Task 2A: Reflective Practice

The first task is to keep a private journal which will enable us to reflect on our lives and look inwardly at what we are learning on an everyday basis. I want to start by considering different ways in which to keep the journal because that will be key to how successful it is. If I choose a medium that I can't keep up due to lack of time, the journal will suffer.
D. Boud (2001) suggests that 'writing is a means of puzzling through what is happening in our work and our personal lives". 

• Keeping a written diary- would be one way of using writing to 'puzzle through', however, the written word can only describe, it cannot always really capture a moment.
• Audio clips- keeping a dictaphone to hand and verbalising the journal would be quick and easy to do on the go and would also be able to capture you emotions in another dimension as you would be able to judge pace, intonation and volume as well as the words used.
• Video- I really like the idea of keeping a video diary, because again it allows you to use more than one dimension. I would be able to look back and really see how i felt on that day without even using words if I chose. The only thing with this is that it could be time consuming if not used efficiently.
• Bullet point lists- whenever I have to much in my head I jot it down into a list, it takes it out of my head and safely onto paper so I know it won't be forgotten and I can stop thinking about it. When its finished I can tick it off and feel some sense of achievement. I could keep a journal by bullet pointing what I hope to achieve in the day or bullet pointing what I did actually achieve. This would be to the point and quick but I fear not truly capturing the moments or the experiences, just the facts.
• Colours- at the campus session, Bobbie suggested using coloured pens or highlighters to enhance the emotion of a written text (particularly if it was bullet pointing), perhaps red to mean anger, blue to mean calm etc.
• Photos or drawing- I like the idea of taking one photo a day, quickly sketching a small scene, or just finding an image from elsewhere that depicts either a high light or perhaps a low in the day. I think being able to keep a record of one pleasant thing that stands out in the day would encourage a positive note to end each day on.
• Blog- everyone does it! I could possibly keep a seperate blog about the everyday things as my journal. I would get input from others which could promote either a positive or negative end note to each day. 

Knowing what I'm like, I do enjoy writing when I know what I want to say, however in my everyday life sometimes I struggle to find the right words to describe what I'm feeling and thinking especially when it comes to more abstract topics which appear each day. I think the best way for me to 'Puzzle through' would be to use a combination.
I will probably keep a written journal of the main daily activities I do and then use a picture or video clip just to go into one area of it, if necessay, a bit closer to ensure that I can capture the moment as best possible. I find London (especially at this time of year, and when there are so few professional performing jobs available) quite depressing, and therefore I think picking out as many highlights as I can and capturing them would be a really good way in which to reflect on all the positive things that I am learning along the way. 

Campus session 2, Reflective Practitioner: theories

Looking at the first part of reader 2 we're seeing a lot of talk of 'Turning experience into learning' and the key tool put forward to do this is 'Reflection'. Reflections main 3 practices, is -comparing, -extending, and -new learning.

The suggestion is that learning a new term is different to learning a new idea. Learning a term when you do not know the meaning is pointless. However learning the term and the meaning, is equally as pointless unless you have an understanding of the words used for the definition. To get the 'idea' you need to have a full understanding and experience with the knowledge or lack there of.

For example, Graham McFee explains 'I don't know what bachelors are.If I am not to just take your word for it, I have to check up on whatever you tell me. For you might be mistaken and tell me that bachelors are married men. To know that you are wrong, I must know what bachelors are... One must understand what is being defined in order that one can judge for oneself the accuracy...the definition itself must be understood -- I must know what the words 'unmarried' and 'married' mean, if I am to understand what is being said...' (McFee, 1992: 18)

Using McFees example of the bachelor: It is through the experience of not knowing what a bachelor is that we realise that we have a hole in our knowledge. We have to combine our pre-existing ideas with the new terms to understand andd learn a new idea.

During my time in college, my peers and I had it suggested to us that we would learn far more in our first year of working professionally, than we could ever learn in college itself. Worrying, at first glance, but what they were suggesting is exactly what we are looking at now. That, through experiencing things and then reflecting on them we discover new ideas and learn new things.

'active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusions to which it tends', (Dewey 1933).

What????!!!

