Task 6D

http://delicious.com/stacks/view/Krkd4R

Hope this is done as required!

Task 6C

I want to review three pieces of literature broadly related to my inquiry. The working “short title” of the topic is “ in what ways can all the parties involved in the education of primary school-children, benefit from the contribution which live theatre can provide”.
There has been little research work done on this topic, and it has in consequence been difficult to identify suitable literature to review. I have settled on the following –
* UCL Research Ethics Committee Guidance Note 1, “Research involving children”
* “All Our Futures” A report of the National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education
* “Theatre in Education” (various publications)

1. The UCL Research Ethics Committee is a respected academic based group, set up to review and provide advice to researchers carrying out research projects, which have an ethical dimension. Guidance note 1 on “Research Involving Children” was produced a few years ago to provide a general framework within which, the committee would consider projects involving children. I felt it was important for me to know what the professional approach would be, in the light of my own intention to interview children as one of the key groups participating in my inquiry. The guidance note gives me more scope to talk to children without formal and informed parental consent than I had expected. As I understand the requirements, the nature of my project, the fact that the names of the children will not be recorded, and the classroom environment of the survey will avoid the need for a time consuming complicated approval process. I will need to explain my approach to the ethical issues in my inquiry plan.
2. “All Our Futures” is a report published in 1999 with the following terms of reference –“To make recommendations to the Secretaries of State on the creative and cultural development of young people through formal and informal education: to take stock of current provision and to make proposals for principles, policies and practice”. The prestigious committee, which produced the report was chaired by Professor Sir Ken Robinson. The key message of the report is that there needs to be a better balance in education, in setting national priorities, in the structure and organisation of the school curriculum, in methods of teaching and assessment, and in relationships between schools and other agencies. The report is full of assertions and anecdotal evidence about the need for better balance, but does not seem to draw on robust information to support its conclusions. That was disappointing, and may be the reason why many of the detailed recommendations have been ignored by governments. For me section 8 of the report is the most relevant to my interest in the role of theatre in primary education. It covers the creation of partnerships between schools and outside organisations, with the objective of implementing collaborative activities aimed at providing creative and cultural experiences for children at their school. The report makes a number of specific recommendations about how participation might be achieved. However both section 8 and section 9 (on resources and funding) are, I think, naïve about how such partnerships might be funded. In fact in my work I have found more realism and innovation about how partnerships can be funded than the report shows. My next review follows through to a few “theatre” initiatives, which have picked up on the participation theme.
3. “Theatre in Education” (TIE) has become a generic term for an initiative started in 1965 at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry, as a separate art form and educational activity. A group consisting of actors, teachers and social workers were brought together to create a community outreach team. The outreach team created a project called, “PowWow”, which took a group of children and first introduced them to an actor playing a Cowboy. Later the children were introduced to an actor playing an Indian kept in a cage as a prisoner by the Cowboy. The children were given information about both characters and their opposing views in the situation and given the choice of whether or not to free the Indian. The project had successfully merged theatre and education for the first time. TIE has progressed from this point and although it differs from its original form, its primary aim is to use theatre and drama to create a wide range of learning opportunities across the whole curriculum. TIE companies will take a particular curriculum subject or topic and build a show and/or workshop around it. There are now a number of different groups and companies offering a wide range of theatrical experiences for children. These vary from scaled down west-end musicals to participation workshops aimed at combating drug abuse or anti-social behaviour. My own company Image Musical Theatre specialises in turning a moral tale into a musical performance. These are performed at schools, with participation by some children and after a general workshop for all children. The whole event is funded on a commercial basis. I have searched in vain for reports of research based evidence that TIE can provide a significant benefit to the education of
primary schoolchildren. There is a great deal of anecdotal evidence and opinion about the benefits of TIE, but I would like to see some systematic research. Work done by the University of Durham into the impact of drama on pupils language and mathematics abilities in two primary schools is interesting but of limited scope. The Cambridge Primary Review (CPR) is detailed and claims to be evidence based, but does not research the role of theatre in education specifically. It is however a “must” for all interested in primary school education. Many of the views expressed in CPR echo those in “All Our Futures” that a better curriculum balance is needed.

In my own small and very limited way I want the results of my inquiry to make a small contribution to the body of information on how theatre can contribute to the education of primary schoolchildren.

Task 6B

Having completed the pilot studies it is clear that I will need to use all four tools in order to complete my inquiry. During the course of the pilot studies the uses and limitations of each tool were exposed.
I will reflect on each tool in the order I employed them.
For my purpose “observation” of the children both in the audience and in the play was a vital first step in my pilot process. The behaviour of both groups of children was different, and being on stage almost continuously gave me a chance to observe both groups at key points in the play, such as when my character of “swallow” dies.
I found that the benefit of “observing” is its flexibility to focus on a single individual, or to take an overview of a whole group, and to get an impression or to log detail over time. As a tool it is quick and with some practice easy to use. It can take random snapshots of behaviour, and allows the observer to stay at arms-length from the subjects of the observation.
The limit of “observation” as an inquiry tool is that it is almost entirely qualitative. It can provide crude quantitative data such as – half the audience were shocked at this point, half were untouched. In the case of the pilot study it did however provide the basis for the interview questions for both the teacher and a fellow cast member.
The use of “interviews” as a tool in the inquiry process is very different from observation. The merits are that they can be tightly controlled through a rigid structure, or unstructured to allow as much freedom of expression as possible, and to allow the interviewee to meander around the subject as thoughts come to mind. But as I become more skilled at conducting interviews it is possible to steer the interview towards certain goals without stifling the answers.
The problem of course with interviewing is that it is inevitably time consuming, and can be more confusing than helpful if there is too much talking around the subject. It can also be tempting to “lead” the interviewee towards preconceived results.
In the case of my pilot study I did feel it a necessary step in the process of designing questionnaires prior conducting a survey. I can see that often a focus group can take the place of interview at the stage of designing a questionnaire. But in my own case I wanted the focus group to have a starting point (the Q/A) from which to finalise the questions and the overall pilot survey process.
The “focus group” is I think a crucial step towards conducting a survey. It has the merit of allowing the inquiry to be reviewed by representatives of all the parties involved. Major pitfalls can be avoided ahead of embarking on the survey. The emphasis as between open and closed questions can be balanced, and if this stage is well done it can provide key perceptions about the inquiry, to allow those perceptions to be tested quantitatively. For example if it became obvious that children are primarily interested in the entertainment provided by a play, there is little point in pursuing any other perceptions, which children might have.
The problem with using focus groups is that they are always time-consuming if real value is to be obtained. Also the logistics of getting together good representatives from all the parties can prove problematic.
A “survey” is I think a step in the inquiry process, which cannot be avoided if meaningful data is to be obtained. Even so, unless it is possible to have a statistically meaningful sample in the survey the results will have to be qualified in that respect. In the case of my own inquiry it will be impossible to have a large enough sample to be statistically meaningful, and I am already thinking about how best to qualify the results and also how to describe not only what the sample is, but what it isn’t.
The merits of a survey are that it can be very precisely defined to provide reliable data, for commercial purposes. Or it can provide a wide-ranging collection of answers, if that is required, but which are difficult to analyse if quantitative data is needed.
The limits of a survey are that it is expensive, time-consuming, and can only give reliable data on the questions asked. So the objective of the inquiry needs to be carefully defined. The questions must accurately reflect the aims of the inquiry. Failing that the results of the inquiry will be little more than a random collection of anecdotal evidence.
In the field I want to inquire about there is already a great deal of anecdotal evidence to support “Theatre in Education” (TIE). But so far as I have been able to find out, there is very little hard evidence, based on the use of systematic inquiry tools, to point the best way forward for TIE in these difficult economic times.
I hope that my inquiry will go a little way to providing some hard evidence.

