I really enjoyed Reader 3 and the further reading lists related. This module has captivated me so far, I have learnt a lot already about professional networks and that is just from reading the information and researching, it will be exciting to learn through experience whilst we proceed through the tasks of Part 3.
Below are the current networks I engage with:
To begin, we are all one big professional network. It is through this blog network that we are connecting, engaging and affiliating with one another. As the reader explains the definition of a professional network is: 'a work related community held together by common work interests'. We are all currently discussing our interests with each other, building up our professional network and interacting with each other as colleagues.
Facebook for me personally is a large scale network that I engage in daily to perform professional interactions and opportunities. It introduces me and keeps me in contact and up to date with colleagues, future employers and keeps me connected with the wider world and all relevant associates within a workplace environment. As I have expressed in a previous task, I made the decision to sift through my contacts list after completing my cruise contract in September this year. I decided to wipe out all of what I considered to be non-helpful contacts. With each contact I asked myself: 'Is this person going to help me in anyway?' If i found the answer to be be no, then I deleted them. I wanted to engage and let people into my social and working life who would only be beneficial to myself and lead good, positive, successful and productive exciting lives themselves. In turn, this will create and construct a positive environment which I can be surrounded in.
My gmail account works on a similar basis, however it is solely for connecting with professionals and future employers, my gmail account can be used for a social account, but I only use it for professional networking I've come to realise.
So there are my current networks I engage with, however I just thought to add as a past example of my experience with networking; a good few years ago I used to be a part of a theatre critique group in which we would meet every Wednesday. We were connected by the same interest in theatre and live performance. We used to take part in both formal and informal conversations and discussions about the theatre pieces we had just witnessed. This was a very good form of development and a great network at the time.
The established and different ways that others use networks I have seen and discovered are as follows:
Professional websites
Other uses of social sites e.g Instagram and Tumblr that my boyfriend uses to post all his photography on.
Clothing design sites and stores
Billboards and posters to promote workshops and classes
The technologies I use socially that apply and help me develop my professional network is Facebook, in particular 'The hustle' group on Facebook, and the London Dance Programme, and The Stage. The methods I use in order to network are keeping an amicable and good grounded relationship with all people I engage time with. I like to talk about my own and their interests as this leads to learning and possible future opportunities. What I'm already working on and continuing to deepen via my approaches is valuing each person you meet, show respect and support and be genuine. Never try to be who you are not, people around you will suss this out, try to lead your life as you see a morally good and successful life to be. Taking the time out to listen and appreciate is very important. The purpose behind this is building a bigger professional network.
My ideal network would be a wide area network across a broad spectrum. I would make it international and accessible for all. I like the idea of having a really clean cut, original, informative and interesting web site. The steps I could take in order for this to happen would be to work alongside my boyfriend and pay close attention as he starts to create his website which he's due to do very soon. I could learn through trial and error of his own doing about the success of a website. I could also research how to start my own website and seek professional advice. I could research how to do a course or take short sessions to create your website. I could also ask others who have successfully ran their own websites and achieved success.
What I do not know
This is a very important part of our learning, its also hard too, to establish at times what you need to do to further your learning in order to produce success is difficult I find sometimes as if I knew the answers I would be working on them right now. I do know however that throughout this course and spending a month in the states I've learnt and developed a lot. Over the time span of three months I have really developed and found something new, that I can't quite explain, but its a motivation, a positivity, a desire and an interest into life and what it has to offer. How each day can hold something new, how in each day we can progress ourselves. How can we use each day to our maximum and achieve a substantial amount? I've come to realise through this course and through general discovery what an amazing database the internet is, what an incredible, knowledgeable technology we have been blessed with. Via the internet I have progressed and looked into things that will help me and achieve success and further development in dance and the arts/entertainment:
Seen many make up tutorials, so I can make the most of my appearance for professional work.
Experienced amazing choreography posted from around the world.
Discovered a few found genre of music, which is exciting, motivating and makes me think up choreography.
Researched how to produce good photo shoots and how to pose for dance shots- I have now done four photo shoots courtesy of my boyfriend, each shoot showing something different.
Enhanced my engagement, interaction and knowledge of web 2.0 tools.
These are all things I hadn't known before, there is still lots I do not know, I would like to research further into yoga and meditation, the controlling of your life, the success of life, how to work in america and attain the correct Visa, where and if there are any good ballroom/latin classes near me, likewise for gymnastics. I would also like to learn more about cultured dance.
So there you have it, everything I do currently in networking, feel free to comment and give your advice!
Thursday, 21 November 2013
Re: Task 1a Professional Profile
Hi all
I've now returned from the states, I've had an absolutely amazing time, learnt so much and enjoyed myself thoroughly. Due to the fact that when I'd received a lovely email from Megan (London Dance Programme) about my CV being revamped I did not have the right software in order to complete this, now that I'm home I've made all the advised corrections and re done my CV/professional profile.
It makes you feel good once you complete a task that has been on hold, I feel very happy with the current CV and I'll now be utilising to send to future employers and companies.
Be great if you guys could check it out below and leave any comments you think would improve my CV further.