Basically, what I think he's getting at here is that to learn from an experience, you must realise that you are having one. For example, if I do a brilliant tripple pirouette without thinking about it, we would call it a 'fluke', because I have done the pirouette on a whim, and wasn't aware that I was about to have an 'experience'. I couldn't do the same thing again. I have not learnt how to do a tripple pirouette flawlessly, it was luck. I have not learnt from the experience. If I tried to assess and analyse what I had just done, I wouldn't get very far because I hadn't put any thought into it. It was sheerly surface value. (It would go under 'see' if we put it on the graffiti wall)
If, I realising the hole in my knowledge, I went back and tried again, 'noticing' what I'm doing and 'thinking' about my technique and actions, and then reflected on the outcome, employing a conscious 'trial and error' technique, each time I would be learning from the experience.

"Kurt Lewin divided 'experience' into a circle of idea, fact finding planning (research) action, evaluation, planning, action",Kurt Lewin, Bapp (Arts) Reader 2, The reflective Practitioner WBS 3730

The following is a diagram of 'A learning cycle' put together by David Kolb (with Roger Fry)

I volunteered to write a blog about Kolb's learning cycle so I will just pop it in here to explain it a bit further. Over the years, my studies in communication showed me that theorists put things in cycles when there is no clear beginning or end, or rather when they occasional adapt. Cycles allow them to show that the theory is constant and never ending.

Different people enter the cycle at different points. The point at which you enter the cycle is usually referred to as your learning style.

I chose to see where I entered the cycle by looking at the newest skills I've learnt. When I started this course I had noooooo idea what I was doing and that stressed me out. In reflection, I found that I entered  the cycle at 'abstract conseptualisation'. I got off to a slow-ish start on the course because I dont function properly when I'm confused. I needed to understand and work out exactly what I needed to do and how I was going to enable msyelf to do it before I could start. I had to 'get my head around it'.  I then found my self moving onto the the 'active experimentation' where I took what I had learnt (how to start a blog and upload things onto internet platforms) and tried it out. I did make mistakes, and I had to try again. For exaple organising the layout of my blog so It was reflective of myself as a professional, clear and easy to navigate and uploading photos and creating a slide show. I after a few trial and errors I now have 'concrete experience' with creating a blog, uploading photos and using these platforms (minor experience as it may be) and I am now able to use 'reflective observation' to review what I have done and compare it fairly to others' work. The cycle helped me to see clearly what I have learnt from it so I will be able to keep building on the knowledge and skills learnt. I'm quite glad that I entered the course with such little knowledge of Web 2.0 and enter that I entered the cycle where I did because I can see a much bigger learning curve.

Now that I have some concrete experience with using the tools, I am able to use reflective observation much more, to ensure that I am on track and to keep in touch with new ideas and thoughts from others on the course before I make any decisions and continue to move through the cycle. So here I can see that through experience I am entering the cycle at different points in different circumstances.

Honey and Mumford (Honey, 1982) and (Honey and Mumford, 1983) expand and adapt Kolbs idea into the 'Four Stages': Having an experience, reviewing an ecperience, concluding from the experience, planning the next steps.


Howard Gardner :

Gardner suggests that people can be intelligent in a number of ways : spatial, verbal inguistic, Logical- mathematical, Bodily- Kinetic, Musical, Interpersonal (understanding people and relationships), Intrapersonal (relates to ones emotional life as a means to understand onself and others) and naturalistic (relatees to nature and the natural world to find meaning).

I think, straight away, we can all slot ourselves in (at face value) to one of these, but when I really started to think about it, I found that though I fit strongly into Inter and intrapersonal I also fit into a few others aswell. Perhaps rather than looking at the list and finding an intelligence we have strongest, I suggest we use it to see that maybe there is just one that perhaps we are not so strong at. Make the glass half full rather than half empty. I know I am musical and spacial due to my background in dance and music, and though I think in an extremely logical way, I have never quite got my head around maths much past GCSE. In reflection, I have always been good at giving advice to people with problems in there life whether it be inter or intrapersonal for them and it is through that, I am able to see I have intelligence in that area. I'd just never categorised it before.

