Constructivism.

As I said I would I went back and looked again at the professional communication technologies reader as well as some of the original articles that it refers to. I've been putting off writing this blog for about four days now because I feel as if I have too many thoughts to put down into words. I'm not sure yet which ones are relevant or even which ones are related to each other. I probably have about three different blogs worth of ideas to talk about but I'm going to start with one and see if it clarifies things for me. Perhaps if you have any thoughts you can help too.


Whilst reading this article:


Ullrich, C., Borau, K., Luo, H., Tan, X., Shen, L. & Shen, R. 2008, 'Why web 2.0 is good for learning and for research: principles and prototypes', ACM, pp. 705-714 accessed at http://www2008.org/papers/pdf/p705‐ullrichA.pdf 


I came across the phrase "Social Constructivism." As far as I understand in simple terms it is a theory that says people learn through experiencing things and then reflecting on them. This seemed a very appropriate description of the way we are approaching this course so I thought I'd investigate more.


Apparently the ground work for the theory was done by a man called Lev Vygotsky 1896-1934. He did a lot of research into the way that children develop and learn and over the years others have adapted and enhanced the work to apply to learning in general. Vygotsky came up with a theory called the "Zone of Proximal Development" (Vygotsky, L.S. (1962). Thought and Language. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.). This theory suggested that children didn't learn as well on their own as they did when they were working with an adult. The collaboration with the adult allowed the child to "refine their thinking". The following diagram explains it better than I ever could.

The green area shows what a child can do and the dark orange shows something that the child is currently unable to do. The light orange area however is something that the child has the potential to do with the help of an adult. Eventually, the child will be able to do whatever task it is on their own and the green area expands to encompass the light orange area. The dark orange area then becomes light orange and so on. In other words the child learns, their understanding increases and the cycle continues. For a better description of it and for more information look at the following website where I sourced my diagram and information:


ATHERTON J S (2010) Learning and Teaching; Constructivism in learning [On-line] UK: Available:http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/constructivism.htm Accessed: 30 September 2010


I found the above piece of information so interesting because it really applies to what we are doing. At the moment we are just starting out, we are the children with a limited understanding. However, through collaboration with our advisors and with each other we will improve our ability to reflect and expand our understanding of our various professions.


I seem to have strayed away from the idea of professional communication technologies but all the ideas I've talked about so far started me thinking about why web 2.0 is important for my career and its progression. For simplicity I am going to continue by discussing web 2.0 in relation to one particular area of my professional practice.


I have always watched a lot of theatre. I go to see something almost every week and I use it to inform my own performances. I evaluate what I think works and what I think doesn't. I learn form different styles of performers and productions whilst constantly improving my background knowledge of the industry as a whole.


When I was younger this process was accidental or at least certainly not deliberate. It was something I did unintentionally in my own mind. My ideas therefore were quite static and I never ventured far from what I knew. I then went to drama school and we were encouraged to discuss things we saw with each other. So the idea of collaboration was introduced within a small group of people. Our ideas informed each other and our various perceptions help each other learn.


It is only since starting this course that I have realised that this process has moved on again. With the use of Facebook and also Whatsonstage I now have discussions about my thoughts on productions with much wider groups of people. Not just people I know well, but people I am only vaguely acquainted with and some I have never met at all. Also Youtube now gives me the opportunity to repeatedly watch stage performances I would never otherwise have seen, and critique them with people from all over the world. My ideas and viewpoints are continually stretched by this ever growing community of people and my own choices as a performer are therefore also affected.


Now I am aware of this process and the benefits (thanks to the information I've read on constructivism) I think I will be able to enter into it more fully and therefore reap even greater rewards. As I've said previously this is only one area of my professional practice and I am going to think about other areas where I already use web 2.0 collaboration as well as areas where I could introduce it.


