Wednesday, 31 October 2012

TASK 5c: Professional Ethics

Before I began the tasks in part 5, I decided to compose a critical reflection on reader 5. I have continued the notion of critical reflections from module one as a way of channelling my learning and recording what I know. In working through the questions that Reader 5 was presenting to me, I now realise that I have already began to consider my ethical framework within my professional inquiry in this blog.

Ethics in a professional context I think is linked to reputation. We all stick to the way it's done, probably to be accepted. If we behave like others in our profession, does this lead to success? However, at times we need to be brave, break the mould and come away from old ways of thinking. A risk as this can be, we as practitioners lead the way of the future of the ethical principals within our practice. "Ethics pervades all parts of our lives - personal and professional... and professional codes of practice have been developed to uphold standards of practice" (Reader 5, 2012). I've learnt that its elaborate and intricate presence within my practice and professional inquiry is the key to the respeact and protection of people. 

I think what I have discovered is key to my research as, 
     Looking at my inquiry, I think the issues I will need 
     to look at is confidentiality. I am looking at speaking
     to teachers, I need to respect their promise of code of
     conduct. Working with children will no doubt be 
     restricting and I will need to adhere to there
     confidentiality needs for both moral reasons and for 
     the good of the reputation with my networks. I would 
     need to be careful, that the research has the right 
     balance of informal enough to be formal. I don't want 
     to scare people away, these are my affiliations after 
     all. So there needs to be a 'serious fun' approach to 
     my inquiry" (Ahmet, A. 2012).


2nd Campus Session

As always it was good to be there in the flesh and plug in to the live energy of the BAPP programme.

We started off by discussing our inquiry. We were all at such different stages in the module and there was a feeling of individuality in terms of where we are at in the journey of module 2.

We then opened up the complex world of Ethics. This was a high point of many discussion, some heated and some reflective. It really pinpointed the idea that Ethics is everywhere and there was no one thing to learn about it. The idea of perspective and opinion gives the notion of complexity to ethical principals.

Upon reflection in my journal on my way home. I made an important realisation. Adesola made a point that, "ethics are a sensation, as appose to a thing". I can't say I really understood this at first. However my journal began to undo this idea and it began to resonate in my head. Ethical principals aren't a list to be learnt or a tangible thing. You can't touch it. "It's more a feeling, a sensation that surrounds everybody. It encompasses all of society and is the moralistic theme that acts as an umbrella over me as a professional" (Ahmet, A. 2012).

TASK 5b: Code of Conduct

In task 5a I began to think about my work ethics. This proved quite difficult. It's not everyday one sits and questions their morals on a day to day basis. I turned a work place code of conduct, to compare what I would find there.

Jo Richardson Community School: Underpinning Values.


  • A child's welfare is paramount. Each child has the right to be protected from harm.
  • Each child is unique. Action taken by child welfare should be child centre, taking into account culture, ethnic background, religion, sexual orientation and special needs.
  • Children, carers and parents should be made aware of their responsibilities.
  • Each child has the right to be consulted about their actions and consideration given to their understanding and feelings.
  • Individual family members must not be involved in decisions affecting them. 
  • Open-mindedness and honesty must guide each stage of assessment.
  • Personal information is usually confidential. It should only be shared with permission.
  • Professionals should be aware of outside interventions on children.
  • Explanations to children and parents should be plainly written and jargon-free.
  • Sound professional practice is based upon positive inter-agency, evidence-based research and effective supervision and evaluation. 
I found these really interesting. Some I live by everyday and some I break every second. What I notice in comparison to my first look at my ethics. Is that I wrote them down as a list of rules, dos and don'ts. I know realise that ethics is a much more complex matter than I have been thinking. The notion of Ethics is more a feeling over what I do at work. An area of which has room for approach and exploration. It's not a question or do and don't, it's more a suggestion of moral theme within my work.

Friday, 26 October 2012

TASK 5a: My Ethics

I don't think I have ever sat down and thought to record ethics within my practice, I don't even know how or when I began to gather the set of ideas I call my ethics. However be adhering to them, I teach different children five days a week. Working in education obviously has is code of conduct in place and a very tight one if that. This brings me to the idea that ethics aren't just something you learn, you don't do a short course in it for example. It's about a feeling or a sense. I guess i have my ethics in place because of my community of practice, it's the people within my networks that inform me of the do's and don'ts with my work. It will be interesting for the first time to sit, reflect and discover what ethics am i actually aware of and what do I just subconsciously do because that's the way it's done - for the moment, until it changes...