Gardner also discusses VAC: Visual, auditory and Kinaesthetic learners and later in 2005 'Multiple lenses' (multiple ways of looking at things). (Gardner 2005) He suggests that 'multiple lenses' are a way of looking through a key hole at different ways of learning and being a learner. It allows us to pin point our own and others strengths and weaknesses by breaking it down into these categories, though obviously there will be overlapping areas. Gardner's main objective is to help us understand about how we learn.


In terms of theorists this is pretty much what got covered at the second campus session. I just sort of, clarified it all for myself and for any one else who would like to have a read.
Enjoy x

Campus session 2, Reflective Practitioner

Campus Session 2

First and foremost, I think It was great to see some new faces and meet more people on the course. It's so interesting to see people from different walks of life and get there view on the course and the tasks. Lovely to finally meet Adesola who ran the session and is advisor to me and Melanie. :)
So, we did a little get to know you task at the beginning where we all introduced ourselves and said a little about who we are. We then got into pairs with someone who we didnt know and were asked to write one word to describe who we our i.e  teacher, performer etc.

I teamed up with Katie, I wrote 'singer' and Katie wrote 'Performer'. We swapped papers and had to write down everything that we think that word entails. For Katie and 'Perforner' I wrote things like, bright lights. used to dissappointment, thrill of being on stage etc. For me and my word 'singer', Katie wrote, trained all her life, natural talent, expesive singing lessons, expressive, active. I found it interesting that Katie and I have pratically the same training and Laine and Italia Conti and yet she has classed herself as an all round performer and I have pigeonholed myself somewhat as a singer. I'm not sure whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, but or whether I just picked my dream job. Obviously I am a performer, but my heart has always lied in singing. But it was really intersting to see what other people view your life as and how I view hers just off of one word.

The Graffiti Wall

In the session Adesola first reaarranged the room to create a better space. We moved the tables out of the way and ended up with this table acting as a notice board. I think the key idea here was to not accept everything as it comes. Once we began, Adesola divided the board up into three columns, 'See', 'Notice' and 'Think' and we were then asked to add to it as the session continued. The importance of this task was that it made us aware that though we 'See' things at face value, and we occasionally 'Notice' we do not always 'Think' into what is behind what we are seeing. Though it is fine to just 'see' things and not 'think' about them, the task allowed us to reflect and show us that we do it more than perhaps we thought we did. It made us aware of something we do subconsciously.

The Canes

No we haven't jumped back to the 1950's. In the session we got into partners between who, we had 2 canes. The idea of the exercise was to hold the canes by each of us having just one finger on each end and then to move around, and if we dropped the cane, we needed to cheer and clap.

Reflection of the exercise showed that some were much  more adventurous with the movement of the cane, some didnt seem worried if it dropped, others were much more concentrated on not letting it drop, and others showed to either lead or be happy just to carefully follow.

I think I was very adventurous with the cane, I wanted to see how big a range of movement we could get with the canes however I was very careful not to let it drop. After working with 2 different partners we then all got into one big group to do the task. The cane dropped quite quickly but it was good fun.

Postcard tours

 The next exercise was really intereseting. Adesola scattered lots of different postcoards over a table and we each had to pick three that stood out to us for whatever reason. In groups of three, we took it in turns to put the postcards around the room, anywhere we liked, and then take the rest of the group silently on a tour of the postcards. Once we had all finished our tours we gave eachother feedback on what the tour had meant to us. I chose three pictures, that in a way I feel represent certain aspects of my life or feelings I've had often. For example, I love the solitude that comes with each one that I chose, a calm and peaceful feeling with in each but still, you do not expect others to pick up on why you've chosen your post cards.

Everyone had different choices, I looked at Katie and Hannahs. Katie's was very colour co-ordinated with where she placed it around the room and Hannah's was all to do with animals. I wonder if Katie chose the places intentionally (where she had placed her postcards) because they were quite representative of the pictures themselves. For example the picture she chose of the Farmer and his work horse was at the back of the room where we had to sort of climb to get to it. I think the making it hard work to get to the picture represented the tired look of the farmer and his horse. However, this may be completely unintentional!

Katies feedback of my 3 postcards:

- 2 dramatic photos (emphasis on the main focus)
- Old portaits, old fashioned
- No obvious colour co-ordination with the background of the room
- Creative
- No relationships between the photos, variety

In a way I think Katie is not far off. The images are creative and old fashioned, and I like that she has picked up on that. I would say that the relationaship between the photos is that they are all so different. They each have a different viewpointn of the world. One of my hobbies is flying, and I was reminded of how different the world looks from thousands of feet up in the air by the picture of the workmen, and what they must be seeing, and how far away from the rest of the world they all are.

