BAPP Task 2a: Reflective Practice

Journal Writing

I like to assume that my thinking and my writing are linked. Writing, for me personally, is one of my favourite ways to express how I feel; to get ideas down to come back to at any time and when I am ready to explore them further. Putting pen to paper or typing away on my laptop are reflective tools within which I can get lost in my own thoughts and enjoy documenting whatever is of interest to me in that moment.

I like to write EVERYTHING. Lists, schedules, study notes, cards, essays; no matter what it is I just love to write. So when I discovered that Part 2 of the BAPP programme surrounds the use of reflective writing and learning I was thrilled.

Looking at Task 2a, it requests that we take up journal writing - perfect! I actually used to keep a journal when I was training at Elmhurst School for Dance. Every night before I went to sleep, I would document the events of my day adding in my thoughts, feelings and anything that I felt was of importance. Picking those journals up now is like a throwing myself back in time! Old memories, thoughts and feelings come to the surface and it is such an incredible way for me to revisit my first time training away from home. It's so strange to read what you were up to in the past and how you were feeling. Obviously I was much younger when I first started my journal writing so it's fascinating to witness how I change and mature throughout them.

After having a few years of not keeping one, I was so pleased to read that Module 1, Part 2 of the BAPP surrounds keeping a journal. It is believed that journal writing can encourage development and a consistency in learning within whichever professional field you are involved in. It is also viewed as a fantastic and more personal platform for reflection and one that can be used to support your thinking at that time.






















From the BAPP reading list, I downloaded and had a look through 'Chapter 1: Using Journal Writing to Enhance Reflective Practice' by David Boud. This section of his book 'Promoting Journal Writing in Adult Education', surrounds how journal writing can assist in reflective practice and what circumstances give way for journal writing to be utilized.

Aside from Bouds' exploration of how journal writing can enhance learning, I was more so interested in his research into what sort of learning/working environments fuel a person's desire to keep a journal. He has separated these into 3 categories:

'Reflection in Anticipation of Events'
This places emphasis on what we can do before an activity in order to get the most out of future events that we will be involved in. Boud asks the learner to think about:

What intents and specific goals do we bring to the event? What are our expectations of the event and the outcomes? How strongly do we hold our intents, and will these blind us to other possibilities of which we are as yet unaware?

(Boud, 2001, p 12)

In this case we can use a journal to explore what we perceive to be ahead of us, how we feel about it and what we want to achieve from it. It means we can go into an activity having already familiarized ourselves with the possibilities of what lie ahead and how we can exploit them to their greatest benefit for us as individuals.

Preparing ourselves for future opportunities is a valuable tool which can be implemented into our lives through journal writing. I like Boud's statement; "Journals allow us to practice imaginary scenarios" (Boud, 2001, p 13). How many of us have attempted to plan out and envision in our minds how a certain event will play out? I think that it is a way for us to maintain an aura of calm and remain in control of a situation that is essentially unknown to us until we are actually in the midst of it. This takes us nicely onto the next method of reflection through journal writing... 

'Reflection in the Midst of Action'

Through noticing, intervening, and reflection-in-action, we can steer ourselves through events in accordance with what our intentions are and with what we take with us to help us through the process.

(Boud, 2001, p 13)

Noticing
Intervening
Reflection-in-action

Three terms which emphasise how, whilst in the midst of an activity, we can make the most out of what is happening around us by engaging with and constantly reflecting on what is occurring.

We are often too quick to make an assumption about something once we have seen or experienced it in action. Doing this certainly hinders our ability to benefit from the experience and continuously reflect on what we are gaining from it. To break down this barrier created by our assumptions, we need to be open-minded, involved, willing to intervene, and be able to contribute to the activity in a constructive manner.

'Reflection After Events'
Finally we move onto potentially the easiest method of reflection, and equally if not more of an important method; reflection after events. This can be simpler for us to do as the "immediate pressure of acting in real time has passed" (Boud, 2001, p 13), and we have the ability to record, in more depth, our "feelings, emotions and decision making" (Boud, 2001, p 14). It allows us to return to an experience when we are perhaps in a more relaxed and familiar environment without the pressure of other individuals working around you.

Reflection after an event is often a quiet time where you can sit and pour out how you really felt, whether you took advantage of or shied away from an event, and whether you felt that you brought anything positive to those around you. This form of reflection can be done in any way you find most comfortable. Boud mentions the use of "images, sketches, poems and the use of colour and form" (Boud, 2001, p 14).

Of greater interest to me is Boud's mention of using "stream-of-consciousness writing, in which words are poured out without pause for punctuation, spelling, or self-censorship" (Boud, 2001, p 14). I feel that a reflective tool such as this would be really useful for me as I often over-think things before writing them down. I tend to prevent myself from expressing what I truly want to purely because I am thinking too much about what I am actually writing rather than just allowing it to happen naturally. If I could just let go and allow my conscious mind to speak, I would probably discover far more about myself and how feel, and also become engaged in a far more effective reflective practice.


My Journal
I brought a new journal last week, sat in the library at the university campus, opened it up and asked myself "where on earth do I start?". As usual I was over thinking what I wanted to write instead of just openly expressing myself and getting out whatever on earth it was that I wanted to in that moment.

Starting up a new journal at a completely different point in my life is difficult as I almost view it as a habit that I got out of when I left Elmhurst School for Dance. This wasn't something that I did purposely I had just kept one for so long that perhaps I became bored and preoccupied with other things. It can become something that you get hooked onto and genuinely really enjoy. It can become a way for you to just let things out as you almost feel as though you are talking to another person who you can trust not to expose what you are revealing. This is certainly the point that I reached with my journal writing in the past and I hope that through this process I can once again immerse myself in the activity so that it becomes second nature and something that I do not have to think so hard about.

I'll update you soon with my progress!

