long time!!
Amelia has posted some other related web links and titles of books at the bottom of her article and I will continue my research by looking at these and seeing where they take me.
One of the links I have found relating to dance/movement therapy:
https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=aOnmCAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR13&dq=somatic+dance+therapy&ots=jbErBc1w8H&sig=fVpkihHLLVsIMXkxMPS9GZVo_BQ#v=onepage&q=somatic%20dance%20therapy&f=false
Tuesday 8 November 2016
Surfing the web!
When on the hunt for my literature I came across this link of the One Dance UK website:
https://diversedancemix.com/home
I had never heard of this before and saw Darcey Bussel's name so I decided to follow the link to see what it was about!
'DDMIX is a full body aerobic workout based on a wide range of different dance styles with easy to follow steps. Choreographed by Darcey Bussell and Nathan Clarke, each genre is approximately 2.5 minutes long.'
https://diversedancemix.com/home
I had never heard of this before and saw Darcey Bussel's name so I decided to follow the link to see what it was about!
The aim of DDMIX is to get people moving without being intimidated by the word 'dance' or the technicality of the steps, but instead to give a full body workout that is such fun that you don't even notice that you are exercising. With the vast number of dance styles around the world to choose from, no one will ever get bored!
We have a passion for dance-based fitness and believe the best way of getting fit is by doing something you enjoy. By participating in dance, you can achieve your goals by not looking upon exercise as a chore. We love group exercise classes with non-correctional instruction, that are fun and all inclusive.
Darcey wanted to create a program using segments of dance from around the world, providing great variety with a western touch. Given her deep interest in all forms of dance and having danced nearly all genres from her classical ballet base, the DDMIX adventure began. She contacted her good friend and talented choreographer and dancer Nathan Clarke, with whom she has worked on Viva La Diva, Darcey Dances Hollywood and the closing ceremony of the London Olympics. On hearing her idea Nathan agreed to join Darcey and they started working on the choreography for the first DDMIX.
I found this very interesting and it has shown me how there are new interesting collaborations of dance and exercise being created all the time.
Finding literature
I actually am finding it a lot harder than I initially thought I would to find literature that I believe to be relevant to my interest for the inquiry. I think this may be because I am trying to look for literature that could be too specific rather, so I have begun to broaden my search in the hope that I will find some text of interest. I also could be looking in the wrong places ... I began my search by looking through the reading list on myunihub. I then re-read the reader to summarise what exactly it is that I am looking for and this made things slightly clearer in my head and I've picked out some especially helpful quotes and pasted them below:
One piece of literature I have already blogged about was:
Doing your research project: a guide for first-time researchers in education, health and social science - Judith Bell
- Looking back I can see that although I learnt a lot from this text I didn't approach reading it with critical thinking, so when finding my next piece of literature I will try to approach it differently (critical questioning).
I am finding all the the academic articles quite overwhelming so I've changed my direction of research into areas that I know are completely relevant to what I want to research. Paula suggested to look at the DANCE UK website and I immediately found something of relevance.
https://www.danceuk.org/news/article/strength-and-conditioning-dance-power-performance-and-rehabilitation/
For now this is where I am up to my my literature hunt! To be continued ...
'This section stresses the importance of searching for literature sources that add to what you already know, and examining them for critical thinking and use of theories from both research and sector experts.' 'The professional inquiry requires that you learn how to review examples of existing 'literature' in order to understand the topic you have chosen in more depth.' - READER 4
One piece of literature I have already blogged about was:
Doing your research project: a guide for first-time researchers in education, health and social science - Judith Bell
- Looking back I can see that although I learnt a lot from this text I didn't approach reading it with critical thinking, so when finding my next piece of literature I will try to approach it differently (critical questioning).
I am finding all the the academic articles quite overwhelming so I've changed my direction of research into areas that I know are completely relevant to what I want to research. Paula suggested to look at the DANCE UK website and I immediately found something of relevance.
https://www.danceuk.org/news/article/strength-and-conditioning-dance-power-performance-and-rehabilitation/
For now this is where I am up to my my literature hunt! To be continued ...
Monday 31 October 2016
Skype with Paula
Tonight Grace (fellow BAPP student) and I Skyped Paula and spent a very informative hour talking through module 2 and where our inquiries are heading. Although we are interested in different areas of inquiry it is always very useful to bounce ideas off each other and help each other out!
I felt like I just needed a little reassurance to ensure that I am working along the right lines in regards to where I am heading at the moment with my inquiry and wanted some feedback about my potential topics. After speaking to Adesola about my work so far she mentioned to me that many of my questions seem to be about looking at problems rather than looking forwards and finding solutions and problem solving.