Task 6A

After reading the course reader and some of the references, I carried out this task in almost the reverse order to the list in the task summary. The order I used was observation, interview, focus group and survey.
I wanted to make the task as relevant to my inquiry as possible, and in the first place critically reflected on the nature of the process, which my current touring performance is a part of. The purpose was to identify the parties involved in the process and the part each one plays.
The parties I identified are-
* my employer “Image Musical Theatre”
* the staff of the schools where we perform
* other members of my cast
* the parents of the children at the schools
* the children in the audience
* the children selected to take part in the performance
For the pilot work I wanted to focus on the children, who should be the main beneficiaries of the whole effort. It is my intention to cover all the above parties in the full inquiry.
1. I started by observing the reactions of the children at each stage in visits to schools. On the basis of the observations I thought of a number of questions, which I piloted with a member of my cast and a teacher.
2. I have already posted blogs about the pilot interviews I have undertaken.
3. The next step was to form a pilot focus group to review the outputs from the pilot interviews, and to formulate a short questionnaire covering a small part of my inquiry subject. The purpose was to check if open questions are as appropriate as closed questions in the context of my inquiry.
4. The pilot survey, which I then carried out on a mixed group, showed that it would be necessary to use both forms of questions in order to obtain both qualitative and quantitative data for my inquiry. It would be best to design different but related questions for each of the parties.


Pilot questionnaires


Children in the audience


1. Did you enjoy the play?
2. What did you like most ?
3. Why did you like it the most?
4. Was there anything about the play you did not like?
5. Why did you not like it?
6. Did you understand the play?
7. What do you think it was about?
8. Would you like to see another play soon?



Children in the play


1. Did you enjoy being in the play?
2. What did you like most about that?
3. Why did you like it the most?
4. Was there anything you did not like about being in the play?
5. Why did you not like it?
6. Would you have liked it better to just watch the play?
7. Did you understand the play?
8. What do you think it was about?
9. Would you like to see another play soon?

Task 5C

My personal view of professional ethics, has not been changed, by reading the references on this topic. In fact I have found that some of the reading material has obscured rather than clarified the issues.

In this blog I want other course participants and course supervisors, to understand the view I take on ethical matters and why.

I am clear that a formal philosophical analysis, and a theoretical ethical framework, do not for me, take the professional issues posed, by my inquiry further forward. As someone who holds to Christian values, there is no better ethical and moral guide for me.

The ethics I apply in my professional life are generally guided by those values.

That is not to say that some issues, in particular some human rights questions, have absolute answers. They are matters of opinion, which have arguments both in favour and against. Many of these questions are covered by law or conventions and rules and therefore are open to interpretation. So although on paper there is clarity about what should or shouldn’t be done, resolution of disputes still end up in a court of law and therefore subject to the uncertainty of a legal process. Sometimes justice is not actually done even if it is “seen to be done”. The practice of court decisions can sometimes lead to incorrect ethical decisions.

Going back to my original thought that my behaviour is guided by Christian values. That is my personal choice, and not one I advocate is right for everyone. Nor does it necessarily imply religious faith. Although I form ethical views on the basis of the values I have expressed, I have never had to take life or death decisions based on them. But that does not stop me having views on such matters. For instance at the time of writing this note, Muammar Gaddafi and his son have just been summarily executed by the Libyan freedom fighters. Many people believe that was the right outcome. I do not believe that execution can ever be right, even if it is carried out after a trial. “An eye for an eye” was never one of my guiding commandments.

There are other guiding principles, which I hold to, such as respect, integrity, having sympathy, always doing my best, not harming anyone and helping people in need. I do not ever need to worry over what is the right thing to do. That is not to say I always do the right thing. But I know when I am behaving badly and not according to my principles.

So in summary, what I have learned from the reading fits into the theoretical framework will provide a working approach to some of the ethical questions I am likely to face in my inquiry. However when the theoretical approach gives answers, which conflict with my answers, I will need to think through the implications and act accordingly.

I am also interested in the interplay between ethics and politics, which is not a matter covered in much detail in the readings and references. For example as many social and medical issues move into the realms of human rights and fairness they are often determined in an EU arena and context, rather than at national level. So over time and as the dominant political mood changes, and as the over-riding economic situation changes, ethical decisions do change. How people are allowed to be treated, depends to some extent on how well off we feel. This is particularly true in employment issues.

Also as the influence of pressure groups on political decisions, increases, the behaviour of governments is subject to ongoing change. Implementation of party manifestos becomes problematic for the government, particularly where sensitive social issues are concerned. So although ethical behaviour is a moving target, I believe that the underlying values I hold to still hold good. Wrong actions can never be justified by political correctness.

All this may seem a long way from my inquiry topic. However, recently, the play I am appearing in was accused of being too political for young children, even though it was written well over a hundred years ago. It is in fact a tale of ethical and moral behaviour, which was allegedly portraying unacceptably “old-fashioned” values. I and my cast colleagues did not enter into the argument.

My enquiry topic will need to involve a number of parties, including my employer, other cast members, school staff, pupils, and parents. So there will be a range of ethical questions to address, some of which, will be informed by the subject matter of the readings. So I will find them useful to use as a reference against my subjective approach.

The interplay between the parties will need sensitive handling in say focus groups, when they sit down together. Also writing up the views expressed through say questionnaires will need to be done with care.

I am also a little concerned about the size of sample groups, to ensure that the results are statistically significant. I will need to take advice on this issue. But the scope of the inquiry may have to be limited by the time available to do the “leg-work” to obtain results, which are statistically valid.

Feedback from a recent performance

The following extract is from a school news paper produced shortly after we had performed at the school it gives an insight in the children's perception of the event. Whilst this is not suitably focused to use as data for my inquiry it does give a flavour of the issues I am inquiring into and gives me some very useful ideas for the questionnaires.

"On Thursday 29th Sep- tember 2011 a show took place. A group of 3 called IMAGE (Verity Evans, David Brewis and Jude De bont) came to do a show called The Happy Prince. It was a participa- tion show meaning that everyone (including teachers) sang along. Some people got picked out of the audience to have a small role. Every- one enjoyed themselves and sang along even if

they don’t normally sing.

