Chapter 7: Journal writing experience aka 2b

So it's been a while since I have blogged but I have been embarking on my journal writing, I still think I am better with a pen and paper than a computer! Here is a taste of my experience:

Description
I found it hard to write in this style.  I am used to writing about my thoughts and feelings and to write simply about where and when felt very impersonal and cold.  I had very little to write too!  I have always known I am quite in touch with my feelings as I have used journal writing in the past to work through decisions and issues but forcing myself to write in this way highlighted it further.  I do not feel this style will be beneficial for me.  I believe that my ever changing thoughts will shape my future professional practice and I therefore need to be aware of them.

Initial reflection
This is where I ended up writing two A4 pages! Ask me how I feel about something and I can write for eternity.  I spend most of my day talking to myself and working through my feelings and what that means. That sounds a little psychotic but I think it is because I am in a position of instability and trying to choose a path and this can consume me at times. Sometimes to the point where I confuse myself so much it gets frustrating.  Because of this I do not feel this is the best method for me as I have a tendency to waffle on and loose focus.  In order to find a path I need to sort through my thoughts and feelings with focus.

List
This really worked for me! As fore mentioned I have a tendency to waffle and this helps me to stop that.  With a list I can organise my thoughts and write about the key elements of my day.  I also find it hard to make time for journal writing everyday and this style makes it quick and easy to manage.  I feel it will also help me when looking back as it is clear and broken down rather than a chunk of text.

Evaluation
I found evaluation a useful tool that highlighted a lot of things to me.  It is so easy to go day to day and not to analyse things that went well or could have gone better.  I think about it at the time but  I think I can slip into being lazy and not making any changes.  With the tool of evaluation I had to ask myself questions that can sometimes be hard to answer.  As a performer I am used to analysing myself and working out areas to improve upon but I have a tendency to look at this as a negative thing.  I always try to do my best so find it frustrating when things do not go well.  Sometimes I think I avoid evaluation because it is easier but it is time to use evaluation in a positive way to develop my professional practice.

Chart and graph
At the prospect of this I was a little critical.  I couldn't even remember how to make a chart or graph let alone see how it would help me in my journal writing.  I used www.ehow.co.uk and remembered how simple it was.  I chose to do a pie chart of a day when I had little work comparing stress, freedom and fun and a bar graph of a day teaching comparing my three classes in different skills.  I found it really interesting to see my day in an image form, it made it simple and clear and I can imagine it would be really useful when working in comparison.

Diagram
I took a slightly different approach to this style and did a sketch of elements of my day.  I like to draw and I really enjoyed this take on my day and upon reflection it is interesting to look at the images I chose to draw.  It highlighted the key elements of my day and created a strong visual.

What if?
I really enjoyed this writing style.  It was good fun to dream and imagine what could have happened, my dreams are endless! I spent the day in a primary school leading drama workshops and I wrote: "What if someone from cbbc happened to be at the school and offered me a job as a children's television presenter?" This is one of the many dreams.   In looking at things that I would have hated to happen it highlighted that I had a very good day and it is important to remember how good things are! "What if my car broke down and I was so late that the school cancelled and I got sacked from Perform (the company I work for)"  I think it would help me to engage in this writing style every so often.

Another view
This was really good fun! I took the view of my vintage handbag as it comes everywhere with me.  On reading it back my handbag is very negative about a lot of things I do. "She keeps looking at other people's blogs but not doing anything on her own, I think she is intimidated." But it was very positive about other elements of my day. "When she is teaching she has a sudden energy for life and everyone in it - I love watching her teach she is so happy."  By taking a step out of my life and looking in it helped me understand how I really feel about things and made me face up to things I do not always see.  I think this style will be beneficial for me to take forward.

So.....moving forward I aim to engage in the list style of journal writing on a daily basis.  I will look to engage in what if? and another view once a week as I feel this will vary my view.  I may also use a graph or chart at the end of each month but I will see how it goes!

