Critical thinking and using questions to find more questions

We had two skype discussion groups today (AM and PM).

In the first group we talked about different topics that people brought to the group as points of discussion. But then we took a ‘step back’ in terms of looking at ourselves and observing our own thinking process. In other words, we did some critical thinking about the conversation we had just had. This is about not just taking things for face value but looking at what ideas we accepted without question, what things we assumed, where the conversation went and where it could have gone.

This critical thinking is what you are asked to do across each Module with your Critical reflection that you hand-in. It is about reflexivity. Considering your place in the discussion not taking your own ideas for granted. Asking yourself why you think like that – where does it come from.

For instance, as we talked we started to realise we were using words like ‘perfection’ and ‘talent’. At this point I asked where does perfection reside/live in your practice. Where does it sit for you? Comment below

This question is not “What is perfect in your practice?” that is a very different question because that question is about identifying a something – tell us about a perfect thing.

The question

“where does perfection sit/live/reside in your practice”

 is about identifying the idea of perfection and your relationship with it.

Telling us about a perfect thing is assuming perfection is a fixed description we all construct in the same way. Discussing how the idea of perfection is in your practice allows you to start to look at your practice and how it is influenced or constructed by the things you believe or have been led to believe.

Many of us take on the philosophy or attitude of the person who taught you your art form as if that attitude was part of the art form itself. But where are YOU in that –

This leads me to an idea we talked about in the second discussion. The idea of ‘authenticity’. Artistic authenticity and also how you can be your authentic self in different cultures. So much of who you identify as – the authentic you – is the cultural you. In different cultural places your habits and approaches are received differently and this affects how you see yourself too. This is not a right way things should be or wrong. You could also ask what is so important about authenticity? Is authenticity some kind of second best replacement for truth –when we can’t prove a truth?

These kind of questions make you question your assumptions, allow you to step-out-side yourself to reflect on your practice and help you to analyse data. Wondering like this does not immediately reveal how they will answer a question or get you closer to a good grade BUT they are how you can start to un-pick ideas and position and develop your practice which is what this course is about.

Have a look at what other people have posted on the conversations. Selene please post your blog address in the comments below so people can look at yours too.

Taylor  http://taylorbyrnes.blogspot.co.uk

Eleanor https://ellebyrne.blogspot.co.uk

Matt http://inhawaii2017.blogspot.co.uk

Emily  http://emilyrichardsbapp.blogspot.co.uk

Gonzalo http://gonzalopreciado94.blogspot.com/?m=0

Henry http://henryrhodes.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1

Jessica       http://jessicastokesbappblog.blogspot.co.uk

Jae-Eun An      https://jaeeunan.blogspot.co.uk

Ann     Annwall95@blogspot.co.uk.

Arghierenia      http://arghierenia-bapp.blogspot.co.uk

Jennifer  http://jennifersimm.blogspot.co.uk

Hannah http://oneillhannah25.blogspot.co.uk

Amanda https://amcbahonspp.blogspot.co.uk

Natasha  http://natashathompsonbapp.blogspot.co.uk

Academic Calendar -

This is on UniHub but here it is too.

Term 1: September 2017 to January 2018

September 2017

Fri. Sept 15^th 5pm……………. New student SKYPE inductions

Sat. Sept 16^th 2pm…………… New student SKYPE inductions

Sat. Sept 16^th 3:30pm…..…… Returning students ‘induction’.

Mon. Sept 25^th ………………..Term starts for 12-week term (Oct ‘17–Jan ‘18) [week 1]

October 2017

Mon. Oct 2^nd…………………... 300-500 word response to Module Two feedback [week 2] ………………………due from Module Three students.

Tues. Oct 3^rd 12.30pm / 5pm……’Tuesday’ Discussion Group (all module)

[week 2]

Thurs. Oct 5^th 12.30pm/ 5pm……. Module Two on-line session [i]

[week 2]

Mon. Oct 9^th 12.30pm / 5pm…….. Module One on-line session [i]

[week 3]

Tues. Oct 10^th 12.30pm / 7pm…… Module Three on-line session [i]

[week 3]

Fri. Oct 20^th noon to 3pm ……Campus Session (all Modules)

[week 4]

Tues. Oct 24^th 7am / 5pm / 9pm …Twilight ’Tuesday’ Discussion Group (all modules)

[week 5]

 

Tues. Oct 31^st 12.30pm / 5pm ……’Tuesday’ Discussion Group (all modules)

[week 6]

  

November 2017

Tues. Nov 7^th 10am to 1pm …..Campus Session (all Modules)

[week 7]

Mon. Nov 13th ……………… Module One essay drafts due for feedback

[week 8]

Thurs. Nov 16^th 12.30pm/ 5pm……Module Two on-line session [ii]

[week 8]

Mon. Nov 20^th 12.30pm / 5pm………Module One on-line session [ii]

[week 9]

Tues. Nov 21^st  12.30pm / 7pm……Module Three on-line session [ii]

[week 9]

Fri. Nov 25^th ………………….. Last day for Module Two & Three essays

[week 9]

Tues. Nov 28^th 12.30pm / 5pm ……’Tuesday’ Discussion Group (all modules)

[week 10]

Thurs. Nov 30^th 12.30pm/ 5pm……Module Two on-line session [iii]

[week 10]

December 2017

Mon. Dec 4^th 12.30pm / 5pm………Module One on-line session [iii]

[week 11]

