Updating Blogs and Engagement- Please leave a comment...

It is time to update your blog everyone. Comments welcomed!

Go to the Libguide  (or your Reader) and check out everyone's blogs - write comments and start or join conversations about some of the issues... if the comments are in your head but you have not written them down the others can't see your thoughts AND you will have less evidence of your learning to be turned in by 4pm 6th January 2011.

Engagement is taking part - joining in - it is keeping a high energy level - it is being seen and developing your professional presence - it is about recognising the processes through which you can learn in the workplace.

After you have spent fifteen minutes looking at the blogs,  look at the Module Handbook and compare the levels and amount of work that you see on the blogs with the Assessment Rubric on pages 4-5.

It is not very interesting if nothing is up there... If there is nothing on the blog or the blog does not exist... is that minimal or sporatic engagement? That is not enough. It is limited? That is not enough. Is there room for improvement? You be the judge... OR does the blog show two areas of work well developed? critical refection? experimentation? Is it good? Is it great? Fantastic?

Have you commented on any of these blogs that made you think?

Now what is your own blog like?

The module is in three parts - have you 'engaged' or written stuff up about one part of the module (say the beginning) but then nothing about reflection or professional networking?

Compare this to other professional work that you do. If you have a performance piece with 3 sections (3 acts) how many acts would you actually do during the performance? If I had an exhibition with 3 rooms - and I filled one room with art on the walls but left the others with no pieces of art - what would be the reaction of someone who had come to see my show? Confusion? What would they say in the comments book?

The portfolio does not require all the tasks to be completed - but the tasks do provide a structure for evidence of your activity thinking in the three areas introduced in the module. The thing that you need to link to is your own personal and professional presence.

One thing I used to say to art practitioners when I taught fine art was that the show should "look like you" - it represents you so your way of thinking should come through - you won' be there is person so this represents you - if there is something you want to say - say it with words, images, video, etc.

If anything this is a nudge form someone who has to work at timekeeping to update your work so that you will be happy with the outcome - don't leave it until the end of the course. I know I have to use all sorts of tricks to get things done - I have a to do list and many many visual aids. I hope this encouragement helps!

Reputation and Professional Practice for NEW and Continuing

This entry is the start of a longer consideration of an important topic for us all, and one that also is linked in with considering professional identity.

While Sheika Edwards and I were discussing current job and career opportunities that might be used for what we are doing in BAPP course on the 21/9/10 orientation day, it dawned on me that Sheika must have a good reputation among her peers in order to be getting on with things.

So the idea about reputation has really taken hold on my thinking because I do think it is an important one. People 'vet' other people through their reputation, it is important that your peers know that they can count on you. When I talking about the blogs at orientation, I tried to use 'good examples' of current and interesting entries, and I

I went first to the blog entry Laura Davitt blog entry because she had a recent entry (more please Laura)... there are of course others who have updated entries like Rosina Andrews and Abbi Williams, who is a distant learner with a good reputation among the network for her blog work.  Joe Pegram has also noted recent work as has Sophie Gilbert.

Procrastination and perfectionism put aside - it's about being there and preparing so that people can see you and respond to you. For example check out Mark Iles blog. Is that you in the dance pose Nicholas Norman? good brief accounts of skills and future direction and Natalie Less and Ross Dunning were also quick off the mark.

I think I will come back to reputation after more study, but it is one that relates firmly back to the goals of the course - it people know who you are and respect what you do - that is the start of a great reputation.
I came across this entry about this issue for establishing designers after a quick google. I would like to work on my reputation as a good blogger this term.

One other point that Alan has made before, and came up in our orientation discussions, the blog is one way for you to exert some control over something cohesive about yourself going up on the web. When, not if, people google you, a learning blog with some interesting evidence of personality and intellect, everyone can see some of it is for a degree course, is more interesting than random entries.