Lil' Blogger






McKinley, Adesola (2015) Reader 2 Reflective Practice BAPP Arts, Middlesex University 

Boud, David (2001) Promoting Journal Writing in Adult Education, Chapter 1: Using Journal Writing to enhance Reflective Practice, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

BAPP Task 1d: 2D Images

Who out there doesn't love a good scroll on Instagram? A browse through Google Images, Pinterest, Flickr? We've all done it and we've all spent time that we don't really have at our disposal, perusing the wonders of the world through images and audio-visual. So I would say that it is an immensely important part of how we communicate over social media, wouldn't you agree?  

As a keen writer, images and audio-visual is definitely something I can implement more into my research and blogging. Don't get me wrong I love both of the tools themselves I just fail to use them as much as I could. I guess we all choose to express ourselves in different ways but I would like to think that through the BAPP programme, I can become more familiar with implementing images and audio-visual into my work.

I use mainly Instagram and I do really enjoy posting pictures of my friends, family, places, food and I must admit mostly my dog! But additional to this, I have just set up a Flickr account so please follow the link...

Lily Grundy - Flickr Profile

I have simply posted images from my camera roll which best describe me; my likes and interests, my friends and how I like to spend my time. I will be making a conscious effort to update it as often as I can so please bare with me as I learn how to use, in my case, this new photo streaming app.

Enjoy!

Lil' Blogger 

BAPP Part 2: The Reflective Practitioner

Embarking on Part 2 of the BAPP course...

How do we reflect? This activity can only be successfully engaged in by us as individuals if we have first had experience. What is the use of reflecting on something if you have nothing to reflect on?

Experience is the key word here. We can use our experiences throughout life to learn, expand our knowledge and become more sensitive to the world around us. We can equally use it to build upon what we already know as well as finding new ways to further understand what we do not know. Both go hand in hand; experience --- learning --- understanding.

Have you ever been in that awkward situation where you pretend that you understand/know about something when actually you have no clue whatsoever? In my case it has usually resulted in me feeling rather flustered and more afraid to reveal that I have no knowledge of what I initially said I did...and deep breath out. 

These situations can happen to us all the time but not knowing something doesn't make you less intelligent than the next person. It is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed of to openly say "I don't understand". It is a wonderful thing to be able to learn and understand new things and through doing this, our ability to reflect will simultaneously develop alongside our new found knowledge.    


Reflection is particularly relevant to professionals who constantly work within a changing environment; nurses, teachers, artists, architects. When you can physically see your surroundings, and the people existing within those surroundings, changing it is nearly impossible to not reflect upon what happened before and what brought you to where you are now. As a dancer who has broken away and moved on to university study, I am amazed at how much my environment has changed, how quickly I have had to adjust and how regularly I reflect on the recent professional changes that I have been through. I urge you to think about a time in your life when you saw change all around you. What did you experience? How did you change? What did you learn? Did your understanding increase?

With change comes the opportunity to reflect on what has happened and why it has changed. We can learn so much from this process.


I have been looking through Reader 2 and, coming across the mention of philosopher John Dewey, I was immediately absorbed by his idea that "if people had full experience and therefore full engagement with their lives they would be better able to be a part of society, fully engage with democracy and spend time solving worldly problems" (Akinleye, 2015, p 4). To me this seems a massive statement to make but also a very interesting and inspiring one. Dewey places so much emphasis on 'reflective thought' (experience) as a way for us to actually enhance ourselves, our society and our world. I must agree that the way you learn the most is through experience whether that is in relationships, work, social situations, national or world issues and generally how you grow up and mature to be the person that you want to be. So if you are able to share that experience with the people encircling you and the ever-changing world in which we live, you will not fail in enhancing not only your life but others lives as well.


Kolb's Learning Cycle

Another feature in Reader 2 and something that I have only just learnt about for the first time is Kolb's Learning Cycle. It presents clearly 4 different methods through which people start to learn something new. Which category do you think you fall into?




It is really intriguing to figure out what learning style you tend to adopt in your everyday practice. I personally would place myself in the 'Active Experimentation' category as I like to try things out for myself, use trial and error, go back and edit and complete things in my own style. I just feel more comfortable learning this way and I like to give myself space for my own ideas to come through rather than relying on those of other people. However I also utilised 'Reflective Observation' when I was first setting up my blog as what better way to learn than from those who have done it successfully before you.

To be really honest I think we can relate to all of the 4 types of learning in some way, however small or big, regularly or infrequently used. I have certainly used all 4 throughout my life and it is always, for me, dependent on the task in hand; so what is required of me in terms of how much new knowledge I need to learn to complete the task; and how much I already know which will assist me in getting it done.

Multiple Intelligence

This theory offered by Howard Gardner is a simple, effective way of understanding people's preferred way of learning. These include; spatial-visual, inter-personal, logical-mathematical, musical, linguistic, bodily-kinaesthetic and the list goes on...

You can discover your result by taking a relatively quick test, follow the link below...

Multiple Intelligence Test

After taking the test myself I discovered that I am, above all else, a Linguistic learner whereby I use words and language, both written and spoken to interpret, explain, understand, communicate and find meaning. I must admit I totally agree with this! I am most comfortable learning through reading, writing and verbally presenting my work. Additional to this, the other two learning styles in my top 3 were Intrapersonal (relating to one's emotional life to understand oneself and others), and Bodily-kinaesthetic (use of body movement, physical agility and coordination to learn). Again I can see how both of these completely relate to my personality! Intrapersonal; because I do indeed like to feel emotionally connected with myself and use that when considering others and with Bodily-kinaesthetic; I have had a background in dance for most of my life so no need to ask questions there! I would encourage you to have a go at the multiple intelligence test as it really opens your eyes as to how you prefer to learn and subsequently where your strengths lie.

Finding out more about the way you like to learn definitely benefits your professional practice in the way that you can become more in touch with how you absorb knowledge throughout your professional life and how you choose to document the experiences that you have had. By doing this you will discover more about your individual role as a reflective practitioner and start to conceive your 'artistic vision'. This can help you begin to anticipate your career path and where you are heading on your artistic journey. You will become more aware of what inspires you, offends you, challenges you and fuels your passion.

