First Tuesday Skype chats... 'the' question, ethics and reflection

Yesterday we had our first Tuesday Skype chats.  Only a couple of people had signed up for the (am) chat and then had train issues so they joined the (pm) chat. It was strange that a couple of people who had sign-up in comments on my blog were not on-line. I was worried they had not yet connected with me on skype. Make sure when you plan to do a skype chat that we have connected before so you show-up on my skype when you are on-line. Also if you ever want to join a chat last minute or can’t join last minute you can send me an email I try to check them just before the chat starts.

Our conversation was really good. We talked about reflection, ethics and questions/inquiry.

We talked about how the reflective practice in Module one carries on through the modules. Most importantly the reflective practice is about having a conversation with yourself. Writing in your diary and other reflective activities are only seen by you don’t get caught up in the quality of your reflective notes. The more you do it (practice by doing) the better able you will be at capturing your inner thoughts and looking at them on the page (the better quality the reflections will be). Don’t worry about getting it ‘wrong’. Its your thoughts the only ‘wrong’ thing you can do is not to do it!!! Lily is going to post further on this. http://lilygrundy95.blogspot.co.uk/

We talked about the question in Module two –

We agreed to stop trying to get a perfect question and start planning an inquiry project. It is no good having a fantastic question but no plan for how to look into it. You can not pass the module with just a great question. Also consider that the ‘question’ as such will change as you look into it. Really all you need is a general area. Then it will be refined as you plan your inquiry. It will be refined by the planning you do:

Limits of time (it has to fit into one school term start to finish)

Limits of ethics how you can best consider the lives of the people around you and how you can avoid impacting on them unasked for.

Limited by the inquiry tools you decide to use and why you decide to use them.

Jodie is going to post further on ‘stop worrying about the question and make a plan’.!! http://Jodieholley.blogspot.co.uk

Continuing with thoughts about ethics Lisa http://lisameiklejohn.blogspot.co.uk is going to post on the part of the conversation where we talked about the affect our research could have on the people around us. We talked about working with our own students if we are teachers. We noted that the relationship you have with your students will have an impact on what they say. But even if you feel you have the kind of relationships with students where they will ‘say what they think’, the ethics in this situation is also about how by involving them you are drawing them into your BA, which is your stuff not theirs. Even if they said what they thought, they might still go home and think about the impact what they said had on your relationship with them, they might worry, or they might feel they now have a special relationship with you that was not their before. If they are a student that was not asked they might wonder why someone else was asked and they were not. (This might be just because they were not in the class when you spoke to students but those left-out might think it is something about them.) I advise that you do not interview or talk to people under 18 and also not to people who are your students. It is much better to look towards people in your professional practice who you admire or think have experience you have not had. The opportunity of having an excuse to talk to people in your profession by explaining your are doing a BA and you are interested in their work and experiences is a great networking opportunity. It is way to make contacts with people that expands your network (see Module One) rather than just talking to the people already in your network.

Continuing this idea James http://jamesbapp.blogspot.co.uk/  is going to post on the idea that your ‘question’ (inquiry) could be on what other people think of some of the questions you have been mulling over. In other words, the ‘question’ is not something to be answered it is something to find out more about. Overall Module Two is about making a plan to do some inquiry, it is about how you find out more about your own practice and how you look at where you are today and practice ways to keep your professional development going beyond being in training or at college.

I enjoyed a definition we created for reflection – that it is a way to clarify your thoughts and organize them. It is a way to start to see things newly.

What do you think of all this?

What definitions do you have for reflection?

Please comment below

Adesola

Welcome back to the new term February 2015

Welcome back to the new term. Feedback and marks will take a little time before they are posted. But as the first week begins start to look at the next module handbook, work out deadlines for handing in work – hand-in dates are same for each module. Maybe up-date your blog and visit some other blogs. It is always useful to visit the blog of someone who has done the module you are about to start.

Looking forward to reading some posts and hearing how you are preparing for the new term, what you learnt last term and how its going in general.

Just a reminder my skype office hours this term are

Monday & Wednesday 10am to 11am

Tuesday & Thursday 12noon to 1pm

It is best to make an appointment if you would like a one-to-one tutorial but if you need a quick check-in feel free to just skype me during these times. Once feedback for the module you have just done is sent out It is a good idea to schedule a one-to-one to discuss your feedback and how it applies to the module you are starting.

Adesola

Structures for people on Module One & Module Three to think about…

Common structures are:

A timeline – starting at the beginning (September) and working to the end. This gives your work a story like feel. It can become very narrative. There maybe danger of getting lost in the story and ignore the meet and bones of the learning also remember you do not have a lot of words.

Theme based  - finding two or three key ideas and gathering the learning and experience that happened around them. {I recommend you do this}

Concrete evidence based – giving concrete examples of things and elaborating on the ideas and learning that manifested them.