Hollie x

Chapter 6: I want.....aka task 2a

So...I have found it really hard to move on with the satisfaction that I have done enough.  Ironically after approaching the reader reflection was my key to moving on.  I took a moment to sit back and realise that my learning won't stop at each part of my study that defeats the whole idea.  I am learning these skills to develop my practice and I will take my new found knowledge with me into each and every stage not leave it behind.  This seems obvious but I think it is important to remember.
I am now an active user of web 2.0 and now over the next few weeks I will grow again - into a reflective practioner.  I am quite excited about using a journal to do this as I have always loved to write.  I kept a journal in my teenage years which you can imagine is hilarious to read back! I do not keep a regular journal now but I do turn to writing when things aren't going to well.  Writing helps me make sense of things.  I also like to write when I am doing something out of the ordinary like when I went to Africa.  It is really brilliant to look back and remember how I felt and recount experiences that have lost clarity in my mind.  The aspects I have mentioned are perfect for developing my professional practice but I have never looked at it in this capacity before.  Because I do like to write I am finding it hard to make sure I relate my journal to my practice and not make it too personal.  I do not know if this is something I need to address or embrace?  I will work that out as I go.

Aswell as approaching my professional journal I have decided to create a reflective pinboard as pictured.  The words at the top read "I want...." I am a bit lost about which path to take at the moment and I decided that a visual aid might help me - and I like doing crafty things.  It is a bit empty at the moment but I plan to fill it with pictures, quotes and whatever I find really.  I will choose things that inspire me and make me happy.  I think reflecting upon this along the way will help me assess what I have chosen to put on there and make some decisions.

So happy journal writing everyone and I will  keep you updated with how it goes.
Hollie x

Chapter 5: Where am I at in my life? aka task 1c

So it took a while but here is my first attempt at being a film editor! I enjoyed putting it together and learning another new tool. Let me know what you think! Thanks for watching!

Hollie xxx

Chapter 4: Harnessing collective intelligence

Further Reading: Tom Gruber

"Gruber (2007) suggests that there are three components of an online system that support collective intelligence and the benefits that might be gained from the idea that in a web 2.0 platform like Facebook, the fact that there is over 500 million members makes it the valuable and useful tool for social interaction and sharing that it has become today." (1)

I wanted to explore this further as I feel it is important for me to understand the power of the systems I am using. 

"Simply collecting the contributions of the masses does not lead to new levels of intelligence." (2)

It is important to be aware of this and remember that when conducting research on web 2.0 platforms a lot of it can be opinion rather than fact.

"I would suggest that collective intelligence be taken seriously as a scientific and societal goal, and that the Internet is our best shot at seeing it happen in our lifetimes. The key, as the visionaries have seen, is a synergy between human and machines. What kind of synergy? Clearly, there are different roles for people and machines. People are the producers and customers: they are the source of knowledge, and they have real world problems and interests. Machines are the enablers: they store and remember data, search and combine data, and draw mathematical and knowledge in the context of conversation. The Internet makes it possible for machines to help people create more knowledge and learn from each other more effectively."(2)

This quote simply highlights that the Internet is not creating the collective intelligence we are and we are therefore responsible for harnessing it. 

"Today, that interaction pattern treats the web as an information source: we learn by browsing, searching, and monitoring the web.  Tomorrow, the web will be understood as an active human-computer system, and we will learn by telling it what we are interested in, asking it what we collectively know, and using it to apply our collective knowledge to address our collective needs." (2)

It is important to remember that Gruber wrote this in 2007 and I think we are well on the way to the tomorrow he talks of.  I am proud to say I am becoming a part of the collective intelligence.

Refrences

(1) http://lgdata.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/docs/566/262964/Module_1_BAPP_Handbook_3730_Reader_1_2011-12_final.pdf

(2)http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1

Chapter 4: Remixable data and transformations

Further reading: Dr Axel Bruns

"Bruns argues that in fact there isn't a step by step transition from reading and consuming materials to making and sharing them online, more that each of us as we participate are both producer and consumer." (1)

I wanted to explore this further as I feel it refers directly to a carrer in the performing world.  We are our own brand, our own producer but we have to consume the industry around us and those in it in order to progress.  This creates a great link into how I should be using web 2.0 in my practice.

