Advice for your Critical Reflection Module 1

Please see below some previous blogs on the 750 word Critical Reflection for Module 1. In the paper and digital version you should still add supporting evidence, well chosen, in the Appendices (you should refer the 'reader' to these in your 750words) as well as links in the digital version. General guidance is that a small added word count is okay (no more than 10%). The text and images you us in this work should highlight the learning you have accomplished during the semester using the structure of the three main themes in Parts 1, 2, and 3. What have you gained? What have you identified in terms of ideas (theory ) and experience (practice) as a way of exploring your practice? Has the learning led you into any particular lines of inquiry that you will be taking up in Module 2? (added 2/12/11).

Past advice posted WORTH READING BEFORE SUBMISSION: 3002 was the previous module code for 3630 

Alan 
Paula

Rosemary

Rosemary

Adesola 

Drafts and feedback for Modules that submit for 9th January 2012

Everyone please look at the BAPP (Arts) Libguide Noticeboard where I have put up some advice (as Programme Leader) on dates for handing in drafts for feedback.

1. Right now I am now having a look at Module 3 Feedback and trying to get this back to people so that we can continue discussing the feedback and their inquiries and artefact in the next three weeks. We had originally pencilled in a date for drafts on the 14th of November but that was revised to the 21st November. If you have done your inquiry, it is good to do the writing up while the data is fresh in your mind - so get in touch about sending the draft in and discussing individual needs (bit added later 27/11/11).

2. This week I would like to talk to Module 2 learners about their plans and the forms that need to be filled in -for this Module - these should be compete enough to send in as drafts around the 5th of December. Blogs are now up about the planning of the inquiry - they do not have to be perfect because thrashing out ideas is expected at this stage. Try to be as specific as possible in your plan, but it is an individual process so finalising may not include every detail about who you are going to see and what you plan to ask them. If you can be more specific, do so in your plan and you will be able to carry out the plan more easily next semester. There should be some main inquiry questions and you can title your plan (this is different than the title of your degree). You should have looked at some literature (3 pieces is advised) and tried out some sample tools such as interview, observation , focus groups and surveys (these ARE NOT you final ones you will use on your inquiry  BUT sample ones with friends and colleagues to see how the process works). I just found this on the web for surveys for example http://help.surveymonkey.com/euf/assets/docs/pdf/Response_Rates.pdf?noIntercept/1 (added later 21/1/11).

3. Module 1 feedback is the week of the 5th Dec - so sometime that week - it could be toward the end of that week if you are still actively doing parts of the module. Generally on the blogs in Module 1 I would have expected most people to now be finishing up on Part 3 and in a position to reflect on the progress made in the module. I will be scanning blogs again and commenting as much as possible. There is some very good practice out there and also people who have not had the time to engage - so empty blogs that do not show evidence of learning.

Remember, professional practice assessment is not on the work (paid or unpaid) or work-related topics that you do BUT the learning that can be evidenced about the work or work-related topics that you do.

For any of this BAPP (Arts) coursework, you need to show active engagement with the knowledge and understanding gained from the materials, issues, thinking and peer interaction that makes up the course. That means sharing with the community and developing your ideas and thinking toward the goals of each Module. I find myself saying to people that the course is 'about the thinking', that is the level 6 BA Hons) degree level is about putting theory into practice and evaluating your practice using theory. Theory is a general term, mainly we use research from academic or professional sources, or models (like the Kolb cyle) to inform what we do and help us analyse work we do the the real world. Because we do real world issues, things do not always go to plan, and it is thinking through these experiences that can be challenging and frustrating, but ultimately allow the growth in thinking that improves our 'performance' or how we can do things.

I am now advising people about completing the BAPP coursework while negotiating work commitments. I have had a lot of experience with this 'balancing' work and study, but everyone's case is different. For example, some people are running into a busy Christmas period because they are actively performing - if you are one of these consider the time you have left carefully and plan around this time. Do take a look at the Module Handbook to measure your own performance and then get in touch with me to discuss this. I am around evenings and weekends (after hours in other words) - by appointment- so I can make sure to feedback to you what you need.