Peace and love
I've now returned from the states, I've had an absolutely amazing time, learnt so much and enjoyed myself thoroughly. Due to the fact that when I'd received a lovely email from Megan (London Dance Programme) about my CV being revamped I did not have the right software in order to complete this, now that I'm home I've made all the advised corrections and re done my CV/professional profile.
It makes you feel good once you complete a task that has been on hold, I feel very happy with the current CV and I'll now be utilising to send to future employers and companies.
Be great if you guys could check it out below and leave any comments you think would improve my CV further.
Peace and love
Eve Hughes Butterly
Personal Info
Email: evehbutterly@gmail.com
Phone: + 44 (0) 7772 616 205
D.O.B. 14/07/1992
Height 5’ 3”
Dress size UK 6
Hair colour Dark brown
Eye Colour Dark brown
Education and Qualifications
Hammond School Distinction - National Diploma in Professional Dance 2009 - 2012
Professional Experience
BBC ‘The Jonny and Innel Show’ Street Dancer and Extra 2013
Carnival Cruise Lines Florida/Bahamas Dancer 2013
Hammond Performing Company Dance Captain, National Tour 2012
Carnival Cruise Lines Florida/Bahamas Dancer 2013
Hammond Performing Company Dance Captain, National Tour 2012
Hammond School Productions Dancer, Soloist 2009 – 2012
U.D.O National Street Competitions Dancer 2008 – 2009
Chester Street Crew Dance Captain 2009 – 2010
Theatre Clwyd Critique Group Member 2008 – 2009
National Dance Company of Wales Associate Member 2006 – 2008
Millennium Centre Cardiff performances Dancer 2009
North East Wales Youth Dance Member 2006 – 2008
Welsh Primary Schools Dance and Cheerleading Coach 2008
Professionals worked with include
Lou Hutchins Tracy Baxter Heather Roberts Eric Carpenter
Karl Pendlebury Jane Elliott David Needham Simon Kidd
Martin Dutton Anthea Garrett Shannon Parker Paul Davies
Performance skills include
Classical ballet Contemporary Jazz Pas de deux/Double work Street/Hip hop Spanish Showgirl work Tap Tango
Due to the fact it is saved in Pages in macbook, the spacing is a little fluctuated, apologies for this, it is correctly spaced in PDF format.
Where there is a space is also where my new head shot is situated.
Saturday, 16 November 2013
Task 2d: Inquiry
Looking at how ideas on reflection relate to me, I like to keep a type of journal that helps me to keep track of my progress and development in dance and everyday life to an extent. Since being in the US and starting my reflective journal, I have emailed my dad almost every single day keeping track of what my boyfriend and I have been doing, pictures etc, he has sent me things regarding post I've been getting at home, I'll email him about upcoming auditions and potential clients and of course auditions I've been taking whilst being in the states. I have done 4 auditions in total, 3 character/look a like roles for Disney and one dance auction for Busch Gardens.
I like to help my motivation by storing pictures, videos and quotes/phrases to boost my inspiration and creativity. I do this on a day to day basis and as I have mentioned previously I also once in a while update my dance scrapbook depending on when my creative, or inspired thoughts appear and I want to log them privately.
After reading back my blog and noticing recurring themes, I already know the questions I continually ask myself, whenever I run (which I try to accomplish everyday) I think of only things like, music, dance and arts, creativity, inspiration, moving forward and achieving goals. I like it as I have a motivated mindset already as I'm running and focusing, progressing, challenging. Having worked out the questions I ask myself, they are as follows:
What would make me a better dancer each day?
What tasks should I carry out in order to get closer to a job?
How can I develop my professional practice?
What new things can I learn today?
Let's experience something new, try something new, do what you wouldn't normally do.
I want to find out more options for me to develop specialised skills. I always find that auditions tend to have an improvisation section where you have to 'show off' in a way to the audition panel what you can do and what makes you different or more appealing than the dancer next to you. I would like to discover and seek gymnastics classes so that I can do some basic gymnast/acrobatic moves. I would also like to investigate finding ballroom and latin classes so that I have professional partnering skills. Something else that has occurred to me whilst being in the US is practicing my pointe shoe skills in Ballet, this came to my awareness when I did a photoshoot in my pointe shoes. I thought to myself that I wish I could have had a wider range of movement and positions to execute on the shoes so that I got more out of the shoot and to project a better image to future employers.
Ideas I now think about after experiencing the reflective practice module would be the perspective of others, this was a very important finding for me. How would others view what I do and how I compose myself/look to others. Do I come across as a professional, knowledgeable, polite individual? I now wonder about the 'another view' aspect of reflection. This would effect and make me think about my personal sense of appropriate behaviour. I would particularly apply this is audition situations or when connecting and interacting with future employers.
Considering the ethical code of practice, its now made me think how others reflect and use their experience for learning. We are all practising this right now by viewing one anothers blogs and reading and discovering one anothers styles and attitudes.
Things that I am enthusiastic about is health, development and artistic skills. I admire my boyfriend and his friends now that I've started to learn about their culture and lifestyles as break dancers but its deeper than that, they are artists, creators, geniuses. They don't just have a special skill as break dancers, they are entertainers, performers, and philosophers. They like to see the world from another perspective and question the view of socialists. They support one another, even when messing up in routines, they have respect for one another. If you're not trying, you're not getting anywhere. Its a huge community, worldwide, and something I am gaining a huge amount of respect for.