Teaching Drama Ethics

Behaviour: I should lead by example. I should bring the same commitment and dedication to the classroom that I expect back from the students. There needs to be a balance between behaving relaxed enough to create a comfortable learning atmosphere, but not so relaxed that students feel they can break boundaries.

Language: Again lead by example. My language needs to be that of a teacher and not a friend. I say teacher, not in the traditional sense but as an informed professional person who demands authority and respect. Any personal words such as mate or darling I steer clear from and I wouldn't expect any of the students to give me an informal 'nickname'.

Personal life: Whilst drama is a personable creative subject, it's important that I keep my personal life and my opinions of the way life should be lived to myself. It could be dangerous to force any kind of personal insight into a professional atmosphere.  Any picture students create that is something other than professional of me, can mare their perspective of teacher/student relationship.

Discipline: Physical contact should be kept to a minimum within the classroom. Discipline needs to be productive and fair. Rather seen as punishment, it needs to focus on fixing the problem. Secrets should not be promised and any information that is deemed as dangerous should be reported.

Creativity: Each student needs to feel comfortable and have the means to excel through drama. There should be no negativity or disruptions that breaks the creativity. Every student needs to feel able to grow and explore their ideas.

This have been a difficult task, I feel like there must be so much more that happens without me knowing. Next step is to look at one of my schools code of conduct details to explore this notion further.

Reader 5: My Critical Reflection

Just when you begin to feel comfortable that the course readers take a certain style and form, Reader 5 comes along wearing a different face to anything I've read on the course so far. Full of Case Studies and Readings, it appeared less like the traditional reader complied with ideas and theories and more of a set of thought provoking ideas to ignite my way of thinking - The way it points to of course is one of Professional Ethics.

Case Study 1: My reflections on Reader 5 began with the notion of who is effected by Ethics? Personal, professional, organisational or societal? I turned to my journal, "It seems that we are all touched by ethics, we can't get away from it". The idea of morality, good and bad is ever present in the world and ethical principles change shape with the very angle they are perceived from. With regards to where the limits of responsibility lie, I want to say personal. Isn't that where we all start, with ourselves? We have to take responsibility for what we do, it's us as individuals that make up a profession, organisation and society. After breaking down these ethical principles you are left with the individual, making me feel that the responsibility is with the person. Of course there are overlaps, society can shape the very person you become, culture and religion play a big hand in this. It is inevitable that there would be a cross over with the contexts in which the ethics operates (Appendix 1), but also what I may see as an overlap, might be fully within the ethical context of another culture, it's all relative to time and geography. Of course this notion of time and culture, then delivers an issue of tension. The idea of good and bad within any context, usually brings about a level of tension as ideas conflict and the ever changing world of ethics under goes a developmental change. Change is never smooth and sometimes brings a period of tension. It's how a society, organisation, profession and person deals with the changes. Is it about acceptance that ethics are always moving and we as people should be on the leading edge of this. Is it in understudying that things or ideas never stay the same that a resolution to such tension can be found.

Reader 5 then brings me back to the history of ethics, deriving from the Greek word Ethos, the next section surprised me a little. So much so I stopped and had to call Paula Nottingham. I was put off by the Greek philosophy, I was being closed minded and couldn't see beyond what I wanted to learn. It was agreed that it was important to go back to where these ethics that I will be adhering to in my inquiry actually come from. Wobble over, I was back to the reader. Aristotle seems to be an important voice for  the idea of ethics. I say this because, not only does Reader 5 point him out, but actually having had two conversations with fellow practitioners about ethics, his name has popped up twice. I took this as a good indication that he was worth a closer look. Focusing on peoples characters he looked at what makes good virtues within a person and that it is, "manifested in habitual action" (Reader 5, 2012). 