A representational object  – making something that sums up the learning both in its content and in its own form. This might be useful if you need to make something to understand what you think. That is for people who do not think in words. Like myself. I make or do things to understand what I think and then explain it back in words once I know what I think! This is something that I have found takes quite sometime to master because at first you can make something you and other people who think that way can understand but that everyone else finds “too abstract”. So it is important you support your work by using the written summary to explain your process and what it means to you.

Either way ~I think it will be really important to get started and then you will have time to get feedback.

OMG - its almost another Second Tuesday (non-campus session)

Finally some spring-ish weather and the second Tuesday of March!! So tomorrow Tuesday 11th is another SKYPE chat day. We have two times one in the morning at 11am and one in the evening at 8:45 (London time).

The SKYPE calls are like non-campus sessions where you can ask questions and find solutions and up-date on how your work is going. If you have not joined in before it's a great chance to collaborate to other people on the course and hear their experiences and ideas and solutions.

All you need to do is be on-line  on SKYPE.
BUT
if I don't already have your SKYPE address then make sure you send me a contact request so I can call you.

Looking forward to hearing how things are going and speak to you tomorrow…
Adesola

Second Coffee shop SKYPE group meeting

Hi
This Tuesday (February 11th) are our SKYPE group meetings
One is at 11am and a second one at 8:45pm
They are really a great way to exchange ideas and find out more about the course and how others are getting on with the tasks.
If you are going to join in make sure I have your SKYPE address by sending me a request. All you have to do is be on-line at the time. But you can send me an email to let me know you are joining in too or leave a comment. Hope to speak to you Tuesday.
Adesola
:)

Just saw my blog post last week did not post properly so here it is again:
Welcome back to BAPP. …..Now I lost the whole post!!!
But I was basically saying looking forward to working with everyone this term. Now is the time to look at feedback if you are returning. And if you are new, have a look at other peoples blogs to see what people have said and done before you.

Adesola !!

Noticing the situated YOU!

This week I have been reading a book about Qualitative research in physical situations, like research in dance (Markula and Silk 2011). I am only at the beginning of the book but there is an interesting organisation for understanding how qualitative research differs from quantitative.

Markula and Silk talk about the

1) Situated researcher – that is your are in the situation of the research. In many cases students on BAPP are researching their own practice even.

2) Multiple practices – you might use a combination of what we at BAPP have called ‘research tools’ (interviews with observations for instance). Here is a great quote

“qualitative researchers turn the world into a series of representations”.

( Markula and Silk 2011p. 5)

This quote is also referring to theory by Denzin and Lincoln. What do you think about ‘representations’?

What we are saying is that in qualitative research we cannot possibly hope to capture the whole situation. If you believe in the importance of the body and sensation you cannot describe to others the whole picture they would need to be there. And then they might have a different experience than you anyway. So everything is in some way an interpretation filtered through you. This is why Module One is so important it allows you to start looking at your filters!! And in Module Two the ethics section allows you to start questioning why you have the filters you have and if you have some you were not even aware of.

3) Interpretation of meaning – being aware that as we interview and observe etc.. we are interpreting meaning. Just telling us what happened is still an interpretation.(because see above). So we must acknowledge that there is an interpretation by looking for a range of interpretations and questioning why we thought what we thought and asking what someone else would think. Who is that someone else one of the authors of one of the books from your literature review for instance. Then you can look at the situation of the data collection through the lens of what that author said and see if it brings a different interpretation than your one.

So what do you think? Do you see these in the work you are doing. They are interesting things to look at whatever module you are doing because they are about organising your thinking for communication of ideas (analysis). This is asked of you at every stage of the course: to see where YOU are in the work (the situated researcher/ the situated you). To be aware of a range of methods you are engaging in (like the tools of blogging, reflective journaling, talking to friends, reading, observing) and to start to look at how you are finding meaning (what makes you think what you think).

What do you think of this post!!!? Please comment

Adesola

Markula, Pirkko, and Michael Silk. 2011. Qualitative research for physical culture. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Transferable skills: Why Ballet Dancers Make Awesome Employees

What do you think about your transferable skills?? 

6 Reasons Why Ballet Dancers Make Awesome Employees

Posted by Sarah Jukes

http://www.partnershipmovement.org/news/p/6-reasons-why-ballet-dancers-make-awesome-employees/

Job seekers like me have to understand and be able to articulate what makes them a more superior hire compared to everyone else in the job-seeking crowd.

My interest and training in classical ballet is pretty unique, even if technically I am a non-professional but well-keen ballerina who can match it with the best amateur dancers New York City has to offer.

I know that out of a pool of similar job candidates, my classical ballet training could help me to stand out from the rest of the pack.

This lead me to think about what unique attributes and transferable skills my training in classical ballet could offer to a prospective employer.

I came up with a list. A list of six attributes that make ballet dancers awesome employees and an asset to any workplace:

1. Ballet dancers are teachable

They have to be. Otherwise they won’t be able to learn and master their craft.

Ballet dancers are reliant on their teachers to school them on correct technique, alignment, etiquette, musicality and everything else that goes with ballet in general.

