Discussion group: Wednesday October 16th

Discussion Skypes are open for all, this is a time to share reflections, things you've looked at, thought about, discuss your study with other people who are doing the same thing - BAPP.

Start your day off Skype  8:15am (time in London)
or
End your day Skype 9pm (time in London) 

Comment below to indicate which one you will attend. Please also give a sentence or two about what you have been thinking about/doing. This will help us plan the discussion.

Discussion group

On Monday morning and Tuesday Afternoon we had our monthly discussion groups. We talked about how we create the critical narrative (reflective essays and reviews) for what we are doing. In Module One you are looking at your practice through three lenses – web 2.0, reflection and networks. These themes run through the whole course. At the end of Module One you need to write a critical reflection on what you have done. This is the same as Module three where you have done (the inquiry) and now you have to organise that into a critical narrative to let people know what it was you did and how you did it and what you learnt from it. So basically at the end of each Module you are doing the same thing: critically reflecting and tell the narrative of your learning and linking that to the literature on the topics you have encountered.

With that in mind the context is important: explaining the context in which you have been doing things is important. We talked bout how explaining the context helps the reader understand the thoughts and conclusions you have come to. If one person goes outside the building they can reflect

 ‘if you go outside the building you get wet’

and other person can reflect

‘if you go outside the building you hear a patter sound.’

The Reader needs to know the context to really understand the reflection. The first person was out in the rain the second person was too but they had an umbrella. So their reflections are more informative and understandable when you know the method they used to go outside the building (ie the ‘method’ of going out with an umbrella, or going out without an umbrrella).

This led us to talk about the importance of starting to be aware of you in your practice/study/research: being aware of your own opinions and feelings.  In turn we then talked about the use of reflection throughout the course and how it becomes more meaningful as a practice when you think of it as a way to better identify your own perceptions and the impact they have on your understanding of situations.

Lastly, we talked about how the Module Three artefact therefore also needs to give context and explain the inquiry process NOT JUST BE an antidote to something you found during the Module Three inquiry.

Please read and comment on the posts of other people in the discussion.

Kirsty

Lizzie

Ben

Lawrence

Jessica

Lois-May

Vicki

What do you think?

Adesola

First Tuesday discussion groups - Monday and Tuesday!!!

Its the beginning the month !! and we have our 'First Tuesday Discussion Group skype'.

Monday April 3rd 10am (time in London)
or
Tuesday April 4th at 7pm (time in London)

This is a chance to talk to other people on the course, and share ideas, and thoughts. Discussion is a great way to deepen your own understanding and hear new ideas and perspectives. Looking forward to talking to you all.
Please comment below to indicate you will be joining the discussion.

Speak soon
Adesola

First 'Tuesday' discussion group chat

Its the beginning the month !! and we have our First Tuesday Discussion Group skype.

Tuesday March 7th at 7pm (time in London)

This is a chance to talk to other people on the course, and share ideas, and thoughts. Discussion is a great way to deepen your own understanding and hear new ideas and perspectives. Looking forward to talking to you all.
Please comment below to indicate you will be joining the discussion.

Speak soon
Adesola

First Tuesday skype chat.

This Tuesday (December 6th) is a First Tuesday group chat. It is a great time to talk through your ideas, and talk to people in other places, and on other modules. This helps with some of the feeling people can have of isolation in a distance learning course.
We have two chats

AM : 10am (time in London)
and
PM: 7pm (time in  London)

For students who don't know me or have never joined a chat, it would be great to talk to you too. Comment below to indicate what chat you want to join. Also put something about what you will be talking about, what you have been thinking about, whats-going-on in your process.

Speak soon
Adesola

Module Three Skype tutorial

On Friday November 25th at 8pm we have a group skype tutorial for Module Three. We will be talking about the Artifact and Oral prez. Let me know if you will join in by writing in the comments below. You could also give a little up-date on where you are with thoughts on Module three so we can all be thinking about ideas to discuss and share when we have the tutorial.

Speak to you Friday

Adesola

Developing Lines of Inquiry _ Friday 7th

On Friday October 7^th at 8pm (time in London) we are having a Module 2 group skype

{of course anyone else is welcome as talking about Module 2 might be useful for someone starting Module 3 or someone wondering where the yare going as they start module 1}

Also remember the First Tuesday Group Chat on Oct 4th 10am or 7pm see the post below this one for more details.