                 List of my Virtues:                       List of my Professional Virtues:
                 Kind                                              Hard Working
                 Generous                                     Thorough
                 Considerate                                 Brave
                 Funny                                           Creative
                 Sensitive                                      Inquisitive

Case Study 2: This was a powerful point in Reader 5 and it was here that the 'penny dropped' and I, the practitioner was able to why I was here reading this Reader. Looking at the case form a Consequentialist, Dentologist and Virtue Ethicist approach enabled me to question the issues of morality within the case. Consequentially speaking, my initial reaction to the case study was one that would have abandoned all professional ethics and helped the girl. I identified with the fact that as a teacher, I'm working with people and professionalism can become a grey area. People connect and as we saw at the end of the story, guilt plays a big hand when it comes to morals. For the greater good, rules can be broken. But can they? Deontology comes from the angle, that ethics are rules and that is that. If you go against the rules, you have broken the ethical code of conduct and that is interpreted as wrong. No matter how bad the girl looked, he was right to have left her to die, the responsibility was not with him. However, his suicide could argue this. I wonder would he have ended his life, had the photograph not done so well? A Virtual Ethicist approach moves the focus less on the action of leaving the girl to die, but more the character of the person behind the decision of such action. How could someone even decide that as the right action? Was this the question that drove Kevin Carter to suicide. I make an important realisation. I am not going to just look at these case studies and find the answer of what is the resolution to ethical issues. I learn that Ethics is a complex area within my inquiry, that needs delicate and careful consideration. Such a complex idea can not be solved, rather it can be explored.

Professional Ethics - Glancing back to Greek philosophy Reader 5 talks about attributes and links it to the idea of professional ethics. Connecting the notion of 'good society' to professional codes of conduct I consider what I believe to be my attributes as a professional...
Artist...              Creative
Teacher...        Informative
Messenger...   Communicative 
I measure this as successful attributes, as a drama teacher I am responsible for bring the creativity of the theatre arts into the classroom. This notion of bringing the theatre arts, leads me on to informing students of something they don't know. In doing this successfully I would need to communicate with energy and passion. These attribute make for a fit drama teacher if ever i saw one.

Case Study 3: This is a tough one and I could feel myself getting anxious when reading this particular case study. My first ethical issue is that do the people know that there name and teaching methods are being spoken about in this way? I couldn't help but create a negative tone whilst reading the quotations of what they were saying. is there a question of confidentiality here? However, the larger ethical issue is that yes, is the teacher preparing a student for the real world? He could take her to one side and softly explain why what she is doing needs criticism, but is this helping her in the long run? I guess if the student agrees that she wants the criticism first, then she has the choice of what she is hearing and then how she is effected by it after is her responsibility. Choice could suggest the feeling of freedom.

Case Study of Plagarism: I believe a researcher should hold an open minded character. Creating a comfortable platform to allow what arises within the research to come up with out being subject to manipulation or the disrespect to the people being observed. The Spanish team in this case study displayed the opposite. They were close minded and were already focused on what the result of the research was before their research was ready for analysis. In finding results that served the point they wanted, they passed the data off as they're own in order to get from A to B. This again supports the idea that research isn't necessarily about finding an answer or getting from A to B. It's about gaining a wider knowledge about a particular area of interest, an exploration more than a finding.

Looking at my inquiry, I think the issues I will need to look at is confidentiality. I am looking at speaking to teachers, I need to respect their promise of code of conduct. Working with children will no doubt be restricting and I will need to adhere to there confidentiality needs for both moral reasons and for the good of the reputation with my networks. I would need to be careful, that the research has the right balance of informal enough to be formal. I don't want to scare people away, these are my affiliations after all. So there needs to be a 'serious fun' approach to my inquiry. I am keen to liaise with my SIG on this matter as I am sure they're will be many more ethical issues I will encounter upon planning my inquiry.

Case Study of Presenting Findings: This actually made me laugh. The case study gives an example of someone who presents their findings in such a personal way, it's impossible to take it seriously. There is a sense of preempted results with the terminology. This affirms my learning that the way you ask questions is everything. Terminology is an important aspect of our research. It needs to be neutral and non-bias. The professional voice here needs to present the results merely as they are, not using any language that implies an attitude toward what the findings are and no personal views on the people being observed. A professional voice speaks from the point of evidence and finding only, not from preference. The usage of the words 'Blacks', 'Old dears'  and 'tramps' are derogatory and in order for ones research to be taken seriously, one should adopt a neural, editorial tone. 