"The production of ideas takes place in a collaborative, participatory environment which breaks down the boundaries between producers and consumers and instead enables all participants to be users
as well as producers of information and knowledge – frequently in an inherently and inextricably hybrid role where usage is necessarily also productive: participants are produsers (3)." (2)

"These produsers engage not in a traditional form of content production, but are instead involved in produsage – the collaborative and continuous building and extending of existing content in pursuit of further improvement." (2)

These two excerts highlight how as "produsers" (3) we are blurring the line between between producer and consumer as we become both roles.  It is important for me to remember as I develop in my practice that I am the producer of my own work and this freedom means that there is no right or wrong answer.  We are all searching for self improvement especially as performers and the material to help us is out there thanks to web 2.0, we can now share and learn from each other but......

It is important to consider "the re-use and remixing of existing content becomes new artworks which are then able to be further reworked by subsequent generations of users. This opens up new avenues for creative work and publication beyond the traditional media industries, as well as undermining

romantic notions of the artist as individual genius." (2)

I am remixing data right now in order to further my own learning and develop my understanding.  However this reminds me that creatively I think it is still important to try and be an individual.  Moving forward I will be concious of taking on board what I learn from others but not be afraid to create something different that I can call my own.  But with so much remixable data is anything individual anymore?

"The outcomes of the produsage process are no longer discrete product versions, but rather rapidly evolving revisions of existing content, released for public view and further update immediately upon revision." (2)

This highlights the fact that I am the producer of my content and my career and I need to keep up with the immediate revision of the ever changing internet.  Technology enhances everyday and I may explore all the current tools that can delevop my practice but it is important to remember that this is a constant process.  There will always be new ways and avenues to explore to evolve my exsisting content.  I summarise my further reading of Bruns work with this quote that leaves me thinking of where our remixable data and transformations will lead us to in the future.

"The traditional models of production are further complicated by the fact that users are no longer passive consumers, but frequently express a desire to participate actively in guiding the development process for new and existing products." (2)

Refrences

(1) http://lgdata.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/docs/566/262964/Module_1_BAPP_Handbook_3730_Reader_1_2011-12_final.pdf

(2)http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.105.3421&rep=rep1&type=pdf

(3) Bruns, A. Towards produsage: Futures for user-led content production. Proceedings: Cultural Attitudes  towards Communication and Technology 2006, eds. F. Sudweeks, H. Hrachovec, and C. Ess. Murdoch University, Perth, 2006, 275-84. Also available at http://snurb.info/files/12132812018_towards_produsage_0.pdf (accessed 25 Nov. 2006).

Chapter 4: Architectures of Participation

Further reading: Ullrich Carsten

"The democratisation of the web is an important concept in that web 2.0 encourages it's user to take control of the production and access other people have to data (and not rely on businesses or government to provide that service)."(1)

This quote from the reader inspired me to look further into this concept of equality and the idea of the user taking control of your own participation and how this can relate to my learning. Looking at writing from Ullrich Carsten I found that the document was all about how web 2.0 helps with learning and and research in regards to participation.  I found the following quotes very helpful:

"Constructivism is based on the premise that knowledge can not be transmitted but has to be constructed by the individual.  Therefore learning is an active process of integrating information with pre-existing knowledge." (2)

By engaging in the BAPP course we are all taking a constructivist approach to our learning.  I like this terminology and it is a reminder that we are constantly learning, it never stops so there isn't a right or wrong answer.  The idea of integrating information with knowledge is a strong term for the fact that we all hold the knowledge to progress our practice we just need to find the information to help us and web 2.0 provides that.