So please send me an email or phone me to get in touch about feedback.

Paula at Chickenshed on the 24 Nov at 4:30pm

I am coming to meet Natalia at 4:30pm - please let me know if you want to meet up OR come see me there 4:30 - 5:30 in the bit with central space.

Free Dance Research Seminar from Middlesex

Notice from our Middlesex Intranet site...


Home Meets Home

Thursday 1st December 2011, 6.30 p.m followed by drinks reception
The Nehru Centre, 8 South Audley Street, London W1K 1HF
Travel details: http://www.nehrucentre.org.uk/directions.html <http://www.nehrucentre.org.uk/directions.html>

Entrance to the seminar is free, though booking is essential
RSVP to Treacle Holasz at: rescen.mdx@gmail.com <mailto:rescen.mdx@gmail.com>

"Although our first tour of India lasted just ten days it felt as if we had made a journey of epic proportions whose resonance we aim to unpack in this web site. Choreography of course is about journeys of a totally different kind, one which is undertaken in the enclosed spaces of dance studios and in the abstract, elastic and hyper geographical space of the imagination. "  
Shobana Jeyasingh                                                                                               

This seminar is includes a panel discussion and the launch of the website, Home Meets Home. This website documents Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company’s first tour of India in November 2010 and involved performances and workshops in three cities New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore (now called Bengaluru).

Shobana Jeyasingh is a ResCen Research Associate and her company has worked for over twenty years throughout the UK and internationally, producing and touring dance works.


Participants: Shobana Jeyasingh, Dr Jyoti Argade, Dr Avanthi Meduri and Ansuman Biswas. Introduction by Professor Waqar Ahmad, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Middlesex University    Chaired by Professor Christopher Bannerman.

In association with ResCen Research Centre, Middlesex University  (www.rescen.net <http://www.rescen.net>  and www.shobanajeyasingh.co.uk <http://www.shobanajeyasingh.co.uk> )

Sympathy Card - a visual response

                             The mortal demise of the Facebook discussions: ascendance of thought

Where are you now? – an update to help with your Module.

Please get in touch with me for individual feedback by email, phone, skype or in person. I am happy to work ‘out of hours’ but it is often good in that case to make an appointment so that I can prioritise being available at that time. I really appreciate how hard it is to find the time, but I think talking things through is helpful. At the end of the day, the evidence must be provided for the appropriate marks, so it is good to review this before it is time to submit work.

Where are you now? – an update to help with your Module.

This is the 9^th week of BAPP Arts) Module.

I just had a look at the blogs to see where people were in terms of their work on the modules, in most instances there is a lot of good sharing going on in the blogs.

Others have not engaged on the blogs with frequency so I cannot answer the question about the BAPP(Arts) coursework through this supporting evidence.

The important thing is that you know where you are now in terms of completing the coursework for the Module that you are taking.

Module 1: your module is about learning to think critically and identifying some topic questions that are beginning to emerge. The module comes in three parts: social media, reflective practice, and professional networking – you are probably working with the third part now in terms of time. There is time to catch up if you are not… We are advising that you send a draft of the 750 words by the week of the 5^th or 12^th of December (the week of the 12^th is the last week before Xmas).  You should contact me, your adviser for one to one feedback, and I am trying to send emails to everyone this week about individual progress.

Module 2: For the module assessment you need to turn in a plan of your inquiry and you need to fill in some of the sheets for ethics, employer form, and the title of your degree that are required by the university.  We are asking all in Module 2 to send a draft of their plan to their adviser by the 5^th of December so that discussions and feedback can take place before the end of term, which is the 16^th of December this year. Your final submission is due the 9^th of January 2012. Advisers will be here but will not give written feedback that first week in January. I will be here to discuss your submission with you that week (not Monday).

There are some who have looked at the inquiry questions they had at the beginning of the semester, and have expanded these and discussed them with colleague on BAPP (Arts) through the blogs and the now ended BAPP Facebook Discussion Groups (if you have read the BAPP Libguide Noticeboard, or received our email, you will know that Facebook took its Discussion feature down so we are suggesting that everyone recall the conversations they had in a descriptive record and capture important interaction from now on through screenshots and start new communications using Facebook groups or on the blogs, through google wikis etc.).