"The first four questions seem more about looking back. I wonder how they develop your professional practice. they might but I think you need to be able to explain how they develop your practice to better understand the questions yourself. In the past these kind of questions can come from a feeling of being let down or of having had a hard time yourself and wanting to recognize that. This is good healing and to develop your practice you need to sometimes heal your past. But is that what you want? or are the first four questions about something else about now and the future...?
Then knowing more about this area would make sense. If its to just better understand yourself that might be important. But if its to show you had a hard time or the dance world is not great or how hard things are I don't see how the inquiry will have a lasting positive impact on your professional growth. What do you think."
So I decided to go back to the drawing board and try to focus more on positive areas that interest me within my practice and this brought me back to ideas of dance therapy and supplementary training like Pilates and Yoga. I spoke to Paula about these ideas and expressed that I wasn't too sure which direction exactly I wanted to go down and she said that I should try to develop my line of inquiry in both of these ideas as an umbrella topic. I am going to look into the literature I can find around these topics to try to find a focus point but for now I am interested to read around the topic and speak to other practitioners about their opinions.
Paula mentioned that Grace and I should start doing some 'ONLINE SHOPPING' and unfortunately she wasn't talking about looking on ZARA and ASOS... Paula suggested we started looking online for other sources and literature perhaps in the form of other practitioners, articles or audio visuals to inspire and stimulate our thought process. I am going to try to envolve people in my work environment and use this to inspire to and aid me on my learning journey.
I am interested to see where my line of inquiry will continue to take me and after my Skype with Paula I am feeling more confident about where I am heading.
I felt like I just needed a little reassurance to ensure that I am working along the right lines in regards to where I am heading at the moment with my inquiry and wanted some feedback about my potential topics. After speaking to Adesola about my work so far she mentioned to me that many of my questions seem to be about looking at problems rather than looking forwards and finding solutions and problem solving.
"The first four questions seem more about looking back. I wonder how they develop your professional practice. they might but I think you need to be able to explain how they develop your practice to better understand the questions yourself. In the past these kind of questions can come from a feeling of being let down or of having had a hard time yourself and wanting to recognize that. This is good healing and to develop your practice you need to sometimes heal your past. But is that what you want? or are the first four questions about something else about now and the future...?
Then knowing more about this area would make sense. If its to just better understand yourself that might be important. But if its to show you had a hard time or the dance world is not great or how hard things are I don't see how the inquiry will have a lasting positive impact on your professional growth. What do you think."
So I decided to go back to the drawing board and try to focus more on positive areas that interest me within my practice and this brought me back to ideas of dance therapy and supplementary training like Pilates and Yoga. I spoke to Paula about these ideas and expressed that I wasn't too sure which direction exactly I wanted to go down and she said that I should try to develop my line of inquiry in both of these ideas as an umbrella topic. I am going to look into the literature I can find around these topics to try to find a focus point but for now I am interested to read around the topic and speak to other practitioners about their opinions.
Paula mentioned that Grace and I should start doing some 'ONLINE SHOPPING' and unfortunately she wasn't talking about looking on ZARA and ASOS... Paula suggested we started looking online for other sources and literature perhaps in the form of other practitioners, articles or audio visuals to inspire and stimulate our thought process. I am going to try to envolve people in my work environment and use this to inspire to and aid me on my learning journey.
I am interested to see where my line of inquiry will continue to take me and after my Skype with Paula I am feeling more confident about where I am heading.
Wednesday 26 October 2016
'A guide for first-time researchers'
After feeling like I needed a bit of help and guidance towards my research project, I found this link to an e-book on Paula's blog.
http://readinglists.mdx.ac.uk/items/1ACCC0CC-EA73-1EB5-7632-7B8B7491EDBE.html?referrer=%2Flists%2F3A43FAE8-A845-F3C3-7263-DD2735E3448B.html%23item-1ACCC0CC-EA73-1EB5-7632-7B8B7491EDBE
The book starts with a diagram of a maze with different steps along the way. I found this really interesting because it basically summarises how I am feeling at the moment. in regards to my research project. I can't see where I am going and I don't know where I will end up. But after reading more I know that this is completely normal for this process. Along the way my topic will become clearer (hopefully) and by the end I will have focused on something that really interests me and can be used to benefit myself or others involved in my practice.
In the diagram there is a whole list of steps and these are the different chapters in the book so it was very good for me to see where I should be going in terms of research and future tasks.