Tues. Dec 5^th  12.30pm / 7pm……..Module Three on-line session [iii]

[week 11]

Mon. Dec 18^th - Jan 2^nd…………….Winter break

January 2018

Fri. Jan 5^th…………………………….Assessed work Hand-in

Thurs. Jan 18^th &  Fri.19^th……………Module Three oral presentations/viva (all students can attend to support)

Witnessing yourself and your assumptions about yourself - a starting point for each Module

Here is a post I have added to a bit but I originally wrote from 2013 that I think is useful as we start the new term now.  Thoughts sparked by Module One, first task. Module Twos and Module Threes please read this because these are not thoughts in terms of tips for passing Module One, they are ideas about the layers you can find in the work. Don’t think of a module ending and that’s it. The ideas introduced in each module have something to offer whatever stage you are at. Ideas are introduced in a modules as tools ways of looking at things. These are tools we are hoping you will use on-goingly; throughout this course and into your work arena and beyond your time at Middlesex!!

So I am looking at some ideas introduced in Module One, but this should be relevant to everyone on the course. 

The CV

We ask you to use your CV as a starting point for posting / thinking about introducing yourself and what your experiences.  Module One handbook suggests.

‘You should take your current professional CV and rewrite as a profile improving on its quality and Upload this as your blog profile.’ 

This is not about selling you!! it is to get you thinking about you. Why are we asking you to do this:? because we want you to start to see your Self in different contexts. To see yourself beyond how you were positioned in your prior learning environment and start to see yourself in terms of the different parts of YOUR life. Part of doing this is to start thinking about what you ‘have done’ which is what a CV narrates. See my previous blog posts on this. 

Positioning of Self

http://www.adesolaa.blogspot.com/2010/10/positioning-of-self.html

(October 10^th 2010)

(Re-thinking this might be really useful for people starting Module Two to give your self a ‘what have I just done moment’ and to contextualise any feedback you have just got from the work you just handed in (your assessed work from last term)). 

So here is what is happening for me. I feel really uncomfortable that you could feel encouraged  to just post your ‘audition’ CV. I don’t like the details such as dress size, you  SHOULD NOT post your street address as most CVs have at the top. I think it is kind-a icky to have some of those details which are about costume fittings or ‘look’ (like brown eyes etc…) on your blog which is open access to anyone who finds it. But then you are not being asked to do this directly because how relevant is that kind of CV to this context. Ask yourself what is relevant for this study. I want to encourage you to think about the message and appropriateness of the CV you post in the context of an open-access, learning blog.

Hopefully you will look at it and develop something new for this context. The ‘about me’ part of the Blog sort of serves as a CV area too. You could post about the process you took and use the actually CV you develop as your ‘About me’ content. The point is to question what it will be like for people coming across your blog. What experience will they have of you, since the blog might be the only experience they have of you. It is not just what you want to say because you know much more of the story behind the intentions you have as you make your blog. It is also about stepping ‘outside’ yourself to imagine how you are experienced. THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF ETHICS. 

A chunk of Ethics is introduced in Module Two so module Twos and Threes what do you think of the above in terms of how you are approaching ethics? this about how you affect the people that come across you or your inquiry.

Although formally introduced in Module Two it is sooooooo important to note that everything we do, every decision we make has something to say within the realm of ethics. Because experience is transactional there is inter-play you are experienced as something… ethics is about looking at how you or what you create or do are experienced. 

In this case you can ask yourself questions about why you chose the photo you chose to represent you on your blog. Does it actually look like you? Is it what you were told was a good headshot? Did you choose it because you like to think of yourself that way? What does it say about what you want to appear as? How you want to be experienced? How is it an ‘ethical’ representation of you??? Should it be? what other things have you considered: are you putting off posting on your blog because of your spelling and you don't want spelling mistakes to represent You? What things do you consider in other contexts (at auditions, at work...). do you think to try of yourself as a 'good' person! What is that?

You can ask similar questions about how you construct a CV for your blog. What pressures do you feel you have to conform to? Where is honesty in the representation of your Self in your practice? Is it possible to represent your Self ever? Is it more about learning to be what people want you to be in different parts of your life?  

Module Twos these questions are important to you because as you plan your inquiry you are starting to take your ideas (questions) out beyond your own Reflective work (journals and blog posts) and looking at literature, peers and other professionals to see what they think – but at the same time you can be thinking about these questions of representation, transaction, how things are experienced through thinking about how much value you put in information from different people because of how they appear to you. How you experience them. How much you and what you put out alters what you receive / perceive. 

Module threes this resonates with you because of course you are starting to be out in the field talking, interviewing reading and you can think about how much of You, you are gathering and how much of the ‘other person’ or ‘other’ idea it is possible for you to gather. How does the way you approach people change what you see or hear in them? I do not think you are looking for a neutral way to do this but instate to note down the impact you think you have on an encounter as being as important as the conversation / information you get from an encounter.

So what do you think? How has this post come across?? What do you think of thinking of ethics as ‘How you are experienced’?

Please comment below

Adesola

First Tuesday Skype discussion

A quick post to confirm if you are attending the 1st Tuesday Skype Discussion on Tuesday October 3rd
There is one at
12:30 (time in London)

and one at

5pm (time in London) 

Please indicate in the comments below which one you will attend and also say a little about what you have been thinking and might introduce for us to discuss. Make sure you have connected with me on skype.

Adesola