It's also worth saying that I think this process encapsulates the phrase "democratisation of the media". Hundreds of people commenting on a production on the Whatsonstage website certainly seems to negate the job of the traditional reviewer. I do however have some reservations about whether this is completely a good thing. The idea of "collective intelligence" suggests that when people comment on a site like Whatsonstage their collective ideas are more valuable than the solitary ideas of one reviewer. Is this right? Ronan McDonald, author of Death of a Critic certainly doesn't think so. In his book he argues there is still a place for the traditional reviewer. A person who is trained in academic writing and who understands the historical contexts and other complexities of productions that are perhaps lost on the "general public." I do to a certain extent understand his concerns. I have often witnessed discussions on Whatsonstage turn in to nothing more than slanging matches. I have also seen wonderful pieces of theatre trashed due to lack of understanding whilst mediocre productions are exalted simply because they are easy to understand. 


I can't honestly say I know what the answer is. I can see the amazing benefits of open discussion and collaboration but also the down side of a pack mentality. I suppose one solution on a personal level is to continue to improve my critical thinking and reflection with the help of someone more experienced than me, for example my advisor on this course, so that I can see the difference. I guess that idea takes me full circle to Vygostky's theory on the "Zone of Proximal Development." I am still a child at the moment but with guidance I will expand my current level understanding in ever increasing circles.

Professional Communication Technologies.

Up until today I had read the Professional communication technologies reader four or five times and although I understood the principles I couldn't grasp how they would directly benefit me in my profession. Then strangely two things happened simultaneously.

Firstly a friend of a friend contacted me via Facebook saying they were doing a job in Kuala Lumpur over Christmas and the producers were still looking for a boy and would I mind if they put my name forward. I of course said that was fine. I was then contacted directly on Facebook by the show's producer and asked if I was available and if I could send my CV (which I had luckily just revised with the help of some of the other bloggers) and an audition tape. I sent my CV but told them I didn't have an audition tape (something which I am now going to work on). I then receive another message saying they had looked at my CV and then contacted (again on Facebook) two people I had previously worked with that they also knew and through their recommendations were going to offer me the job. So I'm off the Kuala Lumpur for Christmas.


Then almost immediately the second thing happens, which is me reading Paula's blog on Reputation and Professional Practice and the entry she suggests for establishing designers. In the light of what had just happened the issues really resonated with me. It was a small "light bulb" moment because it finally began to open my eyes to the benefits that web 2.0 can directly have on my career. I have just been offered a job based entirely on reputation and it was largely through the medium of Facebook. Up to this point I have never deliberately done anything to harness the potential of Facebook or other web 2.0 mediums so I began to imagine the potential if I started to actively do what Brian McDaniel says and "use social media to find and form relationships with other designers, share and discover resources, and make other valuable connections." Obviously in my case it would be actors, directors and producers but the principles are the same, and think of how many similar opportunities are out their.

I'm now going to go back and look at the Professional communication technologies reader again and see how much my opinions have changed and how many more career development possibilities are apparent to me. I'll let you know what I think.

Hyperlinks.

So below is another version of my professional profile that is now small enough to fit in the profile box. I've decided to post it again here though because Rosemary mentioned something really interesting in a comment she left me. She said that it's an advantage of blogs to be able to hyperlink to other sites. I think this is such a good idea because the background information gives your work more context. So I've tried it out below. What do you think?

I am professional musical theatre performer. My credits include Angel in Rent; Molina in Kiss of the Spider Woman; Ensemble, cover Goran in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; and The Diction Teacher, cover Cosmo in Singin' in the Rain. 

Theatre captured my imagination as a child leading me to perform in Oliver! at the London Palladium at just 13. My love grew so I became a member of the OYMT, the NYMT and the Central School of Ballet. I found that the art of playing, exploring and finally creating something that transported the audience and ultimately impacted their lives was incomparable. 

I trained at Arts Ed London, graduating in 2003 with a National Diploma in Professional Dance (Musical Theatre). It is due to the strength and diversity of this course and its teachers that I have survived in such a precarious profession. 