What gets me angry is the fact that opportunity and the respect of dance as a profession is neglected by ones in power. The government is taking away funds and scholarships to opportunists and future amazing dancers and choreographers. In a way its taking away its own entertainment, creativity and individuality. They are making it harder for prospectives to get on courses because of lack of funding. Another thing that frustrates me a little is the fact that all live auditions tend to be held in London, its a good location if you live there, but I've met hundreds of dancers who travel many many miles to make it to London. The expenses are extortionate at times!
A name that I admire is Alyx Steele, her Facebook is below:
https://www.facebook.com/alyx.steele?fref=ts
She is a very inspirational woman, not only am I in awe with the way she moves and teaches but I am continually motivated and excited by where she goes, what she has to say and what she aims for. She has travelled to many parts of the world spreading her word and love for artistry. She continually feeds her own soul with experience. Her most recent movement I admire is creating her own 'AS' brand called 'True Love' she designed t shirts and now is moving onto beanies and hats. I like the fact that she continually builds and explores aspects of design and never fails to impress. Its original and inspiring and no matter what age you are, Alyx seems to reach out to every single individual.
I like the fact that my inspiration is so close to home, she's from Liverpool and for me that's even more incredible.
I like to help my motivation by storing pictures, videos and quotes/phrases to boost my inspiration and creativity. I do this on a day to day basis and as I have mentioned previously I also once in a while update my dance scrapbook depending on when my creative, or inspired thoughts appear and I want to log them privately.
After reading back my blog and noticing recurring themes, I already know the questions I continually ask myself, whenever I run (which I try to accomplish everyday) I think of only things like, music, dance and arts, creativity, inspiration, moving forward and achieving goals. I like it as I have a motivated mindset already as I'm running and focusing, progressing, challenging. Having worked out the questions I ask myself, they are as follows:
What would make me a better dancer each day?
What tasks should I carry out in order to get closer to a job?
How can I develop my professional practice?
What new things can I learn today?
Let's experience something new, try something new, do what you wouldn't normally do.
I want to find out more options for me to develop specialised skills. I always find that auditions tend to have an improvisation section where you have to 'show off' in a way to the audition panel what you can do and what makes you different or more appealing than the dancer next to you. I would like to discover and seek gymnastics classes so that I can do some basic gymnast/acrobatic moves. I would also like to investigate finding ballroom and latin classes so that I have professional partnering skills. Something else that has occurred to me whilst being in the US is practicing my pointe shoe skills in Ballet, this came to my awareness when I did a photoshoot in my pointe shoes. I thought to myself that I wish I could have had a wider range of movement and positions to execute on the shoes so that I got more out of the shoot and to project a better image to future employers.
Ideas I now think about after experiencing the reflective practice module would be the perspective of others, this was a very important finding for me. How would others view what I do and how I compose myself/look to others. Do I come across as a professional, knowledgeable, polite individual? I now wonder about the 'another view' aspect of reflection. This would effect and make me think about my personal sense of appropriate behaviour. I would particularly apply this is audition situations or when connecting and interacting with future employers.
Considering the ethical code of practice, its now made me think how others reflect and use their experience for learning. We are all practising this right now by viewing one anothers blogs and reading and discovering one anothers styles and attitudes.
Things that I am enthusiastic about is health, development and artistic skills. I admire my boyfriend and his friends now that I've started to learn about their culture and lifestyles as break dancers but its deeper than that, they are artists, creators, geniuses. They don't just have a special skill as break dancers, they are entertainers, performers, and philosophers. They like to see the world from another perspective and question the view of socialists. They support one another, even when messing up in routines, they have respect for one another. If you're not trying, you're not getting anywhere. Its a huge community, worldwide, and something I am gaining a huge amount of respect for.
What gets me angry is the fact that opportunity and the respect of dance as a profession is neglected by ones in power. The government is taking away funds and scholarships to opportunists and future amazing dancers and choreographers. In a way its taking away its own entertainment, creativity and individuality. They are making it harder for prospectives to get on courses because of lack of funding. Another thing that frustrates me a little is the fact that all live auditions tend to be held in London, its a good location if you live there, but I've met hundreds of dancers who travel many many miles to make it to London. The expenses are extortionate at times!
A name that I admire is Alyx Steele, her Facebook is below:
https://www.facebook.com/alyx.steele?fref=ts
She is a very inspirational woman, not only am I in awe with the way she moves and teaches but I am continually motivated and excited by where she goes, what she has to say and what she aims for. She has travelled to many parts of the world spreading her word and love for artistry. She continually feeds her own soul with experience. Her most recent movement I admire is creating her own 'AS' brand called 'True Love' she designed t shirts and now is moving onto beanies and hats. I like the fact that she continually builds and explores aspects of design and never fails to impress. Its original and inspiring and no matter what age you are, Alyx seems to reach out to every single individual.
I like the fact that my inspiration is so close to home, she's from Liverpool and for me that's even more incredible.
I love how dance and the community make you feel, for me everything we share is so special and heart felt. We all respect, work hard and be true to each others style. I love how I feel happy and my true self when dancing or being in a dance community, sharing or dancing itself just makes me feel whole and good. All my dance friends are probably the most honest, amazing people I've found throughout my life so far.