Reflection-in-action vs. Reflection-on-action

The practitioner allows himself to experience surprise, puzzlement, or confusion in a situation which he finds uncertain or unique. He reflects on the phenomenon before him, and on the prior understandings which have been implicit in his behaviour. He carries out an experiment which serves to generate both a new understanding of the phenomenon and a change in the situation.  

(Schön, 1983, p 68) 

Philosopher and professor, Donald Schön, chose at one point in his career to direct his efforts towards the notions of reflection-in-action, and reflection-on-action. These methods of reflection require us to analyse our experiences, connect with our emotions and apply them both to the reflective theories that we commonly use. Essentially it is a way for us to hone into how we reflect, whether we do it by 'thinking on our feet' to make changes (reflection-in-action), or whether we take away our concepts, review them and then initiate change (reflection-on-action). 

As a dancer, I guess I am used to reflection-in-action as during my time training I would constantly be having to pick up corrections and implement them whilst dancing at the same time. So my reflection and resulting improvement happened almost instantly after it was put into practice. However I am also an advocate for reflection-on-action, particularly when it comes to my academic studies. If I am doing coursework, writing an essay or even typing away at my blog, I will first take my concept, develop it over time and then produce the final piece of research. With these two methods time has a huge impact; whether you are choosing to reflect in the moment or take your time to express what you really want to. 

I personally cannot decide whether one method is more difficult than the other as I feel that both are ingrained within my way of reflecting upon what I have done. Author Robert Kottkamp however argues that reflection-in-action is the more challenging method to use due to the fact that it is imperative to act immediately and adapt yourself in the moment in order to benefit. His way of comparing reflection-in-action to being 'on-line', is an intelligent way of being able to get your head around this concept. For instance, if I imagine myself in the midst of ballet class, let's say during a pirouette exercise, and it is my turn to go. The pianist is playing the introduction to a delightful Waltz and running through my mind is what I wish to achieve within the next 30 seconds. I initiate what I am going to do and I perform it as well as I can in that moment. But wait, I stumble on one of my pirouettes and I am aware that another one is to immediately follow. My teacher directs a correction at me for the purpose of helping me to better grasp the right technique for improving my next pirouette. Now I have to use reflection-in-action to think about what I did before, consider what the teacher has just said to me and finally implement it. All of this is to be accomplished within no more than 10 seconds. Phew!

In contrast, Kottkamp compares reflection-on-action to being 'off-line' in the sense that time is not so much of the essence. There is room for analysis, comparison and future preparation. Academics as opposed to artists would be able to relate far more easily to this method of reflection as they tend to use their time developing the concepts rather than physically trying them out.


Articulating Reflective Practice

As a direct link to reflection-in-action, tacit knowledge relates to knowledge which cannot be expressed through words. As mentioned previously, being 'on-line' exists alongside those professionals who reflect much more practically within their workplace. Artists, dancers in particular hold a large amount of tactic knowledge as it is not through their articulation that they express themselves but through what they are physically doing with their bodies and their art. 
  
So what if you challenged tacit knowledge with the knowledge of articulation. The written and spoken word are so powerful and are the means through which we communicate and express ourselves on a daily basis. If a professional was to struggle in expressing themselves through articulation, this could cause problems in the way that they present themselves, their ideas and how they are interpreted by others.

Articulating our reflective practice is the best way of making it accessible to people anywhere and everywhere. Web 2.0 is the tool which allows us to upload written, audio and visual posts which can be accessed all over the world should we so wish. Without being able to articulate what you have reflected on, you are creating a barrier between yourself and those who wish to be exposed to what ideas you may have. Regardless of whether you translate your own artistic language through your body or through your art, it is still essential that you can communicate with those around you. It works to your own advantage to be able to communicate sufficiently as outsiders ideas, constructive criticisms and assistance can be offered more readily and with a greater understanding of what it is you are trying to achieve.

Using articulation as a means of recording, documenting, planning and linking ideas is the most convenient and accessible way that we can put reflection into practice. Producing a journal, drawings, poems, stories etc are all ways and means to articulate; so is writing a blog! It's fantastic that through the BAPP course we have been given an easy way to articulate our research and express our opinions.

Twyla Tharp

Dancer, choreographer and writer Twyla Tharp makes such an interresting observation regarding 'creative habit'. She looks at what your creative rituals are, what can deter you from them, the distractions in the world around you and the routine that you choose to adopt in order for your creativity to flow. Drawing upon the mention of 'muscle memory' in Reader 2, Tharp highlights how through dance she is "using a language to interpret something she knows nonverbally". I can completely relate to this in that, as a dancer, it is often difficult to actually put into words what you are doing and feeling with your body. But it is such an important thing to be able to connect with your non-verbal self and translate it into verbal practice, especially if you are choreographing or teaching dance to others. Once again, in order for others to understand your creative process and what you wish to achieve from them, you must be able to verbally express yourself. Tharps like to use exercise to activate her brain arguing that;

when you stimulate your body, your brain comes alive in ways you can't stimulate in a sedentary position. The brain is an organ, tied integrally to all the other systems in the body, and it's affected by blood flow, neural transmission, all the processes you undergo when you put your body through its paces.

(Tharp, 2005, p 4)

Use Tharp's research to analyse how you like to initiate your 'creative habit' and how, following on from this, you like to reflect and further express your creative practice.  

To finish, I would like you to ask yourself this question and from it, look further into why you feel that way; do you prefer verbal or non-verbal reflection?

Your answer will highlight the ways and means by which you personally like to reflect and from that you can choose to explore other methods that may be alien to you at first, but will eventually expand your ability to reflect.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Following some of the interesting comments on this post, I can now see how the question above, which I originally proposed, is not particularly relevant. By being more open-minded on the subject of different methods of reflection, I can now see that verbal and non-verbal methods can not be so categorically separated. They can be used simultaneously and abstractly by any artist in the process of reflection. 

Lots of interesting things to think about!