I intend to continue performing but ideally in less danced based, more character driven shows. I also want to teach on a vocational course bringing my up-to-date knowledge of the profession to my students. I currently teach beginners ballet for adults and hope to expand this. 

My BA (Hons) Professional Practice will give me the tools I need to achieve my career goals.

Joanna's Blog.

Hey everyone. Just wanted to point you all in the direction of Joanna's blog so you can read her profile.

Here's the link:  http://joanna-adeyinka.blogspot.com/

The reason I like it so much is because it's concise but at the same time gives a real sense of the type of person she is. It mixes factual details about her educational and work history with more personal details, like her passion for helping young people achieve their goals. It also made me realise that a profile doesn't have to be chronological as long as it shows where you've come from, where you are going and what you are like. Read it and see what you think.

When I wrote my profile I had a problem making it concise enough to fit in the profile box. Having read Joanna's profile and some of the comments people have left me about mine I am going to revisit my profile now and try and implement some of the things I have learnt. I'm going to remove some of the irrelevant information at the suggestion of Natalie and I am also going to see if I can incorporate some of Joanna's style.

Help please :)

Can anyone who's free please read the blog below on my professional profile and tell me what you think. It was originally about double the length and I have edited it so much but it is still too long to fit in the profile box. Please say which bits you think I should get rid of because I've been staring at it for too long and have lost all perspective. It has made me aware of how challenging the project at the end of this module will be though. Only seven hundred and fifty words is going to mean a lot of editing. Thanks :)

Professional Profile.

My name is Mark Iles and I am a professional performer working primarily in the musical theatre industry. 

Theatre captured my imagination as a child and my love of it has continued to grow. Personally the art of playing, exploring and finally creating something that transports the audience and ultimately impacts their lives is incomparable.

By 14 I had appeared in three professional pantomimes, the national tour of 'Evita', and 'Oliver!' at the London Palladium. These experiences prompted my realisation that performing could be a profession. At 17 I became a member of the Oxfordshire Youth Music Theatre, the National Youth Music Theatre and the Central School of Ballet.

Arts Ed London ran my vocational course of choice because its content was ideally balanced. Our timetable was filled with classes in ballet, jazz, tap, acting, stage combat, voice, speech, music theory, choral, singing and the history of musical theatre. I am certain it is due to the strength and diversity of this course and its teachers that I have been able to survive and flourish in such a precarious profession.

I graduated in 2003 with a National Diploma in Professional Dance (Musical Theatre). Since graduating I have danced in pantomime and 'Stars in Their Eyes Live'. I have appeared as ensemble, cover Goran in the national tour of 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang', and I played the Diction Teacher, cover Cosmo in the tour of 'Singin' in the Rain'. I have also starred as Molina in 'The Kiss of the Spider Woman' at the Emery Theatre, London and Angel in 'Rent' at the English Theatre, Frankfurt.

My intention is to work within the industry for the rest of my life. I want to continue performing but ideally in less danced based and more character driven shows. I also want to teach on a vocational course bringing my up-to-date knowledge of the profession to my students. I currently teach beginners ballet for adults at The Arc in Surrey and over the next few months hope to expand this.

My BA (Hons) in Professional Practice will give me the tools I need to move towards my desired career goals.

First Impressions.

I thought I'd talk about my first impressions after the induction day on Tuesday. Alan said at one point that writing down something that has happened and working through it analytically will solidify the ideas in your mind. I'm hoping this will be the case and I'm also hoping that other ideas surface that haven't previously occurred to me.

I suppose the biggest concept of the day for me was that of critical thinking. I found the following definition of critical thinking by Robert H Ennis and I am going to try and reference it correctly, but let me know if you don't think I have.

