Mapping Knowledge of Professional Practise

Mapping Knowledge of Professional Practise

Whilst further exploring my potential lines for professional inquiry, I came across a helpful blog from Rosemary McGuiness.

I found it really helpful to start with breaking down my understanding of my professional practise, and what I need to do in order to be a professional practitioner.

Her blog has enabled me to see how there is knowledge which is specifically unique to our own retrospective professions. Some of this knowledge and skills are linked entirely to our own profession, but also that some of our knowledge is most definitely generic and transferable.

Alongside this, looking at how Eraut suggests that we need to consider the elements of competency and capability, and how both elements create a sort of framing device for knowledge in the workplace. I found it very interesting how Rosemary states that ‘capability can be graded into various levels of competency’.

I was inspired to mind map elements involved when establishing my knowledge as a professional dancer, but also creating another mind map for comparison to establishing knowledge in my role as a dance teacher. (This is a role I feel I need a lot more research into to become and effective practitioner)

Attached below are my thoughts, apologies for the rawness of my notes!

From a dancer, or performer perspective, I found I could quite clearly specify the knowledge required for this as a profession. I noticed a lot of links between areas of knowledge and looked at how one area of skills can often aid another area. In comparison to my second mind map, I found I initially listed some generic knowledge, but that another page was needed to allow me to explore beyond the boundaries outside of generic and profession specific knowledge and into transdiciplinary knowledge. I included lots of different domains and they came up such as Business and Finance.

I was pleased to find numerous links between skills and knowledge in both professional practise areas. There were definite links between types of knowledge which has now provoked potential ideas for professional inquiry. For example, ‘What transferable skills do I have, what would be involved in the transition between dancer and dance teacher?’ Perhaps I may or could also incorporate the dance knowledge I have from my education into educating others, exploring if there are benefits to having dance, or expressive and physical movement on a specific curriculum. Are there benefits to musical expression for other age groups?

In conclusion, as you can tell, I found this mind mapping a really helpful exercise, thanks Rosemary!

What Will My Practitioner Research Be About?

What Will My Practitioner Research Be About?

I have been picking out some specific points of interest that have occurred to me whilst making my way through the reader for this module. I am finding reading parts of the various suggested literatures such as an extract from ‘The Good Research Guide’ is enabling me to begin to develop a sense of attributes for my practitioner research. Key elements for me to consider whilst partaking in this research will highlighting and making note of ways in which my conclusions and findings from my inquiry could potentially create an opportunity for change on my specific professional practise sector. Exploring by developing questions or potential problems, and then communicating and reflecting upon them peers or colleagues in the BAPP network and professionals in my community will determine more refined research.

                My reading into Hamsteins ideas about the difference between ‘pseudo questions’ and questions that can actually be turned into starting points for my research had been insightful. An extract from his book has highlighted some key points I feel others mat find useful. The process of discovery for potential research topics must be set in a way that ‘pursues meaning, cause, relationship, interpretation or significance’ (Hanstein, 1999, P27). To me this means before asking a question, I should consider what outcomes I intend to find first. This should enable me to construct genuine questions rather than a question that possibly cannot be answered at all, does not expect an answer or lead to a situation created where I already know the answer.

                To conclude, I am to conduct research purposefully so that my studies and findings may develop good practise personally but may also empower and impact co-workers, perhaps make a difference for professionals working in similar sectors or similar positions as myself or just empower a particular group in some way.

Brainstorming ideas for Developing a Line Of Professional Enquiry

Regarding the Campus Session from last year, seems to be the case that we need to start deciding on ideas for developing a line of profession enquiry in relation to my personal professional practise.

My work has involved working as a performing Dancer on a Cruise liner (Silversea, a 6 star smaller, luxury line) aswell as taking responsibility for the whole Performance Team once given the role iof Dance Captain and Production Company Manager through the agency Jean Ann Ryan Productions. Although thoroughly enjoying working abroad in a performance based role, now having completed this contract having gained new knowledge on managing a team of performers from many ages and nationalities, I have embarked upon making the transition to discovering the world of dance teaching. I have not given up performing as I know this is my first love, however I feel a potential change in my career direction will only encourage me to diversify and explore new horizons enabling me to be the most experienced practitioner I can be. I have always had a strong personal interest in sound health and nutrition and promotion of this to all ages, and more specifically the potential benefits dance and physical movement can have on the body. I intend to base my personal inquiry on a concept of this nature.
As I start to work through and explore important questions relating to our professional practice, it strikes me there are perhaps two broad types of questions.