I really recommend this piece of literature for others on the course who are feeling like they need a little more clarity.
Doing your research project: a guide for first-time researchers
Author: Judith Bell
http://readinglists.mdx.ac.uk/items/1ACCC0CC-EA73-1EB5-7632-7B8B7491EDBE.html?referrer=%2Flists%2F3A43FAE8-A845-F3C3-7263-DD2735E3448B.html%23item-1ACCC0CC-EA73-1EB5-7632-7B8B7491EDBE
The book starts with a diagram of a maze with different steps along the way. I found this really interesting because it basically summarises how I am feeling at the moment. in regards to my research project. I can't see where I am going and I don't know where I will end up. But after reading more I know that this is completely normal for this process. Along the way my topic will become clearer (hopefully) and by the end I will have focused on something that really interests me and can be used to benefit myself or others involved in my practice.
In the diagram there is a whole list of steps and these are the different chapters in the book so it was very good for me to see where I should be going in terms of research and future tasks.
I really recommend this piece of literature for others on the course who are feeling like they need a little more clarity.
Friday 14 October 2016
Too many questions ...
Since I've begun developing some questions I seem to be answering my questions with more questions and have decided to blog them to show my thought development and progression! I feel like my thoughts are a bit all over the place at the moment so I think I will need to sit down and try to organise my ideas a bit more thoroughly but for the moment I am just brainstorming and getting my thoughts jotted down.
Rebecca Jones commented on my post and raised some really interesting points which led my line of thought down a different route. We seem to be interested in the same sort of topics so I would be interested in developing a SIG!
1) How do you think the lifestyle of a dancer can affect you socially?
2) What do you think is the optimum age to commence professional classical ballet training? Taking into account social and wellbeing factors.
3) Do you think dance and its lifestyle has played a part in moulding your personality?
This last question I began thinking about through discussion on Rebecca's blog:
4) Do you think that during your professional training you were given enough advice about life as a professional dancer?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have asked a few of my colleuges these questions and it has been interesting to hear their answers:
I have decided to keep their names anonymous and I recorded the short interview on our tour bus.
Person A) - When conducting this interview I was noting down the answers however, I found this difficult to capture all of the information.
1) Q: How do you think the lifestyle of a dancer can affect you socially?
A: Miss out on a 'normal' childhood. Social difficulties - not meeting new people. On tour it is difficult. Competitive environment. Makes you a perfectionist.
1B) Q: How do you think the lifestyle of a dancer can affect your wellbeing?
A: Difficult to maintain a healthy balanced diet.
2) Q: What do you think is the optimum age to commence professional classical ballet training? Taking into account social and wellbeing factors.
Rebecca Jones commented on my post and raised some really interesting points which led my line of thought down a different route. We seem to be interested in the same sort of topics so I would be interested in developing a SIG!
1) How do you think the lifestyle of a dancer can affect you socially?
2) What do you think is the optimum age to commence professional classical ballet training? Taking into account social and wellbeing factors.
3) Do you think dance and its lifestyle has played a part in moulding your personality?
This last question I began thinking about through discussion on Rebecca's blog:
4) Do you think that during your professional training you were given enough advice about life as a professional dancer?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have asked a few of my colleuges these questions and it has been interesting to hear their answers:
I have decided to keep their names anonymous and I recorded the short interview on our tour bus.
Person A) - When conducting this interview I was noting down the answers however, I found this difficult to capture all of the information.
1) Q: How do you think the lifestyle of a dancer can affect you socially?
A: Miss out on a 'normal' childhood. Social difficulties - not meeting new people. On tour it is difficult. Competitive environment. Makes you a perfectionist.
1B) Q: How do you think the lifestyle of a dancer can affect your wellbeing?
A: Difficult to maintain a healthy balanced diet.
2) Q: What do you think is the optimum age to commence professional classical ballet training? Taking into account social and wellbeing factors.
A): 14/15 years old. Difficult balance. You have to pick.
3) Q: 3) Do you think dance and its lifestyle has played a part in moulding your personality?
A: Yes. Made me more of a perfectionist. Affects self confidence and opinions about body image. Made me determined and hardworking. Through injury and recovering from operations I have developed perseverance.
Person B) During this interview I used a dictaphone to record the interview and this is easier because it means that I can concentrate on listening to the answers rather than be thinking about writing them down. This also means that I don't miss out anything when typing up the interview afterwards!
1) Q: How do you think the lifestyle of a dancer can affect you socially?