What I feel I don't understand is our help within the world, for me, I have found this group, this circle that I will now forever be a part of and search for, and find. However, I've found myself questioning by fuelling dance and the entrainment world, how is this helping the world? I admire my dad for the answer to the question I pose, he replied once to me and said 'without entertainment and the creatives, imagine what the world would be like?' I thought to myself, it would be dull, fewer smiles, fewer laughs.. there was my answer. We do our part, we are there for the entertainment of others, so we can lead enjoyable lives.
Deciding the appropriate ethical response in a given situation is a difficult and sensitive issue. In the arts world, we lead very open lifestyles. For instance, on the cruise ships us female dancers had seen each others bare naked bodies- would this be appropriate in general society? I think not. Dance faces a lot of sensitive issues, which is why I think, it is so special. We express with our bodies perhaps what we sometimes may not be able to speak with our mouths. The dance industry can be a very harsh realty and hard hitting field of work. At times we are spoken to like dirt from employers or higher ranked positions within companies, we are expected to disregard all emotional response and instead shut up and 'do'. I also feel that our use of sometimes freely spoken, crude, sworn language is accepted in the industry were in. You couldn't use such language in an everyday 9-5 job- you wouldn't hold it much longer!
I have a few lines of inquiry, the following are all ideas I wonder about:
-Getting training/funding to further myself
-Discovering and trying out/interacting with all dance styles and cultures/origins. How does the world see dance?
-Photography for dance
-Make up for art
-The difference and contrast between dance for entertainment and dance for art
Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Task 2b: Reflective writing 'Journal writing experience'
Over the course of 7 days I adapted and dedicated each day to experiment with different styles of journel writing. I used the examples laid out in 2b to complete this. Here were my views and findings on the different styles:
Description
For me, this was by far the most easy as this is my most comfortable, natural style of journal writing, this came to me automatically and I was able to write fluently. This is an easy way to simple log all your features and highlights of the day, to look back on and see what went on during that specific date.
Initial reflection
I really liked this style of journal writing, for me, this seemed to help my reflection perfectly as I pinpointed how I felt, my thoughts, what happened as well as my mood. For me, this summed up how my experience effected my entire being. I found this an important and influential way of journal logging.
List
This was personally the most poor of all the writing styles, easiest yet the most pointless. It did not help me reflect much at all, yes to an extent we can keep track of what happened, but as we didn't go into depth about anything I felt this style had the least progress for reflection.
Evaluation
This style of journal logging I found very helpful, I really liked the way we 'evaluated' the events of the day, this helped us to form a good understanding of our experiences and therefore, important to our reflection. This was the best style I felt for learning and reflecting from experience.
Graphs, charts and diagrams
I chose to draw the events of this day, I liked this as it was a fun, memorable, different way of logging your journal. Although it did not give you hard hitting words and description, your able to reflect simply from the art almost. However fun it may have been I unfortunately didn't think it helped much on my learning and development.
Description
For me, this was by far the most easy as this is my most comfortable, natural style of journal writing, this came to me automatically and I was able to write fluently. This is an easy way to simple log all your features and highlights of the day, to look back on and see what went on during that specific date.
Initial reflection
I really liked this style of journal writing, for me, this seemed to help my reflection perfectly as I pinpointed how I felt, my thoughts, what happened as well as my mood. For me, this summed up how my experience effected my entire being. I found this an important and influential way of journal logging.
List
This was personally the most poor of all the writing styles, easiest yet the most pointless. It did not help me reflect much at all, yes to an extent we can keep track of what happened, but as we didn't go into depth about anything I felt this style had the least progress for reflection.
Evaluation
This style of journal logging I found very helpful, I really liked the way we 'evaluated' the events of the day, this helped us to form a good understanding of our experiences and therefore, important to our reflection. This was the best style I felt for learning and reflecting from experience.
Graphs, charts and diagrams
I chose to draw the events of this day, I liked this as it was a fun, memorable, different way of logging your journal. Although it did not give you hard hitting words and description, your able to reflect simply from the art almost. However fun it may have been I unfortunately didn't think it helped much on my learning and development.
What if?
Reading back for what I logged on this day, I felt that it was predominantly filled with negatives and things I would have wished for, I like to think of myself as a positive person but reflecting back on this it was filled with hopes and dreams of what I would like more than what I have. This is good as it makes you put in perspective things you want to achieve. I don't really feel like this was a particularly great style for reflection, it kind of made me a little depressed at things I wanted and weren't actually happening or real.
Another view
Looking back on this particular style of reflection, I found this very useful and surprising. It came to my attention how I come across as a person and this in turn made me think about things I should change or realise within myself. It was only when I logged about this from another persons perspective that I began to see my true self. I think this is a very good style of reflection, whereby we see ourselves from another beings perspective, begins to trigger thoughts and feelings on what we do, how we come across and what we should change about ourselves.
