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Friday 26 November 2010

Article about ballet dancers from the Telegraph

See this article about life as a dancer. I found it doing feedback for Nancy who is doing a proposal for research about the career prospects involved in the role of prima ballerinas. She has a theme on her blog about dancers and how they are perceived as not being clever - may be worth a comment.

Continuing Students - Summary of Campus Sessions Autumn 2010

Sorry – the feedback from the Campus Sessions for Continuing students has been tricky to get up as much of it has been discussion and individuals taking notes in those discussions.

In all three Campus Session we have concentrated on looking at the WBS 3861 Handbook and BAPP members have discussed their own projects and progress – in the last session we broke up into smaller groups and individuals discussed their own projects with their groups and Academic Advisors.

For many, it is getting straight what is supposed to go in the report using the Handbook as reference. There is an extract from the Handbook (pp.24-25 in 2010) that I have felt helpful in writing up some of the terms seem to be overlapping – so it is just stating clearly what you have done for your project i.e.  research aims, objectives and research questions... Some people have also have specific terms of reference from their organisations so these need to be stated.  Most people are doing mixed methods in terms of the research, both quantitative and qualitative, but each project is different! The two appendices  that need to go into the document are the Ethics form from the proposal OR an updated ethics form if the original had to be changed AND the learning extracts from blogs or diaries that evidence your learning.

There are some blogs that talk to these defining terms... All can be accessed from the LibGuide 

There will be an oral assessment – most likely the 20th of January – Avni will send out an emails about this shortly – this is also explained in the Handbook. 

Thursday 25 November 2010

Happy Thanksgiving

I am celebrating Thanksgiving this year with my family. It is mainly a Harvest festival, and many in the States travel home to be with their families. In England, it comes at an awkward time of year, but it is always the last Thursday in November. It is a national holiday in the US. We don't always celebrate it here because of the timing... I'm sure you have similar instances of holidays and festivals, especially with the amount of travelling the BAPP network does.

Obama pardoning turkey

Obama at Thanksgiving   usually this is a time when food is collected and redistributed.

history of Thanksgiving mini movies about the Pilgrims & American Indians etc

Virginia also claims it was the first site for this festival....

Wednesday 24 November 2010

Updating Blogs and Engagement- Please leave a comment...

It is time to update your blog everyone. Comments welcomed!

Go to the Libguide  (or your Reader) and check out everyone's blogs - write comments and start or join conversations about some of the issues... if the comments are in your head but you have not written them down the others can't see your thoughts AND you will have less evidence of your learning to be turned in by 4pm 6th January 2011.

Engagement is taking part - joining in - it is keeping a high energy level - it is being seen and developing your professional presence - it is about recognising the processes through which you can learn in the workplace.

After you have spent fifteen minutes looking at the blogs,  look at the Module Handbook and compare the levels and amount of work that you see on the blogs with the Assessment Rubric on pages 4-5.

It is not very interesting if nothing is up there... If there is nothing on the blog or the blog does not exist... is that minimal or sporatic engagement? That is not enough. It is limited? That is not enough. Is there room for improvement? You be the judge... OR does the blog show two areas of work well developed? critical refection? experimentation? Is it good? Is it great? Fantastic?

Have you commented on any of these blogs that made you think?

Now what is your own blog like?

The module is in three parts - have you 'engaged' or written stuff up about one part of the module (say the beginning) but then nothing about reflection or professional networking?

Compare this to other professional work that you do. If you have a performance piece with 3 sections (3 acts) how many acts would you actually do during the performance? If I had an exhibition with 3 rooms - and I filled one room with art on the walls but left the others with no pieces of art - what would be the reaction of someone who had come to see my show? Confusion? What would they say in the comments book?

The portfolio does not require all the tasks to be completed - but the tasks do provide a structure for evidence of your activity thinking in the three areas introduced in the module. The thing that you need to link to is your own personal and professional presence.

One thing I used to say to art practitioners when I taught fine art was that the show should "look like you" - it represents you so your way of thinking should come through - you won' be there is person so this represents you - if there is something you want to say - say it with words, images, video, etc.

If anything this is a nudge form someone who has to work at timekeeping to update your work so that you will be happy with the outcome - don't leave it until the end of the course. I know I have to use all sorts of tricks to get things done - I have a to do list and many many visual aids. I hope this encouragement helps!

Tuesday 23 November 2010

Office hours


I am at another meeting today - so I will get back to you asap if you contact me for office hours.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Friday 19 November 2010

Thanks again to Wendy Nottingham

Wendy Nottingham came as a guest to our last campus session.Wendy trained at Rada and has been a professional actor for 25 years in London. A have a picture I will put up. Wendy added to the discussion for both the morning session and the Continuing Group Session.

Past work includes The York Realist. I picked this example because she had mentioned it as an experience where she met another actor with whom she continues to be in touch. Here biography is there - scroll down.

If you have any ideas about people that could be guests on the programme, please let us know.