"Learning takes place in context and collaboration and provides opportunities to solve realistic and meaningful problems." (2) "Web 2.0 services are characterized by the fact that their value increases the more people are using it." (2) "Each user is immediately a member of a community with a low barrier to participate" (2)

This is what we our doing through our blogs! This highlights to me the need to progressive comment on others work and share any ideas I have because you never know the possibilities and answers that may arise.  It is made so easy for use to participate in creating our own BAPPer community.

"Every website with a fancy interface is sold as web 2.0"

This made me giggle because of it's reality.  It makes me realise I need to be aware of everything out there and work out what really works for me.

"A Personal Learning Environment is not a pre-build collection of tools and content but a framework that allows a learner to assemble his own suite of applications and content sources."(3)

I like the idea of us having our own personal learning environment. This notion of a framework is what our blogs and BAPP provides us but we fill this with our journey of participation as we share and develop.

"Disorientation and cognitive overload are the principle obstacles of self-regulated learning in technology-enhanced learning." (4)

It was nice to see this Ullrich's document as it is exactly how I feel sometimes.  The Internet is an overwhelming source of information but reading this comforted me in the fact that I just need to accept that and find from it what works for me not use everything it has to offer.  I round up this further reading with a poignant quote.

"It is now easier than ever to build the tools that enrich the learning experience." (2)

Refrences

(1) http://lgdata.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/docs/566/262964/Module_1_BAPP_Handbook_3730_Reader_1_2011-12_final.pdf

(2)http://www2008.org/papers/pdf/p705-ullrichA.pdf

(3) M. van Harmelen. Personal learning environments. In ICALT '06: Proceedings of the Sixth IEEE
International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies, pages 815{816, Washington, DC, USA, 2006. IEEE Computer Society.

(4) S. O. Tergan. Hypertext und Hypermedia:Konzeption, Lernmoglichkeiten, Lernprobleme und
Perspektiven. In P. Klimsa and L. Issing, editors, Information und Lernen mit Multimedia und Internet { Lehrbuch fur Studium und Praxis, pages 99{112. Beltz Verlag, Weinheim, 2002.

Chapter 4: A Platform is a stage continued

Upon looking at the reader again it is enriching how much my understanding has grown and how it makes so much more sense to me. In developing my knowledge of technology tools my understanding has progressed to allow me to look outwardly with a new found confidence. In my first blog about the reader I looked at the positive and negative affects of web 2.0. As I move on in my practice I can look deeper than this and find that web 2.0 has so much more to offer me than meets the eye. I am the reader becoming a more advanced creator day by day and web 2.0 is allowing me to do this.

I have chosen to look further into particular aspects of the reader that I feel with a deeper knowledge of can enhance my own professional practice. I have chosen one theory to explore from each of the three competencies.
Hollie xx

Do I need an editor?

Following on from my initial idea of creating my blog like a book I am left asking myself do I need an editor?  When I sit down to work I find myself taking  a long time to get going but when I do, do I write too much?  I feel this is an important question to ask myself as my work can become inaccessible to fellow bloggers and therefore I do not receive the comments that could help me progress.  I know in myself that I steer away from lenghty documents not because I do not think it will be helpful, I can find it intimidating and hard to process.  Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
Hollie x

Chapter 3: This is me continued

As mentioned in my previous blog http://hollievictoriasmith.blogspot.com/2012/02/chapter-3-this-is-me-continued.html I thought it would be beneficial to ask a friend of mine that works in recruitment a few questions about CV's.  I wanted to share this with you as I think her answers are really good to know.

1.       Please briefly describe your role and how you use incoming CV’s within your workplace.
I work in recruitment and receive numerous CVs each day. CV’s are screened and sent to the clients if they match their needs. CVs are also used for lead generation, for example, a reference on a CV gives direct access to a potential hiring manager.

2.       What makes a CV instantly stand out so you continue to read?
·         Well presented – borders, nice fonts, etc.
·         Simple with bullet points
·         Impressive achievements listed in the personal statement.