Further Reading: In a bid to statisfy my critical curiosity. I wanted to look at ethics close to my practice. Upon my search I came across Rosemary Mcguiness's SIG References. Here I found an article that spotlighted the ethics within my area of practice. Lazuras, J (2004) opens the article with a scenario that sounds familiar to me. She talks about the thetare arts being a subject the enables the teacher to connect with students in and out of the classroom, be it in the wings of a stage or on a thetare trip. The subject's creativity and relationship with a students personal development, can lead to a difference in educational relationship. Lazuras then advises that, "drawing boundies for students shows respect for them and is part of our responsibility as teachers" (Lazauras, J. 2004). Lauzarus then highlights ethical issues vitally important to my inquiry, 
              Directors of secondary school theatre must be both artists and teachers
              and must understand theatre pedagogy as well as theatre artistry... and
              theatre educators can work together to adopt ethical standards for the 
              field. Each community, school, class, and each student within each class 
              are constantly changing. So must our response to the issues and concerns 
              that we face in classroom and production work. Being a professional 
              theatre educator means standing firm about ethical issues while remaining
              responsive to the ever-changing needs of the children whom we are 
              shepherding toward adulthood. In theatre, there could not be a more important
              calling (Lazauras, J. 2004).
Helping me gain a greater understanding of the complexity of the topic of ethics, I can now take this broad notion of professional ethics and consider approaches to my inquiry and look further into my work, to see what do I know or need to learn about the the professional ethics within my practice.

I call all SIG members to enter into discussion with me. Let's help each other explore the ethical issue we might encounter within our individual inquiry. Let's talk...



Bibliography
Reader 5, BAPP, Reader 5: Professional Ethics. [online] Available from: http://lgdata.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/docs/566/501690/BAPP_Reader_5_2012-13.pdf (last accessed 26th October 2012).

Lazarus, J. 2004. Joan Lazarus teaches theatre education at the University of Texas at Austin Talking about her Ethical Questions in Secondary Theatre Education Arts Education Policy Review. [online] Available from: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:iipa:&rft_dat=xri:iipa:article:fulltext:iipa00575292 (last accessed 25th October 2012). 
 



Appendices

Appendix 1:


Taken from Reader 5, Middlesex University.

Wednesday, 17 October 2012

Summary of Module 2, Part 4

I found my summary of each part of Module 1 a very useful reflective practice. It is a way to channel what I am learning and I intend to carry this notion on in Module 2. It was good to plug in and touch base with Paula Nottingham over skype and gather all my ideas and blogs from the last month or so, I wanted to start by saying that even though it appears that I am summarising Part 4, I by no means am saying that my work here is done. Through blog commenting, collaboration of these new exciting SIGs and the continuous engagement of the course, my ideas live on, grow and are ever developing. However, as a way of consolidation, it is good to stop for a minute, reflect and know what it is that I now know or still don't know. 

My last blog in Part 4 titled, My Area of Inquiry was an attempt to officialise my idea for inquiry and give it a tangible presence. Up until now it has always been in my head, my journal tells me, "it is important to put the inquiry idea out there," so that it may develop and change. The blog also shows the recipe and journey that brought to my idea for inquiry. There has been a shift in my thinking in that, rather than seeing my questions as a way to get results or answers. I now see them as questions that point towards an area I feel worthy of exploration, in an attempt to resolve as appose to answer. I feel what I need to explore more is this idea of asking questions in the most tactful way, hopefully my learning on Ethics might help this.

Refining and Refocusing

This was an interesting point that appeared during my skype session with Paula. Having developed my questions. I now can begin to notice where they point to and what interests me. The next step is to refine these questions, bringing an element of focus to the inquiry. I am hoping that Reader 6 will be the tool and learning, that will deliver this very important refining process the inquiry needs. Also, the idea that by categorising the questions and grouping them into three points of interest was advised by Paula. I found this advice useful, this grouping of the questions will allow an element of focus in the asking and allow me to know what questions best serve my inquiry. Sub questions was also an idea.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and conversing through SIGs.


