My office of sorts: Blogging Struggles

This blog is to explain (ironically) how I have struggled without frequent and decent wifi connection and the impact it has had on my degree work and.

Since starting my degree I have completed 1 cruise ship contract and started (and now mid way) another one. While this environment has been imperative for my inquiry as I explored the effects such close confinement had on working relationships, the lack of wifi connection has put spanners in the works a few times.

With no real office space, I usually set up shop in the library, while it is not ideal as it is a guest area, some of the views are a nice way to work:

The lack of access to wifi means that when I do have connection I do not have time to read through and comment on bloggs as it is either too slow or too expensive. Posting bloggs was a bit easier as I could pre-write them and upload them if the connection decided it was going to play ball. Although it has had an impact on this specific side to the course, I feel lucky that I was in the same boat as some other students (literally). Sarah S, also on module 3 is on board with me and while we were not able to join in the discussions online to help develop our enquries, we set up study groups in the library where we were able to have discussions and develop ideas. So it was not all doom and gloom, we just went back to the good old methods of face to face discussion. BUT not having a solid wifi connection was difficult!

My "Game Plan" for my artefact!

So across this course, I have had many occasions where things have suddenly just clicked, and with my artefact, after ages spent tossing ideas around it finally occurred to me how best to present not only my findings but my whole journey across the course.

After some excellent feedback from my tutor Adesola, I decided that for my artefact I wanted to produce a game!

A board game to be exact, and it will be called "Ship Mate". A board game that is designed to bring a team closer together as its a group activity and also present my findings about relationships within a working environment! The fact that it is also ship specific relates to how most of my research revolved around a cruise ship and the journey that you take within the game represents the journey I took.

I have uploaded a sample of the board so I can explain further:

As you can see, there are anchors and rigging; you slide down the anchors and climb the rigging, representing how my jounrey of BAPP was full of ups and downs. There are various squares with ship related scenarios on i.e. IPM (In port manning) which is ship specific terminology to help the users get to grips with it and also crew cards; these will be cards that represent my findings with relationship specific challenges or even just anecdotal trick cards such as: Crew part hangover, miss a go!

This is just the starting prototype and I am really excited to develop it further and design the rule book along with it!

How is everyone else doing with their artefacts??

My Artifact

I was really struggling with developing my ideas for my artefact. My study was aimed at helping people develop positive relationships within the industry but having to present these findings in a way that could help people.

I had an idea that I could develop some team building exercises from the knowledge I found out in my analysis and combine this with an induction book for a new cast. This way you could get to grips with a new cast and team and learn about the environment you are in.

Has anyone started on their artifact yet? How have people gone about developing their ideas?

Cut, Cut, Cutting

I have found that with my critical review, sticking to the word count was a very difficult ordeal.

Having been out of an academic education for 5 years, the last time I was required to write academically was GCSE year and so I have had to mature a lot with my academic writing.

I wondered if anyone had some tips on how to cut down un-nessasary word counts?? I will list a few of mine and please feel free to comment:

1. Have confidence in your writing: I found a lot of my waffle was due to phrases like “I could argue this” and “this possibly could show”…  By cutting out the maybe’s and possibly’s my writing was more authoritative and direct.

2. Check for repeats: it is quite easy to repeat yourself across the specific sections in the critical review so ensuring you haven’t mentioned the same thing more than once is helpful.

3. Re-word a sentence: Sometimes by completely changing a sentence you can write the same thing with less words, by muddling around with the word order, cutting connectives and extra words can help reduce the word count.



Please feel free to help out and add more tips if you have had to go through and cut the word count.

A living blogg

My dance captain Sarah is on the same module and this has been super helpful with the enquiry because as we don’t have great interest connection or access to a lot of resources or campus sessions we have been able to work together and help compensate for the lack of resources.

Even being on the ship we have a team that we can constantly have discussions with and run ideas past and have group discussions so it has been like having living bloggs on board.

I feel this has been really helpful in module 3 to combat that lack of resources and it has been lucky that we have been in this situation.

Just when you think the prospecrt of getting literature is bleak...

after a quick Skype session from a ship terminal in Singapore and some feedback from my advisors, I came to the conclusion that when it came to literature, my study had took me on a path that I didn’t expect to go on. From the start I assumed I would be studying my a scientific route however I was took down the more social side.