Lil' Blogger 

Schön, Donald (1983) The Reflective Practitioner. How professionals think in action, London, Temple Smith

Tharp, Twyla (2005) The Creative Habit; Learn It and Use It For Life, Simon and Schuster

1st Campus Session

Focus: Reflection as a Catalyst for Change

Yesterday afternoon I had the pleasure of meeting Paula Nottingham and other individuals on the BAPP Programme at the Middlesex University Hendon Campus. It was the first campus session of the academic year with Module 1, 2 and 3 students present.

Being a Module 1 student, it was so useful to have others there who had progressed further on the course and could therefore offer advice and give you the opportunity to see how each module develops and gathers momentum towards your final enquiry. Many interesting discussions were had and the points raised could have been taken even further had we had the time.

So what did we discuss...

Key words and phrases:

• Catalyst for change
• Risk society
• Critical reflection
• Agency
• Reflexivity
• Positionality
• Failure and success
• Appreciative inquiry

Key individuals:

• Tony Ghaye
• Stephen D. Brookfield
• Stella Cottrell (she has a range of fantastic books which I checked out online last night which are definitely worth your time)
• Anthony Giddens
• Edward de Bono
• Jack Mezirow
• Mary Harthog
• Ulrich Beck
• Donald Schon
• John Dewey

Let's start at the beginning; by 'catalyst for change', we thought about how you can theorise then physically implement change in your place of work. Key things to think about would be who/what can you change, how can these changes happen and subsequently result in improvement and finally, upon reflection, how will you know that these changes have actually caused sustained improvement?

It seems a hefty task to ask of yourself! Change is often a scary thing and something that requires a lot of time, effort, will power and courage. I have been asking myself how I would go about breaking the ice to allow change to happen. Who would I express my ideas to and to what area do I want improvement to be directed?

Asking yourself these sorts of questions can make your mind race (and maybe your heart a little bit too) as we all know that putting yourself out there in the first place means that your ideas can fall flat and not be taken seriously. But what is the harm in trying? We would never get anywhere with anything if we just chose to settle and get comfortable with the environment we are in. It is the practical activity of moving against the tide, standing up to something which you think needs to be altered, having a VOICE.

Think of yourself at work; how long have you been there? Are you getting bored? Do you feel too settled and comfortable? Do you miss having a challenge, something to push yourself?

If questions such as this make you think "yes, maybe I am too relaxed, sometimes complacent and starting to get bored at work", then it's probably time for a CHANGE. I myself hate feeling like I am a loose part, like I don't have enough to keep myself busy and pre-occupied. In situations such as this, change is good, change is very good.  

I have recently been through big changes in my life; graduating from ballet school, moving on to university, working out in the real world. I am not going to lie and say it's a walk in the park as this change in particular has probably been the hardest thing I have ever had to do. But it is also the best thing I have ever done! Do not be afraid of change, take the new opportunities when they come and if they don't, make them happen - be an advocate for change!  

Closely linked to the 'scary' thought of change is the idea of a 'risk society'. Paula mentioned this yesterday and I decided to look into it further. Raised in the 1980s and popular in the 1990s, this term was particularly adopted by both Ulrich Beck and Anthony Giddens:  

Risk refers to hazards that are actively assessed in relation to future possibilities. It only comes into wide usage in a society that is future-oriented - which sees the future precisely as a territory to be conquered or colonised. Risk presumes a society that actively tries to break away from its past - the prime characteristic indeed of modern industrial civilisation.

(Giddens, 1999)

This idea of 'modern industrial civilisation' is a fascinating one and we are all part of it. I do not think it incorrect to say that we are all obsessed with the future, especially in technological terms. But the future is essentially the fear of the unknown. We have no idea what our world will be like in 5, 10, 15 years' time and this is what Beck and Giddens are getting at. The industrial revolution which occurred mostly throughout the 1800s is still happening today, we just don't notice it as the changes in our society do not appear to be as drastic as they would have been around 200 years ago. We see technology, transport, efficient manufacturing on a daily basis; but do we know what these industries will be like in the future? This is where 'risk society' comes in because we, as a collective, can decide to sustain or destroy our world through the changes we make now that can affect our future.

Although I think what I really want to get at is this idea that change is a risk or something to be wary of. To a certain extent I agree; a theory needs to be well thought out with a high chance of success for it to be put into practice. However this does not mean that we should hold back from change as if we do, nothing will ever get done. I think it's the case of just putting the effort in and saying I will make a change but will ensure that it is the right one, that it is implemented properly and that the benefits will be visible within our society.

LEARN THEORIES ----- APPLY THEORIES ----- EXPERIENCE CHANGE

Theory and practice go hand I hand. If you know something, it is no good just knowing it in theory if you do not practice it. Use your knowledge of theory and your experience of what works and what doesn't to make changes. Progressing further on this point, compare your thinking to the knowledge of others. 'Critical reflection' is essential in the course of change as it allows you to take into consideration others' thoughts and feelings on a matter. It also assists you in bettering whatever it is you are trying to change and is absolutely key in becoming a successful reflective practitioner. Compare yourself to others in a constructive way in order to improve and expand your own knowledge.   

Next, I want to explore the idea of agency. In sociological terms, this word can be defined as the capacity of individuals to act independently and to make their own free choices. So to be an instrument of change, an individual who sets something in motion to achieve something of social value.

Paula discussed with us how we can apply agency to the BAPP programme. We thought about how it surrounds our own ability to make changes in our life and potentially in others' lives. We also considered that in a professional role, we are the ones who are in control and therefore have the power to learn, grown, challenge ourselves and confidently succeed in our professional lives. It is about being active and using both your knowledge and the evidence before you to act independently and allow innovation to thrive.

How can we have agency?

• Be open-minded
• Be responsible
• Be wholehearted
• Be passionate

These 4 things are fundamental to being a successful practitioner who has a sense of agency. Being open-minded and responsible seem like fairly obvious ones as it is always necessary to consider what is going on around you and to be accountable for the work that you are doing. But being wholehearted and passionate are the two that stood out to me as they exist on more of an emotional level. Being wholehearted in your workplace/place of study can often be difficult, especially if you are pre-occupied, stressed, having a bad day or if you do not get on so well with your fellow colleagues. I think it is immensely important therefore to remember that in your place of work, you are having to share your time and effort with those around you who are, more often than not, experiencing the same situation and feelings as you. So being wholehearted in how you approach others and how you approach your work will keep you grounded, humble, genuine and more likely to succeed.