Firstly, what type of inquiry will improve my performance to create, make, interpret or teach my art. This is for me a ‘disciplinary’ or ‘subject’ question. It is fundamentally about how I operate as not just a dancer but as a developing Dance Teacher. An inquiry located here might give weight to disciplinary knowledge (the ways or conventions or literature that exists written by exemplary practitioners or researchers). Or  it might be practical in nature (the ways we do things and these extra higher-level skills that are required in my specific Professional Practise). My inquiry involves understanding something more effectively which in turn lead to a change or improvement in my experience and overall practice.
Lets see where this leads me………

Comments function Problem!

Is anyone else experiencing difficulties leaving comments?

I recently read a great blog from Stephanie Thomas, I have come to comment on it but apparently the gmail account I always used now won't allow this. Desperately trying to fix this!

In the meantime, I hope Stephanie won't mind me posting my comment as a blog below:

Welcome back, how was your summer break?

I have been reading your post with some interest here. I am hoping we will be able to help each other this term by sharing views and opinions. Although we are focusing on different mediums, Dance and Arts, we both potentially want to explore aspects of theatre in ones education, as well as personal growth and career development.

With regards to your questions about who your inquiry will benefit alongside reading reader 4, I think you must not under estimate that any posts of your findings or research will aid others in the bapp network without you realising. Also, I feel that by undertaking a inquiry that helps you to develop and grow as a professional practitioner, surely that will benefit any fellow cast members, future employees or members of professional arts communities you may come across in the future.

It sounds fantastic that you have some initial ideas already, but not to specify too early sounds wise. I intend to so similar and keep options open. Within my working environment, each day I have having new experience which makes me want to tweak my ideas for the inquiry ever so slightly, sticking to one topic is proving a little difficult at the moment!

Identifying Knowledge In The Workplace

Hello everyone and welcome back!

I hope everyone has enjoyed their summer and got to explore, discover and experience some new and interesting things.

Whilst reading the reader for this module, and after spending an intense week assisting my Dance Teacher at her school this summer, I had some thoughts I wanted to blog....

In reference to the reader topic of identifying knowledge and skills in the workplace, I really tried to make light of identifying with this knowledge whilst I had a week completely immersed in the working studio environment. Using this personal workplace as my learning environment, I realised that a lot of my knowledge has come from the organisation of the specific dance school (Spotlight Theatre School) itself. In relation to the literature recommended from Libguides , my understanding of the Double Loop Learning Cycle is growing as I am able to relate its theories practically in my professional practise environment.  In my experience so far, I have found a single loop learning cycle (such as Kolb’s Learning Cycle that we exploring during the first module) cannot always address and deliver any necessary changes that may be required to have an effective professional practise. After communication with my Dance Teacher, the Principle of the school who taught myself knowledge of the desired classical technique and performance skills, and ways in which to achieve these attributes as an eager and passionate individual from a very young age, it was clear that the position she holds can be key to a future dancers career. The early ears are clearly crucial as the child is developing their sense of technique, musicality, performance, self – confidence in their work and even a sense of self – reflection in order for them to maintain sustainable and gradual improvement. It became apparent to me that sometimes, key elements outside of the organisational system need to be examined to ensure the most beneficially practising can be undertaken. For example, looking at a student’s home or social environment outside of the dance school was important to me. My key interest to ensure equal opportunities for all students is a subject delicately approached every Spring Term regarding the planning and evaluating of the annual production show rehearsal schedule. Ensuring a sense of fairness throughout the entire school is a many sided discussion with many elements to consider and appreciate. My initial views, which upon reflection now appear perhaps naive, were than ensuring fairness and equal opportunities for all young performers was just a simple, basic practise guideline –  one should include every student/involve as many students and even their parents or guardians in discussions regarding choices of numbers and chorographical or musical choices, swapping principle roles between students to give more than one the responsibility to take on a challenge and execute it to the best of their ability etc. However, reflections discussed with someone who has been working reputably in the dance and dance teaching professions for over 40 years has enabled to me realise there are many factors across different boundaries to consider and subsequently consequences involved in whatever final decisions are made.

This has provoked a potential line for professional inquiry, my interest in this subject area lead me to researching into Argyris and Schon’s theory of congruence and learning. (Single and Double Loop Learning, Argyris and Schon, 1974). The suggest by using a format such as the double loop learning cycle, we as practitioners can make more informed decisions about the way we design and implement action. Research here has enable me to incorporate my thoughts reflections and evaluations into a ‘theories in use’ model (ultimately clarifying the ‘dark area’ and problems that mat arise , but can now be avoided). Please see this model below in reference to their literature found at http:/www.scu.edu.au/schools/gcm/ar/arp/argyris.html :

The Governing Variables:

-          Ensuring a sense of fairness

-          Offering equal opportunities for all students regardless of the individuals circumstances

The Action Strategy:

-          Implementing an audition process to assign roles open for all

-          Rotation of principle roles between cast members once assigned

-          Creation of pieces to incorporate everyone regardless of differing levels of performance and technical ability

-          Keep parents, families and guardians ‘in the know’ to maintain their trust and support

-          Offer guidance and help equally to all students involved

-          Offer safe and controlled environment for all to practise efficiently

Consequences:

-          Swapping principle roles for specially talented students, a way to avoid producing stereotypical ‘favourites’ who repeatedly get offered bigger roles. Intension to avoid potential animosity between students, maintaining motivation and work hard ethos throughout whole rehearsal process. This may also provide a safe environment for healthy controllable competition.