Therefore it was apparent that I would need to find some literature based on more social studies. However, being on a ship it is hard to access the  bast amount of literature available due to time and internet.

Then something bizarre happened, in a bar in Phuket, Thailand, my team mate bumped into an old friend who he hadn’t seen in around 6 years who happened to be on holiday there. This friend turned out to be a university lecturer and through general conversation it emerged that he lectured in Sports Sociology. I could not even believe my ears, he has papers upon papers published on the social affects on sports and relationships within team mates. I know I was specifically looking for relationships within performing arts but just these social studies in general will give me some solid comparable points to work with.



I am just always amused how the universe works!

"Bodies go where bodies shouldn't go"

I have often written about how social media and web 2.0 is so beneficial to dancers but I came across this article discussing how its actually pushing dancers to imitate dangerous moves and end up inured!

 http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2015/s4330305.htm

Well, my instant reaction was 'How awful", I would hate it if dancers became injured because they were copying moves. Also, yes there can sometimes be alot of focus on making the body do "unnatural" things i.e. over split, sway backs! However, deeming it unnatural also could have many negative effects on younger dancers, some bodies are made to do certain things and others aren't but saying its unnatural may cause a dancer to be ashamed of their body!  

Furthermore, who gives anyone the right to deem anything wrong when it comes to dance. Dance is an art and therefore subjective. Its bad teaching if children are being told to dance through pain, not bad social media.

On the other hand, I do agree that social media has allowed a floodgate of "showing off" and this can cause unhealthy competetion.

At the end of the day, a dancer should be taught the fundamental lessons of not dancing in pain and not over doing it! 

This is just a brief over view of my thoughts. Please comment what you think about this!

Data Data all around... But not a drop to drink?

So while collecting data for module I realised that I may have been getting a bit too over excited and not getting good quality data as I was going for quantity!

For my inquiry, majority of my study is actually of real people and their feelings and experiences. So I was experimenting with a few different methods of gaining good information. Some were effective and some not so much but it was a learning curve!

Surveys: I used an online website to create a fast and free survey which could be posted on social media and sent as a link. Using 'The Hustle' I managed to get quite a few responses however, asking the right questions can always be hard as some people will interpret them different and unlike an interview you are not there to explain. The good thing was it was completely anonymous and quick and some responses were good but while sifting through copious amounts of data I realised I was constantly asking them to elaborate... Alas they were not there to as the survey had already been done!

Causal chats: I find myself, due to work, always in situations where I can just sit and chat with fellow colleagues. While it isn't a formal interview session, certain topics that come up often spark off ideas in my head (see my previous blog about eating). Its not by any means formal and I couldn't take or even remember quotable data but it is always good to get things going.

Interviews: While time consuming, I have found the best way for me to collect data that goes beyond the surface of my question is to do an interview. Group sessions can also be effective but I enjoy being able to hear about a story then ask them to elaborate of snippets of  information that catches my immediate attention.

This is just a brief review of methods I found effective. Let me know if you have any more by leaving a comment!

 

Dancers and their food: Caring friend or just too involved?

So we are all aware of stereotypes surrounding dancers and eating habits, but while compiling my data, I noticed a trend that I wanted to follow up briefly. As well as living in close proximity, when on a cruise ship, we also eat in close proximity. This is a very personal boundary that when crossed, can create all sorts of situations.

Dancers and diet is a major thing in the industry, a body dependent job, spending too much time in front of a mirror and social media all have an impact on individuals in some way or an other. Most of the time a dancer is aware of healthy nutrition, we are taught about it at college and my personal experience is that with the amount of exercise I do, I have a more than adequate appetite!

However, this is not always the case and eating disorders do occur and may or not be noticed! Yet in a day to day situation, you are probably most likely to see "a colleague" have one main meal (usually their lunch). On tour or on a boat however, every meal is shared, snack times are often shared and its easy to spot what people are eating... Or what they aren't. 

Ironically, chatting over dinner, a few fellow dancers and I discussed a few negative situations that occurred where diet was being observed for all the wrong reasons. One girl, told me of how her company manger had gone behind her back to find out what she was eating as she suspected their was a problem, but like she pointed out, if she thought there was a personal problem, why didn't she deal with it personally.