Now onto passion. It is a word that seems to carry a lot of stigma, especially in the arts industry. During our campus session we discussed how you are repeatedly expected to be overly enthusiastic and show a level of passion which over rides that of anyone else's in the room. It is almost expected from you as a way of showing how much you want to be involved in a particular project and quite honestly it can get tiring and irritating. So I would urge all artists out there, if you are dropped in this kind of situation where you are forced to plaster on a smile, widen your eyes and pretend you have never been more interested in something in your entire life, just do it! If it gets you the job that you really wanted or propels you further on a particular project then no harm is done.

But I would equally urge you to not allow yourself to get lost in this idea that you have to put on a show and fake your enthusiasm. You can be so passionate about something but do it in a way that you feel comfortable with. Whether this is taking on a more subtle, background role or whether you are really rolling your sleeves up and mucking in it doesn't matter so long as you are applying your upmost level of passion. You'd be surprised but acting in this way can be equally noticed by directors, producers, choreographers or whoever it may be. People are more likely to warm to you, listen to your opinion and value your input if you are authentic in your approach. So don't worry about being yourself and applying yourself in a way you feel appropriate where your skills are being exploited, with passion, to the best of your ability.

I would just like to briefly touch on the terms reflexivity and positionality with a quick definition:

Reflexivity - an act of self-reference where constant reflection and analysis of the cause and the subsequent action, and later the effect, are revised by the individual who initially implemented them.

Positionality - where an individual is defined not by their identity but by their position within shifting networks of relationships, so their power in society and how they constantly analyse and change this level of power.  

We can apply both of these terms to the BAPP programme. An individual at the campus session brought up a really interesting point that has reminded me about this circular relationship between cause and effect as defined by reflexivity. She expressed that reflection is almost like setting out a business plan. You ask yourself:

1. Where are you now?
2. What would you like to implement to initiate change?
3. Where would you like to be?      

I thought that this was a really useful analogy as it sets out before you an easy way to plan a project and ask yourself what you want to get from that project. Similarly with positionality, ask yourself what your level of power is within your social networks, how you exert this power and what you could do to change/improve this power. We all have a voice, so reflect on these two terms to discover how you can better use your voice through learning, acting and changing. 

Failure and Success; two words which we use to define how well we are doing. Both can be a catalyst for change but to differing degrees. During the campus session we discussed that failure can be a greater provocateur for change as it urges us to want to make a difference and improve upon what we have found failure in. On the other side of this, success can halt change as we can see that whatever we have taken on, we have accomplished and therefore do not necessarily need to make any changes. This can be a dangerous trap to fall into as it stops us from reflecting and wanting to make things better than they already are. Also, how do we measure success? It is of course an individual thing as you are in tune with your capabilities and whether or not you have completed something to the best of your ability. So think about these two situations whilst you are working and reflect upon whether, regardless of if you have failed or succeeded, further change could be beneficial.

Following further discussions had at the campus session regarding de Bono's 'Six Thinking Hats' (which you should definitely look into), we were introduced to the idea of appreciative inquiry. This is a method of asking yourself whether something is working and if not how can you take it forwards. In many organisations that exist today; hostile culture, positivism, constructivism, performance targets and means-end instrumentalism exist. As an artist these can either have a positive or a negative effect. Some people are urged to push themselves further in order to reach targets set for them yet others suffer under performance targets and feel suppressed and beaten down by a blanket of criticism placed upon them. 

So how do you deal with these kind of situations? I personally feel that they are too prevalent in the art world and you have to very quickly learn to ask yourself:

1. What did I do that was perceived as being wrong or under achieving?
2. How can I evaluate and move on from it?
3. Do I need to go back and try again?
4. Do I need to just move forwards and trust in myself?

I have been through a process just like this very recently and it is so useful to be able to evaluate your own performance, praise yourself for what was good and learn from what could have been better. But all of this has to be done in a constructive way without succumbing to an organisations system of performance targets and means-end instrumentalism.

Within an organisation, if you are a lower member of staff or if you have not been working there for an extended period of time, it is sometimes the case that you will feel victim to hostile culture. As the 'newbie' you can feel as though you are not as valued, as though your role and your actions are not as meaningful to the organisation and you have to therefore exist beneath those who 'know best' because they have worked there longer than you have. Sometimes I 100% agree with showing full respect and loyalty to either a boss, director, team leader or a person who genuinely does hold a far higher position than you and therefore needs to be followed. However it equally important that, regardless of your place in the pecking order, your voice is heard and respected too. 

In order to influence change and get a proposition across, you have to consider those around you, the context within which you are working and at whom you want to direct change. The difficult bit, especially within a hostile culture, is getting your voice heard thus enabling influence to expand, evolve and grow. I am all for putting yourself out there in your professional work place but direct it towards the right people, at the right time and with respect. Remember to be open-minded, responsible, wholehearted and passionate!        

My favourite part of the campus session had to be the two creative exercises initiated by Paula. I hadn't taken part in anything like them before and I was so fascinated by how much they genuinely fed my rain and helped my ideas to flourish. The exercises were as follows:

1. Writing exercise - for this, Paula gave us 4 minutes to write about a memory we had. We were not allowed to stop writing during that time and we literally had to put down whatever came to our mind in that moment. I wrote about a situation I had at English National Ballet School last year. It was a shock to me that that was the first thing that I was subconsciously wanting to document and I honestly just let it pour out. It was such an incredible way to let go of emotions and subsequently discover concepts and ideas which can be used in later research. Once the 4 minutes were up we had to pick out key words/phrases from our memoir which stirred something in our brain. My key words/phrases were:

• Catalyst
• Life changes  
• Hard work
• Not holding back
• Better person
• Reflecting

After thinking further about my selected words/phrases, I have found a subtle cycle within them that follows the journey I have been through over the last year. Isn't it amazing that this is something I did subconsciously without knowing what the result would be and whether it would be of any real use. I can now use these simple words/phrases to launch new ideas and delve further into my experiences. 