Unintended Consequences:

-          Not physically possible to please everyone, including parents of students drawing knowledge from previous experience. Who has the ultimate decision as to what is and what is not ‘fair’?

-          Pressure financially, teaching faculty involved need to earn from this process, emphasis of ensuring show is of highest quality for all potential theatre goers.

-          It is actually ‘unfair’ to give a role to a student that is too challenging, puts them under too much pressure to achieve?

-          Finding a show incorporating numbers that will or can involve everyone and all subjects studies with elements from the acting, singing and dancing disciplines is very difficult - copy write/performance rights limit choices hugely

In summary, all of these ‘consequences’ effect you and your choices and decision making as the professional, but also effect the students, the school and the professional organisational company itself in many ways too.

In conclusion, I know the ultimate goal of my inquiry is to explore a topic that has intent, and initially identifying my own unique learning needs is important. The topic explored should aim to benefit not only my work, but the work of colleagues, fellow professions, work from associated affiliations and work organisations. Would there be anyone else interested in the topic, perhaps generalising more into what it actually takes to make the transition between dancer and dance teacher, as a potential line of inquiry, I would be interested to hear your views to I can explore new evidence perhaps, then eventually work towards analysing and presenting it all upon completion.

Communities Of Practise

With studying reader 3, ‘The Networked Professional’ along side blogging my sources of information, I now have a sparked interesting specifically in Wegner’s theory behind ‘Communities Of Practise’. Although we already now know that this idea explains learning as the process of engagement in social relationships rather than a process of gaining knowledge as an individual, I was really intrigued to dig a bit deeper into this. I am really interested to find where this concept actually comes from in the first place. With my findings, I am surprised to see that this concept is being applied in our day to day lives probably without us realising.

I furthered my reading by using the search engine Google. I came accross a very interesting sight and have posted its link below should anyone wish to read it:

http://www.ewenger.com/theory/Where does the concept come from?


Social scientists have used versions of the concept of community of practice for a variety of analytical purposes, but the origin and primary use of the concept has been in learning theory. Anthropologist Jean Lave and coined the term while studying apprenticeship as a learning model. People usually think of apprenticeship as a relationship between a student and a master, but studies of apprenticeship reveal a more complex set of social relationships through which learning takes place mostly with journeymen and more advanced apprentices. The term community of practice was coined to refer to the community that acts as a living curriculum for the apprentice. Once the concept was articulated, people started to see these communities everywhere, even when no formal apprenticeship system existed. And of course, learning in a community of practice is not limited to novices. The practice of a community is dynamic and involves learning on the part of everyone.
　
Where is the concept being applied?

The concept of community of practice has found a number of practical applications in business, organizational design, government, education, professional associations, development projects, and civic life. The concept has been adopted most readily by people in business because of the recognition that knowledge is a critical asset that needs to be managed strategically. Initial efforts at managing knowledge had focused on information systems with disappointing results. Communities of practice provides a new approach, which focuses on people and on the social structures that enable them to learn with and from each other. Today, there is hardly any organization of a reasonable size that does not have some form communities-of-practice initiative. A number of characteristics explain this rush of interest in communities of practice as a vehicle for developing strategic capabilities in organizations:
Communities of practice enable practitioners to take collective responsibility for managing the knowledge they need, recognizing that, given the proper structure, they are in the best position to do this.
Communities among practitioners create a direct link between learning and performance.
Practitioners can address the tacit and dynamic aspects of knowledge creation and sharing, as well as the more explicit aspects.
Communities are not limited by formal or solid structures: they create connections among people across organizational and geographic boundaries. The concept of community of practice is influencing theory and practice in many ways. From humble beginnings in apprenticeship studies, the concept was grabbed by businesses interested in knowledge management and has progressively found its way into other sectors. It has now become the foundation of a perspective on knowing and learning that informs efforts to create learning systems in various sectors and at various levels of scale, from local communities, to single organizations, partnerships, cities, regions, and the entire world.