Another situation was a girl on a contract, who had two girls spitefully discuss her weight and decided to act negatively towards her because "they thought she was going anorexic for attention"!

Obviously both these situations are dramatic and very much below the belt! Food and diet can be a delicate subject and it can be awkward, but when living in such close quarters, how is the best way to deal with a suspected eating disorder? Well ultimately I would say personally and one on one, but just because we are grouped together and suddenly become in each others pockets, how do we know their own personal eating habits? Paying too much attention to what others are eating is nosy, everybody is different, I could eat for England but my colleague could be satisfied with just a salad, my point being that getting too involved might go beyond the duty of care and could create more tension that's unneeded.

We all want to help and watching anyone suffer is not nice but minding your own business is important to. I would say that if there is a genuine cause of concern then raise it with your supervisor and hopefully they can  monitor it. No matter how close you feel to someone or if you want to play hero, when living with someone, when it comes to personal habits like eating its not your place to judge and whether "you are just trying to help" or not you can have a lot more of a negtaive impact!

Let me know your thoughts on this topic and if you have had any experiences with something like this! 

Its all about the journey: Module 3 Skype Chat

So after a really insightful Skype chat this evening from my hotel room in Italy, I just wanted to blog (after neglecting it for a while) about what was discussed and how it helped me!

Blogging: After discussing my project for module 3, it highlighted that with the excitement of data collecting and starting my new job, I have neglected my blog something awful. I now am setting myself the goal of blogging at least once a week to help my project. We discussed how a blog can be a reflective tool when evaluating your inquiry and methods. Furthermore, using a blog to just jot down a few sparks of data analysis that occur when compiling your data can lead to opening up some valuable discussions!

Time management: So when it comes to module 3, it was pointed out that we can become "too excited" with collecting the data that we can end up with a huge data pool of nothing, it was discussed that using time management wisely and really getting into a topic - like getting below the top layer and really delving in deep - we can end up with a much richer source of information. Personally, I have realised that I don't need to focus on trying to get a representation of everyone in the industry but just a rich source of information to just develop a more focused understanding.

Reflecting on the moment: Finally, we discussed that there is no specific "right" starting point, the inquiry is about building a landscape of an understanding rather than a specific goal. By having a false start it will make us have a richer understanding of the questions we are asking as the journey we went on to get to that point enriched it on the way! So whether we have a straight path or one that bounces from idea to idea, constantly reflecting on how we get to our destination is what helps us understand the question its not all about the answers. 

Please comment and feel free to add or ask!

More blogs to come very soon ;)

My New Showreel: What do you think?

Hey, so I have recently updated my showreel! Let me know if you have any feedback!

https://youtu.be/HyN-3FSU-aQ

Thanks Everyone

Critical Reflection Portfolio: Blog Style

Looking back over module 2 while sat on wifi in Norway (Finally connection to the real world), I have realised that my understanding has developed so much more in terms of asking the questions of work and not just working work! I started asking questions that were relevant to me and luckily being in the situation where I literally live in work (on a ship) I was very lucky to be surrounded by a vast wealth of knowledge and people and this inspired me to choose my chosen topic:

What affects the behaviour and relationships between professionals working within the same industry?

It was not always easy though, despite my work place being so advantageous to my research, the fact I was often at sea, cut off from land and also more detrimentally, cut off from internet. Luckily after a comforting e-mail off my tutor, I realised that a work based learning degree is designed to work around work... Therefore it was a case of finding out a method that suited me: Appendix A.

In terms of discovering my research proposal idea, from observing my work place surroundings I soon found out that I wanted to study the behaviour and relationships of people within the industry I am so passionate about. However, I always find that I have too many questions I want to answer and this can cloud my thought and judgement, it was not until I managed to have a Skype session (while sat in a Japanese Ship Terminal) I was calmed by my colleagues and we discussed that we shouldn't panic and that we need to find questions that help us learn, not necessarily ones with a YES or NO answer: Appendix B. It was here I made the realisation that discussion in a group of people, much like a Socratic Circle, really helps develop ideas and helps un-cloud my judgment because I have to stop and consider another perspective without speaking. This was so beneficial as it made me aware of the use of narrative research, and seeing as I am going to be studying people, I decided that I would pilot the use of narrative research with an interview style inquiry with fellow colleagues.