We interviewed the crew. First up was Verity who commented. “I love working with children, it’s a lot of fun. I love act- ing and singing and we have a lot of fun. Also we live together, which is a lot of fun too. I did get nervous when I started but now we’ve done a lot of performances we just have fun. My favourite part is when I give the sapphires to the match

girl.”

We then interviewed David. “It’s lots of fun working with children because everyone says

different things. Acting and singing are some of the many things I love. My cast mates are lots of fun. No, I never get nerv- ous. My favourite part is when all the gold comes

off.”

Lastly we interviewed Jude. “It’s really fun working with children but every day is different because kids are unpre- dictable. I love acting and singing I’ve done it since I was three years old. We have lots of fun together performing and at home. Sometimes I get a bit nervous before the show. I like the part where I’m

the spoilt girl.

We then interviewed the kids in our school that had a role. Firstly we spoke to Caitlin Thorley. “I love acting it’s the best. I wasn’t nervous one bit. I didn’t like my character it just

wasn’t me.” Next we interviewed

Ebony . “I loved helping out. I wasn’t nervous at all. Yes I loved my role, it was very

easy.”

Then we interviewed James . When we asked him if he enjoyed acting he replied. ”Very much I do.” We then asked if he was nervous he said. “No not at all.” Finally we asked if he liked his role he answered. “No - I was hoping I was going to get the Happy Prince but that was the adult’s

part.”

We asked 3 people from the audience Morgan,Lewis

and Mrs Atkins. The first question we asked Morgan was What song did you most enjoy? She replied “The froggy song (The warm up)” The next question was who wasyour favourite character? She said

James because he was funny. The last question was would you like IMAGE to do another play? Morgan answers “Yes because they are very talented.” Next we interviewed

Lewis. For the first question (all the questions are the same for all the audience we interviewed) Lewis answered “The angry song because the woman kept making funny faces.” Then for the next question he answered the happy prince because he was very happy and jolly it was a shame he died in the play. Lastly when we asked him would you like IMAGE to do an- other play he replied “Hopefully but is sad that we will not be here next year to watch them if they do

decide to perform again.”

Last but not least we interviewed Mrs Atkins. For the first question she answered “The angry song because that was the only song I joined in with.” Then she replied the swallow because it did some very nice thing to help. Finally we asked her the last question and she told us “Yes I would love them to come and perform again be- cause it is very entertaining for the

children.”

We all enjoyed watching The Hap- py Prince and hope they will come again next year and the following

years to come. By Chloe and Georgia."

Task 5B

I have now compared my knowledge on the codes of practice/ regulations which guide my actions and activities at my place of work with the actual legislation from professional sources. Whilst I am happy that my knowledge of my ethical obligations to all the parties I engage with is quite good I found that there is a lot of specific legislation about working with children. I was aware of the scope of the law about the relationship between a teacher and the children being taught but now realise that there are specific pieces of legislation for example about non discrimination which I now am aware of in more detail. The work that I and my touring theatre group does brings us all into close contact with young children under 11 and we not only involve them in the performance on stage but also have to ensure their well being often without any member of staff in attendance. We need to make selections from a large group of different ages for a small number of parts and need to achieve a sensible mix of children in the performance. Sometimes our choice backfires and I now know that there is specific legal requirements on us which might be challenged by a child complaining to its' teacher of parent. I have not had time to study the 5 of 6 relevant pieces of legislation in any detail. I realise that I need to do that but outside the work of this module.

Task 5A

I want to consider the codes of practice/regulations which apply in my present job, which is as a member of a touring company (Image Musical Theatre).

The work comprises travelling to schools around the country, setting up scenery lighting and sound system at the schools, which are primary level.We run a short workshop for the whole school, select a group of children to perform small parts in our performance of "The Happy Prince" by Oscar Wilde, and then perform for the whole school.

After we have left the teachers are asked to discus the play with the children.

I want to set out the codes of practice/regulations with reference to the different groups of people we have obligations to. They are-

• The general public - Road traffic acts, and Health and Safety legislation
• Our employer - Contract of Employment, Agency Agreement, General Employment Legislation
• Other cast members - Professional Code of Practice, "Image house rules"
• School Staff - Specific Schools own house rules and LEA codes
• Children (pupils) - CRB requirements, General legislation on the protection of children, Racial discrimination legislation and codes of behaviour
• Parents - When in contact with children to act in a responsible way as a good parent would

Before  my next blog I need do some "digging" to check how far my assumptions are correct.

task 4d

"The award I seek as a result of doing this programme is BA (Hons) Professional Practice in performing arts business management”

The main resaon for this title is that my proposed enquiry is to try to carry out an enquiry into a real business question associated with the business, which currently provides me with employment as an actor and teacher, and links with my wish to develop my teaching skills.
I would like to carry through an enquiry, which will be useful to my employer. It might provide a basis for a commercial business decision on developing the business in an organic way.
We are living in a time when performing arts are driven by commercial considerations. Many performing artists teach as well as perform and many productions are either killed or move forward by virtue of the box office potential.
There has been a strong return to a business model, which not only builds on the “old school” actor manager undertaking touring productions, but also linking productions to teaching projects. These are often teaching projects, which have a social dimension.
Performers need to be teacher/coaches and often need to have business skills in addition.
The enquiry I am planning is on a narrower front than the title I propose, but I want to give a broader indication in the title than referring only to the scope of my enquiry.
Although it is my aim to get as far up the ladder as possible in my career as a performer, I would also like to build my teaching experience and skills and to position myself to acquire some business skills in addition.
I hope these three “strings to my bow” will provide me with the best chance of success in my stage career”.

Task 4c the responses from my research

I had developed a set of individually tailored questions to be answered within my own professional community beyond the programme. I have managed to gain some sufficient research from people whose idea's will be relevant to my inquiry. These are just a couple of the responses I have received, one set of answers is from a performer currently working in theatre in education and the other a primary school teacher that's school has experience of theatre companies perform. 



Name: Jude de Bont
Age: 23
Occupation: Theatre in education performer.



What do you think the children get out of having a theatre company like yourself come in to the school and perform?



For many people, in today’s financial climate, the luxury of taking your children to the theatre or putting them into drama classes isn’t an option. Bringing the theatre to the children in school means a new experience for some of them. A child’s imagine is incredibly pure and needs to be stimulated, developed and encouraged. Theatre is imagination and play. For many children it gives them an outlet to express themselves when they may struggle to in other ways. It’s generally an incredibly enjoyable experience for the children and a really proud moment for those that get to take part; many of whom are the children that never get picked for anything or aren’t high achievers. It can be very inspiring and exciting but can also teach a lot through the message of our play’s story.



Do you think it is an important part of education incorporating theatre into learning?



Absolutely. Children really respond to theatre. The music, the costumes, the performance are all play, which children do naturally. Every child learns in different ways and you will find many children that find it difficult to perform in a classroom situation excel performing on a stage. Theatre is also a very disciplined environment where everyone’s full commitment and effort is integral to the outcome of the performance. There’s a great sense of everyone working together and supporting each other and this is an invaluable thing for children to experience. It’s great to see children who may be deemed as troublemakers perform wonderfully on stage. These children sometimes just need someone to believe in them, give them a sense of responsibility and let them express themselves.