Linking back to the graffiti wall, this execise showed us that images that at first we just 'See' and accept can have a meaning and alot more to them if we take the time to 'Notice' and to 'Think' about them.

The campus session was really helpful to encourage us to reflect and open our eyes a bit more and I hope that my brief summary here has helped anyone who missed it. I will be adding a little bit more regarding theorists that were covered briefly during the session as soon as possible. :)

 

Net Savvy?..Ref: Lorenzo, Oblinger, and Dziuban

This article seemed ever so relevant to me when I embarked on this course and first looked at the tasks, (hopefully im not the only one) and that's why I've decided to just have a quick closer look at what it is saying.

As a 21st century student I've found, along the way, that is expected of me to have a certain amount knowledge about the internet and computers. If I didn't understand something, many have told me to 'google it!'  Half my homework throughout my school life relied on having a computer and internet access, and to be fair, when you have homework due in the very next day after its been assigned, it is IMPRACTICAL to assume that any one could make it to the library, do their research and have it ready by 9am the next morning. So yes, a certain amount of computer knowledge was needed. Everyone had to take I.T until year 11 at my school. However, what how many people can really say that they are 'Net savvy'. To be honest... I can't!

When I started this course, I had to set up a 'blog', never done that before. I had to put a video on youtube and upload it to said blog... never done that before! I had to load photos onto 'Flickr'... and yes, you guessed it I'd never done that before either. Even now, writing this post, there are 2 options: compose...(or) :HTML. What on earttttttttttthhhhh is an HTML and how would anyone possibly know how to write in this code!

Lorenzo starts by pointing out that there is a difference between being 'Net savvy' and being basically 'Information literate'. (Having basic I.T skills, information resource skills, and critical thinking skills)

He points out that now that anyone can add information to the internet, the nature of the information has changed. And questions, do we really know enough about the internet to weed out the rubbish and get to the real stuff. I may not be 'Net savvy' but I'm not lazy, and to ensure that I have the correct information, I always cross reference lots of different sources. However many have said that a lot of people really do just take what wikipedia says as gospel. I mean really... how dim do you have to be!

"The OCLC concluded that library resources, services and information experts "appear to be increasingly less visible in a universe of abundant information", How choice, culture and co-creation are changing what it means to be 'Net Savvy',  DeRosa, C., Cantrell, J., Hawk, J., & Wislon, A. (2006). College students perceptions of libraries and information resources. Dublin, Ohio: OCLC. Retrieved September 26, 2006, from http://www.oclc.org/reports/perceptionscollege.htm

Early on in my blog I questioned whether or not we were promoting social innequality by putting such heavy emphasis on being either 'Net savvy' or atleast extremely 'Information literate' and I'm very pleased to see that it is a topic which arises in this article. W. Thomas suggests that not all students of this net generation are 'net savvy' and therefore it should not be assumed that they are.
 "It is wrongheaded to think that undergraduates—because they have grown up in a digital age—are better at understanding the technology they use as it relates to researching information. They are at sea, drowning in a pool of information, looking for life preservers. Libraries have taken on the task for years of educating our undergraduate students, graduate students, and professors about where information resides, how to access it, and what can be done with it. This is the vestal flame of libraries, and it is really an important task that can’t be surrendered under the assumption that undergraduates know about this because they have grown up with technology." Thomas, W. (2006, August). Personal communication. 


Lorenzo continues the point in 'Not all fit the net generation profile'.(How choice, co-creation and culture are changing what it means to be Net Savvy' By George Lorenzo, Diana Oblinger, and Charles Dziuban) I feel that the points he raises are very similar to those that I raised in 'Task 1b:the readers and my ideas..' I'm glad that i'm not the only one who thinks that there are pro's and cons to the net generation.

1b: ULLRICH ET AL.

What is Web 2.0?

 For those who still aren’t quite sure, I will just clear up exactly what Web 2.0 is because I think really we should all know by now. Web 2.0 allows and encourages active participation from each user of the platform. Because the creators want to encourage customers to use it, each Web 2.0 application is kept as easy to use and to the point as possible, concentrating, for the most part, on the function of the page. Web 2.0 stores and publishes information in many forms, such as blogs, audio clips, videos and wikis etc. It is the active participation part that sets web 2.0 apart from web 1.0.

Downes refers to web 2.0 from the constructivist perspective and says “the Web was shifting from being a medium, in which information was transmitted and consumed, into being a platform, in which content was created, shared, remixed, repurposed, and passed along." S. Downes. E-learning 2.0.eLearn, 2005(10):1, 2005.

Downes' theory suggests that "Web 2.0 is characterized by social learning and active participation, as advocated by constructivism",Ullrich et al 2.9 Summary, S. Downes. E-learning 2.0.eLearn, 2005(10):1, 2005.


Constructivism:

Ullrich’s article presents the idea of ‘Constructivism’. And briefly translated, constructivism is the idea that knowledge cannot be taught... Knowledge, to be learnt, must be constructed by the individual, making the learning process active through combining what we already know with the new information. It’s not so complicated however, because now constructivism is used in classrooms on a daily basis. All it is, is that annoying method where teachers make you actually think for yourself. And to be fair, it does work. Everyone had a teacher who was about 100years old and never stopped talking... and was it not that class that you never seemed to be able to remember anything from afterwards? That is because information is just being handed to you, information passing from A (the teacher) to B (the student) and going no further. Constructivism suggests purely that it takes a bit more participation for knowledge to be learnt. Once the information has been passed from A to B, B must then connect it with already existing knowledge to actually learn. The pupil must decode the information and language given to them and construct the knowledge in their own head. They’re mind must be actively working and participating to construct knowledge.

This links to web 2.0 in that information is no longer just passed from author to reader on the internet. The reader, using Web 2.0 tools, now has the ability to construct their own opinion and give their own thoughts.

 
PLE: personal learning environments:

This is where the learner is able to create their own learning environment using web 2.0 tools, such as blogs and wikis and pulling information from various sources such as social networks. This in theory is good from a constructivist point of view, as the learner is taking it into their own hands. However, someone who is not as concentrated and is perhaps not as strong a learner may procrastinate using a PLE as they may not use the tools efficiently. I think that this is one of the reasons that constructivism is combined with other types of learning in schools. Not every pupil is as applied as the last and may require a lot more guidance. You will see that students with learning difficulties often learn in a different way entirely so left alone with web 2.0 tools may be the completely wrong approach. As a student with learning difficulties myself, I can say from firsthand experience that had it been left entirely up to me to create my own PLE, I personally would have spent more time worrying and stressing over how to put it together than the use of it as a tool, making it an inefficient method of learning for me innitially. I think perhaps a middle ground, where there is an adaptable template for your PLE could be much more useful, because people who get side lined easily have less reason to waste time editing the space.


Independent access to data:

Independent access to data is all about reaching further than the standard PC ever could, through devices such as mobiles, game consoles and ipads. The theory is that the more easier it is to access learning, the more likely it is that the consumer will participate. It is another way that web 2.0 ‘encourages’use. It is taking computer learning away from the computer and making it hand held and portable, with the aim of making the learning less artificial and more about real life scenarios. I can see that it is more likely that someone who may have no spare time at home to sit in front of the computer may get involved if it is quick and easy to do so, however my fear lies in everything becoming online. If you tweet a feeling quicker than you voice it, what does that say about live face to face conversation. In a class room, a class could know your feeling towards a subject via their mobile devices before you have even voiced it in the room. Do we risk becoming the silent masses that are brave enough only to voice our opinions online?

 What is long tail? :  Where there is nearly no limit to space hindering the growth of the product or service (like there would be in the real world)

What is the perpetual beta? : Where platforms are constantly changing and developing.
Pros: for further paltform development, discussion boards can be created and the user can have more input.
Cons: Continual development can be distracting for the learner as the platform can change just as they get the hang of it, keeping them from the task at hand

 

Article Ref: Why Web 2.0 isgood for learning and for Research, Principles and Prototypes, by  Ullrich et al.

task 1b continued..

The first campus session was really helpful because the first thing we all realised was that Task 1b was home to a fair amount of confusion for all of us. We were each given an article and 20 minutes to have a read through and try to explain what we had learned from reading it. I got given Ullrich et al. and by summarising to the group what I had learnt from reading it, I realised that actually if you break the complicated text down and put it into your own words, it all becomes a lot clearer. So thats what I've decided to do with the articles that interest me. Starting with Ullrich. I reealise as I write that this is a very constructivist approach... I'm obviously learning something.

I'll be writing to clarify ideas put forward by the theorists for both others who may be stuck and for my self. And I hope to be able to find links in the various articles that support the previous or argue against it.

I hope you find it interesting and helpful.
:)

Youtube...

Off of the back of my youtube strarting out video, Adesola raised a good question. Whether or not I think that the internet could be a useful tool if I were to set up a showreel online. As I am currently auditioning, I have found that many potential employers ask to see a showreel or a website that has a recording of my performing on it. So yes, I think when used correctly It is a very useful tool whilst in the industry to create quick and easy links between the performer and the employer.

So...

So I don't know if you can tell, but today is my first real day off in a very long time, and i've pretty much dedicated the entirety of it to catching up to where I should be with the tasks and the readers and the course in general. I feel like it's been very productive so far and there's still lots more to do, but hopefully, now I have at least started to get my head around what I'm doing, so that's a massive bonus. I'm gonna get off of it now as my eyes are slowly turning square from staring at the computer for so long. Hope you find my work today as interesting as I have!

Flickr slide show..

georgiebird123's photostream

georgiebird123's photostream on Flickr.

Just a few photos from work that I've done. Had a play on Flickr and will see if I can create some sort of slide show. :)

Youtube!

Ha well, that was entertaining! I came accross a number of issues whilst trying to complete task 1c. I found my laptop webcame very slow, and stopped alot during the recording so to over come that I had to use a digital camera instead and then upload the video to my computer and following that, change the format and upload it to youtube and then change it again slightly to get the video to actually play on the blog page. I'd never uploaded anything to youtube before today so it has been a learning curve for me!

Task 1c: starting out video

Task 1b: The readers and my ideas!

Oh how I do like to get stuck in with a good bit of theory. It's been a long time since my A level in communication but I wonder if there's anything still up there...

Flicking through the reader, it gets straight into the theorists and all that is said about web 2.0.

Web 2.0 in theory, has been created to break down the barriers of communication between people by encouraging what's known as 'participation'. In 2000, Hamilton stated that participation is a 'function'. A function, that works as part of the reduction of barriers to access. He also said that participation can "contribute to the successful building of relationships". 
Now just to expand on this a bit further, because instantly I can see pros and cons.
Before beginning the BAPP course I had no idea what a blog was, and certainly not how to write one. From Hamilton's point of veiw a Blog and other social networking sites such as Facebook, or twitter, break down barriers such as distance, time and money. A brilliant example of this is Skype.

Whilst working for Disney in Paris I used Skype to keep in contact with family and friends 1: because it over comes the barrier of distance by enabling video calls, 2: the barrier of costs, as skype is free for basic use, and 3: the barrier of time: as it would take far longer for me to travel home to have the same conversation.

However, like with everything, there are two sides to this story.

If I am able to pay my bills, do my shopping, chat to friends, follow work out videos on youtube and even date online, where then has my need to leave the house gone. If society has become entirely cyber (in an effort to make things quicker and easier), surely this then inhibits the need and want for genuine social interaction of the face to face variety?

It is always the case that extremists of either party miss out on a lot that goes on in the middle. And I say the middle is without doubt the best place to be! Without web 2.0 many people would not participate half as much with others, who perhaps it is more difficult for them to physically reach. Could it be argued however, that those who do not use such participation methods, put themselves out there more in a physical way by going and networking and visiting friends and family in person rather than dropping them a quick message on facebook?

Ullrich suggests that Web 2.0 services are constantly evolving, and the platforms are developed and replaced (the perpetual beta).

A couple of suggestions from myself:

If I live in an area of complete countryside with little internet access but high hopes of a strong business career....
If I am an extremely physically busy person, constantly on the go, with hardly enough time to sleep, let alone reply to a message on facebook....
If perhaps my financial situation wouldnt allow for on the go technology such as hightech mobile phones and laptops...