The piloting of my research methods then started to shape my inquiry proposal. Again, as I didn't have access to the internet I did initially struggle but then I had to be resourceful with what I did have. The module handbooks are excellent as they guide you without the need of a tutor or colleague. This allowed me to write a rough draft of my proposal essay (the main chunk of this module) Appendix C. I found this more useful that blogging my ideas bit by bit, as it allowed me to modify my inquiry as a whole in one go and not amalgamate several blog posts. This was obviously more beneficial for me as being at sea meant that more independent work was required.

Overall, I found this module hard at times because I often doubted my ability and work as I was sometimes so detached from everyone else. However with the little bit of contact I did have and the resources given to me, I found that I managed my time well and produced the work to the best of my ability while juggling a full time dance job on board a ship.

Appendix A:

 

Appendix B: http://antgifford.blogspot.no/2015/03/pm-skype-session-write-up-socratic-skype.html

Appendix C: http://antgifford.blogspot.no/2015/05/planning-my-inquiry-wifi-less-world-is.html

Planning my inquiry: A wifi-less world is a hard one!!

So, I am just coming to the end of my module 2 work and due to my work situation, wifi has been so hard to come by I had to do a lot of my work without internet which did pose some troubles! Upon reflection, I felt that this did have an impact on the way I worked but didnt stop me. For example, it just meant I had to really plan my work then communicated with my tutor via email! I did this when planning my inquiry. Im not sure if it helped anyone else but did anyone do a plan of a plan so to speak:

THIS IS MY INQUIRY PLAN:


Introduction -
Explain and inform the reader of my topic: questioning the “standard” behaviours between individuals working within the arts: specifically professional dance. How does it compare and contrast to other industries both similar and opposite i.e. teaching the arts, professional sports, medical based work. The social trends within the industry and more specifically have things such as Web 2.0 (especially Facebook, twitter and so on) affected the industry in any ways. The ethical code of conduct: where was it taught if it even is taught, is it common knowledge, does it affect your ability to work in the industry and finally the psychological aspects of the industry: are there any psychological studies done with how people respond in certain situations i.e. auditions, the work place, class!



What is known already
In this section I will first describe my basic knowledge, my ideas and thoughts due to the training I have received. I can then compare and contrast as to whether my opinions have changed.

Literature wise: I will research books on the industry but also blurring the lines with psychology a little bit as I want to find out about studies on behavioural patterns and see how it compares to people within the industry and also how it may differ to “standard” industries.

Enquiry tools - Even though my research isn't on any one too specific, it is essentially on people, so my first and prominent line of enquiry will be of people within the industry and out of it. More specifically I am lucky to a. be part of a working team of dancers and singers so i already have 8 other individuals of different social and training backgrounds which I can anonymously compare and contrast (with their permission) but I can also discuss matters with a wide range of guest artists, from musicians to magicians. The one thing they all have in common is that they are currently working on ships also.

Blogs and SIG - I can discuss the topic with my co students, I am planning on creating or going a SIG based on working dancers and their experiences. There is a lot of focus on the education system and teaching of the arts so I want to come away from that and be a bit more individual focussed, how personally as a professional do people behave and react, not necessarily how they would teach it. I will also try and blog as much as possible continuously as my research goes ahed. There are mini sub topics within my enquiry that will amalgamate so hopefully it will give me some great discussion opportunities.

I have already started piloting my tools - for example i discussed with a guest entertainer who had transferred from west end to ships about his experiences within the west end and how he came to do ships and the challenges faced within the industry. I can then go on to evaluate how this is a good way of expanding not only my knowledge but inspiring my own professional practise too!



Ethical Practice-
Part of my question is about ethics themselves - and how we are experienced by other individuals. Therefore I will have to be very ethical and liberal with my opinions as I shouldn't make blanket rules but at the same time, behavioural patterns have trends so I will be discussing a stronger trend over a weaker trend. It will be in my wording however, that stops me sounding bigotry or insulting. My study is of people working in a very intense and theatrical industry so big personalities will be amongst them and lots of people from all walks of training after the same overall goal and that is to perform professionally, therefore complete non biased opinions will be made and there will be 100% anonymity when referring to interviews or information gained from specific people.