Conclusion
As I expressed in my what if section of my journal writing, I was surprised by how negative I seemed to portray myself, I know that I'm a positive person but I seemed to only suggest what I desire and want, things that I haven't yet achieved. The evaluation was my favourite style of writing aswell as the another view style, these I found most useful to me for my development and learning. I would definitely use the evaluation style again, this made me think of my goals, and how my day progressed and formed. It was as I discovered, the most useful form of journal writing. I will also use the another view style in my reflection. Perhaps not as a written all the time, but as a mental note to remind myself, how do I look right now? how do I come across? I really enjoyed experimenting with the different forms of reflection, the outcome was very successful and has led me into further understanding about reflection itself and how I should go about it.
Monday, 11 November 2013
Task 2c: Reflective Theory
Using the theories and ideas of many people mentioned in Reader 2. I am beginning to relate my own reflective practice with the given views and ideas provided from them.
What is my relationship with reflective practice? Have I been aware of my practice?
I'm about to relate and discover my reflection style through given theories. As Dewey stated: "We do not learn from experience... We learn from reflecting from experience"
Dewey believed in the philosophy of reflection, it's importance in life as a whole. For the importance of growth he felt that "interaction with the arts led to a unique and valuable experience. If people had full experience and therefore full engagement with their lives they would be better able to be a part of society, fully engage with democracy and spend time solving worldly problems". Dewey by using the term "reflective thought" talked about ways for us to be aware that we were having an experience and to find meanng for ourselves.
From Dewey came all the other influentials. We now go on to how I relate with Kolb and his learning cycle. Kolb identifies that we've had an experience, everyone enters the cycle, but at which point do we enter and flow through the cycle? Our learning styles are as follows:
Concrete
Doing
Reflective observation
Watching
Abstract
Working it out in your head
Active
Trying out and experiencing
Most of Kolb's theory is concerned with the learners internal cognitive processes. The impetus for the development of new concepts is provided by new experiences.
In his cycle his draws upon a processing continuum- which us how were experiencing
And the perception continuum- which is the emotional response we have to the continuum.
After reading and researching Kolb's theory, I worked out my learning style which is ACTIVE reflection. I have an accommodating style which is hands on, I use other peoples analysis and take a practical, experiential approach. I like and learn from new challenges and experiences.
Here are reflective practices and examples I've noticed in my profession:
A diverging CONCRETE experience:
During choreography we used to brainstorm our ideas on particular styles, choreographers, music etc. We had to be sensitive to one another's views. We all used to share ideas and try out different styles before receiving personal feedback, we also had to work together.
An assimilating WATCHING experience:
Audition research, finding and attending needs a good clear approach. You need to read facts and gather the right correct information. You have to have made good preparation and be well organised.
A converging ABSTRACT example:
Finding your way to auditions and solving problems that arise perhaps beforehand or even on the way to auditions. You have to find solutions, and face technical tasks such as punctuality and good sources for finding your way and direction to auditions.
A accommodating ACTIVE example:
This style most appeals to me like I've mentioned, it relies on intuition and gut feelings. Such as executing any choreography or routine. You rely on your gut instinct to give you a feeling and reflection that your performing and carrying out moves correctly.
From learning about multiple intelligences and articstic vision we begin to learn how to utilise an experience. Through reflection we create our development.
HAVING an experience
REVIEWING an experience
CONCLUDING an experience
PLANNING the next steps
Through our own preferred style of engaging with experience we begin to listen not only to ourselves but others and communicate together. I see this as important, I can emphasise with this view shared by Dewey, Lewin, Kolb, Gardener, Honey and Munford in my choreography classes where we had to understand one another's learning. Being open to someone else's style is vitally important to reflection.
Schon's view of reflection is very clever and again helps us to understand different peoples ways of learning.
Reflection in action- more artistic based learners.
Reflection on action- more academic based learners.
For me personally, I use a combination of both, I like this theory on reflection by Schon, I very much agree with it's concept. I feel that I can reflect whilst pursuing a movement in dance/ task in hand in
the present, and also I feel that I review and look back over things as to why so etching worked/didn't work and plan for the future.
A view that I however do not agree much on is Kottcamps view that online or in action reflection is harder than offline or on action reflection. I believe that our gut innate feelings respond well and give us precise and correct reflection. If perhaps we were to view things looking back we may miss certain details about that time in the present moment from which we were performing them. He says that "reflection on section is accomplished off line at a time when full attention can be given to analysis and planning the future". I am not sure that I agree with that statement entirely, and furthermore, Kottcamp insinuates that sun artist or actor as he puts it, is a "sole collector" and possesses authority over their own work. I'm not sure sheathed I like this view as it seems to provoke that us artists do not see others informing/view as important or helpful to our reflection. Therefore, perhaps saying that our style of reflection may not bad as informative as we solely rely upon ourselves and do not utilise the opinion/learning of others.
I particularly liked Tufnell and Crickmay's view of the body and it's senses of how we perceive and gain experience. I liked the use of the word 'grounded' to express our body of knowing and forming of reflection thought the world around us. This relates to me and my field of learning and reflection as it expresses the importance of sensation and feeling. We as dancers perceived the worked through our sensored feelings, more so than through literature. Moon's view also shares this view that reflection does not have to happen as a written process. As we have now all experienced and tried out Moon's theory of Journal writing to record our reflective processes. Our 'active thought' is key to this process in our critical thinking.
Many people view and have contrasting ideas on reflection:
Moon had the 'common sense reflection'. This is when thoughts occur to us during the day to day living. It is when thoughts we can not let go of during a different encounter of the day initiate a reflective process. You think after these vents about what went well and what didn't go well.