A: Make you a weirdo. The dance world is a bubble from normality. But there are both positive and negative sides to the affects. You are always with people who share the same passion as you which is good so you don't feel isolated.
2) Q: What do you think is the optimum age to commence professional classical ballet training? Taking into account social and wellbeing factors.
A): 14/15 years old. Depends on the person though.
3) Q: 3) Do you think dance and its lifestyle has played a part in moulding your personality?
A): I do think it has. It's made me very disciplined. It's made me be a perfectionist. It's made me sociable because you always meet lots of different people. It's made me love a physical lifestyle I hate not exercising.
I found the second interview much easier to type up afterwards so in future interviews I will continue to use the dictaphone. It was very interesting for me to see how they both reacted to the questions and their difference and similarities of opinion. I also noticed that I might have unintentionally asked the questions in a way that hinted about what my own opinions are and this may have had an influence on how they answered the questions. So in my future interviews I will think more about the way in which I will answer the questions to avoid having biased results!
Friday 7 October 2016
Initial Questions ...
So after some thought initially about what my practice is and what it involves I have come up with a set of relevant questions to ask myself and also others in the industry. I have looked at my task 2D in the previous module and reviewed which topics interested me then and it has been interesting to see how my opinions have changed and developed since. I had actually forgotten about my interest in Pilates and had disregarded this topic completely when drafting my inquiry questions until re-reading this post and this has highlighted the importance and helpfulness of blogging.
After at other people's blog posts about potential inquiry questions and it has really surprised how many have been interested in the topic of mental health surrounding the performance industry. This is actually a topic that intrigues me, and if I were to develop this line of inquiry it would be good to have many other people to bounce ideas off (SIG).
My main areas of interest:
- Tour life
- Performance
- Marketing
- Mental affects
So some questions I have come up with so far are:
1) How can performing benefit or hinder your life outside of dance?
Ie. make you more confident/more critical/ a perfectionist/
2) What can performing on tour teach you?
3) Has your attitude towards dance changed since your professional training commenced?
4) Do you find dance/performance alters your mood/emotions?
5) How do you think life on tour differs to a more stable timetable? Eg. rehearsal period in London? Do you think this affects you at all?
6) Do you think the marketing of a dance company/ production or musical has an impact on its success.
7) Do you think that social media can help you progress/develop in your career and practice?
These questions are very much a work in progress are just show my initial thoughts for a potential line of inquiry.
After at other people's blog posts about potential inquiry questions and it has really surprised how many have been interested in the topic of mental health surrounding the performance industry. This is actually a topic that intrigues me, and if I were to develop this line of inquiry it would be good to have many other people to bounce ideas off (SIG).
My main areas of interest:
- Tour life
- Performance
- Marketing
- Mental affects
So some questions I have come up with so far are:
1) How can performing benefit or hinder your life outside of dance?
Ie. make you more confident/more critical/ a perfectionist/
2) What can performing on tour teach you?
3) Has your attitude towards dance changed since your professional training commenced?
4) Do you find dance/performance alters your mood/emotions?
5) How do you think life on tour differs to a more stable timetable? Eg. rehearsal period in London? Do you think this affects you at all?
6) Do you think the marketing of a dance company/ production or musical has an impact on its success.
7) Do you think that social media can help you progress/develop in your career and practice?
These questions are very much a work in progress are just show my initial thoughts for a potential line of inquiry.
Monday 3 October 2016
Identifying knowledge and skills within the workplace
What skills and knowledge are required in my workplace?
When reading through the reader this is another section that stood out to me that I wanted to think about before blogging about any potential line of inquiry questions. My professional practice is very specific and I found it initially quite difficult to pinpoint the skills and knowledge required for it. However, after a bit of thought I soon realised that my job in itself is a skill!
I have attached below two spider diagrams I have created. One is identifying the skills and knowledge require within the workplace. The other is my personal competences and capabilities.
My professional inquiry ...
A professional inquiry is a unique method of learning that centralises the individual in the process of learning making everyone's experience different. Before I begin a new task I always like to take a look at other students blogs to see whether I am working on the right lines and it is clear from the outset of module 2 how personal each students work will be. After asking myself some questions about my practice in my previous post and reading through the Module 2 reader I have realised some key points I should keep in mind when developing my professional inquiry. I should consider a topic that:
- extends and clarifies my professional knowledge
- continues my learning in the future
- utilises the knowledge I have gained from module 1
- is based on my professional arts practice
- engages with scenarios relevant to my workplace
'The ultimate goal of the inquiry will be to explore a
topic that will benefit your work and the work of colleagues and fellow professionals,
including any work organisations with whom you are affiliated.'