3.       What makes you instantly discard a CV?
·         Too wordy, long paragraphs instead of bullet points
·         Too long – CVs should generally be kept to two pages or less to maintain the recruiter’s interest
·         Too egotistical
·         Spelling and grammatical errors

4.       Should you always include all your experience even if you do not feel it is relevant to the job you are applying for (if left out it may lead to career gaps on CV)?
No, if it is irrelevant do not include it but add a short section under employment titled ‘other employment’ with a short explanatory sentence stating that details are available on request.

5.       If you are following multiple career paths should you keep these CV’s separate?
Yes. You should tailor your CV to each individual role you apply for, picking out only relevant skills and experience in each case.

6.       If you practised the same skills in different jobs should you repeat them or not?
It is better where possible to avoid repetition, you can summarise these skills in your personal statement if relevant. If it makes sense to repeat the skills, emphasise how they were used in different contexts.

7.       Do your clients search potential employees within social networking platforms eg. Facebook, twitter, blogs?
Yes, almost everyone in the workplace uses social media in some form and a Facebook/Twitter page can give insight into the interests of a potential employee.

8.       Do your clients often ask for hard copy CV’s or is it all done online?
It is all done over email.

9.       Are your clients starting to use video CV’s at all?
No, although I would forward on to the client if I received one and the candidate seemed like a good match for the role.

10.   Do you have any brief tips/biggest mistakes to share?
·         Check the CV thoroughly for mistakes. Spelling errors demonstrate a lack of attention to detail.
·         Keep it short, simple and to the point – recruiters will not take the time to read a wordy, four-page CV properly if there are 60 other CVs to sift through for the same role.
·         Ensure the key information stands out, for example, put job titles in bold font.
·         Add a short personal statement, highlighting your key skills/qualifications/experience at the top, but don’t make it too long – it should be no more than about five lines.
·         Put your most recent position at the top and work backwards in time down the CV.
·         If you have been promoted within a company, put your most recent position and add a sentence underneath indicating what position you started in and the date you were promoted.
·         State that references are available on request instead of giving employer contact details.


I have developed my practice in this area by looking at my original documents and applying what I have learnt from my research to enhance my CV, the key to the dream job.

I have looked at performing CV and developed it to include my spotlight number and a skills section.  From looking at other performing CV's I can see that I am not doing enough to advertise myself and my work.  Many people have links to show reels or voice recordings and this is something I do not have.  My phobia of technologies and little understanding of its tools could be holding me back from getting seen by the right person.  With so many people applying for each and every job I can understand why having the tools to share my work will enhance my practice and be desirable to potential employers.  Luke Bohanna mentioned on his blog that he gained a job by sending a show reel and this shows the power of this tool.  I am therefore in the process of making a show reel of my work.  I also hope to create my own website and provide links to these new tools on my CV.  This is my new and improved CV:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lWQmW2F_7ULmAg3zx6BsznoYEytw9G4UDqlwS7IWE3Y/edit

I have looked at my CV that I use for teaching and developed this with my new found knowledge and attention.  The main thing that stood out to me was the need for a good profile at the beginning of my document, this will make the employer read on or not.  So I have spent some time on this to try and get it right.  It is something I will change to suit each job I apply for as highlighted by my friend in recruitment.  I also took inspiration from Ahmet Ahmet to create a clear one page CV that highlights my teaching work and mentions my performing experience.  See what you think:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oyd_ipQ1Zj36_trP7llXaRmw09p21xrNQP0njdumuPk/edit

I also have a personal statement for teaching roles but after reading it a few times I am currently happy with it.  I worked on it a lot to apply for this course actually.  As with all my CV's mentioned I will definately be adapting them for every job I apply which I can sit back and say I was a little lazy with before.  I have spent a lot of time on this task but for me I feel it was something I needed to address.  My work highlighted the importance of a CV to others having received comments from Afi and Simone.  I hope it helped in some small way! It definately helped me, through critical reflection I have made changes and developments that I am happy with!
Hollie x