What do you think could be developed and improved upon when taking a show to a school?



Preparing the schools better for our arrival. If a school or the teachers are not really on board with the show throughout the performance it can be incredibly challenging to keep the children engaged or stimulated. Many of the teachers aren’t informed beforehand of our coming or what exactly we’ll be doing and can be a bit unsupportive which makes our performance and work with the children more difficult. Timings are also a crucial thing when performing in schools. Performances at schools that are organised and prepared for us are incredibly smooth and hassle free for all.



What ethical issues have arisen whilst taking part in the show?



Today’s Britain is an incredibly multicultural country, embracing people from all over the world who practice all different religions. When I look at the children in the audience and the multicoloured faces staring back I see a sea of young faces, I don’t see a sea of different coloured faces or religious beliefs. However, we have on occasion, experienced issues with teachers who believe we have chosen children to partake in the show based on the colour of their skin or told that we need to be aware of the amount of a particular religious sect in the school and act accordingly. It’s terribly difficult in today’s society to say or do anything without being seen as politically incorrect. It’s difficult because children pick up on this negative vibe and that’s how racism and bigotry can be developed from a young age. Children are incredibly innocent and usually oblivious to there being any issue if their skin is a different colour. For example during one of my workshop sessions a little white boy pointed at a little black girl and said ‘Her face is black.’ which didn’t appear to bother any of the children. He was merely stating it as a fact, as if I hadn’t noticed. There was no malice in it. However, if an older person said such a thing they would be considered a racist.



How does taking a show to a school hall differ from taking the children to a theatre?



A theatre can be an incredibly intimidating place for a very young child. Bringing the performance to the school puts the theatre in their own environment in which they’re comfortable and safe. It means they can fully get involved and enjoy the experience on their own level instead of being more distanced from the performance, as they might be in an actual theatre space. It’s also more of a personal experience. The children are aware the show is just for them and their own friends which means they are more confident when performing knowing their peers are there supporting them and no strangers are watching.



What would you say were the pros and cons of performing at the school instead of a typical theatre setting?



Pros:
* The children are in their own environment where they are more comfortable and confident.
* The show is easily adapted to your audience’s specific needs and preferences.
* The atmosphere is more relaxed and on a level with the children.
* The show can be all about the children, they feel more included.
* You really get to know your audience on a personal level.



Cons:
* You can never guarantee you get the desired space to perform. Every school hall is different and audience sizes change, you don’t know in advance, so you have to assess and perform accordingly.
* You don’t know what the acoustics in the hall will be like until you arrive so have to adjust your singing accordingly and you’re not miked so it can be a strain on the voice, particularly in larger schools.
* You don’t have a theatre manager or crew so all the set and preparation has to be done by yourself.
* Sometimes access to your performing space within the school is awkward or is being used for another purpose and you can’t have access right away.



What have you learnt first hand about theatre in education whilst performing at the schools?



Performing at schools has made me realise how important theatre in education is and how integral it is to a child’s development. As I said before children learn in different ways and we need to continue to develop and encourage different teaching techniques to insure we stimulate a child and improve their learning. Education is not all about maths, english and science but also about personal development. Children spend the most important years of their development in schooling, and education is incredibly influencing. It is as much the environment they are educated in and the experiences they get out of things such as theatre performances that add to this development. Albert Einstein said ‘The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.’ Children need to be encouraged and inspired, and partaking in and enjoying theatre within their school environment does just that.


Name: Kate
Occupation: Primary school teacher.


 Do you think it is an important and valuable part of education incorporating theatre into learning?

I believe that incorporating theatre into learning is highly valuable to educating children.  I have always tried to incorporate as much drama as possible into the curriculum I deliver and think that theatre is an obvious progression from this.  When children have the opportunity to perform in a production, their confidence thrives and they learn that everyone has an equally important role to play.

Would you be interested in having a theatre company visit and perform at your school? If so how would you feel it would benefit the children's education?

We have had theatre companies such as Riding Lights in to school and the children has been enthused by what they have seen.  We would definitely welcome theatre company visits in the future, as I believe that for children to see what the finished product can look like, gives them something to aspire to as young actors.  I also think it helps them to access the creative side of their brains, to allow them to use their own imaginations to create endless possibilites, especially those who find story telling challenging.

How much is theatre encouraged in your school? And what do you currently have on your curriculum that is geared towards the creative subjects?

Performance and drama are encouraged to a large extent and we are currently working towards the Arts Mark award for schools, which requires us to prove that we are

dedicating at least 12% of our curriculum time to the arts and creative subjects.  We always try to promote creativity troughout the curriculum, eg. Art through History, Drama through English.

How much would you as a school expect to pay for a performance and workshop?

Apologies but I have no idea what the going rate is for a day's workshop - between £200 - £300??

Their responses definitely gave me food for thought and possible leads to follow with developing further my inquiry. I was totally unaware of the scheme with "The Arts Mark Award" this I feel it is an excellent idea and is in place to encourage positive affects for the importance of the arts in education. It is great to see that schemes have been designed to support the arts, and that schools are taking up the offer by dedicating at least 12% of their curriculum time to the arts and creative subjects.

  From my research I was interested to see how much a school was prepared to pay for a performance and workshop. The amount this particular school teacher would estimate is less than half what the going rate for this service is. With our current climate there is limited amounts of money to go around and therefore theatre in education is a cut that has been most noticeable. The general reaction from teachers and pupils from the schools is a positive one, they generally feel that theatre in education is a vital part of learning for their students. If the schools feel so strongly about theatre in education why are the government not giving the support and funding to help it continue. One school I visited put on their own show to raise enough money to pay for a theatre company to perform, this highlights the fact some schools feel it a really important part of their students education and are prepared to go out of their way to fund such an activity.

Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity | Video on TED.com

Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity | Video on TED.com

I found this video most fitting for my argument the importance of the arts within education. It is really interesting and highlights some extremely useful points for my inquiry. In particular the hierarchical structure of subjects in education. It is a moving case for creating an education system that nurtures rather than undermines creativity.

Task 4b creating a SIG

I have just set up a special interest group on facebook named "theatre in education" so please take a look and feel free to comment and blog your thoughts. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Theatre-in-education/131061190332222 I have devised a set of questions I am going to post on the page throughout the course of the next few weeks, they are intended to stimulate conversation and opinions. I have already had a private response from a drama teacher expressing his thoughts on the importance of theatre in education. This has left me feeling confident that I will gain some feedback even if it is a limited amount. I have found people to interact with outside the course that will be equally relevant to my research. I've started off by emailing school teachers and speaking to performers currently working in theatre in education this should allow me to gain sufficient feedback to help me with my professional inquiry. I am interested in what I will find and what the general consensus will be. There will be blogs regarding their responses in the near future.

Task 4b

I am considering carrying out my enquiry on the importance of theatre in education. My decision will be influenced by finding one or two other course members, who would like to do something similar so that we can form a SIG.