Boud suggests that reflection can yoked more when it is more purposeful. He talks about recapturing an experience, thinking about it and then evaluating it.
There are two main reasons for using critical reflection:
- to question our routine and everyday practices. To sum up what did and didn't work.
- so that we can challenge some of our deeper social and cultural thoughts, feelings and reactions of our 'taken for granted assumptions'.
Crucial to our learning; critical reflection is about challenging and testing out what you do and being prepared to act on the results. (Crawley).
What is my relationship with reflective practice? Have I been aware of my practice?
I'm about to relate and discover my reflection style through given theories. As Dewey stated: "We do not learn from experience... We learn from reflecting from experience"
Dewey believed in the philosophy of reflection, it's importance in life as a whole. For the importance of growth he felt that "interaction with the arts led to a unique and valuable experience. If people had full experience and therefore full engagement with their lives they would be better able to be a part of society, fully engage with democracy and spend time solving worldly problems". Dewey by using the term "reflective thought" talked about ways for us to be aware that we were having an experience and to find meanng for ourselves.
From Dewey came all the other influentials. We now go on to how I relate with Kolb and his learning cycle. Kolb identifies that we've had an experience, everyone enters the cycle, but at which point do we enter and flow through the cycle? Our learning styles are as follows:
Concrete
Doing
Reflective observation
Watching
Abstract
Working it out in your head
Active
Trying out and experiencing
Most of Kolb's theory is concerned with the learners internal cognitive processes. The impetus for the development of new concepts is provided by new experiences.
In his cycle his draws upon a processing continuum- which us how were experiencing
And the perception continuum- which is the emotional response we have to the continuum.
After reading and researching Kolb's theory, I worked out my learning style which is ACTIVE reflection. I have an accommodating style which is hands on, I use other peoples analysis and take a practical, experiential approach. I like and learn from new challenges and experiences.
Here are reflective practices and examples I've noticed in my profession:
A diverging CONCRETE experience:
During choreography we used to brainstorm our ideas on particular styles, choreographers, music etc. We had to be sensitive to one another's views. We all used to share ideas and try out different styles before receiving personal feedback, we also had to work together.
An assimilating WATCHING experience:
Audition research, finding and attending needs a good clear approach. You need to read facts and gather the right correct information. You have to have made good preparation and be well organised.
A converging ABSTRACT example:
Finding your way to auditions and solving problems that arise perhaps beforehand or even on the way to auditions. You have to find solutions, and face technical tasks such as punctuality and good sources for finding your way and direction to auditions.
A accommodating ACTIVE example:
This style most appeals to me like I've mentioned, it relies on intuition and gut feelings. Such as executing any choreography or routine. You rely on your gut instinct to give you a feeling and reflection that your performing and carrying out moves correctly.
From learning about multiple intelligences and articstic vision we begin to learn how to utilise an experience. Through reflection we create our development.
HAVING an experience
REVIEWING an experience
CONCLUDING an experience
PLANNING the next steps
Through our own preferred style of engaging with experience we begin to listen not only to ourselves but others and communicate together. I see this as important, I can emphasise with this view shared by Dewey, Lewin, Kolb, Gardener, Honey and Munford in my choreography classes where we had to understand one another's learning. Being open to someone else's style is vitally important to reflection.
Schon's view of reflection is very clever and again helps us to understand different peoples ways of learning.
Reflection in action- more artistic based learners.
Reflection on action- more academic based learners.
For me personally, I use a combination of both, I like this theory on reflection by Schon, I very much agree with it's concept. I feel that I can reflect whilst pursuing a movement in dance/ task in hand in
the present, and also I feel that I review and look back over things as to why so etching worked/didn't work and plan for the future.
A view that I however do not agree much on is Kottcamps view that online or in action reflection is harder than offline or on action reflection. I believe that our gut innate feelings respond well and give us precise and correct reflection. If perhaps we were to view things looking back we may miss certain details about that time in the present moment from which we were performing them. He says that "reflection on section is accomplished off line at a time when full attention can be given to analysis and planning the future". I am not sure that I agree with that statement entirely, and furthermore, Kottcamp insinuates that sun artist or actor as he puts it, is a "sole collector" and possesses authority over their own work. I'm not sure sheathed I like this view as it seems to provoke that us artists do not see others informing/view as important or helpful to our reflection. Therefore, perhaps saying that our style of reflection may not bad as informative as we solely rely upon ourselves and do not utilise the opinion/learning of others.
I particularly liked Tufnell and Crickmay's view of the body and it's senses of how we perceive and gain experience. I liked the use of the word 'grounded' to express our body of knowing and forming of reflection thought the world around us. This relates to me and my field of learning and reflection as it expresses the importance of sensation and feeling. We as dancers perceived the worked through our sensored feelings, more so than through literature. Moon's view also shares this view that reflection does not have to happen as a written process. As we have now all experienced and tried out Moon's theory of Journal writing to record our reflective processes. Our 'active thought' is key to this process in our critical thinking.
Many people view and have contrasting ideas on reflection:
Moon had the 'common sense reflection'. This is when thoughts occur to us during the day to day living. It is when thoughts we can not let go of during a different encounter of the day initiate a reflective process. You think after these vents about what went well and what didn't go well.