Conclusion-
This is to essentially wrap up all the loose ends, I will bring myself back to the original question at hand as it will be easy to get side tracked into many sub divisions of enquiry. There are many branches to my study but they should be of the same tree therefore I will always relate my research and findings back to the original question at hand, I just feel it is important that for me personally I can explore as much as possible as it is a topic that interests me greatly and also blurs the line across many areas of study i.e. psychology, sociology, eduction and teaching and business.Which essentially could be argued that these components make up a professional especially one within the industry of dance.







I found this so helpful and it also helped communicate my ideas all in one go as opposed to regular blog updates! How did other people plan their plan?????

AM Skype Session Write Up - Socratic Skype

So as I write this sailing away from Kobe in Japan… Ironically the reason for the delay in posting this blog post is because I had wifi problems… One of the topics that I bring up within my write up of the most recent skype session!

I have recently taken part in a group Skype session with my fellow students and I was given the task of writing up about the “advice giving” section of the topic.

I was asked on the skype by a fellow student about how I was coping with the degree work while working on a ship. She is about to start her new contract and asked for some advice and some of my experiences while being on board sailing the world!

Well my first main bit of advice was to not panic… It can be pretty daunting, when traveling, when you see there are skype sessions scheduled and online research to do and also of course, the online blogs. We explore in module 1 just how reliant we have become on Web 2.0, in fact I highlight the potential worry that the industry has intact become too reliant on Web 2.0 and when you are sailing about, wifi and access to Web 2.0 becomes gold dust! Wifi cards are mega expensive, some ports have such awful wifi and sometimes you just don't have the chance to!

But its not all doom and gloom, you're reading this right and I am half way to Nagasaki! This work based degree is designed to compliment your job not create road blocks. The tutors are incredibly sympathetic and work out ways to overcome the problems. I have one on one skype sessions, correspond on e-mails and instead of being a frequent blogger, I keep personal journals and become more of an observer on the odd chance I get to look through the recent bloggs… Make it work for you.

Time differences can be another main problem, I am 9 hours ahead of UK time currently so a 11am skype session became a 7pm one. But its all about careful planning, you have to be ahead of your game and make sure you keep a world clock set on your phone or laptop for quick reference if like me you struggle working out times across the world.

As long as you can plan your time wisely and make the rare valuable wifi time work for you, working on a ship and continuing with BAPP isn’t all that bad! It is different to any way of learning I have done previously but its also very fulfilling and worth it!

Moving on from the advice given on just this particular topic however, and moving onto a more general note. The advice given over a Skype session can actually be really beneficial! I highlighted in the conversation that we are not in a normal class environment when open discussion occurs naturally and help can be asked for and given instantly. A group skype call is just a prime example of how Web 2.0 allows us to simulate a class environment in our work places. I was out outside my floating hotel and home in a ship terminal, but for that single hour, I was able to communicate with my fellow students and get instant feedback on ideas and discussion topics. Even on the other side of the globe, having that ability to talk was so helpful and I would recommend that anyone on the course who is unsure or looks past the skype sessions to do their up most best to join on them because the stuff you gain from it is invaluable.

Some few more examples of the kind of advice given throughout the chat involved interpreting different styles of writing and knowing when it was appropriate to use certain styles when writing certain prose. For example should a blogg be casual or formal? Well I said a blogg was personal so should reflect your personality where as an essay should reflect your personality yes, but obviously be formal and precise. I feel that knowing how to write is a skill in itself before writing even takes place! Another topic of advice came about when a student asked those on Module 2 if they had any advice for a student just starting on module 1. This sparked a different form of advice giving because we each took it in turns to talk about our own personal experiences and rather than a discussion exploring different ideas it was more stating and directing.

Some good advice was mentioned about starting Module 1:

Connecting with people is key on this course, we learn in module 1 about networking so putting it into practice straight away is really handy!

Finding ways to work that suit you, whether its a daily blog or a private journal. Don't panic or follow the crowd, do what suits you and if it works that's great and evaluate why it works, if it doesn't work then... evaluate why it doesn't work and explore how you can rectify it.

These skype sessions become similar to a Socratic Seminar, where discussion is used to illuminate ideas and spark off critical thinking. In fact even as I write this, it has made me question just how similar these sessions are to a Socratic method and I will do further research, so watch this space!

To conclude, I just really felt positive after the skype session and despite my work situation, plan on doing more and recommend that everyone who can should participate as the advice given is just so fantastic and beneficial to all participants!