I live in central london, I am young, and intellectual and until last week, I was completely off the radar when it came to social networking. I find it hard to believe that some one in a considerably different position would possibly be able to keep up with it all.

If so much emphasis is put on cyber social interaction, are we then promoting social inequality to those who just can not keep up with (as Ullrich said) the ever evolving platforms?

task 1a: development, 'about me'

The task asked us to re-write our CV's as blog profiles.

Again I've had a good look around and found bits and bobs on people's pages that I am using as hints and tips for the development of my blog page.
As I was researching, I stumbled accross Jonathon Howard's page, and it looks like he's employing a similar technique of researching and analysing other's first.
Most of the 'about me' sections are either very brief and to the point, like Jonny Howard's, or a bit longer and colloquial, like Ellis Higgins'. I think both have positive's to them so I have tried to do the middle ground.

My 'about me' section is based strongly on my CV as the task asked, showing all my previous work and training but I have colloquialised it slightly throughout so it is not just bullet points. By doing this, employers can see clearly what they need to see and probably also a little about my personality, I am a fairly blunt and to the point person. Lets cut out all the babbling is my professional frame of mind...unless its for dry humour, which I can always make room for.

Development of task 1a:

When I was having a look through other people's blog pages and seeing how they had done their CV's I think it enabled me to develop my own idea a bit further and shows the reasons for my choices.
Melanie Brown's blog CV was very clearly organised, neat and professional in appearance. However, when I tried to open the CV's properly to view them clearly, I found that I couldnt get it to enlarge and so it hindered me in reading them due to a tiny font. I would worry that an employer could face the same problem and move to the next candidate instead of struggling to view my CV.
Ellis Higgins again shows a really good example of a CV. She's uploaded both her performance and regular CV. I like this idea because like most performers, I have had to maintain regular jobs in order to pay the bills whilst trying to find performing work. When you spend a lot of time anywhere, it makes up a big part of who you are as person, so I think I might use this idea to develop my own. She has also uploaded her CV's as a blog rather than as a seperate file and I think this really avoids the risk of the file not being visible.
Chelsea Johnson's CV appeared on the page as a small white square box with a red cross in the middle. This prevented me from veiwing it and again it really backs up what has now become my decision to write my CV's up as a blog.
I hope you dont mind me having a browse through girls, I found them all really interesting and helpful.
After looking at the different pages I have decided to add both of my CV's, performance and regular by typing them up as blogs. This way I know employers can veiw them without any trouble and I can ensure that they are clear and easy  to read.
So..... thats what I've done.

I'll keep looking around and you'll probably see them change slightly all the time.

:)

Task 1a: everyday CV

CURRICULUM VITAE

 

Name:                         Georgina Bird            

 

Date of Birth:               13 August 1990

 

Email:                          georgie.bird123@hotmail.co.uk

 

Work experience –

 

07/2012-                      Jamie’s Italian, London

present           

                                    Working as a waitress at Jamie’s Italian can be challenging but I relish the opportunity to

                                    meet new people every day and in a restaurant environment working as a team is vital for successful service.

 

04/2012-                      ‘DisneyLand Paris’, Chessy, France

07/2012                      

                                    This was the strangest occupation I have had yet, and so far the most rewarding. I worked closely with guests from all over the world as a Disney character and under some very intense conditions.

 

11/2011-                      Jamie’s Italian, London, Waitress.

04/2012

 

11/2010-                      ‘The masque Haunt,Wetherspoon’, Old Street, London

11/2011                      

                                    Working for such a large company as Wetherspoon has been a very exciting and enjoyable experience. As everything is highly organised and always officialised, working as a Bar supervisor I learned how important it is to uphold procedure and ensure that rules are followed.

 

09/2008-                      ‘The Harrow’, Public House, Aylesbury.

10/2010

 I worked at the Harrow as a part time supervisor and bar maid/ waitress for two years. As a supervisor it was part of my job to deal with both staff and customer issues and leading the team as efficiently and productively as possible. I also had the responsibility of counting the tills and handling money in the safe at the end of each shift.

 

10/ 2008-                     ‘House of Fraser’ Aylesbury.