We will be talking about Developing Lines of Inquiry: This is about how as you start Module 2 you need to have a field or topic, or question you are interested in finding out more about. This will become the field or topic or question you will find out more about through your inquiry activity in Module 3. It is not about finding the perfect question in order to find the perfect answer. It is much more loose than that. You need to have a general idea about the area you want to develop so that you can begin the rest of the activity in the Module 2 – designing a research inquiry.

How do you find the field or topic or question? Well in Module 1 you looked at what and how you have learnt over the start of your Professional Practice as you have emerged into your practice from formal compulsory education. The journey to your practice is unique and for many there have been surprises along the way and for others there has been a realisation what you trained for at school and what you want to do as your professional practice/career do not match up completely. All these shifts towards finding where your passion is career-wise have come from the experience of starting into your practice. Therefore, there may very well be areas you wish you had learnt more about, classes you didn’t think important back then but are relevant to you now, or classes you were not offered but would value now. In other words, areas, fields of practice or questions you have come across as part of the development of your career but that you want to learn more about. This course is your chance.

But it is not about turning a new corner completely (maybe you’ve always fancied being a skydiver) it is about filling the ‘hole’ that already exist for you. For instance Mary did musical theatre training and now having left college she is singing professionally but she has been getting jobs and find a passion for singing Jazz. When in the studio people are talking about Jazz singers and jazz references she does not know what they are talking about. She can smile and join in the conversation to some extent and these conversations don’t affect the fact she is doing well with her Jazz singing. But she wants to find out more about the background of Jazz singing. She wants to better understand the songs she is singing. So her area is going to be looking into the history of contemporary Jazz singing in UK. She’s got an area its big at the moment but as she works through Module 2 she will refine the area down to a plan for finding out more. Making the plan will help her get clearer on what she wants to know more about. At the moment it is just everything but she knows she need to have informed questions about Jazz in order to find the area she doesn’t know exist yet. So the research she will be doing to plan the inquiry will help her better understand what she doesn’t quite know yet.  

When we have the group skype on Friday we will be talking about Lines of Inquiry. Please indicate in the comments below if you can to join the chat. Also please add a line or two about what you have been thinking about as your line of inquiry. Have a look at each other ideas so we can also share ideas so you can come to the chat we some thoughts about other people’s ideas too. If you can’t come to the chat please still put in a comment on what ideas for inquiry you have been playing with. Then we can al talk about the ideas people have and strategies for developing them.

Looking forward to reading your comments

Adesola

On-line sessions Module 2 & 3 April 15th

OMG, time is flying by
Friday 15th April we have on-line sessions
Module 2 at noon (time in London) - we'll talk about the overall plan and ethics form.
Module 3 at 8pm (time in London) - we'll talk about the artifact for sure!!!

Please comment below if you are attending.

Looking forward to hearing how its going.

Adesola

Module Two (past and present)

We have a Module Two group chat on Friday February 26th at noon (in London time).

Please indicate in the comments below if you want to join in (past or present).

So Module Two hummmmmm - things to think about:
1. - what is the main thing YOU want to learn from Module Two for your self for your practice? I mean we all want you to pass - you do and the university does. So beyond "I want to pass" what do you want to get out of this term? Having read the handbook what do you think you will be doing - how do you make sure you are not just jumping through hoops because it says do this or that in the handbook? What is the point for you?

All the modules are designed to be purposeful for you as a person who is part of a professional practice. It should make sense beyond just doing things to get a BA.

2. What have you found yourself thinking about, wondering about, day dreaming about recently?

3. What are things you want to develop having received your feedback from the last Module you did?

On Friday we will be talking about the purpose of the Module as it sits following Module One activity and prior to the Module Three inquiry.We will be talking about mapping the module for yourself so that you start to have clear goals for yourself not just the ones you read in the handbook.
Speak to you Friday
What do you think? - past Module Twos please comment below too.

Adesola

Skype sessions next week November 16th & 18th

We have two on-line skype ‘campus’ sessions coming . These skype sessions are a chance to talk specifically about a module.

Module Two session is Wednesday 18^th November at 6pm (time in London).

(I want to talk about the ethics form and other forms you need to hand in for Module Two)

Module Three session is Monday 16^th November at 6pm (time in London)

I would like to talk about starting the think about emerging themes and ways to express ideas you have com across or that have emerged.

Please comment below to let me know which session you will attend.

Speak soon

Adesola