Boud suggests that reflection can yoked more when it is more purposeful. He talks about recapturing an experience, thinking about it and then evaluating it.
There are two main reasons for using critical reflection:
- to question our routine and everyday practices. To sum up what did and didn't work.
- so that we can challenge some of our deeper social and cultural thoughts, feelings and reactions of our 'taken for granted assumptions'.
Crucial to our learning; critical reflection is about challenging and testing out what you do and being prepared to act on the results. (Crawley).
Wednesday, 6 November 2013
Task 2a: Reflective Practice
I must say, Reader 2 was quite a hard one to get my head around, I found myself reading it many many times over and researching the different links to finally understand what it was establishing.
After conquering Reader 2 I began to realise the differnt methods used by different people to establish what we perceive as reflection and it's importance. We can see that having to use reflection in whatever method we see as appropriate for ourselves, it's so important in our learning. We have to :
"Find meaning and give meaning to what we are doing" in order for our development.
I can say that reading Reader 2 seemed almost a blessing, I learnt through it's content that "experiences are intelligible for you", that "the experience of doing something has and will give you knowledge". This seems vitally important to my goals at this moment in time, I have had to say to myself that I need to experience and do things OUT of my comfort zone, experience and do things I wouldn't NORMALLY do in order to progress and create self development. I can say that whilst being in America (since recording my journel) I have accomplished things I wished and perhaps didn't wish to do, that in turn has developed me, given me experience and progressed me. Things I wished to do have now been completed:
Headshots
Bodyshots
Showreel
With thanks to my boyfriend (whom I visiting in America) he is a videographer and photographer as well as a dancer, we have both mapped out and planned things that we needed to accomplish in order for my development as a dancer and what is crucial to my future contracts and vacancies.
It seems a little silly but I've also done things I didn't want to do, perhaps from a first thought, but with the nudging of my boyfriend and thinking to myself that I've never experienced anything like this I've tackled fears head on. For example, I went to Orlando's HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS, which was absolutely terrifying, I actually cried at one point. Another fear I tackled was that of theme parks, I'd never ever riden a rollercoaster or even a remotely fast ride because of fear of being sick, but I said to myself you never know until you try, I LOVED the rollercoasters, the adrenaline rush gave me such a buzz. This is specific to the part where Reader 2 states that "open to finding" is so important, it means we are willing to learn.
Reading about the tacit knowledge seems very specific to dancers and my field of work. We definitely rely on gut feelings! Schon's theory of reflection in action and reflection on action seems like a good way of describing artistry. We seem to reply more on reaction IN action as oppose to ON action, even though we probably use both at different times depending on the situation. How something feels is vital to our learning and development as dancers. We are so in tune with our muscle memory as Tharp explains "her memory of movement doesn't need to be accessed through conscious effort". It's something that is already there.
I particularly liked Tufnell and Crickmay's view that our reflection doesn't have to happen as a written process, here they explain "in the rush and pressure of our everyday lives we easily become numbed, cut off from our bodies without a sense of the body, of sensation and feeling, we lose connection to what is around and within us, to the immediate and present moments of our lives". It's important that we listen to our bodies particularly as artists, to define our learning and development. I'm referring here to body movement; specific to my field in dance but keeping a journel can be in the form of drawings, writing, poems and sketches.
When I discovered that we'd be documenting journels, it didn't out me off at all, in fact I warmed to the idea more and understood it's purpose for professional practice.
It's very easy for me to express thoughts, I am an open speaker and writer. I haven't written or doodled, or stuck anything into my dance scrap book recently, but I keep that as a personal account of my dance journey, I started it at the age of 15 probably when I started attending theatre performances and after school clubs for dance then it continued though my training at 17, and after through the dark age of getting a first job, through to the fantastic moment finding out about my contract with carnival cruise lines. It is indeed a rocky journey, some highlights and some lowlights.
For this task, I have kept my journel writing through my iPad, as I've started this task since starting my vacation in America, it seems a plausible, safe device in which to document. I did want a notebook and pen to personalise but I've found out now that it's easy enough just to jot down the journel on here.
I like the journel account, it makes you write down things for purpose, for learning to reflecta and say "I achieved today". It makes you strive to achieve things in your day in order you can document them in the evening. It's a sense of achievement for me, as well as valued scripts you can look back on in years to come, let's hope the 2.0 tools survive that far!
So far I have kept up to date and been thorough with the content of my journel, I'm liking that I can put things down that reflect my professional development.
I'm not looking forward to experimenting too much with task 2b if I'm honest, only because I'm used to my own writing style, very descriptive and informative. But exploring the different ways in which you can record a journel will be vital to your experience, and this is all key to our development, so let's go for it!
After conquering Reader 2 I began to realise the differnt methods used by different people to establish what we perceive as reflection and it's importance. We can see that having to use reflection in whatever method we see as appropriate for ourselves, it's so important in our learning. We have to :
"Find meaning and give meaning to what we are doing" in order for our development.