2. Drawing exercise - for this, Paula asked us to draw a head and fill it with all the things that we were thinking about in that moment. I am going to be really honest with you, when Paula mentioned drawing my stomach lurched and I started to feel a bit nervous about what I would have to do. I don't particularly like drawing. Actually I don't think it's that I don't like it, it's just that I am really not very good at it and therefore feel extremely self-conscious about any drawings that I produce. For me it is a bit of a fear barrier to get over. I would much rather express my thoughts and feelings through either writing or movement so drawing for me was a totally new experience of getting them out in the open. But I did it and actually enjoyed the whole process. Once again it was another tool which can be used to visually take in what is on your mind. From there you can prioritise and decide what needs to be done first and whether what you are worrying about is actually worth it!

Paula also mentioned the word unpacking. It sounds strange to relate it to these exercises but if you physically think of systematically unpacking whatever is on your mind, you can then work on re-packing in a more organised and stress-free way. This can benefit you massively in your professional life as it is very easy to let everything pile up on top of you without taking a moment to actually think about what your priorities are and how you can go about completing them.
    
So to round this blog off, the campus session today was hugely beneficial and it was lovely to meet Paula and some of the faces on the course! I really hope this blog helps you to come to terms with many of the things that we discussed and have fun researching things for yourself and forming your own opinions on 'Reflection as a catalyst for change'.

Comments are always welcome!

Lil' Blogger

Giddens, Anthony (1999) Lecture 2 - Risk, BBC Reith Lectures, Hong Kong

BAPP Task 1b: Professional Communication Technologies

Professional Communication Technologies

It is intriguing and equally fascinating having the opportunity to get to know what Web 2.0 really is. It's infinite, extensive and incredibly widely used nature make it rather hard to imagine a world where it is not in use - and this is considering that it is a fairly recent development! 

As a young person living in the 20th century, I have grown up with and lived through one of the most technologically inventive periods throughout which we have been constantly bombarded by new gadgets, web applications and the ever luring world of social networking sites. 

To be really honest, so many young people today find it a real challenge to go even a few hours without checking their social networking profiles. Youngsters seem to constantly want to immerse themselves in the most recent updates, comments, photos, videos; practically anything that their contacts may have uploaded. And why? I view it as a way to remain involved, to feel like you are not missing out on anything fun, exciting, current and 'cool'. 

The emergence of smart phones has made such access to social networking sites even easier. Having a portable device which allows you to constantly keep in touch with what is going on in the world around you is rather mind blowing! Whatever you're doing, wherever you are, whoever you are with; instant sharing is an ever more accessible possibility. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flikr, YouTube, Skype; and the list goes on! How is it that we have managed to become so consumed by these web applications which allow us to instantly access whatever we take an interest in be it people, culture, art, food, sport, fashion etc.?

I want to describe it almost as a security blanket. This virtual world that we have become so accustomed to is as familiar as having a good friend hanging around with you all the time. We always have a place to go where we can share what we have done that day; who we have met, where we are in the world, what we have eaten, what we are wearing; seriously the list is endless! It is actually a strange feeling not having access to this world of social media and for many, I'm sure a serious bout of FOMO (fear of missing out) kicks in when, much to our distaste it is discovered that no Internet connection is available (we've all been there!). 

1. So how does Web 2.0 affect how we work and affect us in our workplace?

- whenever a long awaited break arrives we instantly reach for our smart phones to check out the latest updates. It's almost like we have become slaves to social media, without it we feel disconnected, incomplete.

- in terms of actual communication within the work place, we use Web 2.0 to receive emails, contact colleagues, check out websites and do research so in that sense it is a super useful tool. It is also simple, quick and easy to use and it is guaranteed that pretty much everyone has access to it. 

- it is fantastic for advertising/marketing purposes, launching a website and getting a product, institution, social service or whatever it may be out to the wider masses can be hugely beneficial for a company/brand and help to create a more established company/brand on a worldwide basis.

2. Next, how does Web 2.0 affect how we interact socially?

- how great is it when you have the ability to contact friends, family, acquaintances who you do not get to see often for one reason or another (could be distance or circumstances for example). On a personal notes, I experience such issues being an ENBS graduate and having most of my friends move out to various countries in Europe. For this purpose Web 2.0 is pretty much an essential tool in terms of me being able to easily keep in touch with them all. 

- on a shorter note it's instant, easy and fun - I in fact prefer it to texting which just seems so the early 2000s (haha).

- it allows you to document and store up your life's experiences all in one place this affecting how we share our day-to-day activities and put forward our interests.

- we get to share and discover whilst interacting with others. 

- I feel that it is almost like a sense of control over our social lives. We get to decide what we want to share and simultaneously discover. I'm sure that everyone has spent hours trawling through Instagram, researching on Google, reading the latest articles, getting tempted by online shopping, watching YouTube videos; I want go on any more! It's a clever tool for procrastination! 

- Basically I want to describe it as a dangerous yet utterly enthralling trap that sucks you in and never fails to capture your attention, imagination and therefore your time (time that none of us really have!).

- Web 2.0 encourages us to consistently comment, contribute, like or dislike etc. In this sense it gives us a voice; a voice which we can then use to interact socially and express how we feel towards something or someone. In a nutshell, Web 2.0 is a powerful and therefore perfect tool to fuel our increasingly instinctive desire to need to see/hear/interact with others socially through the Web.

Just a quick note: for regular social media news and updates, I find this page on the Telegraph website to be really useful so I thought I would share in case any of you fancied a gander!