It seems to me that this identifying other members of the course for a “SIG” is a high priority. Will anyone who is considering choosing a business issue in the performing arts area as their enquiry project please respond so that we can exchange more detailed information about our plans.

A development of Task 4a

I have now thought about the questions I asked myself in my last “blog”. In the light of feedback I have had from other people I am currently working with and Stephanie Thomas I have decided that I would like to enquire into the part which theatre can play in education.
I was unable to obtain the agreement of the principal of the dance school, to support my enquiry (into the market for expansion of her school into a new area). So I had to abandon that idea.
Fortunately I now have the agreement of my present employer “Image Musical Theatre Company” to support an enquiry into the contribution that theatre can provide in education.
Subject to agreement of the University and to being able to form a SIG, I want to enquire into the history, the current initiatives and the future potential contribution which performance arts and the theatre in particular can make to enhance the effectiveness of education. I may have to limit the scope of the enquiry to fit the timetable for the course.
The enquiry is directly relevant to my current job, so I hope to be able to bring some personal experience to the work.
The outcome of the enquiry is to provide an objective answer to the question –
“Can the use of performing arts be further developed to improve the process of education”.
The initial questions, which have come to mind, and which the enquiry will hopefully answer are-
* What are the traditional roles which theatre has played?
* What current approaches are available?
* How widely are they used?
* What options are available in order to enhance and develop the contribution which theatre can make?
* Who might take forward the process of developing the contribution?
* How would the process be funded?
* Can focus group meetings help to define the business model?
* Can a market survey help to define the best way to take forward the business development?
* What would be the best/most effective way to advertise the new approaches?
* Would it be possible to create ongoing links to schools as a way of spreading information about the value of the new approaches?
* What is the availability of suitable performers to teach/perform?
* What are the implications for the teaching of performing arts?
* What are the major issues and potential show stoppers?
* What are the risks to be taken into account in coming to a business decision?

I am sure that many other questions will arise along the way and the scope of the work will have to be limited by the resources available to complete the enquiry.

If I receive positive feedback on this enquiry and SIG support I can make a start on the meat of the work involved in defining and planning the enquiry.

Task 4a

Michael Erauts typology of non-formal learning has given me a useful framework within which to think about researchable questions. I like Martyn Denscombes idea that I might try to set up questions, which forecast some outcome. But I don’t really want to spend time arguing about the meanings of non-formal or informal questions.
My inclination at this point is to plan and undertake research into a particular and real as opposed to theoretical business matter. What I have in mind is associated with the expansion of a dance business where I teach on a part time basis.
I am encouraged by the mention of a business issue in the course reader being a suitable issue for research. However some of the preliminary questions I need to answer are –

* Why am I doing this particular course?
* What aspect of performing arts do I want to concentrate my career on?
* Do I want to specialise at this early stage of my career?
* Do I want to include teaching as an aspect of my career?
* Can I find enough other members with similar projects on the course to form a SIG?
* What are my expectations of discussing these questions with other course members?
* Can I get the agreement of my dance studio, to support my research?
* Can I find a project, which can be done with the limited time and other resources I have?
* Do I possess (or can I acquire) the necessary business skills to make a success of the enquiry?
* In the normal course a real business problem would handled by a multi-disciplinary team, so can I limit the scope of my project in a way, which will give me a chance to make it a success?


I would appreciate comments from other course members who may be having similar concerns, and from university staff who might be able to guide me towards a suitable issue to enquire into.

Starting Task 4a

I am looking forward to working on this module and have started to read the relevant course reader and other suggested reading material. My circumstances have changed significantly since I completed the first module, and I am considering what issue to research.
After a fruitless year of being unable get work as a performer I was successful in obtaining a part and I am now on tour performing in a production of “The Happy Prince”. But that means I will be unable to attend the campus sessions. I will really be learning at a distance and will rely on feedback from other course members as well as university staff.
Also as a self-employed performer I am finding it difficult to identify an issue, which will satisfy the University as being suitable for the course criteria and relevant to my professional practice.
At this point in time I am very much at the beginning of understanding the Penelope Hanstein diagram in the course reader and will “blog” my thoughts when I am able to fully understand it and put my thoughts in order.

Task 3D The Networked Professional

With reference to the Course Reader on Reflection I have made 10 comments on other people's Blogs. 3 of which have been participants in the term ahead on their pervious networking posts.

1. Nicole Carman
2. Kazuka Oike
3. Sonal Patel
4. Stephanie Thomas ( 2 posts )
5. Leanne Watson
6. Laura Ann Wright

1. Lisa Bird
2. Elizabeth Eastman
3. Joanna Adeyinka- Burford

Starting out on BAPP Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLktZNHctPc

Verity Evans' photostream

Verity Evans' photostream on Flickr.

Task 3C The Networked Professional

I have not included my family members as important contacts because it is a network which sits in the background of my development and supports me across the whole range of my activities. Nor have I included my teaching network as the most important of my information sources at this point. My focus is on developing my career as a performer, so my five current most important sources of information relate to the process of getting work as a performer. This starts with obtaining information about up coming auditions, considering possible options with my agency, securing an audition, preparing for an audition and finally doing the audition. I have included my most important contact for each step each of the sources listed has been chosen from a number of different networks as listed in my blog 3A and following evaluation of several possible choices. I have concluded that I will need to be prepared to re consider my contacts on a regular basis and I have an action plan to construct a data base of network contacts which gives me flexibility not only to add and subtract names but also to change their degree of importance as my career develops. I am currently considering if a spreadsheet approach gives me what I want and will spend time developing it after I have completed my 750 words submission critically reflecting on the whole module.
  My choice of five most important sources are as follows:

• The stage/ The stage I phone application
• Facebook
• Contacts 2011/ Actors year book
• College and private teachers
• My Agent