Monday, 15 October 2012

My Area of Inquiry


I wish to inquire about the transitional journey from actor or performer to teacher. Exploring the change in approach and concept to the practitioner's practice, the steps that need to be taken to get there and the transferable skills a practitioner already has. The questions and research will guide my steps as I make changes from actor to teacher and act as preparation for teacher training. The inquiry will not only inform myself along this transitional journey, but will become a useful guide to future practitioners wishing to learn about becoming a teacher, both on the BAPP programme and beyond.

After blogging my questions, I took them to a fellow practitioner outside the BAPP programme in an attempt to develop them further. This was a great excersise that enabled me to really grasp the concept of questioning for reasearch and the planning that would have to go into such a process. Being clear and concise was one point discovered, however the way in which you ask a question appeared as a vital consideration too. My Award Rationale and SIG recruitment blog also proved an important sign post to what my area of inquiry could or indeed should be.

However after blogging my questions and conversing with practitioners comments, my journal informed me of, "a feeling of emptiness. I asked the questions and people answered, now what?" (Ahmet, A 2012). There was a sense of no direction, I asked some questions and I got some answers, how was this supposed to lead me to an inquiry. I then found some much needed advice for module two on Adesola's blog post,
These are no
            These are not questions you will be finding answers to!!!!!!! They are questions 
            about something you want to find out more about. Think of your research 
            question as something you want to ask BETTER questions about when you 
            have finished the research NOT something you will have found an answer to 
            when you have finished the research. So maybe look back at the reflective 
            work you have been doing see what keeps interesting you, what keep making
            you excited to work, what you are curious about. This is probably the area you
            could work in (Akinleye, A. 2012).
It helped my open my mind to the idea of not trying to decide on something tangible, rather collect reflections that point to an area of interest. Both for me an for the interest of others. With this in mind and Martyn Denscombe's (2002) of finding a purpose for inquiry and choosing a general area of interest to research, as a good place to start. I began to reflect on what this could be. I was also assured that my questions pointed towards a good area for inquiry, when a a company I believe to be a teacher agency called J and R Tutors, somehow found my blog and left a comment claiming, "These questions are useful for tutors". 

Sunday, 14 October 2012

TASK 4c: Developing my Questions

I decided to take my questions to a head of department at one of the establishments I teach at. It was a useful excersise to discuss my questions for development. Some very intersting factors came up, but the way I asked the questions seemed to be a running theme to the development. It was realised that being clear and concise was essential and by broadening my questions from just drama to the arts, I might open up my inquiry to a larger market.

Does being a good actor necessarily mean you are a good drama teacher?

This is me trying to explore any connections between practitioner and teacher, is there a connection to being a good actor and a teacher?  It was discussed that performer rather than just actor could broaden the perspective of the answer. I also discovered the need for questions to be more opened ended. It was then an idea of putting questions into catergory might give them a sense of focus and clarity.  Ways of getting people to support their answers could be, why is this? What made you come to this? How? Then an issue of does this make one side stronger if you use a statement, thus becoming bias? Is bias such a bad thing?

Developed version:
Is there a connection between being a practitioner and a teacher and are the skills transferable? 
                 _____________________________________________________

Are you respected more in your profession as a tutor if you have been an experienced practitioner in your field?

In developing this question, an idea of making a statement arrose and then asking if the statement is true or false, or how they felt about it. This gave a freedom of opion to the concept of asking questions.

Developed version:
Experienced practitioners are more respected as Tutors. Is this statement true or false and how do you feel about this statement?
                 _____________________________________________________

Does having a degree in your subject but no experience make you a valuable enough teacher in that subject? Or does having practitioner experience but not a degree make a better teacher?

Again the suggestion of needing to be clear and giving an element of choice was esentially missing here.

Developed version:
If you were to employ a teacher, one candidate has a degree and the other has over 10 years practitioner experience, which of the two would be more appealing to you and why? 
                 _____________________________________________________

Is being a practitioner and a tutor of what you practice part of the same work? Does it come under the umbrella of one whole practice or is it separate?

Playing with ideas... Is you the dancer and you the teacher under one umbrella? You the performer and you the teacher, does this come under the same practice or is it separate? However not everyone I will talk to would have performed, some just teach, but I still want their opinions.  

Developed version:
Should people who teach and perform separate their practice or see it as one whole?
                 _____________________________________________________

Does there have to be a shift in concept of expertise when you are teaching to when you are performing?