  

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/social-media/

  

3. As a final note on the specific affects of Web 2.0; how does it impact how we relate to one another?

- It inspires, motivates and encourages us. By this I mean that we can take real enjoyment in learning about other people, places, animals, products etc. Many take a lot of pleasure in following celebrities; finding out about their lifestyles, their daily activities, their fashion sense, all so that in some small way they can feel connected to them and perhaps integrate some of the things they like about them into their lives. However on the other side of this, following celebrities or people of interest can often make us feel inferior or fuel our desire to look the best, be the best and excel. This may not necessarily always be a bad thing yet it is sometimes very easy to succumb to feeling like you have to look like those models on commercials or so something so epic that it makes a change in the world. In this case I think it is important to remember that even if we are not 'Insta famous' or have millions of friends on Facebook, we are still important, valued and have the ability to achieve whatever we put our minds to.

- On a lighter note, Web 2.0 is an excellent tool to use if we want to meet new people. Dating sites have exploded with popularity within the last few years to the point where dating apps are now being created and again are insanely popular! Web 2.0 is so convenient in that distance has no impact on your online social life. N matter where in the world a friend or family may be , it is still possible and as easy as pie to have regular contact with them.

- I also like how Web 2.0 can allow a perhaps introvert, unsociable and less confident person speak out and create an online social world within which they can interact with people in confidence and perhaps voice opinions and ideas that they would perhaps feel too afraid to do in person.

- Through Web 2.0 we can find similarities and differences with individuals as well as discovering mutual friends, likes/dislikes. There is always the opportunity to discover someone new who you may have a lot in common with.

- Finally, although an absolutely fantastic social device, Web 2.0 can be rather consuming, addictive and hard to get away from. It is a constant feature of our lives from which we find little disconnection.

Network as a platform

READER <-------------> CREATOR               (mutual interaction)

This phrase simply means "that all the data and the software that manages the application is not run locally on your computer and can be accessed from anywhere in the world" (REFERENCE). It almost sounds a bit scary when you put it like that; worldwide access to whatever you decide to share! I guess it makes you realise how important privacy settings are and how you should only share what you are comfortable with being seen by practically anyone. So to reiterate this point (and not to sound boring), safety online is very important and taking better care in this vast environment could reduce the amount of people who run into trouble and get involved with fake contacts, software viruses, payment fraud, stolen account details etc.

However on the other side of this and on a more positive note, YOU are the one who controls what data is uploaded; the power is yours to make what is seen publicly as you want it!

It is quite interesting how much time and effort needs to be invested in order to make something 'out of yourself' online. In simple terms, the more data uploaded the better the site can become as people will find greater interest in someone who is regularly uploading and making an appearance online. You actually have to be quite dedicated and enthusiastic to want to regularly update, share and post about yourself and anything that interests you in the surrounding world.

Below is a diagram created by an early Web 2.0 enthusiast, Tim O'Reilly. The diagram, or 'meme' in this case, displays the concepts, ideas and processes surrounding Web 2.0. I like how O'Reilly has discovered his own way of interpreting Web 2.0 highlighting what identifies something as Web 2.0, what communication or interactive processes are involved and finally some of the attitudinal aspects so whether you trust other users and are willing to share with them.

                         

Different position and interpretation (the discourses)

The following '3 competencies', as suggested by O'Reilly, create the core around which Web 2.0 and its use in a professional capacity revolve. They are as follows:

The 3 competencies:

1. Architectures of participation

In order to participate, it is often the case that we require specific instruments that may be difficult to obtain. Money, time, specialised skills, financial commitment and infrastructure are all tools that can hold us back from being able to fully immerse ourselves in something and commit fully to it without it draining our time and resources.

Yet Web 2.0 as a whole encourages participation, interaction and communication with a wide and culturally diverse group of people, without such barriers as time and money holding us back. It is a cheap, quick and easy tool that anyone, no matter the resources they have available to them, can become involved in. Web 2.0 is such a wonderful device to have access to as we don't need bags of time and money to be able to get stuck in and enjoy participating in the wider world.  

Traditional participation and communication practices have been extended, through Web 2.0, from a one-to-one to a many-to-many basis. We can now "collaborate, comment, critique, share and remix information and communications" (Reader 1). To us this has become a customary part of our society and something that feels completely natural. However if you perhaps think of the older generation within your family, this many-to-many way of communicating is far more alien to them and thus harder to grasp. I find it exciting that moving forwards, platforms such as Web 2.0 will be even more understood and widely used. I am sure that in the not too far future, a new social platform that is even more advanced and accessible will be created; the possible implications of this world of social media and online interaction are truly incredible!        

To conclude 'Architectures of participation', the democratic society that we live in the UK is reflected through the features of Web 2.0. Aside from the basis principles of online applications, we have control as the user to customise it as we so wish. We can reflect ourselves and our personalities with ease simply through, for example, how we design a page, what pictures we post and what we choose to share. I really enjoy how you can create a version of yourself online and, whether aware or not, fuel the constant development and evolution of the online platform.    

2. Remixable date and transformations

Web 2.0 = Remix Culture

Don't worry I had no idea what this meant either until I read that remix culture originates from hip-hop and rap music, so the idea of re-using and rearranging material to create something new. I guess this is exactly like what we do online; we take something that we have seen, taken a liking to and then we mould it and share it in a way that we like most. It is actually a great platform to encourage imagination and spur people on to create something from objects that we already have an interest in. Original and authentic ideas are often hard to envision on our own and so any form of inspiration be it aural or visual can really stimulate us to design and generate our own material.

I really like Valtysson's quote from Reader 1 which states that:

interactive and participatory aspects of new media objects further erode the distinction between artists and audience and offer a model which has been termed the rise of the prosumer...

(Valtysson, 2010, p 205)

I find this term the 'rise of the prosumer' an interesting one in the sense that we are both the consumer and producer when using Web 2.0 applications. It's actually quite brilliant to think of yourself as not only the consumer of data but as someone who has a voice, someone who can contribute to the constant stream of data and act as a producer. Having the power to produce is no longer limited to those who have specifically trained or are employed to do so. Therefore produce away! Do not be afraid to take something and make it your own. Equally consume and produce and you will be surprised at how satisfying it can be.   