Task 3B The Networked Professional

Even with the benefit of a very useful campus session I have found it difficult to fully understand some of the concepts outlined in the reader and in the references mentioned in the reader on Professional Networks. At a basic level networking and learning are activities I have been engaged in all my life. But I had never appreciated that there is so much theory and thinking developing around them.
   I take a simple view of the part played by new technologies which is similar to my general view that I have no real interest in knowing how new technologies work. But I do try to obtain the most benefit from them in the things that I do day to day. The fact that video, audio, communications and computing technology has converged through a learning process during the course of my lifetime is largely immaterial to me I simply use my phone and laptop which embody all this convergence as an integral part of my day to day working and social life. I am pleased that I can do this since it allows me to communicate, network and learn so much more readily than my parents and grandparents were able to do.
   There are two distinct aspects to the theory, networking and learning. Although the theory separates the two things they are in my view part of the same process. Whilst we as individuals think mostly about our own part in a network and how our own learning is progressing we might with some benefit to others and to ourselves consider both aspects from other members of our networks point of view. They say it takes "two to tango" and in a network of say six to twelve members it needs everyone to play their part in putting in their ideas and responding to others ideas if maximum benefit is to be achieved by everyone in the network.
   I was interested in "game theory" but thought that it suggested a very selfish approach to networking and not at all helpful in keeping a long term network alive. If we simply use other members ideas selfishly and then ditch them when it suits us I don't think we would keep our friends for very long. I like the idea of long term affiliations. In particular the idea of controlling your level of contact within the network to increase it or decrease it as time goes by and as circumstances change. There is an old saying that "you should respect your friends when you are going up because you might need them when you are coming down". I sometimes feel that both I and my friends are guilty of using facebook to reward and punish friends by limiting or increasing contact with them in order to influence their behaviour. I'm not sure how good that is as a way of managing contacts.
   I appreciated the extract from Siemens, G. (2004) as a clear explanation of the three broad theories of learning. The current trends in learning show a helpful list which will provide a valuable basis for understanding how networking and learning are part of the same whole. Driscol (2000) provides a concise outline of the topics on which debate was and it seems to me still are centred. For me it also provides a useful set of definitions of the three traditions of learning, objectivism, pragmatism and interpretivism.
   Coming now to the relevance to the work involved in the B.A. course I believe that the structure of the learning process involved is built around this theory of professional networking and that I will gain much from having studied the theory. It is also as a performer very important to understand affiliation theory, in particular homeostatis in order to control the level of contact I have with the networks which I have established. As performers we know implicitly the importance of contacts. Indeed neopotism is normal. But if you have no family contacts in performing arts you need to work even harder at your contacts to get back on terms with others who do have family contacts.
   I feel I can most closely associate myself with the work of Karen Stevenson and can relate to the principles of connectivism in the current age. This facilitates a process where people and technology come together to create a powerful training/ learning/ information tool which will improve as experience and knowledge increase.
   I am looking forward to using these techniques both through the remaining modules of the course and beyond in my professional career.

CAMPUS SESSION 3 17th MARCH 2011

This Campus session consisted of explaining and planning for the next module Part 3 The Networked Professional. We began the session by reading the course reader and the tasks involved. We were then given a section of the course reader "Concepts of The professional Network" and each had to analyse one the concepts given and make clear notes to describe to the others what was meant by it. Concepts of The Professional network involve Cooperation, Affiliation, Social Constructionism, Connectivism and Communities of Practice. I was given the topic Social Constructionism to explore. I made the following notes:

• Meanings of the world and experiences (they construct)
• It is constructed by human beings as they engage with the world.
• Tree example, human beings named that object as a tree so we don't dispute it or explore it as someone once did. If it still had the same meaning would it still be a tree?
• Social Constructionism happens through social interaction, humans "construct" meanings of the world based on their experiences of it.
• It is our own making these Social Constructions.It is relevant to us as Networks are large Social Constructions and it is our choice to which extent we are willing to selflessly contribute to the network.

Once everyone had shared their knowledge on their allocated topics we all found we had a clearer insight to the importance of these networks and began to understand the concepts on a deeper level relating it to our own lives. We questioned whether our networks changed as we develop and move on through life and how affiliations can be more important in different aspects of our lives. This spurred a discussion on benefits and values of our existing networks and how far people go to form useful networks.
We were then given the task of mapping out out existing networks in small groups, I found this very beneficial as I had no idea of just how far my web stretched regarding networks. It became clear to me that networks are vital for succeeding in any part of your social and working life.

Explaining my Web:

I started off mapping out my existing networks by branching off with questions such as What benefits me? What are the roles of technologies? Whats the hierarchy? What meanings do you get from Networks? Points of interaction that exist on the Network? Value to me? What needs do my networks meet? once we started to answer these questions it lead to further branches emerging such as social interaction, learning from experience, conventional ways of interacting, making own view, relationships formed, status, meeting people to open doors, stepping stones, affiliation, give and receive knowledge, these then develop to deeper understanding and potential job, different branches to widen network, connectivism and social constructionism before we knew it we had a whole page filled with mapping out our existing networks, this was just a small area we covered and could have delved deeper into each point. We just touched the tip of the iceberg!
   From this session I took away some valuable information about The Networked Professional which enabled me to gain a clearer understanding of the next four tasks in part 3. I am excited to blog about these in the coming weeks and bring in other concepts and perspectives to explore that will help me understand my professional practice more deeply.

Task 3A The Networked Professional

I have seriously considered my professional contacts and grouped them into several groups as follows:

1. My own family members, who take an interest in my career
2. Ex Conti both students and teachers
3. My agency team
4. Casting Directors who have employed or auditioned me
5. Producers I have worked with
6. Employers I have worked for
7. Work colleagues at Conti Associates and Stagecoach
8. Middlesex University Network

   As I do more work the list and members on each list will grow over time and I need to create a referencing system for my contacts in each group. This will form a data base to allow me to retrieve contact details for individuals and groups as the need arises. My first thoughts which I need to think further about are that my email address book could be the best way of creating such a data base.
   Some groups or individuals in different groups are people I am in closer contact with than others. They are included in my Facebook contacts and are the ones I am in most regular contact with.
   As time goes by and my career develops I will need to add to and subtract from my professional networks both groups and individuals. This means that my data base needs to be sufficiently flexible to facilitate these changes.

Task 2D Inquiry

first of all I want to try and get my thoughts in some kind of order. A natural place for these to be are in my reflective journal. But I need to explain this background thinking before settling my inquiry task. Looking inward at myself I feel that this current program is helping me very much to sort out my priorities and focus on what I want to do for the future. When I left Conti I had several auditions each week mostly for Musical Theatre but the structure of the business and the way that Musical Theatre is marketed has made it extremely difficult to get that kind of work. It has been a problem for all my friends who left Conti at the same time. I have no decided that I want to teach performing arts and doing a limited amount of dance teaching which may build up over time. Whilst I am enthusiastic about teaching I trained as a performing artist and my first love is still performing. This leads to me being enthusiastic about ways of improving my chances to get work and to fulfil that performing ambition. Also out of the three skills (dance, singing and acting) I acquired at college to become an actor is my main objective. So bearing all this in mind I am enthusiastic about ways of improving my chances of being cast. Many parts are cast without auditions being held. This makes it difficult to break into the right network of contacts. I have no family contacts in the business and only have the contacts I have made through Conti and jobs I have done. I need to develop an appropriate network of contacts and to improve the use of that network. I feel impotent having already written to many Casting Directors, Agencies and Theatre Companies. It is also frustrating that having completed my training I either need to improve my skills through working or pay for further private tuition which is cost prohibitive. It seems to me that of the very large number of graduates from performing arts courses only a tiny proportion maybe as low as 1% actually maintain a career as a performer. There are many examples of people who have failed and a very small number of success stories. It makes me angry that the chances of a career are so small but someone I do admire is called Lisa Turner who did similar training to my own and has ultimately moved into teaching combined with Directing productions. She has successfully combined her work with having and bringing up a family and has achieved what seems to me a good life balance. I have loved performing the acting roles I have been fortunate enough to be cast in and admire the work of Judi Dench to the point of her being my hero. She exhibits such a range of talent being at home on t.v sitcoms, classical stage roles and iconic film parts. She commands the respect of the public and the profession in comedy, serious and musical performances and is now at the pinnacle of the profession having become one of our national treasures. I don't understand what it takes to be successful unless you have excellent contacts and connections with people who know your work and can influence the casting of parts. I do admire a former colleague from Italia Conti associate school who grappled with the same issues as I am. She tried very hard to start up her own theatre company had plans to take a group to Edinburgh fringe and venues around the UK. She raised a lot of money to allow this to happen but ultimately ran out of funds. She had no choice but to withdraw her theatre company she lost her home and other assets and ended up in a very distressed state. She has now come through that period and is looking positively to the future feeling that she has gained as a person from the experience she has had. She is embarking on a future by doing some overseas traveling. The event which has prompted questions I would like to peruse further is the experience I have had over the last few months where I have twice got down to the last two for particular parts. In each case I lost out to the other person. This is an experience I do not want to repeat. When I get into a smiler situation in the future I want to give myself the best possible opportunity to be the one selected rather than the one rejected. It is my intention to work up a reflective approach which systematically works through the planning, in action and after the event analysis framework to try and maximise my chances.

