Module 1: Task 3D - Critical Questions and issues that emerge

Does some very specific ideas emerge about your networking and sources? Does your engagement to date seem appropriate? Limited? Focused? Planned? Unplanned? 

I would say that when looking at Acting jobs I have always been very focused and specific about what I want to gain, however, now looking at this module I'm not sure I've always been able to use particular networks or various media forms to the best of my ability, particularly when trying to reflect on my processes. Before taking up this module I would only ever reflect internally when it came to what I had done. 

Are your ideas, position or concerns shared by others within and/or beyond your professional area of work?

I recently discussed with BAPP Arts peer, Eleanor Byrne, with regards to a blog about Instagram and left her a a reply to her comment on my blog asking her, 'how much is too much?' In her blog she discusses the way in which we use Instagram for self-gratification and probably to gain a great number of likes or comments. This seems to be where personal and professional interlinks and makes me wonder, 'how can you have the professional without an element of the personal when it comes to the Arts?' 

The blog can be viewed here at: http://emmalouisefitchett.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/task-1d-2d-images.html#comment-form

Does sharing ideas and communicating with others shift your thinking, planning or practice?

I often find that many of my fellow peers tend to think the same as me in terms of the Industry, because they regularly mention the same things through virtual and non-virtual discussions. However, I often discover things I never considered before as a result of listening to other people on the course. At a recent campus session we were able to discuss the pros and cons of the technological world in regards to the Creative Industry which was very useful in terms of understanding other professional's motives. 

Does critical reflection help you decide what really matters and the actions to take?

I definitely believe that critical reflection enables you to weigh up the pros and cons to everything you do as a professional and believe it is important to never stop questioning what you are doing within your practice. I'm not sure it helps you 'decide' what actions to take as such, but i definitely believe it makes you look at every option from all angles to inform a much more well-rounded decision. 

To what extent do concepts and theories assist you in thinking about your professional networking in different ways? And do these different ways of thinking have some purpose for you?

I would say that the various theories that I have studied certainly make me think about things for different angles. For example, Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligence's (2008) have made me truly reassess deeper into what it is to actually learn, consequently aiding my development from actor to teacher. It makes me think about the bigger picture, which can enable me to truly assess my entire professional practice and process. One thing may work, but one thing may not. It is about experimenting and finding various ways of achieving the same professional goal, whatever that may be. 

Are you left thinking differently prior to this part of the module? And if so, how?

Because of this, I can now think much more deeply about what I 'think I know.' Honey and Mumford's Four stages of learning initially got me thinking about how myself and others reflect on learning processes, however, Gardner then got me assessing exactly 'how' people may learn, and what your strengths and weaknesses are. I discovered I was a professional who craved interpersonal relationships with people, because I am naturally sociable as a person, not just discovering that I am a theorist who likes reflecting on processes. 

Module 1: Task 3C - Sources of Information

The Theory of Connectivism has appeared incredibly prominent throughout the entire course so far and has made me realize how important this theory is. The various forms of Connectivity have enabled many to reach out to other professionals and establish what the professional world means to them. 

My forms of Connectivity in order to gain sources of information regarding the Arts are as follows:

Internet

Social Media

Contacts

Casting Websites

Verbal Communication

Audio-Visual

Internet

The internet has been the prime source of all of my Professional Acting jobs. It has given me so many links to Social Media, information and contacts and it is hard to think of how you would go about professionally connecting without Web 2.0 nowadays. It is a quick flick or press away and you are able to search whatever you would like to and discover the answers in seconds. The internet enables you to instantly link with someone, however with this freedom also comes great responsibility. You have to be careful about what you post, express and discuss with other people and be able to detect when something is authentic and when something is in actual fact misleading, as I found out when doing a Pantomime that was meant to be fun, but also involved very early mornings and lots of travelling. These things aren't always mentioned when they are first put on the internet, so you have to be cautious! 

Social Media

Social Media has been the crux of understanding people's thoughts and feelings in regards to the industry and is the platform that you can use in order to reach out to and engage an audience of viewers or follows. It enables you to create just the right and desired image, however there can also be a negative result because of this. I have often found that as a result of social media, many people end up over-dramatizing specific details. For example, I once went to an audition and began rehearsals in a Theatre that would be performing a Theatrical and Biblical classic that would be challenging to perform in London and would be a performance that had never been done before. However, the reality was that it was a play in which was being performed above a small, London pub with a tiny audience, a director that no one had ever heard of and were told would only get paid if we made a profit. It seems to be that the Dramatic Industry is named that for a reason!

Contacts

Having contacts and keeping friends has been very useful over the past few years and has served me particularly well when it has come to changing and developing my career. My drama school friend, Zara informed me about tuition company, Explore learning and sooner or later not only did I have a part-time job to fit around my auditions, but I also had a job that would eventually show me that I would also want to then develop a career in teaching. I only found out about an ex agent because I simply attended a drama school friend's Wedding and if I hadn't have gone I wouldn't probably have known. Just by undertaking a production I was able to meet with an agent, who then got me an audition and later on a job for Disney Channel. 

Casting Websites

Casting sites and how effective they are have been varied throughout my Acting career. I found that Spotlight for example didn't get me personally very far, however, Casting Call Pro was always successful in notifying me of jobs, mainly because I felt I was more 'in control' of what I could apply for, due to the fact that you didn't always need an Agent with CCP, but with Spotlight they appeared to have a much tighter vetting system and affiliation with particular agents. Without those websites, you would find it incredibly difficult to be in the know about different jobs.

Verbal Communication

This has been particularly useful when it's come to rehearsals and drama school discussions where I have been taught about all things Theatre. Often in rehearsals we were encouraged to discuss and questions things such as the character, the situation and the emotional intentions of every person that appeared in a play. However, the industry itself also includes an element of direction where actors can sometimes find themselves saying, 'I would like to share an idea with a director, but they already know what they want.' This is because at the end of the day, every actor is responsible for bringing the director's vision to life and no matter how much you discuss, you still have to portray the vision that is desired by the director.

Audio-Visual

This is fantastic in bringing people together, particularly when people can be so far away from each other. Throughout the BAPP course, people from all over the country have been able to connect and the various Skype sessions we have have enabled us all to do that. Therefore we are able to reach out to more professional individuals, but can also start to use other ways of communicating ideas of professional practice not just through discussions, but also through personal reflections, like my own audio-visual blog about the course and what I hope to achieve. The only issue with being able to find out and discover things through audio-visual is that technology and software can sometimes let you down. I was mid-conversation with Matt, an ex drama school colleague and fellow BAPP Arts course peer on Skype, when suddenly my laptop overheated and all suddenly crashed. I have also had issues with sound and microphone from my own laptop and with Paula and her software. 

All of these sources appear to have their positives in regards to Professional Practice, however it is also important to look at the ethical issues as well. What is it I need to be careful of? What should I take advantage of? How much is too much? 

Module 1: Task 3B - Theories Relating to Networking

Within Reader 3, I can see theories relating to Professional Networking and how we go about connecting with others in our Practice. Theories that relate to my Practice include:

Communities of Practice 

Affiliation 

Social Constructionism

Connectivism

Multiple Intelligences

Communities of Practice

‘Communities of practice’ is an idea represented by Lave and Wenger exploring the development of social circles created by mutual interests. “Such a view sees mind, culture, history, and the social interrelated processes that constitute each other.” (Lave, J., 1991, p. 63 -64).

Previously in my Acting practice, the term “mutual engagement,” described as “a shared reality in which to act and construct an identity” (Wenger, 1998, p.173) appeared accurate, because actors developed their very own language from belonging to networks like Spotlight and Equity. Due to all being part of the same network, possessing the same goals, the acting industry itself produced its own language. Actors would often discuss the online casting world and their links to opportunities. To be a Spotlight and Equity member meant you were part of a community. Director, Tony James, once told to me, “you aren’t an actor unless you’re on Spotlight.” (18^th July, 2011) Before auditions were face to face, but now it’s also about your online profile as a 21^st Century actor, just as much as your authentic one.  

Now I am in a school, a new community of Practice, I bond with teaching assistants over common challenges we experience.  It is stated that, “student teachers need to find learning environments that challenge them to contribute as whole persons, to imagine themselves as valued professionals whose work truly matters and to align their vocation with their values.” (Porter, 2003, p.51) We discuss our learning within school and how communities of practice may not always be respected by pupils because of their social values, helping us bond through our mutual understanding of teaching complexities. We educate pupils about respecting communities, but because they are still learning core values, including respect, certain children sometimes refuse to listen to the teacher community, not cooperating with their own school community.

Affiliation

Within school, teachers connect using email, as this is an efficient way to connect with each other when unable to privately discuss. Affiliation is said to “form close relationships”’ providing us “with a network of support that will help us when we are in need.” (Crisp and Turner, 2007, p.266). This means we can support each other when school challenges occur, whether personally or online. After participating in a Drama workshop, one girl told me she had learnt to interact more, enjoying affiliation with others through dramatic activities, which was my objective.

Social Constructionism

My learning often lies within Social Constructionism, a theory exploring how we construct ideas about the world through others. “If our knowledge of the world is not derived from the nature of the world as it really is, where does it come from? The social constructionist answer is that people construct it between them.” (Burr, 2015, 3^rd ed. p4).

In an online article, I was interested in how Kolb’s Experimental Learning Theory was challenged, arguing that the “social” element should be considered when looking at learning processes. “social relationships of a person become prime importance.” (Holman, D., Pavlica, K. & Thorpe, R., 1997, p.141).In other words, there is a way to learn personally, but there is also another to learn socially. When studying Kolb’s four stages, I noticed there was no ‘social’ stage, only the personal journey. I have developed learning through Social Constructionism when undertaking rehearsals, but am also finding this now when teaching. Teaching Drama to thirty school children without a spacious setting was challenging, feeling like I went from knowing everything, to nothing in a matter of seconds. However, only by actively interacting in a socially active context was I able to assess my methods. I have since transferred drama school skills like ensemble work, using this to my advantage through my developed Drama teaching. For instance, when asked to encourage student ‘team spirit’, I focused on group interaction. 

 Connectivism

Previously in my Acting Practice, I was a Spotlight and Equity member, also linked to Facebook groups displaying Arts related information. By being a member, I accessed job, agent and casting information. Connectivity “occurs within nebulous environments” by “shifting core elements.” (G Seimens, 2004) Connectivity allows a ‘virtual door’ for professional opportunities, enabling chances to present my CV, making it the basis for opportunities within dramatic circles.

When publishing blogs, people in my ‘circle’ can instantly engage. By viewing their blogs, I learn what professionals think and discover. I encourage a drama school colleague undertaking the Route of Learning module, to read my blogs, discussing the Industry via Skype on what we think now, compared to what we thought before. 

Multiple Intelligences

When looking at the Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (2008), I have realized that I have been an actress and teacher because I crave interpersonal intelligence with others, involving a common factor; people. I considered Honey and Mumford’s Learning Styles in the previous module, but Gardner made me question deeper the other ways people learn, i.e. linguistically, musically or visually. “The uniform school sounds fair- after all, everyone is treated the same way. But some years ago it occurred to me that this supposed rationale was completely unfair. The uniform school picks out and is addressed to a certain kind of mind.” (Gardner, H.E. 2008). This suggests that the Creative Arts itself requires an approach that recognises ‘intelligence’ is shown in differing ways. I’m often asking myself, “How do I reach this child?” meaning this is helpful for teachers and something I want to explore. 

Bibliography and References

Burr, V., 2015, Social Constructionism, 3^rd edition, Routledge, pg. 4.

Crisp. J & Turner. R, (2007), Essential social psychology. London: Sage

Gardner, H.E., 2006 edition, Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons in Theory and Practice, Basic Books, New York, p.5.

Holman, D., Pavlica, K. & Thorpe, R. 1997, "Rethinking Kolb's Theory of Experiential Learning in Management Education: The Contribution of Social Constructionism and Activity Theory", Management Learning, vol. 28, no. 2, p. 141.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/201381903_Rethinking_Kolb%27s_Theory_of_Experiential_Learning_in_Management_Education_The_Contribution_of_Social_Constructionism_and_Activity_Theory

James. T, 18^th July 2011, Rose Bruford Summer School.

Lave. J, 1991, Situating learning in communities of practice. Perspectives on socially shared cognition, 2^nd edition, p.63-64.

Porter. M., Forging L.I.N.C.S. among Educators: The Role of International Service-Learning in Fostering a Community of Practice

http://www.academia.edu/5942884/Forging_L.I.N.C.S._among_Educators_The_Role_of_International_Service-Learning_in_Fostering_a_Community_of_Practice

Siemens, G, December 12, 2004, Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age,

http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

Wenger, (1998,) Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning and Identity, Cambridge: University of Cambridge Press, p.173.

Relevant Blog Links

Theorists

http://emmalouisefitchett.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/i-now-see-true-relevance-between.html#comment-form

Audio-Visual Reflection

http://emmalouisefitchett.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/module-1-task-1c-audio-visual.html

Module 1: Task 3A - Current Networks (and Professional Networking Skype session with Paula)

What are the current and different ways that you have, or do, engage your professional network?

After discussing what a 'Professional Network' means via a group Skype conversation, Paula recommended that we all 'map out' our communities of practice. We discussed what we pictured a map of our communities would look like and people in the group came up with some very interesting suggestions. Eleanor presented the idea of a spiderweb, mentioning that there are various strands to the web but that the web is essentially 'one thing.' 

We also asked the question, who is the spider and who is the fly? In other words, are we the spider who creates the web (ie. our own community,) or are we the fly who is entangled in the web (ie. people mapping out our community for us.) I think maybe we might be both?

This was a really insightful discussion and made me think, 'how much of our community is through our own doing and how much of our community is because of other people? This really got me thinking, because I soon realized that there are many, many communities within my circle, whether that be professional or not. 

This was an exercise that made me think about the bigger picture and from going from really having to think about my communities in life, the exercise suddenly became one that flowed easier and showed me how one thing could link instantly to another. 

In the Acting Industry I realized there were several branches; including Drama School contacts, Agents and Directors which have all been caused as a result of auditions and workshops. This was often caused by the networks I belonged to, particularly those which were online. Websites such as Spotlight, Casting Call Pro, Casting Networks and Equity were all ways of keeping a door open to the industry and allowed so many opportunities for me to access.I would often find that I would bump into the same people time and time again as a result of simply being in the same social circle realizing that the industry truly was a very small world. 

Now I am stationed as a Higher Level Teaching Assistant within a school, I have been expanding my professional circle within an educational setting and only ever have contact via email or simply face-to-face. This community is so much more close knit in terms of physical contact and the mutual engagement between people is incredibly strong, because each person eventually understands and knows everyone within that school unit. You have to support each other every day and is almost like a continuous rehearsal. We are the 'cast' and the children are our 'audience.'

What are the established and different ways that others use their networks, especially if they are more established or experienced practitioners that you admire? 

I noticed when at Drama School, that my teachers and directors would very often talk about discussing things with their contacts through a phone call. They would also use terms such as, 'I had a coffee and a chat with so and so the other day and discussed upcoming rehearsals for so and so production.' This to me reflected the different age of professional networking and how things have developed. Years ago, drama schools seemed to emphasis professional discussions and even developed their craft further by going straight into Repertory Theatre to build those industry contacts when they became professionals. Nowadays, Actors seem to be spending hours on their laptops searching the Spotlight directory for new castings and following professionals on Twitter to see if there are any Acting workshops that may be of use to them. The world of technology has changed and evolved and given 'networking' a whole new meaning.

Are there methods, approaches and technologies that you use socially that might apply and help you develop your professional networking?

I often use Facebook socially and have found it as a network very useful in terms of becoming members of casting groups. A drama school group that was created whilst I was studying has allowed me to constantly see notifications of other members providing information about current auditions or castings, informing people that a director is currently looking for someone of a certain description. Following industry professionals on Twitter also means that you can keep up to date with happenings, but also 'retweet' opportunities that may be of interest to someone. To be able to directly message someone or address someone can also give you a much broader chance of contact with someone, so these types of networks are always useful to have. 

When you reflect upon current networks, can you think about the motives of others to be in the network and what values and purpose they have in mind?

Particularly on Twitter, you can see how other people try to network with other professionals in a way that highlights positivity. I often see my actor friends 'retweeting' or 'sharing' information about a show that they are appearing in so that they can spread the word and hopefully increase ticket sales and audiences. Their objective is always to be seen and presented in the best light and use networks such as Twitter and Facebook to capture the attention of people. Nowadays anyone can share something online fast and efficiently and these particular networks are useful in doing so. 

What would your ideal network look like and why?

My ideal network would be simple, yet professional. I often use Facebook as a means of putting my thoughts across because everything is easily accessible. I want to be able to share things, comment on things and share various forms of media with other professionals in a simple way. 

What realistic things could you do to work towards developing your ideal network?

What tools and methods do you need to use? What do you know about your current and intended networks and importantly what do you not want to know?

I could do weekly updates and in particular keep posting up pictures each week of my professional work and findings on Instagram. I can comment each week on people's blogs so that I learn from others about their professional findings and particularly in school I can regularly attend  weekly teacher meetings regarding behaviour so that I increase my knowledge. It can also help by simply talking to people and questioning them about their knowledge. For example, today I discussed with a teacher who is trained in Dance about potentially putting together some shows combining Drama and Dance. Communication is key and sometimes face to face can be just as beneficial.

First Campus Session at Hendon Campus, Middlesex University 10th April 2017

When I first arrived at Middlesex University's Hendon campus, I was super excited! It was the first time I had visited the campus since beginning the BAPP course and was instantly blown away by the building, both inside and outside. The striking red, the clock tower, the open space for students to unwind and study were all so incredibly appealing and I couldn't wait to get discussing the main theme of the day; Acting and Writing!

I met Paula and the other students at reception, commenting on how different people appeared compared to their online pictures, which also made me reflect on the online network that is at the heart of the course. Seeing someone with your own eyes can  be a completely different image to a picture you have in your head from engaging online!


We first began our session by reflecting on different forms of writing in order to get us prepared to think about our Critical Reflection and how to assess our learning as a result of theorist studies and practical experiences. This was useful, because we looked at the styles of writing and discussed how we preferred to read set information. We were all instantly attracted to the report style, because it was structured nicely in paragraphs and had the balance between writing and pictures to support the writing. 

Middlesex University, Hendon Campus facing Reception

We then looked at Stella Cottrell's Critical Thinking Skills and looked at how a preposition or a statement could be structured in a way with other prepositions to form an argument with an introduction and conclusion that can make up that of an essay structure that has a point to make, using prepostions as a lead up to draw to a conclusion.

We then went to the campus library to have a talk about library resources, which was incredibly helpful. We looked at the various ways to access resources, whether they be online or in the campus library. We were taken through the online Unihub to show us how to access these and found out many useful things such as how to select quotation marks in order to access the way to Harvard reference a particular line from a text and to find how to narrow down a search to simply 'full text online' and read information from the web there and then. 

To recap and understand the different forms of resource finding, we were taken through the task of matching the resource to it's definition and purpose for using that particular resource. Here is a picture of the exercise below. This was in itself a way of recognising the various professional networks we can use in order to benefit out learning.

Resources, examples and definitions 

After this library session, we went back to the meeting room to continue discussing writing and how we would go about our critical reflections. We reflected on what we might want to discuss about our learning and what areas we might want to look at in terms of professional networking. This entire discussion was incredibly helpful, because ideas and experiences of learning were being sparked as a result of what other people were saying! 

We talked about the Acting industry and how networking had impacted our profession and the positives and negatives of this networking among professionals. I thought of many stories where there had been postives and negatives from professional networking and communications which allowed us to think about the ethical values of professional communication. What is right and what is wrong? Are people in the industry really who they say they are? What have we found from having online professional profiles? Is there more good than bad?

The session overall really gave me food for thought. I enjoyed discussing what I had found in my teaching and what I'm discovering since linking my dramatic skills to a new community; a school setting. It was so helpful to simply communicate my thoughts and feelings on my findings and gave many people the opportunity to voice their own opinions on the reasons why I may be finding engaging a class so challenging when not in a drama class setting outside of school.

I am interested to see now how I find the critical reflection and look deeper into the transferring of drama skills through the study of theorists and resources and writing about them in my Critical Reflection.

Module 1 - Task 2D - Inquiry

What in your daily practice gets you really enthusiastic to find out more about? Who do you admire who also works with what makes you enthusiastic?

I get incredibly enthusiastic when watching other teachers in the classroom and used to find watching drama school colleagues very exciting, because I was witnessing  their journies of discovery. I now am doing exactly the same with different classrooms and various year year groups and relish the challenge of finding ways in order to engage them in learning through my creative skills. I admire many of my drama teachers throughout the years of my school learning for enstilling that passion for the Arts in me.

What gets you angry or makes you sad? Who do you admire who shares your feelings or has found a way to work around the sadness or anger?

It makes me sad that in the acting industry there can be people who will happily exploit people as a result of their undying love for the arts. I myself have been racially abused whilst working as an acting professional and I therefore become annoyed when people do not respect other artistic members within their communities. I find it unfair that people

What do you love about what you do? Who do you admire who also seems to love this or is an example of what you love?

I love the constant challenges I am faced with when I have acted and when I am teaching. To control a class or an audience is a powerful skill and one which is benefited incredibly by my knowledge of the arts and how it can help people. I love the excitement when a child speaks or interacts for the first time through drama therapy, whether that be working as a group on tasks or playing with sounds and movements and seeing them truly come alive.

What do you feel you don't understand? Who do you admire? Who does seem to understand it or who has found a way of making now understanding it's interesting or beautiful or has asked the same questions as you?

I don't always feel that I can grasp everyone in my school through the arts, because it just simply isn't their thing. It is often hard that when you feel so passionate about something, you have people who can take drama or leave drama. This just doesn't correlate with me! I feel comfortable when I am interacting with people of a very similar creative mindset. I've established that the reason I find young people harder to reach within a primary school than a theatre school, is because people at a theatre school truly want to be there. They are interested in the Arts.

How do you decide the apporopriate ethical response in a given situation? To what extent are disciplinary responses different to that you might expect more gernally in society? For example, what level of physical contact would you deem appropriate or not from another professional that you would find unacceptable more generally? Why?

 

Within the school setting, I recently had to give a powerpoint presentation on keeping your hands to yourself and what the appropriate response to physical contact would be within a school setting. I normally thrive from forms of contact with others, because the Acting industry can involve an open body, mind and soul. However, when training at drama school and having lessons in Audition Technique, it soon became clear that there is quite simply a time and a place for forms of physical contact and that you must remember to remain professional and level-headed at all times. This training has given me the knowledge of how to behave appropriately. This is now something I have taken into school with me.

 

My Own personal questions to consider in the future

How is my research into theorists aiding my Professional Practice?

 

Can I relate certain theorists to my Professional Practice?

 

Which theorists present thoughts about teaching drama to children and how drama can benefit young people?