I can say that reading Reader 2 seemed almost a blessing, I learnt through it's content that "experiences are intelligible for you", that "the experience of doing something has and will give you knowledge". This seems vitally important to my goals at this moment in time, I have had to say to myself that I need to experience and do things OUT of my comfort zone, experience and do things I wouldn't NORMALLY do in order to progress and create self development. I can say that whilst being in America (since recording my journel) I have accomplished things I wished and perhaps didn't wish to do, that in turn has developed me, given me experience and progressed me. Things I wished to do have now been completed:
Headshots
Bodyshots
Showreel
With thanks to my boyfriend (whom I visiting in America) he is a videographer and photographer as well as a dancer, we have both mapped out and planned things that we needed to accomplish in order for my development as a dancer and what is crucial to my future contracts and vacancies.
It seems a little silly but I've also done things I didn't want to do, perhaps from a first thought, but with the nudging of my boyfriend and thinking to myself that I've never experienced anything like this I've tackled fears head on. For example, I went to Orlando's HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS, which was absolutely terrifying, I actually cried at one point. Another fear I tackled was that of theme parks, I'd never ever riden a rollercoaster or even a remotely fast ride because of fear of being sick, but I said to myself you never know until you try, I LOVED the rollercoasters, the adrenaline rush gave me such a buzz. This is specific to the part where Reader 2 states that "open to finding" is so important, it means we are willing to learn.
Reading about the tacit knowledge seems very specific to dancers and my field of work. We definitely rely on gut feelings! Schon's theory of reflection in action and reflection on action seems like a good way of describing artistry. We seem to reply more on reaction IN action as oppose to ON action, even though we probably use both at different times depending on the situation. How something feels is vital to our learning and development as dancers. We are so in tune with our muscle memory as Tharp explains "her memory of movement doesn't need to be accessed through conscious effort". It's something that is already there.
I particularly liked Tufnell and Crickmay's view that our reflection doesn't have to happen as a written process, here they explain "in the rush and pressure of our everyday lives we easily become numbed, cut off from our bodies without a sense of the body, of sensation and feeling, we lose connection to what is around and within us, to the immediate and present moments of our lives". It's important that we listen to our bodies particularly as artists, to define our learning and development. I'm referring here to body movement; specific to my field in dance but keeping a journel can be in the form of drawings, writing, poems and sketches.
When I discovered that we'd be documenting journels, it didn't out me off at all, in fact I warmed to the idea more and understood it's purpose for professional practice.
It's very easy for me to express thoughts, I am an open speaker and writer. I haven't written or doodled, or stuck anything into my dance scrap book recently, but I keep that as a personal account of my dance journey, I started it at the age of 15 probably when I started attending theatre performances and after school clubs for dance then it continued though my training at 17, and after through the dark age of getting a first job, through to the fantastic moment finding out about my contract with carnival cruise lines. It is indeed a rocky journey, some highlights and some lowlights.
For this task, I have kept my journel writing through my iPad, as I've started this task since starting my vacation in America, it seems a plausible, safe device in which to document. I did want a notebook and pen to personalise but I've found out now that it's easy enough just to jot down the journel on here.
I like the journel account, it makes you write down things for purpose, for learning to reflecta and say "I achieved today". It makes you strive to achieve things in your day in order you can document them in the evening. It's a sense of achievement for me, as well as valued scripts you can look back on in years to come, let's hope the 2.0 tools survive that far!
So far I have kept up to date and been thorough with the content of my journel, I'm liking that I can put things down that reflect my professional development.
I'm not looking forward to experimenting too much with task 2b if I'm honest, only because I'm used to my own writing style, very descriptive and informative. But exploring the different ways in which you can record a journel will be vital to your experience, and this is all key to our development, so let's go for it!
Friday, 1 November 2013
Dance in motion for stillness
Hey guys
So I was just browsing the Internet today as I'm going to be taking some dance body shots soon. I have been getting inspiration from various sites, as I came across this particular site I noticed there was a video attached: the making of the photos.
It's cool to see the dancers and photographer having fun, and the spectators being speechless at the sight of it all! We're blessed to have such an amazing gift, it's great to see we can share the joy. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did.
Very much looking forward to the shoot soon, my boyfriend will be taking the shoot as I'm currently visiting him in America- we've already done a nature, artistic, quirky shoot in a Forrest, and some headshots which have been specifically required for a job I'm hoping to get. When the photos have been finished I will post them up for you to have a look at. Having an absolute blast out here, opening new experiences and having the time of my life!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2231601/Stunning-photographs-dancers-striking-acrobatic-poses-city-streets-beach-shower.html
Peace and love
So I was just browsing the Internet today as I'm going to be taking some dance body shots soon. I have been getting inspiration from various sites, as I came across this particular site I noticed there was a video attached: the making of the photos.
It's cool to see the dancers and photographer having fun, and the spectators being speechless at the sight of it all! We're blessed to have such an amazing gift, it's great to see we can share the joy. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did.
Very much looking forward to the shoot soon, my boyfriend will be taking the shoot as I'm currently visiting him in America- we've already done a nature, artistic, quirky shoot in a Forrest, and some headshots which have been specifically required for a job I'm hoping to get. When the photos have been finished I will post them up for you to have a look at. Having an absolute blast out here, opening new experiences and having the time of my life!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2231601/Stunning-photographs-dancers-striking-acrobatic-poses-city-streets-beach-shower.html
Peace and love
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