New technologies such as the Internet have extended the reach of our interactions beyond the geographical limitations of traditional communities, but the increase in flow of information does not obviate the need for community. In fact, it expands the possibilities for community and seek for new kinds of communities based on shared practice. sector. In the civic domain, there is an emergent interest in building communities among practitioners. In the non-profit world, for instance, foundations are recognizing that philanthropy needs focus on learning systems in order to fully leverage funded projects. But practitioners are seeking peer-to-peer connections and learning opportunities with or without the support of institutions. This includes regional economic development, with intra-regional communities on various domains, as well as inter-regional learning with communities gathering practitioners from various regions.

 Schools are organizations in their own right, and they too face increasing knowledge challenges. The first applications of communities of practice have been in teacher training and in providing isolated administrators with access to colleagues. But in the education sector, learning is not only a means to an end: it is the end product. The perspective of communities of practice is therefore also relevant at this level. In business, focusing on communities of practice adds a layer of complexity to the organization, but it does not fundamentally change what the business is about. In schools, changing the learning theory is a much deeper transformation. This will inevitably take longer. The perspective of communities of practice affects educational practices along three dimensions: Like businesses, government organizations face knowledge challenges of increasing complexity and scale. They have adopted communities of practice for much the same reasons, though the formality of the bureaucracy can come in the way of open knowledge sharing. Beyond internal communities, there are typical government problems such as education, health, and security that require coordination and knowledge sharing across levels of government. There also, communities of practice hold the promise of enabling connections among people across formal structures.

Sources Of Information

This task has been all about exploring the different methods by which I, and my peers on this course, gather and organise information. Most of the methods I have not are already well established however are perhaps not always seen as a technology. The main tool, is obviously the Internet. Here I would like to make reference to the theory of Connectivism, being that this is a way of learning influenced by the spread of Internet and digital technologies. I am finding that I use my blogging site, Google, Hotmail, and even social media sites such as Facebook to connect with fellow students. Having so many different ways to connect and share information with each other has meant I have really been able to produce well rounded, critically reflected work for the BAPP. Ultimately, this will have helped my professional practise already, but even more importantly is the fact that it will continue to be aided as I am sure many of us will continue to share our views and opinions on any professional practise related issues. The theory of Connectivism really provides an explanation about how networks provide the means for individuals to connect and learn from and within the network. It has therefore become apparent to me that learning about my professional practise comes from gaining knowledge from 'teacher to student' but I, being the student, have to modify it. It is the me as the 'learner' who connects the information, and then put it into my 'higher schemes' that make sense of my personal experiences.

Another major source of information is simply meeting and discussing experiences related to our professional practises as a group. I regularly meet with fellow cast members, teachers, friends in similar career lines etc. It is this social construction that encourages each individual to share their meaning of the world around them and their personal experiences in their own practise. I may even say that this method is perhaps the most valuable, I think witnessing peoples reactions physically, as you would do when meeting in a face to face situation is considerably more telling and truthful that via the Internet. In a sense, you cannot really hide what your true feelings and opinions are, ultimately producing more honest reactions and constructive criticism.

To inform my practise further I rely a lot on some external sources. I get vast amounts on information regarding the latest jobs, auditions, upcoming dance schools, even the latest uniform from my subject literature. I have a weekly subscription to both 'The Stage' and 'The Dancing Times' magazines. Both provide me with useful reading materials on dance related topics happening today, but also pages upon pages of auditions. Without them I would really struggle to remain 'on the scene' and up to date with whats going on in the dance world.

Through reading her blog, and on my knowledge of her gained with our blossoming friendship, I know that Sonal uses similar sources of information to aid her professional practise. I have become awear of her advantage of living in Manchester. Also, from her blog and posts I can see that location is key to optimum professional practise as a teacher, as well as an auditionee. Manchester, the capital of the North as they say, always has big auditions from reputable companies and agents as well as a population large enough for someone teaching dance to have a secure and sustainable financial lifestyle. With training there for three years myself, I found links to more sources of information from specific places. The Royal Northern College of Music, The Dancehouse Theatre, The Palace Theatre and the Sunshine Studios all have helped to aid my professional practise in different ways, whether it be from providing a safe, suitable workplace to practise or having a fully equipped theatre with an up to date show schedule or wide range of versatile dance class timetables. It seems clear to me that she organises herself in such a way that she is achieving as a dance teacher by finding a school with enough eager and willing pupils, and creating herself a sound reputation as a skilled practitioner. She seems to have really set herself up fantastically for her professional practise by utilising her sources of information correctly.

On reflection, the issue has now risen that I simply will not be aiding the success of my professional practise should I choose to stay living where I am currently in the Lake District. There simply are not the same kind of resources available. My county's smaller population provides literally only a handful of other keen dancers. There is a noticeable severe lack of opportunity to expand as a professional practitioner. Thank goodness for the new direct train line to Manchester City Centre!