"Critical thinking is reasonable, reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe or do" (Norris and Ennis, 1989, extracts from Fisher 2001, Critical thinking an introduction [online], Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Available from: http://assets.cambridge.org/052100/9847/sample/0521009847ws.pdf [accessed 16 September 2010])

It's worth reading the whole paper from the URL above because the ideas are explained really simply.

I'm still trying to get my head around the whole idea to be honest. One minute i think I've had an epiphany and everything is miraculously clear and the next I'm back in the dark. I am slowly starting to see how the idea will benefit me professionally though. Hopefully by looking back at the professional acting work I have done so far and critically reflecting on it I will be able to see what i have learnt. It should become apparent which aspects have been successful and which have not. This knowledge should then give me the basis to come up with new ideas and methods of work which i can then put into practice. I will then be able to move me forward in the direction I want to go and presumably the process starts all over again.

Creating my professional profile for the first task I hope will be a really good starting point in this critical thinking process (hence why we've been asked to do it first). It will be interesting to look back at what I've achieved and start self evaluating.

I suppose it's also important to have an idea of where it is you want to go and what it is you want to achieve. Paula's question on Tuesday about what each of us viewed as success I found extremely interesting. I have never thought about it for very long and even sitting there for two minutes allowed me to realise what's important to me in more detail than I ever have before. Some of the things I wrote down were;

• Career longevity.
• Improved knowledge and understanding of my profession.
• Increased level of professional stability.
• A larger network of work contacts.
• More creative control.
• A wider use of my talents/ being artistically challenged.

If I continue to apply critical thinking then this list will perhaps grow to include other yet unrealised aspirations or it may perhaps become more focused in a particular area.

Another of the most significant ideas that I came away from the induction with is that of a collaborative dialogue with advisors and peers. So please feel free to leave me comments any time and I'll do the same for you. I'm really looking forward to reading your blogs and hearing your ideas.

Wow! Longest blog ever. So sorry about that. It was totally unintentional. Maybe it's time to stop writing and start doing. As Adesola said, it's really all about action.

Copyright Laws.

Hey guys. It was great to meet you all today. I have found this information on copyright laws that I think explains things quite well. Just follow this link.

http://www.copyrightservice.co.uk/copyright/p01_uk_copyright_law

I was unsure whether I could use the photo of me in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the top of my page. Although I had the picture taken for me on my camera and therefore own its copyright I was aware that I didn't own the copyright of the production's design. I therefore needed to check if I could post the picture. The link above talks about something called "Fair Dealing" which is where it is acceptable in certain circumstances to reproduce someone's work without infringing copyright. For example, you are allowed to copy or lend for educational purposes. I think what we are doing here clearly comes within the bracket of "educational purposes" and I have therefore left the picture on this page but credited the production's designer.

Additionally I credited the Producer of the show because the link also makes the comment that "if the work is produced as part of employment then it will normally belong to the person/company who hired the individual."

I hope some of this helps people.

New Skills.

Sondheim., originally uploaded by thesondhead.

I'm just trying out some of the new web 2.0 tools I'm learning about. I've joined the site flickr and I'm attempting to send a picture from there to here. If It works a picture of the amazing Stephen Sondheim should appear next to this post. If not then I clearly have some more reading to do. I decided to post a picture of Sondheim because I think he is a musical genius and it's his 80th birthday this year so it seemed appropriate.

My First Blog!

Next week is my induction to my BA (Hons) Professional Practice course. This is where it all begins so I thought I would start by writing a quick blog about how I am absolutely petrified. Hopefully in a few months time I will be able to look back at this and wonder what all the fuss was about. For now, however, I feel completely out of my depth embarking on a course that I quite frankly know very little about. The basic idea, as I understand it, is to obtain a degree in what you are currently practicing professionally (hence Professional Practice) and to expand your knowledge of your chosen career to help you progress in new and interesting directions in the future. Please don't quote me though because I may have got this completely wrong. Here's to the next fifteen months wherever it my lead me!