Wednesday 17 November 2010

Sunday 14 November 2010

3rd Group Campus Session 10.11.10

Alan's scans of the Group's images. Some may be in the wrong grouping? let me know... Also check out the videos on the BAPP YouTube go to see all and there are 4 videos all together - 1 is of the groups preparing and there are 3 presentations that were developed on the day,





3rd Campus Session Professional Networks - Groups 1 and 2 10.11.10

These are some images Alan scanned in from the presentations about Professional networks on the 10 November 2010.

Group 2





Group 3

Friday 12 November 2010

A Survey call for Dancers

Please check out Sophie's blog and fill out the questionnaire asap!!!

Brendon Cole Blog

Just came across this blog - wondered what people thought? How does it compare to BAPP blogs?
Brendan Cole

The arts and dyslexia - some research on MDX home page

Here is the link for some research about the arts and dyslexia. I also am aware that there is other research with the same theme, We had it at the art school I used to work in - I will try to see if there is still a link.

Monday 8 November 2010

Interview Alison Steadman

interviewBBC iplayer

Continuing Students

There is a mock up of the title page for the report on LibGuides under the 3861 tab.

Glossary for research terms and helpful explanatory sources

Glossary - I will add to this as people ask the same questions and I have to go looking for likely helpful sources.

Purpose Statement 

Academic writing as Hedging - which is trying to say things in such a way that you are making statements based on evidence you present vs. sweeping all or never statements based on opinion...

Thursday 4 November 2010

Following the Blogs and putting them on Reader

If you have not already - it is helpful if everyone can Follow other blogs - also put them on your Google Reader - remember Peter wrote up some directions on LibGuide for the Reader.   You can get all the blogs we have from the LibGuide

Please please please - make your blog and put it up asap if you have not done so!!! Leaving things until the end of the course is not really effective.

Adding profiles on casting sites and biography for teaching

Aby Martin is working on her web presence and has added into her profile some interesting additions - would be worth a look and giving her some feedback.

What interests me (YES it is on other blogs as well) is that she is signposting us to her other professional work on the web - and therefor we are able to have a good look at her 'work' as well as her comments about her work. The professional practice or work-based learning happens alongside your work, focusing on your work as the content of the studies.

Scheduling

Scheduling relates to time - time relates to the way we learn - it all relates to our professional work (BAPP included) obligations.

Check out Laura's blog scheduling of BAPP that fits into her professional obligations. From the comments, others have found it helpful.

STAR

I learned this method at an interviewing workshop at University of London, but it is one that is used for further afield - valuable for summaries and presentations.

Situation Task Analysis Result = STAR MIT has a website that explains STAR. I found it very useful to curtail long narratives - coming from Virginia telling stories comes naturally - because often communication is about getting to the point. STAR helps me think through to not only my analysis but also the result - the point.

This approach is particularly helpful in management situations where time does not allow long discussion. It also structures the thinking process so that meandering thoughts - serve a purpose. It is not about exploring as much as explaining.

Volunteering

In a discussion on Jess Hunt's blog Peter made a comment about communities (which I think we are covering in the next module section) - this was part of my comment:

"...BUT I find the idea about 'volunteering' an interesting one from Peter's comment. The idea of a volunteer and Web 2.0 - this matches to the idea of time - giving time , taking time, delivering time, being an 'active citizenship' as they say in lifelong learning. Interesting, are we expected to volunteer in our society - how and why?"

So how does the professional's volunteer time mesh with other work?  - it could be building practice... the idea of active citizenship, social capitol and lifelong learning are explained on the Infed website .

Wednesday 3 November 2010

Time and Honey and Mumford

I have entitled this entry time because I never have enough of it! You too may feel that way. This might be connected to the way I learn. Honey and Mumford describe learners as activist, theorist, pragmatist and reflectors. Because I am a reflector (all categories apply at one the or another) it takes me a longer time to think things through because I actually enjoy the process and so it take me longer to finish things I am am doing.

To counteract this, I need to manage my time carefully. I have diaries, and calendars, and reminder boards etc. Other people might have some more unique ways of dealing with time?

Try this University of Leicester website for Honey and Mumford information.

So what type of learner are you. How are you managing your work for the course?

There is no right answer but managing time is difficult and fitting in extra bits always takes longer than you think. So when you get something done, give yourself a little gift... No, I mean it. After you have completed one of the tasks actually stop and celebrate the progress that has occurred. I watch old movies ... when I have the time


Look at Natalie's blog reflective day - I think it gives a good sense of time.


It does not take the time factor away but it does work. Professionals are busy people and there is never enough time. For example for this course - go to Libguides on the 3002 tab to make sure you have the information you need to complete the portfolio.



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Monday 1 November 2010

Book mainly for Continuing Students...

*Note some books like Doing Practitioner Research by Fox, Martin, and Green (2007) are available electronically from the Middlesex Library using your Athens password: