"The Darkest Nights Produce the Brightest Stars" - My Revelation

Yesterday saw me in a complete and utter panic. I was in such a panic, in fact, that I ended up emailing Adesola to ask her to help me with my Inquiry and where I went from here.

This was, because, I had just received my Module Two feedback and in particular, feedback that suddenly made me rethink EVERYTHING. When looking at Adesola's feeback, I could see that she had advised me to completely disregard any idea of involving children in the interview process and instead focus on the creative teaching aspect. 

I looked at her feedback on my original ethics form and saw that every single time I had included the direct use of children in my study was NOT ALLOWED. 

So this got me thinking (and panicking,) HOW I am meant to carry out an inquiry without having contact with the children. Am I not allowed to mention them AT ALL in this entire process?!?!

Luckily, Adesola has replied to me today, stating that the feedback does not mean that I cannot use the experience of the children within my observational study, but that I should respect the wishes of the University NOT to directly interview the children or engage with them in any way OUTSIDE the usual school parameters. This was a relieving moment for me, seeing as I was aiming for my inquiry to be based around the impact of the children and to identify their responses to the creative elements. 

Pinnacle Moment

However, through the panic and uncertainty of my future inquiry came a light-bulb moment. It made me think OUTSIDE THE BOX. It made me question all of these doubts that I had been having, therefore making me completely rethink and consider the lasting line of Adesola's feedback.

Adesola's ending line in my feedback states, 'It is important you go into this inquiry wondering not just looking for proof of something you already believe. One of the best out comes you could have would be to be surprised by the inquiry.'

I really felt that I needed some inspiration, so I ended up going back and looking at Ken Robinson's seminar videos again, which I also did because Adesola reminded me of the fact that Creativity is still not yet defined and that it is an education in itself. And as I was watching his videos, it suddenly dawned on me. Ken Robinson talks about how EVERY child is DIFFERENT. So it got me thinking, 'what if I use Creativity in the classroom by finding out how different children respond to different types of lessons?'

I then thought, what are the things I HAVE NEVER DONE BEFORE in my lessons?

Here were my thoughts and findings that I sent to Adesola. 

What have I not done yet? What do I not know but would like to know?

I haven’t yet let the children choose what work they do

I haven’t assessed what type of learning they prefer

I haven’t yet seen what creative formats and methods teachers use

I have never let a child be a teacher or leader to the class on a subject

I haven’t let children in the lesson give feedback on their learning and what they liked and didn’t like, found hard or easy or what they learned.

Ideas to go about this

• Provide a book that children can leave comments and pictures in about the lesson
• Create a lesson where children choose what activity they do in order to learn about a particular subject.
• Observe lessons and interview teachers on how they go about creativity and how they use the arts to enhance their lessons.
• Give each child a fact on a piece of paper and they have only two minutes to tell as many people in their class what that fact is.
• Get the children to put parts of a story in order and then share the story to the class telling them what happened. 

These are all things that I truly wonder about and I hope I am going to be able to find out. I'm hoping that all these potential options will be ones in which Adesola will shed some light on before I begin making and shaping my inquiry. 

The Troublesome Tweed Twosome - My Coffee Catch Up with my Drama School and BAPP colleague, Matt.

First thing's first, I couldn't believe it. We had both attended the same Drama School at 19 years old, both embarked on the BA Hons Professional Practice in Arts degree and NOW we were both meeting up after years apart in similar Tweed outfits like we were farmers....

Talk about a connection!

I decided to meet with Matt a few days ago, because we had so much to discuss. Not just about University and what we were finding, but also about that thing that everyone never has the answers to...

LIFE.

Some might say that it's just a self indulgent thing, to meet up for a coffee and just chat rubbish. But I always believe that meeting up with someone to discuss your hopes, dreams, fears, problems etc, is all a therapeutic process where you actually discover so much more about yourself. It makes you sane again! (or insane, depending on the company you're with...)

What we both found hilarious was the fact that starting a new module is like starting all over again. You can often feel lost! The benefit, however, for Matt, is that he has me to guide him because I am one step ahead of it all, so he is really able to gain an insight into what to expect from me. I, however, can only go by what I have learned and gained so far and I have seen so far that this inquiry is becoming more and more real. It's one thing being reflective of a process that interests you, but it's another thing actually putting things 'into practice.' This is something that scares me. I have all these questions travelling through my head. How am I going to make this inquiry happen? What do I need from everyone I work with in order to make this happen? What questions should I be asking? 

Since I last wrote my blog and finished writing and submitting my Module Two Essay, I have been given the responsibility of teaching children Religious Education and despite wondering whether not teaching Music anymore may affect my inquiry into the Creative Arts slightly, I have now realised that Religious Education provides amazing scope for so many Creative Elements! 

This is something I discussed with Matt. A woman visited the school the other day from a University and wished to speak to myself and the leader of the school's Wider Curriculum. We honestly had no idea what for, we were just told that we had to meet her. It appeared after sitting down with her in the school meeting room that she was making her very own inquiry - to find out whether the Religion of Islam was still being taught and represented within schools. 

According to her, there are many Muslims who currently feel as if Islam is being phased out of Education and she wanted to see how I taught this within schools. There was only a few things I could tell her, seeing as I had only been acting as the RE teacher for two weeks! I informed her that I was currently teaching Year 2 and Year 5 about Islam and that I never give opinions, only facts. We also talked to her about the fact that when teaching Religion to young people, you also have to think about that commonly occurring word...ETHICS.

This made me realise that now more so than ever, I am now thinking about how I can show respect to everyone within my classroom, regardless of what religion the follow. It is about remembering everyone has their own decisions to make, which I feel is going to be incredibly useful when it comes to carrying out my professional inquiry. 

I would also like to add that since then, I have undertaken an extremely fun and creative lesson in regards to Islam, which involved the children creating their own actions to remind them of the Five Pillars, as well as creating their own Islamic prayer mats! 

These lessons were so successful that one Muslim boy in my class brought in his own prayer mat to show everyone what his looked like before they designed their own. He went the extra mile, because he appeared proud in the fact that everyone was willing to learn about what he believed in. He simply felt he was part of his classroom community. 

This is a perfect example of how the Creative Arts can bring people together, just like how first Drama School and then this University course has brought Matt and I together again. Establishing that common ground. Listening to each other after all this time apart. Communicating. 

Sipping lattes in our Green Tweed. 

Matt and Me, in our Tweed. (We got 22 likes and 4 comments on Facebook for this picture!)

Module Two - Task 6C - Award Specialism Title

Chosen Title: 

BA (Hons) Professional Practice in Arts (Creative Arts in Education)

Explanation: 

Since my work as a part-time tutor during my Acting career, I have been fascinated by the way incorporating the Dramatic Arts into my lessons engages and impacts young people. I currently teach Music in a Primary School, as well as covering various lessons within the school curriculum and running a Drama Club. I have been able to use a variety of skills developed from my profession in Acting, and feel as though I have been able to use it effectively in my teaching so far. However, there is still further I want to go with this investigation and I aim to continue enhancing children from all different backgrounds through the Creative Arts. I eventually want to train as a teacher and feel that my knowledge of the Creative Arts and the impact it has on Education will enhance my chances of undertaking all the extra-curricular activities within schools, such as concerts, productions and assemblies, making me a teacher who many 'strings to my bow.' However, I also want to see how I can my skills in the Arts to enhance the current curriculum, including lessons such as English. They often say that the one thing you have to have as a teacher is a great imagination, creating engaging lessons whilst aiming to reach children with various backgrounds and abilities. I am currently using the Creative Arts everyday within my teaching and feel that by having the 'Creative Arts in Education' as my specialism, I am showing not just my knowledge of Educational and Curricular Practice, but also Extracurricular and Creative Practices too and the importance of both, side by side. 

Module Two - Task 6B - Critical Reflections of the Merits and Limits of the 4 Tools

A quick insight into the the merits and limits of four different research tools that can enable me to gather data. Just from weighing up the pros and cons I can now see that it's important to develop a wide range of research data in both qualitative and quantitative formats. I am now looking at how I can balance my results with a wide range of data tools.

1) An Interview

Merits

You can gain a very detailed perspective of what a person is truly thinking.

You can remain focused on the task at hand and be specific with what you really want to gain.

You do not have to worry about being distracted by other people. Instead, you can focus on one person's viewpoint without the influence of others.

Interviews are direct with questions and go about finding a specific answer which can be beneficial in finding out exactly what you want to know. 

Limits

You only get the perspective of one person and therefore have to carry out several different interviews in order to get a broad range of views and opinions.

A question may be worded in a way that can potentially influence a person's answer.

Interviews are direct which means that certain opinions and ideas may not be included due to the nature of the question resulting in a possibility of valid points being missed.

2) A Survey

Merits
A Survey is useful to establish how high or low someone rates a particular element.
A survey can provide numerical data that can easily be compared to each other.
A survey can be more straightforward in approach and get right to the point about what is good and what is bad. 
A survey question could be rated between 1-10 and not influence decisions through biased wording of questions. 

Limits
You may only be able to receive one straight forward answer from a survey and completely miss out on the details which could explain why something is good or bad.

3) Focus Group

Merits
Allows everyone to speak and share their views
It means that you get a variety of views and beliefs that you can later compare as data
You have the opportunity to expand on and go deeper into a topic. 

Limits
You have to make sure that not everyone speak at the same time and that people are fair to each other.
People may be aware that their conversations are being recorded and may alter their views slightly with this knowledge.
There may be less assertive members in the group that do not share their views as much as more assertive members of the group.
You have to keep time if a topic is expanded on and be aware that people could dwell too much on one particular subject.
Certain topics may be overlooked because their may be an instant change in subject resulting in less time being spent on a topic which could be vital.

4) Pilot Observation 

Merits
It is both qualitative and quantitative so gives a good balance between the two sides to data.
You are noting down first and foremost exactly what you see in front of you. It is an immediate form of data, seeing what is 'happening in that very moment.'
Knowing people you are observing can have benefits from knowing a person's behaviour and when they may potentially 'change' in the process. In a way, you can compare how they were before the study to how they are now and ask, 'how has that particular experience affected them?'

Limits
It is both qualitative and quantitative which means both sides of data have to be respected and analysed in a way that is the most effective and helpful to the study. 
You could be biased in what you are observing and noting down, which may not be an accurate or true representation of findings and data.
You have to develop a neutral and critical approach to what you see and not let yourself be easily influenced by the fact you already have a personal relationship with the child. 

Plan for collecting Data

I plan to interview a set of teachers who use Drama within their lessons and to find out what they have noticed as the benefits of doing this. I plan to interview Lauren, who is also studying on the programme first, as she is a teacher herself and would like to see what she thinks first before asking Miss Hudson, a teacher who studied Drama at University, as well as undertaking her teaching qualification. I plan to interview Daniel Chantler, a teacher and trained Dancer for a second time, however this time asking him more specifically about how the Arts has personally impacted his lessons and when and what skills he has used. I want to compare all the teacher's answers to see if there is a common link or topic they mention that could potentially be the key to enhancing my teaching and lessons overall. 

How can this help others?
By getting teachers to participate in this study, they may be able to pinpoint themselves the successful factors in teaching Drama and Creative subjects to their children. It could make them realise the specific things that enable their lessons to be so successful.

Module 2 - Task 5D - Discussing Ethical Dimensions of my Inquiry

Special Interest Group Discussions on Safeguarding

From the Skype discussion I discovered a great deal about what I was thinking in terms of Ethics. I realised that in order to present my research, I wouldn't always look to the children to give their feedback, but instead ask around the 'subjects' of your inquiry. I remember discussing with some people the safeguarding issue within school and that the Ethical implications should be fairly addressed if the children have their identities hidden through facial blurring. I then wondered whether or not it was still needed to ask permission from parents and as a result, have decided to distribute an ethics release form to parents of the children in question as to whether or not I am allowed to take pictures of them rehearsing and use this as a form of ethical consideration in my evidence. 

It is an incredibly fragile topic when it comes to involving children and I have been very wary to ask permission from the Headteacher already. She too has advised me that blurring faces is perfectly acceptable to do and keeping the children's names anonymous is also something to remember too. 

Vulnerability

After undertaking the workshop in London with my friend Arthur, I have also been forced to think about what is 'intrusive.' When developing a child's acting skills or aiding them with creating music, I am now aware of how the children may feel when they are told to complete tasks, like simply standing on stage. This is because they are instantly being made to feel vulnerable and by taking part in any Art form, it can open up the soul of a human being. This is what I became aware of when I broke down at the Wednesday workshop. I wasn't necessarily in the right frame of mind and sometimes, these children aren't either, so I have to remember that. Some youngsters find it much harder than others, particularly if they have difficult backgrounds. Really, it is not my job to impose, but my job to encourage. 

Module Two - Task 5C - Reviewing Professional Ethics

One of the biggest ethical issues I have had the entire time throughout my Professional Practitioner study is the photographing of young children and presenting evidence of my work with them. It is an incredibly delicate subject due to their vulnerability and recently I have been trying to weigh up in my mind whether to blur their faces from pictures when presenting evidence of a study. I recently discussed this with the Skype group and from the discussion, most people appeared to believe that as long as the Headteacher authorised permission to take pictures on the basis that their faces were blurred and that their identities were hidden, I would be allowed to pursue this evidence. 

When looking at the theoretical ethical framework for this issue, I have considered the three strands of Ethics. 

Consequentialism - Morally right if it maximises the good 

Deonotology - The only good thing is a good will and benefits everyone involved

Virtue Ethicist - Emphasises the overall character of the moral agent

Taking Pictures of Children for Evidence

Consequentialist

It can be used in order to present evidence of children thriving through the Arts and supports their progress within the Arts.

Deontologist

The child is a vulnerable and innocent human being, who has the right to privacy and may not wish to appear in a picture.

Virtue Ethicist

I am a trusted member of staff who has had a Disclosure Barring Service check obtained and will not use the photographs in a neglectful way, respecting the younger person's wishes.

These are all things I have had to consider when looking into my Inquiry and it has made me realised that nothing should be taken lightly or simply just, 'assumed.' Every party within an inquiry is entitled to a voice and it is up to me to make sure that every person with the inquiry is valued and respected.Written consent in the eyes of the law is the most positive and permanent way to ensure that permission is fully granted and as a result, I will be undertaking both an Ethics Release Form to be signed by the parents and a Professional Support From, to be signed by either the school Headteacher, or a higher member within the School Leadership Team. 

The Art is in your Planning - Skype session, 31st October with Adesola and Students

At first the Skype was all about us discussing what we would like to comment on during the evening conversation and what struck me the most was how everything that was mentioned seemed to interlink. I found it interesting that one person in particular, Lauren, was doing exactly the same thing as me and was currently teaching herself which made discussing my topic of Ethics with her incredibly useful. 

Many queries were brought up, including referencing to people's ideas within their work and blogs, which consequently enabled me to lead on with my questions about ethics and how I go about dealing with and showing evidence of my work with children without disrupting the safeguarding of the youngsters. 

As I talked about these things, Lauren and others were able to guide me and to tell me that it was also important to consider other ways of evidencing things, rather than just taking pictures. When I talked about gathering my data, I asked whether or not it was a good idea to give parents a questionnaire on their child's confidence as a result of taking part in subjects in the Arts. Adesola mentioned that it was difficult to decide because as soon as you tell someone the situation of it being a study, results and data could be misinformed and potentially biased. 

Adesola also mentioned a good point about asking the children how they felt about their Arts tuition, pointing out that in order to work out whether cows would need current grass or new grass, you wouldn't necessarily ask them because you simply can't. You therefore have to find other ways of establishing which is better for them that doesn't always have their input. This really got me thinking about the other ways I could consequently collect data.

I then helped answer the questions of other pupils who were talking about how they go about their work and I shared my story of a recent science experiment I undertook. I explained that all of the things that I thought would make my lesson hard, such a sourcing all of the equipment and making sure no child hurts themselves, actually went to the back of my mind when combining the theory and the practical of the experiment together. I explained how one student, who often refuses to write, ended up writing just in order to see the experiment. I told him that everyone would have to wait for him to complete his work and that the experiment in itself was a piece of theatre. 

Adesola then picked me up on a line that I said which was, 'the Art is in your planning.' I soon realised that this was a 'golden nugget' of wisdom, as once you have planned to intertwine the theoretical and practical together and set up your 'theatre' then you don't have to do the extra 'work.' It is simply already there for you to experiment with yourself. 

As a result of this Skype, I want to think about how I am going to present my data and have some ideas in which I can gain the evidence. I need to start looking at observations, maybe from students and the Teaching Assistants, as well as other teachers. In the words of Adesola, 'when you think you have a block, be creative.'