Task 2A Reflective Journal

I have been thinking about the different options for keeping a reflective journal and have decided a written diary would be the best way for me to record my day to day experiences and thoughts. The reason for this is that I can always have it with me, it can be readily used to jot down thoughts that occur to me and will remain private unless I actually show it to someone else. I did consider the various electronic options but decided that I was likely to be more honest with myself and my thoughts about other people in a written diary which I feel could be better protected than an electronic journal. I appreciate that the sections from the journal that I will want to transfer to a blog or another electronic document will still need typing up but for me I think the written diary is the best and most comfortable option. Also I can use it as a rough notebook and make any changers or give further thoughts after a period of reflection. This would be more difficult with an electronic diary. Finally a written diary is not so susceptible to theft as a laptop or mobile phone also it avoids the common occurrence of loss of data.

Reflective Writing task 2B

Description; I have limited this example to one class out of a full days dance teaching at an Associate School of Italia Conti the class is a Grade 2 ISTD exam tap class and is comprised of eight to ten year old boys and girls. The session takes place the Clapham site and involves me travelling from Droitwich on a Saturday morning to reach the school by 8.30. The session took place on Saturday the 5th march 2011 from 8.30-10 am.
Plan; The previous week I had asked all exam candidates to come as if it was the actual exam. This involved them having immaculate hair, clean tights and leotards. In one particular case the child is autistic and needed special attention to avoid surprises. Ahead of the session I had to burn disks for the children to make sure they had a copy of the syllabus music to practice with during the week to enable them to be as prepared as possible for the exam date. This is vital as they only come to class for an hour a week so a lot of their progress is developed at home. I also had the task of lesson planning to ensure that all exercises that need to be covered were and any mistakes that needed to be ironed out were dealt with.
Initial Reflection; I was apprehensive because there was a lot of work to do and the exam date is fixed for the 12th March. I was trying to schedule the available time to make sure that all the details were correct. One girl came in with an injury which prevented her from working at 100% effort. I had to see one parent to inform him that is daughter was not going to be able to take the exam since she was not at an acceptable level of preparation. I found that quite a difficult thing to do and felt like it should have been dealt with at a higher level at the school.
List; I was tired as a result from leaving home at 6am, some children were take out of my class for an acting rehearsal for a show that was taking place at the end of the day, some children were late which disrupted the class and meant that we had to back track which wasted valuable time. I was pleased that everyone turned up dressed as requested the pervious week, the floor of the particular studio used for the exam was slippery which resulted in the children been more cautious then normal.
Evaluation; Everyone attended, the lesson plan worked well although a few minor changes were made on the day to accommodate a few problems I had not anticipated, I learnt that I must isolate my own stress from the children as it can affect their performance if the see me expressing concern. I discovered that it was worth while treating the lesson as a dress rehearsal so that they had the feel of what the exam will be like next week.
What If; I could have had injuries in the class, lack of attendance, parents who had not bothered to take the dress rehearsal seriously, I could have had children not in the the correct shoes, I could have missed my train or been delayed, tubes may not have been running due to engineering works or strikes!!!
Another view; from the perspective of the parent of the autistic child I teach, this particular parent has a lot of concerns when taking her child anywhere, with her son being autistic the day can be very unpredictable and unexpected problems can arise and are almost inevitable. The simplest thing like how his breakfast goes in the the morning can determine how the rest of the day will go. I encourage this particular parent to regularly pop in to view the class and her sons progress. As this week I had asked them to arrive dressed for the exam the autistic boy had to wear a leotard which he wasn't used to and felt quite alien to him, this created a few problems to begin with. His mother had to line the inside of the leotard in satin as he has a complex with seams on clothing, this meant extra preparation and time had to be spent on the mothers part to ensure it all ran as smoothly as possible for her son. I updated his mother throughout the day as she kept asking how he was in his leotard and if he had caused me any problems, I put her at ease when I stated he was a little apprehensive at first but seems confident and happy now and she needed not to be concerned. This was a success in the parents eyes as so much potentially could have gone wrong due to the disruption of the class and the extra 30 minutes I had added on to his morning.
Themes; I valued all the children's commitment and attitude to the class. They all worked extremely hard and their focus was impeccable. They all took on board notes and corrections and applied these to their work. I was enthusiastic watching them progress and develop new skills in the class. I am also enthusiastic about their tap exam next weekend and showing the examiner what they are capable of, I just hope that they all do as well as they can and that all the hard work on mine and their part pays off. If I was to do anything differently in the class I would have tried to spend more time individually and written each child out notes to take away with them with key points to work on in the week running up to their exam. I would have also liked to have used the studio they will be taking the exam in more regularly leading up to the exam to ensure they are more comfortable with the space and floor. This particular day fits into my week as I know that every Saturday I need to go to London and that I need to book a specific train to enable me to be on time for my 8.30 start. I have taken this example of a regular even which became more special due to the implications of the exam. Each week is different but I will use this frame work as a general reference for the future to try and help my own learning and my performance as a teacher.