This was too complicated and needed a lot of explaining. Again the need to be clear is pointed out. The word practice was also discussed. Do people in the outside world associate with the word practice? Is work or art better?

Developed version:
Does there have to be a change in the concept of ones work/art when teaching? 
                 _____________________________________________________

Are practitioners that do have a degree more knowledgeable?

This could be answered with a mere yes or no. In an attempt to collect more detail could the following be useful.... 
Would you consider? How would you argue? Could you have a statement at the start that says feel free to elaborate as much as possible.

Developed version:
Some practitioners have  a degree. Are they more knowledgeable? How would you argue this?
                 _____________________________________________________

Do performers teach because they want to or is it the next best thing?

A need to elaborate on what I'm looking for is needed here. The words passion or love could be used to be clearer.  

Developed version:
Do performers teach because they want to share a passion for their subject or is it just the next best thing?
                 _____________________________________________________

What makes a good drama teacher?

This question should not be specific to drama,  opening it up to arts teachers might give the answer more success. A need to develop the idea of teaching art and academis subjects arrose as interesting. For example science and arts, is there a difference inntecahing approach?  Is one more of a passive way of learning and the other more active? The difference in opion should be explored.


Developed version:
What are the differences in teaching an arts subject and teaching an academic subject? 
                 _____________________________________________________

What's the difference between an instructor and a tutor?

I realised through reflecting with my fellow practitioner that this isn't a very good question. What I was trying to achieve is to find out what my communities idea of the definition of 'instructor', 'tutor' and 'teacher' is. 

Developed version;
Instructor, Tutor, or Teacher. What do you call yourself and what is the difference between them?
                 _____________________________________________________

Does QTS make you a better teacher? 

What is QTS? This should be made clearer to those who don't work in an educational environment

Developed version:
Does QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) make you a better teacher?
                 _____________________________________________________

The following questions were received with no issue and had a good reaction:

Why do people decide to teach what they know?

What's the difference between your art as a product and as a process? Is this idea linked to teaching?

What do secondary students want from drama? Is this different from professional students?

What's the difference between Drama and the Theatre Arts?

Are teachers failed artist or 'has beens'? 

Wednesday, 10 October 2012

TASK 4d: Award Title Rationale

My rational began towards the end of module one. After much thought, I began to have conversations with Paula Nottingham and other practitioners. This is what I came up with...

BA Hons Professional Practice in Drama and the Theatre Arts.

I feel like it does what is says on the tin. My reflections, questions and comments from others  have pointed out that I feel my expertise is in Drama and the Theatre Arts. 
It is important to me to have both disciplines in my title. Drama acknowledges my work and knowledge of the creativity of the Dramatic Arts, the practice within the Drama classroom I do now and will do more of in the future. It is also important to me that I acknowledge my work as a professional in the Theatre Arts for the past 10 years. My experience is a valuable thing and is something that makes me stand out. I want my title to encompass what I have done, what I do now and what I want to do whilst expressing my expertise in my field too.

I am about to apply for  a PGCE course next week and need to start calling my degree something. Any help or comments would be appreciated. What do you think?

Tuesday, 9 October 2012

TASK 4b: Your SIG needs you

Calling all Practitioners in Performance, Theatre Arts and Education. 


Let's merge our ideas and fuse our interests with my new SIG - Special Interest Group. As well as recruiting myself I am actively looking to join up with other SIG's. Hopefully creating a wide network of practitioners in which we can aid the journey of our inquiry. 

Please get in touch...

Let us converse and compare over skype, coffee, telephone and blogging.

I look forward to hearing from you...

Sunday, 7 October 2012

TASK 4a: My Questions

Does being a good actor necessarily mean you are a good drama teacher?

Are you respected more in your profession as a tutor if you have been an experienced practitioner in your field?

Does having a degree in your subject but no experience make you a valuable enough teacher in that subject? Or does having practitioner experience but not a degree make a better teacher?

Is being a practitioner and a tutor of what you practice part of the same work? Does it come under the umbrella of one whole practice or is it separate?

Is there have to be a shift in concept of expertise when you are teaching to when you are performing?

Are practitioners that do have a degree more knowledgeable?

Do performers teach because they want to or is it the next best thing?

Why do people decide to teach what they know?

What's the difference between your art as a product and as a process? Is this idea linked to teaching?

What makes a good drama teacher?

What do secondary students want from drama? Is this different from professional students?

What's the difference between an instructor and a tutor?

Does QTS make you a better teacher? 


What's the difference between Drama and the Theatre Arts?

Are teachers failed artist or 'has beens'? 


Next step is to take these questions to a practitioner and see what reaction I get...


It would be interesting to hear your comments and answers on my questions!

Friday, 5 October 2012

A fantastic video

In a couple of weeks will have to create a 4 week workshop on Commedia dell'Arte. It's something I haven't worked on since my training. I then checked out this amazing blog. I found this blog last summer whilst at Goldsmiths University open day. If you are a drama teacher, you'll love this blog...




 

Reader 4 - My Critical Reflection.


A critical reflection on the theories based on developing lines of inquiry.

In an attempt to know and understand my professional practice, Reader 4 introduces me to the idea of professional inquiry.  By using the tools of professional networking and reflection I’ve established in module 1, through the investigation and exploration of my work, I could then develop a group of questions that would form a useful line of inquiry.

Kahn and O’Rouke, 2004 highlight ideas behind enquiry-based learning, describing the approach as,
a shift away from more passive methods, which involve the transmission of knowledge… facilitating the construction of ones own knowledge… and understanding by engaging in a supported process of enquiry (Kahn and O’Rouke, 2004).
Their guide to enquiry-based learning presents the root of professional inquiry and provides a good opening to my exploration of its surrounding concepts. Also pointing out that by asking open ended questions, valuing the ideas of others, encouraging experience reflection and explaining the process, I am aware that not only the questions that construct the inquiry important, but the method and style in which they are asked also play a big hand in the end results.

Noticing the link between work based learning and the professional inquiry process is supported by Peter Senge. Stating that organisational learning is a platform to allow the continual expansion of the capacity to create new ideas of what they do. By shifting ones attention to the people within the work place and exploring the reactions of these people, we can learn and re-create what was once known, thus providing the capacity to constantly update ones knowledge within their practice. Reader 4 makes an important link to the ideas of Strange as the underpinning elements that shape inquiry based learning, before moving on to Argis and Schon. Introducing their notion of single and double-loop learning (Mark K. Smith, 2001), single-loop learning being similar to Kolb’s learning cycle, in this instance the learning process happens within the organisation. However, when errors and issues indicate that the learning isn’t enough to address the problem, awareness is averted to outside of the organisation. Once other influences are observed and evaluated, it is brought back into the organisation for further learning. This is known as double loop learning.

Reader 4 then explores the identification process of knowledge within the workplace. Eraut (2007), “found that participants learned more through their work than through formally organised learning events”. Here Eraut highlights an important benefit to professional inquiry, by looking deeply into what we do and what others do within our work environment, rather than researching in a conventional passive sense, one can realise things within ones practice that was somewhat absent before.  In accepting that knowledge is often thought of as disciplines, the notion of inter-disciplary arises. An idea that single disciplines within ones practice isn’t enough. This is something I have personal experience of, I may have the disciplines of acting, but I also am a drama teacher. There for my knowledge would also expand to the discipline of education. This is an important find to my inquiry, as balancing my disciplines is something I am interested in looking at. The reader also talks about the idea of transdisciplinary, where not only are there various disciplines involved, but the very perspective of them change, thus creating a wider spectrum of knowledge.

Eraut, 1991 introduces the ideology of Professionalism, explaining that professional knowledge is all the ideas of professionals within the concept of the process of professionaliastion. Eraut claims that the history of the relationship between higher education and the professions allowed a reconstructioning of professional knowledge. Eraut, 1991 then goes on to distinguishing the different types of knowledge. Such as, propositional knowledge, impressions and personal knowledge, and process knowledge. He argues that, “the traditional dual-qualification system… fails to address many of the difficult problems identified…. Giving little time to analyse the process involved, to develop professional thinking.” (Eraut, 1991). He states an importantance to a system of continuing to learn, even after the qualification and by learning by experience and process, one can be better trained to deal with life in their profession.