01/2009

This was my first job in retail and I found it to be highly rewarding. I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the shop floor and took the opportunity to deal with the Area Managers of the different products which was a big responsibility.

 

Education -   

           

2001 - 2008                 Aylesbury High School, Walton Road, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP21 7SX

 

09/2009- 07/2012        Italia Conti Academy of Performing Arts Ltd, Goswell Road, Barbican, London

 

GCSE Level Examinations taken June 2006 -

 

Dance                                     A*  

English Language                  A   
Music                                     A    
Mathematics                           B      
D&T: Textiles Technology      B                              

Citizenship                                 B
Spanish                                     B
Business Studies                       B
English Literature                    C
Science Double Award            CC

                                   

AS Level Examinations taken May/June 2007 -

           

Grades:           Communication Studies                     A

                                    English Language and Literature        B

                                    Art                                                       C

 

A2 Level Examinations taken May/June 2008 -

 

            Grades:           Communication Studies                     A                     

                                    English Language and Literature        B

Art                                                       B  

Achievements –

 

29/03/10          ISTD Ballet                                          Intermediate   

09/07/08          ISTD Tap                                            Grade 6          

09/07/08          ISTD Modern Theatre                         Grade 6

09/07/08          ISTD Modern Theatre                         Jazz Award Gold

02/01/08          ISTD National Dance                          Grade 5

07/08               ABRSM Piano                                                Grade 5

09/05               ABRSM Violin                                     Grade 4

17/12/05          Japan Karate-Do Ryobu-Kai              3^rd kyu

23/10/07          In house course on food safety and HACCP [SFBB]

2005-2007       Duke of Edinburgh Bronze and Silver Award

2011                APC Stage combat award                  Intermediate, single sword and unarmed

09/12               Solo flight in K13 BGA Glider

 

Skills -

Experienced with Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Microsoft Office. Experience on different till systems. Highly competent with the English Language and people skills.

 

A bit about me -  

 

I studied martial arts for 4 years obtaining a brown belt in Karate and won various medals in competitions across the UK. I am certainly no stranger to pressure due to entering many music, dance and academic exams, competitions, festivals and auditions. So far, my success has been down to perseverance and hard work.

My character developed during my completion of the Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh Awards as I found this to be a mentally and physically challenging experience. It was through teamwork and dedication that I was able to complete the 4 day hike across the peak district. Most recently I achieved solo flying ability in K13 glider planes. During this activity every decision could mean life or death and I think it has really helped to shape me as an independent young person who is able to mix with people of all ages and backgrounds.

In 2008 year I volunteered at the British heart foundation retail shop every week, I found this to be extremely rewarding as it allowed me to give something back to the community. I recently graduated from Italia Conti in Barbican, London where I trained in Musical Theatre. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there yet it was a lot of physical work and emotionally trying. I have learnt to channel this into dedication to my art to help me gain the best results possible.

Task 1a, Performance CV

Georgina Bird

 

 

Height:                   5’1"                         Eyes:                        Blue

                                  

D.O.B:                    13/8/1990                 Hair:                        Blonde

                                  

Email: Georgie.bird123@hotmail.co.uk

                               

 

EXPERIENCE INCLUDES

 

Maggie Winslow                A CHORUS LINE                                Italia Conti

 

The Friar/Escalus               ROMEO AND JULIET                        Complete Works

Memphis Ensemble           100 YEAR CENTENARY                     New Wimbledon Theatre           

 

Millie                                 THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE   AVYT

 

Angel City Four                 CITY OF ANGELS                                AVYT

 

Narrator                              JOSEPH                                                  Musical Kidz Company

 

Ensemble                           THINK FLOYD TOUR                         Aylesbury Civic Centre

DisneyLand Paris              CHARACTER AND PARADE PERFORMER

 

DIALECT:                  RP (Native)

ACCENTS:                 Liverpool, Cockney, General American, Australian

                                         

DANCE:                     Tap, Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Contemporary

VOCAL:                     Mezzo, Belt to E

 

SPORTS:                   Hockey, football, tennis, running, martial arts, horse riding,    gliding

OTHER:                      Piano, Violin, Saxophone, stage fighting

 

                                 

TRAINING:    Graduated from Italia Conti Academy of Performing Arts