Being teachable requires ballet dancers to listen hard, to hone their focus, to recognise the flaws in what they’re doing and to adjust their movement to the best of their ability.

As such, ballet dancers are used to taking instruction from someone of superior skill and better at their craft than what they are. Even the very best professional ballet dancers still get corrections from their teachers.

2. Ballet dancers are flexible

An obvious choice. But ballet dancers need to be flexible in mind and not just body.

That’s because there’s an awful lot of rules and structure that goes on in ballet. It’s part of what makes it look so beautiful when it’s executed properly.

But within these rules, large chunks of flexibility is required as well.

Ballet dancers are used to dealing with constant change. Ballet teachers and choreographers are constantly revising their choreography and dancers need to be flexible enough to cope with these changes. Ballet dancers live with having their superiors constantly making changes and then having to adjust accordingly.

3. Ballet dancers are fast learners

Part of the skill of being a proficient ballet dancer centres around how quickly you are able to pick up the steps, techniques and other choreography.

As such, ballet dancers are used to being given verbal and visual instructions and quickly translating them into action.

An ability to learn quickly demands an excellent memory, superior listening skills, exceptional concentration and a strong mind-body connection.

4. Ballet dancers are always prepared

Ballet dancers of all people understand the importance of good preparation.

They know that how you set up a pirouette is vital for its final execution. The most complex dance sequences like pirouettes, jumps and other turns simply cannot be executed without the right preparation.

Also, ballet dancers know that all the work and preparation is done behind the scenes. By spending large chunks of class time doing repetitive and routine exercises at the barre.

Preparation is key for what the audience sees and enjoys at the centre of the stage.

5. Ballet dancers work hard

It doesn’t matter whether one dances as a hobby or as a professional, the reality is the same for everyone. Ballet is exacting, demanding and hard.

As such, ballet dancers turn up to class, rehearsals or performances ready and willing to buckle down. They are energetic in mind and body and they expect to work hard.

This makes ballet dancers incredibly dedicated to their craft. They are full of passion and love of the art form. Otherwise they wouldn’t do it.

6. Ballet dancers are team players

This sounds silly when ballet looks so much like a solo event. But it’s not.

Dance is a collective. Dancers feed off the energy of those around them. They are used to working in small groups and are reliant on their peers for support, feedback and advice.

Ballet dancers look to other dancers for a sense of community and fun. Some of my most creative and interesting friends are fellow amateur dancers.

In summary, people with classical ballet training are teachable, flexible, fast learners, prepared, hard-working and team players.

The point I am trying to make here is that these attributes are vital for success in dance but they are also vital for success in the modern workplace.

If you find yourself in a situation where you could hire someone with classical ballet training, you should consider whether these kinds of attributes would make for an awesome employee at your workplace. I am willing to bet that they would.

Better yet, find out if the candidate knows what unique attributes their ballet training can offer you as a potential employer. Chances are if they know, they’ll follow through and give you these attributes in spades.

If they know, hire them.

And by them, I really mean me.

*This article was originally posted on Sarah Jukes' blog, www.SarahJukes.com.

Trip

Hi this is a research project I am working on. I was talking to Iona and she said I should post it on my blog as part of getting the word out. What do you think? Does this sound useful? The idea is a response to my work with you on BAPP and students on MAPP. It seems as if a number of people what to make their inquiry question about how you keep growing and developing as a performer once you are not in a dance school. I feel like this could be useful to keep people going - what are your thoughts. I will be developing this both as a research project but also as research into how freelance professional dancers and choreographers manage. Got any ideas about how to get the word out? What do you think of the whole thing
Adesola

trip

Turning Research Ideas into Practice – Priceless projects

Research, development, networking and professional practice brought together.

The project aims to address the needs of three groups: freelance professional dancers, choreographers and arts spaces by bringing them together for short research and development residencies; residencies range from 3 days to two weeks, residences take place all round UK with the possibility of some international residences.

Freelance professional dancers can audition to become members of the trip company. As members they are invited to short working intensives with choreographers across the year. Participation is based on availability therefore if a dancer has a job during a residency they do not sign on to that particular residency.

If a dancer is available they make a commitment to the whole residency time period. Choreographers work with the trip company on the understanding that where a work is developed to the point of funding and/or touring, they will return to their original collaborating trip dancers when considering employment opportunities.

Choreographers who work internationally need to know dancers in the countries they work in particularly if it is not the country they call home. Trip  offers international and UK choreographers a group of dancers they can work with in UK at the stage before a commission or at the very beginning stage of commissioned work.

trip is part of the non-profit organisation, DancingStrong and is run as a ‘priceless project’. Working with the ideal of intellectual and creative exchange, trip seeks to engage the currency of reliability, professionalism and networking rather than relying on external funding (although additional funding might be sort for specific projects).

Like trip on facebook

https://www.facebook.com/TripprojectDancingStrong

next audition for dancers June 7^th 2013, Hendon, send CV and photos to trip@dancingstrong.com