“The professional inquiry approach to practitioner research introduces a process of determining knowledge that is valuable to individual learners and their networks” (Reader 4), this notion brings me to the point of choices. During inquiry, the researcher determines the value of the presented knowledge. Once the practitioner looks closely at what other professionals do and through exploring relevant literature, the research can lead the practitioner to more informed decisions within the work place. Collecting knowledge within your practice seems a good place to start, but then retrieving it from literature could create a critical curiosity. As the work of many practitioners can be so varied and specific, could you research too far away from your work place. In my search for further reading McKinney et al (2011) provide a valuable argument of this,
inquiry based learning involves students in a process of self-directed inquiry or research, often open-ended, messy scenarios possibly based on real life problems… There is a clear relationship between information literacy and inquiry based learning, in that students need to be competent and confident in the information environment for their discipline in order to be effective inquires (McKinny et al 2011).
Information literacy through inquiry is rooted in the theory of constructionism, which I explored in module 1, where learning is a process of constructing understanding as appose to passively learning. Choosing a topic for research is an important focus, Martyn Denscombe (2002) suggests that the purpose of the inquiry is a good place to start, weather developing good practice or describing something, Redeaer 4 states that looking deeply into the world of your practice should start with that that is important to you. After this choice is made, it then becomes about developing strategies and approaches to investigate what one wishes to know better. Penelope Hanstien’s diagram (1999) provides a good visualisation of the research design process (Appendix 1), illuminating the idea that the inquiry process isn’t nessacerilly a case of starting at the beginning and moving toward the answer, rather moving back and forward through careful consideration and questioning, one can arrive at the purpose of the research.

Finally the reader brings me to the consideration of the people I am carrying the research on. An awareness of ethics surfaces and Costley, Eliot and Gibbs (2010), support this idea in the chapter, Specific insider-researcher issues. Informing a,
need to consider the power dynamics involved in requesting colleagues to be involved in your research (Costley et al, 2010), such as, criticism can be perceived by the organisation and can cause tension, difficulty in ensuring anonymity of the subject if the organisation is know, issues of confidentiality to the researcher, insiders have more access to data within the organisation. This sort of insider research can give the insider a sense of well-informed answers to questions and helps to highlight conflicting ideas in the work place. Reading further, I discover that the researcher does in fact have the overriding power over such research projects, as the very act of interpretation can give a final construction to the findings and minimizing this power by allowing others to also analyse results may be useful.

Starting to think about my SIG – Special Interest Group, Kate Jones provides a good compliment to the idea of ethics in research. Advising the importance of using professional language, treating all members with respect and creating a good dynamic between all. Honesty and contact with the group can all be factors that lead to a successful relationship with ones SIG. I now begin to think about the area within my practice in need of inquiry.


Bibliography:

Reader 4, 2012. BAPP, Reader 4: Developing Lines of Professional Inquiry. [Online] Available from:

Eraut, M, 2007. Early Career Learning at Work Insights into Professional Development During First Job, Teaching research and Learning Briefing Teaching. [Online] Available from:
[Accessed 3/9/12]

Michael Eraut, 1991, chapter 6, learning professional process: public knowledge and personal experience, Developing professional Knowledge and competence. Falmer Press, London.

McKinny et al, 2011, Information literacy through inquiry: A Level One psychology module at the University of Sheffield. [Online] Available from:


Kanh and O’Rouke, 2004. Guide to Curriculum Design: Enquiry-Based Learning. [Online] Available from: http://www.ceebl.manchester.ac.uk/resources/guides/kahn_2004.pdf [Accessed 3/9/12]

Smith, M, 2001, Peter Senge and the learning organisation: The learning organisation. [Online] Available from:
[Accessed 3/9/12]

Smith, M 2001. Chris Argyris: theories of action, double-loop learning and organizational learning', the encyclopedia of informal education. [Online] Available from:
[Accessed 3/9/12]

Jones, K. Online Group-Work Guidelines, Centre for Excellence in enquirey Based Learning (CEEBL) The University of Manchester. [Online] Available from:
[Accessed 3/9/12]

Denscombe, M 2002. Ground Rules for Good Researchers 10 Point Guide for social researchers. Open University, Buckingham.

Costley et al, 2010, Doing Work Based Learning; Approaches to enquirey for insider researchers, Sage publications, London.



Appendices:

Appendix 1:

Diagramme can be seen on page 18 of PDF file.