This quote from the reader really stood out to me and helped me narrow down my thoughts in regards to my line of professional inquiry. I now know that I should also choose a topic which will benefit my work and the work of my colleges. I have now managed to organise my thoughts and narrow down ideas I can begin to think about some potential inquiry questions.
Professional inquiry related concepts:
- extends and clarifies my professional knowledge
- continues my learning in the future
- utilises the knowledge I have gained from module 1
- is based on my professional arts practice
- engages with scenarios relevant to my workplace
This quote from the reader really stood out to me and helped me narrow down my thoughts in regards to my line of professional inquiry. I now know that I should also choose a topic which will benefit my work and the work of my colleges. I have now managed to organise my thoughts and narrow down ideas I can begin to think about some potential inquiry questions.
Professional inquiry related concepts:
Professional inquiry is a way to learn about what you are doing while you are doing it.
Inquiry based learning (sometimes spelled enquiry-based learning) expects the adult learner to
engage with relevant problems and scenarios, draw on existing knowledge, seek out
new evidence, and analyse and present that evidence in appropriate ways (Kahn and O’Rourke, 2004).
Work based learning related concepts:
I am familiar with the work based learning style and it's benefits and concepts. I know that WBL strategies work well for problem solving and encourages education and work to benefit each other and coexist in a working environment.
Work based learning related concepts:
I am familiar with the work based learning style and it's benefits and concepts. I know that WBL strategies work well for problem solving and encourages education and work to benefit each other and coexist in a working environment.
“It promotes awareness of the workplace as a
learning environment and uses this to extend the learner’s capability and individual
effectiveness” (Durrant et al. 2009, p. 1).
I found the quote above from the reader interesting because myself and my colleague from my ballet company Grace are both BAPP students so it will be interesting to see what different educational experiences we can draw from in the workplace.
The WBL framework can also accommodate workforce development strategies where more than one learner in the workplace is involved in the educational experience. Even with small units at work, the professional inquiry is something that can affect a number of employees, so this is an aspect of the inquiry that needs to be considered.
Saturday 1 October 2016
Back to basics
When I received my feedback from my module 1 work I realised that I need to be more specific and focused when writing and keep referring back to my practice and making it clear what my practice is and what it entails. I've found that writing questions and answers is a good way to do this and helps me to organise my thoughts, so I am going to approach the next task by going back to basics and stripping things down to facts.
What is my practice?
Ballet dancer in professional ballet touring company - Vienna Festival Ballet
What do I enjoy about my practice?
Fulfilling my ambitions. Performing everyday. Everyday is different and exciting. Being with friends and likeminded people everyday.
What do I find difficult about my practice?
Unsociable hours - working weekends and evening in other friends and family's time off. Little rest time and doing physical activity 6 days a week is sometimes tiring. Dealing with injuries. Time management. Staying healthy when on tour.
What a typical day entails:
Travelling on the tour bus. Arriving at theatre. Prepping for the show (applying make-up, styling hair, getting costumes ready). Doing ballet class as warm up. The show. Travelling back to London or going to hotel.
How can I improve my practice?
Writing corrections from shows. Working on technique in class. Going to the theatre to watch other dance works and performances to stay motivated and in the loop. Networking with other dancers/choreographers/teachers who may help me in the future.
After asking myself these questions and looking into what my practice involves I have realised it would be good for me to further my inquiry into something to do with life on tour. Now to start thinking of some questions for typical lines of inquiry ...
What is my practice?
Ballet dancer in professional ballet touring company - Vienna Festival Ballet
What do I enjoy about my practice?
Fulfilling my ambitions. Performing everyday. Everyday is different and exciting. Being with friends and likeminded people everyday.
What do I find difficult about my practice?
Unsociable hours - working weekends and evening in other friends and family's time off. Little rest time and doing physical activity 6 days a week is sometimes tiring. Dealing with injuries. Time management. Staying healthy when on tour.
What a typical day entails:
Travelling on the tour bus. Arriving at theatre. Prepping for the show (applying make-up, styling hair, getting costumes ready). Doing ballet class as warm up. The show. Travelling back to London or going to hotel.
How can I improve my practice?
Writing corrections from shows. Working on technique in class. Going to the theatre to watch other dance works and performances to stay motivated and in the loop. Networking with other dancers/choreographers/teachers who may help me in the future.
After asking myself these questions and looking into what my practice involves I have realised it would be good for me to further my inquiry into something to do with life on tour. Now to start thinking of some questions for typical lines of inquiry ...
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