Comments on the course reader on "Reflective Practise" 2C

Reflective practice has been defined simply as "consciously thinking about and analysing what one is to do, is doing, or has done". As I read through the reader and some of the references it became clear that this approach will provide me with a systematic way of doing what I already do in an unstructured fashion.
   The approach will provide me with a frame work to think about future current and past events to help me plan what I am going to do, to react better on the day and to learn for the future.
   For example a major issue in my life is to improve performance at auditions. I need to think about the key criteria which will be applied to casting Directors when casting any part. Assessing if I have got what they might want, and can I convey what I think they want during the audition. If during the audition my initial assumptions prove to be wrong I need to be able to take action and change my plan to try and convey what they want.
   I have often thought that intelligences can show itself in different ways. So it was interesting to read the theory of visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learning. The theory supports my experience. In performance multiple intelligences are seen in artistic vision in learning lines or musical pieces or in dance movements.
   Learning always needs to be supported by reflection before during and after an event. For instance a dance ensemble however well rehearsed can make mistakes. If a problem arrises reflection in action can help to correct it literally on the hoof.
   I enjoyed understanding "the creative habit" as explained by Twyla Tharp. Tacit or unspoken knowledge is observable in all animals, and humans can readily be conditioned to repeat both good and bad behaviour. So I can fully understand how people can be conditioned or trained to be creative or to improve their creativity. The example quoted of muscle memory is one which all trained dancers can relate to as well as loss of muscular memory when a dancer stops training for any length of time.
   Journal writing is a key component of continuing professional development. But I think that a journal will be most useful if you are brutally honest about yourself, your perceptions of yourself and the likely perceptions of others. I agree with the view that private journals need to remain private. But they can be usefully used as a basis for publishing work, even of critical thinking. Journals should be where we can set out our goals, asses our progress and continuously review and evaluate ourselves as people as well as performance professionals.
   I like the idea of writing down what I think is wanted at key events and having to write down the evidence for my conclusions. I am more likely to come to rational decisions if I write things down and weigh them up. Also to write down a "what if" scenario should help me to prepare for specific auditions. That will show me what I need to rehearse and what I might do if my assumptions are wrong. I found it difficult to understand the "Reid and moon" framework comprises so I looked at the work of Indra Jones who has documented a reflective framework. I also looked at "the Reflective Practise journal"which sets out the key points of the Reid and moon framework. It seems to comprise six steps of description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, and action plan. There are several variants on this structure, but  I will use this simple approach for task 2B of my part 2 module.
   I will try to be honest but also to respect myself, and try to concentrate on what has confused me where I have doubts show hesitation or feel uncomfortable or disorientated.
   Intend to start with a straight forward example of teaching a particular dance class which will cover preparation in advance thoughts on the day and reflection after the class.

My initial thoughts on Part 2 The Reflective Practitioner

Having read the course reader on the subject of Reflection practises I found that reflection is a day-to-day activity that we engage in and something that enables us to analyse a situation or experience. However I think reflection takes place more often than we record. Reflecting is a learning experience, you take a situation and you review it, the learning takes place when you start to question what you could have done differently? or what worked well? This means you can start coming across new ideas and therefore results in learning something new which we should all strive for.
 I reflect on a regular basis and sometimes I reflect with out even acknowledging it! Even though reflection is something I am familiar with I very rarely put down into words how I felt about a particular event or the outcome. Keeping a journal is a new tool for me however I am sure it will benefit me throughout the duration of the course, it will enable me to look back to now in a few months time and hopefully I will see a change in my thoughts and ideas. It will also be interesting to see how I was feeling at each point in the course and the problems and worries I had to overcome.

CAMPUS SESSION 2 21st FEB 2011

This session was a structured exercise to introduce our group into the theory of reflective practise. Having attended the first session two weeks previously I felt more confident with the work and felt I had a clearer understanding on what the campus session would involve. One of the highlights of the session was meeting new classmates that I hadn't met at the communication task meeting. I found it most interesting meeting and hearing the story of a peer that was working in events management and how it shows the general application of this program to a wide range of specialists skills and how others can use it in their own skill area.

After discussing the importance of reflecting on a regular basis and how it helps us with our everyday lives we went onto a practical exercise in groups and discussed our professional lives and training. This was fascinating understanding others current situation regarding the business. It was quite a revealing exercise and some people spoke more in detail than others. To complete this first task we had to write down everything we had learnt about what our group had said in as much detail as possible. We then used post its to write a sentence on what we had learnt form the experience. I learnt that I shouldn't worry about other peoples views and opinions on the work that we do or shy away from the fact that we are performers and be proud and positive of what we do.

We then Skyped Adesola in Michigan which really opened my eyes to the possibilities of the World Wide Web and what it has to offer. Skype is something I am not familiar with but after seeing first hand how it works I would definitely like to set up an account in the near future as I found the skype session very beneficial and could be a useful communication tool. We then went on to an exercise using foam javellins the only insturctions we were given were to balance the javellins by the tips of our index fingers in pairs and gradually adding more people to the equation and being more adventurous with our movements using levels and moving round the space. The point of this exercise didn't become fully clear til the end when Adesola questioned us on our approach, strategy and thoughts. I found it diffictult not knowing exactly what we were doing without planning ahead. I found from this exercise that I used active experimentation meaning I liked planning/ experimenting what I have learnt. I then went on to Abstract conceptulisation concluding/ learning from the experiance and working out what I would have done differently to make the task even more successful next time. This is Concept was extracted from a cycle formed by David Klob. I found this cycle very beneficial to me as you can identify you had an experience and it gives you the tools to reflect on that experience. learning in action and on action!!!

From this session I went away feeling energised and excited about the next step in the course and look forward to completing the tasks ahead.

Internet Addiction a growing epidemic!!!!

Adesola inspired me to post this blog I touched on it in my previous blog "social networking is both useful and dangerous" and figured I would develop it further. The internet has a huge impact on our society today and with out it many things that we rely on and take for granted would not be possible. There are many benefits to surfing the world wide web but in this post I am focusing on the pit falls of regular internet use. I found some shocking evidence to support internet addiction however I was more shocked to find I fit into some of these statistics. Obviously with any kind of addiction there are different levels, in extreme cases you may have to seek help from your GP or Psychiatrists to undergo therapy. "Abnormal psychological dependency" this definition of addiction made the most sense to me. Internet addiction like gambling is an impulse control disorder. I personally feel that I have an abnormal relationship with the internet. I know for a fact that I check my facebook and emails on a far too regular basis every time I pick up my mobile which has access to the internet I feel the need to check for updates or just plain surfing. From what I have read there is no actual figure of how many people suffer from internet addiction so it is hard for me to estimate just how many people fall into this category in the UK. However a nationwide study conducted by a team from Stanford University's School of Medicine had estimated that nearly one in eight Americans suffer from at least one sign of problematic internet use. This to me sounds like a huge figure when you think the population of the United States, in 2009 was 307,006,550.


These Signs of Internet Addiction were found at http://www.netaddiction.com/ : Meeting five of the following symptoms were considered necessary to be diagnosed.


1. Do you feel preoccupied with the Internet (think about previous online activity or anticipate next online session)?
2. Do you feel the need to use the Internet with increasing amounts of time in order to achieve satisfaction?
3. Have you repeatedly made unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop Internet use?
4. Do you feel restless, moody, depressed, or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop Internet use?
5. Do you stay online longer than originally intended?
6. Have you jeopardized or risked the loss of significant relationship, job, educational or career opportunity because of the Internet?
7. Have you lied to family members, therapist, or others to conceal the extent of involvement with the Internet?
8. Do you use the Internet as a way of escaping from problems or of relieving a dysphoric mood (e.g., feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, depression)?


Other Symptoms Include:

• Failed attempts to control behavior

• Heightened sense of euphoria while involved in computer and Internet activities

• Neglecting friends and family

• Neglecting sleep to stay online

• Being dishonest with others

• Feeling guilty, ashamed, anxious, or depressed as a result of online behavior

• Physical changes such as weight gain or loss, backaches, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome

• Withdrawing from other pleasurable activities