Similar to Valtysson's 'prosumer' concept, Bruns (also mentioned in Reader 1), likes to label our producer/consumer participation as 'Produsage', a combination of producing and using. In the table below I have outlined, using Bruns' theories, how Web 2.0 might support the idea of produsage. I have categorised it into the Web as it was and the Web as it is now:

THEN (WEB)	NOW (WEB)
Dedicated individuals and teams of producers shared data for the consumers	Broader-based community of participants share content on a wide scale from all different generations
Mostly professional/trained producers shared content	Fluid movement occurs between amateur and professional producers sharing content
Artefacts produced are traditional, always completed and then published with little room for alteration	Artefacts remained unfinished, are continually under development and are open to editing by anyone who wishes to do so

3. Harnessing collective intelligence

Web 2.0 offers a "social space for people, strangers and almost strangers with diverse backgrounds to come together as equals, as generators of ideas, to deliberate and act collectively"

 (Feenberg and Bakardjieva, 2004, p 37). 

How exciting and intriguing it is to think that you can involve yourself in a conversation with someone from the other side of the world. Living in England all my life I am always so excited when I get the chance to go on holiday, or for a trip outside of the UK where I can experience new cultures. Art, food, language, architecture etc. all contribute to culture as a whole and I adore how Web 2.0 gives you access to such a wide variety of people and different cultures through such simple methods of searching and sharing.

Collective intelligence allows experiences, opinions, views to be expressed and observed subsequently allowing a more rounded, accurate and widely based community-feel to be achieved online. On a professional basis, collective intelligence is highly beneficial in that it allows us to improve and excel in whatever we are doing. Often the best way to learn is through communicating and interacting with a wider base of individuals who may have shared similar experiences to you and can therefore offer help, advice and sometimes support.

In my opinion, it can be agreed upon that many minds working together are better than one. Think in terms of a project or venture at work; to do alone it is challenging, time consuming and stressful. Then think about working in a team where as a collective, you are striving with other colleagues to complete the task as best you can. Collective intelligence helps to break down the barriers of loneliness and struggle whether internal or external to your workplace thus allowing a community, no matter how big or small, to get together, share together, learn together and subsequently benefit.

Finally in terms of networking, it is impossible to thoroughly excel in your chosen area of work without fully immersing yourself in communicating and sharing with others. Collective intelligence is so worth being a part of as it can result in making important contacts, familiarising yourself with your colleagues and finally allowing you to further transcend yourself in a professional capacity.

As suggested by Gruber in 2008, "there are three components of an online system that support collective intelligence" (Reader 1) and allow benefits to be felt in their entirety by the user. They are as follows:

The 3 components:

1. Social System

2. Search Engine

3. Intelligent Users

These components are generally present in all Web 2.0 platforms; Facebook being a perfect and widely used example. This piece of software, which has become a constant presence in our lives, has evolved and expanded through the popularity of its find/search and share/comment features. Users enjoy the feeling of being involved in something and being able to express themselves, keeping collective intelligence alive.   

Ethical considerations for using Web 2.0

Ethical considerations; for us this means always considering what we say, participate in and discuss with other users. In this sense, we should be sensitive to others' opinions, contribute only when we feel appropriate and be completely partial to everyone's views no matter if you agree with them or not. It is of course fine to voice your disagreement if needs be but do it in a way that is polite, informative and again allows room for other's to speak up and offer equally interesting views.

Copyright and authenticity; scary words to hear as a student. There is always that little flutter in your stomach when you hand in a piece of work and hope that you won't be accused of plagiarism no matter how careful and correct you have been! Online it's pretty much the same thing, you should give credit to those who have contributed to your posts in any way. Although it can seem to cloud your creativity in that it makes it seem you haven't conjured everything up yourself, it is fair, ethical and a legal requirement.

Another ethical consideration which should not be taken lightly is confidentiality. I can definitely relate to the need for confidentiality online and it is with children on a weekly basis. As a Teaching Assistant on the ENBS Juniors Programme, I interact with children and their parents on a weekly basis and thoroughly enjoy seeing their progress, experiencing their enthusiasm and sharing in their achievements. Yet I am fully aware that it would be inappropriate for me to openly share this online without the full consent of the children's parents and the institution within which I work. It is something that can be easily forgotten but should be persistently implemented.

For my personal professional reputation needs, I should actively ensure that neither myself or others post something about my work that could be deemed as inappropriate and too closely linked to my personal life. There is nothing wrong with wanting to talk about your job, how you enjoy it, what it entails although all of this should be done in a way that is confidential to an extent and of course suitable.

Creating a professional reputation for yourself online is really important. All of your Web 2.0 profiles can be viewed and scrutinised by a potential employer and they can instantly make a decision about what type of person they think you are and whether they would want to employ you. Therefore think carefully about how you are presenting yourself online, put yourself in the shoes of an employer or a person of a professional capacity and judge whether you come across well or not.

For the purposes of online learning...

Over the last few years, I have discovered how useful Web 2.0 can be for the purposes of online learning. In 2012 I started an A Level in History which was based online and completed through distance learning. To begin with, this did seem rather daunting as it was strange not being able to physically see and interact with a teacher. I often felt very much on my own having to power through the work in whatever way I felt was right.

I am happy to say that I was successful in my venture however without the availability of Web 2.0, this may not have been the case. It was a real life saver being able to communicate with my tutor online, view and contribute to student forums and just generally research distance learning studying tips and past papers to practice with. I have in fact taken up another A Level. this time in Law, using the same learning methods so I will keep you posted as to how it all goes!

I have been thinking how I can apply these online skills that I have acquired to the BAPP Programme. I am so lucky to have, without realising at the time, obtained very adequate online proficiency which I feel can be further exploited through BAPP. Although this is my first ever time suing a blog, I am so pleased to say that I love how you can just write, express, share pictures, post links and basically do anything you like - and people will look at it! If you ever feel like what you have to share is not interesting, you are wrong! Someone out there will find common ground with what you have to say and the rest is in you making the effort to continue to be a Web 2.0 user.

That's enough from me! Enjoy 'pro-sumering'!

Lil' Blogger