Module 3: You should be starting to send in a draft of your Critical Review (this is a work in progress) and a paragraph describing the ideas around your Professional Inquiry. It is good to discuss the written feedback after I send it back to you about your drafts.

The submission criteria for ALL MODULES is in the Handbook, as are the success criteria that gives you an indication about the quality of the work you plan to submit. I have tried to send out some brief comments about what is up on the blogs or through email correspondence about what I know about your work. Could you please relate this to your assessment and get back to me to discuss your progress on the course and what you might need to do for submission.

Please look at the resources on tutor and peer blogs and on the Libguide under the Modules tabs.

Anna Scher interview on Desert island Discs

FYI
I heard a bit of this this morning on desert island discs on Radio 4 - Scher noted that discipline was the first thing she used in theatre training but improvisation was a key skill for young actors. the broadcast is available form the title link.
Paula

(BBC, 2011, online)

"Anna Scher
LISTEN :
Listen now (45 minutes)
Availability:
Available to listen.
Last broadcast today, 09:00 on BBC Radio 4.
SYNOPSIS
Kirsty Young's castaway is the drama teacher Anna Scher.

It's more than forty years since she set up her theatre school and it has launched the careers of Kathy Burke, Martin Kemp, Pauline Quirke and Patsy Palmer to name just a few. It started out as a lunchtime drama club - and very quickly grew. Anna Scher says: "There were enormous classes - about seventy in a class - and a lot of those pupils were non-readers and so I fell into improvisation by chance. I found that it was a very effective way of character training."

Producer: Leanne Buckle.


Fri 18 Nov 201109:00BBC Radio 4" (BBC, 2011, online)

Module 3 10th November 2011 Campus Session

10.11.11 review of analysis and learning 3760

View more presentations from paulanottingham.

Module 2 Campus Session 9th November 2011

9.11.11 final tools for learning searching literature

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9.11.11 final tools for learning data gathering

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Update on Module 3 drafts to Paula

Module 3 - we have pencilled in the 14th of November for drafts of the Critical Review and ideas for your Artefact - some people may need a later date and can let me know... - meanwhile work on your blogs MOST PEOPLE HAVE SAID THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE 21ST NOV AS A DEADLINE FOR DRAFTS - THAT IS FINE - SEND ALL THE SECTIONS OF THE TEXT AS ONE PIECE OF WRITING TO ME BY EMAIL AND I WILL SEND YOU DIGITAL FEEDBACK.

WBS3861 Drafts of Chapter 1-3 are due the 24th October - so this week  AND drafts of Chapters 4-6 due the 21st of November - meanwhile work on your blogs (4 are required)

Arts Professional online magazine

I just signed up for a 2 month free trial for Arts Professional - looks interesting for the UK - you can check it out on this link. It has some job information and news etc. - some of which can be accessed and some requires subscription...

Good news about PhD viva

I just wanted to share with everyone that I had my viva (oral examination) yesterday and I have now officially passed my PhD.

The viva meeting was a very positive one. There were two examiners, on ‘internal’ to the University of London and one ‘external’ from a university outside of the University of London (I attended Birkbeck). The examiners have a lot of experience in the field of Higher Education and work based learning and both have a lot of experience in managing vivas for PhD students. The result was for me was that it was more of a discussion than a defense, which was great. My supervisor attended the meeting, but could not say anything during the viva. I still have some corrections to make on the thesis document, but I will hopefully submit that but the end of the year. So a great relief and a lot of celebrating!

FYI before the viva I did look at the information available to prepare for the day, similar to looking at the handbooks for BAPP (Arts), to make sure of what it was I was supposed to be doing.

An example of this is a powerpoint form Birkbeck describing the process and requirements of the viva so click on the link if you are interested. It is always good to go to your own institution for instructions, but other higher education institutions in the UK also have a lot of information that is worth checking out online.