A Critical Reflection On Professional Networking Theories.

Having delved into the world of professional networking I am beginning to think that networks are as diverse, complex and unique as the human beings who use them. It's almost impossible to try and recreate your network to look like someone else's as it consists of different people, relationships and experiences. However it is beneficial to observe learn from other peoples networks and their networking theories.

In this blog I will critically reflect on the theories explored in the

course reader.

Cooperation

is closely linked with the Game Theory. Its origins lie in the desire to model games where one player succeeds at another's expense (The Networked Professional Course Reader, 2010. pg. 2) After reading this opening statement defining Cooperation and exploring Axelrod's TIT FOR TAT theory, at a first glance I couldn't help but think it was a little selfish. However i looked further into this and played an online game of Prisoner's Dilemma. I can see how this tactic of mirroring your opponents move, was successful in playing a game but am not convinced it would work effectively in my professional network.

For example if one party was going through a dry patch and had nothing to give the response would be to give nothing back in return! Thus becoming stuck in a rut...

However looking more closely at Axelrod's theory I came across altruism...
 An especially interesting form of cooperative behaviour is called "altruism" where it costs the individual performing the behaviour and benefits the recipient. Such "charitable" behaviour appears to go against Darwinian notions of evolution by natural selection on individual success, since cooperation should only evolve if the individual gets more out of it than they put in (http://bio150.chass.utoronto.ca/)
Reading about Altruism and reciprocal altruism, which is defined by http://www.everythingbio.com/ as 'an apparently altruistic behavior performed with the understanding that the recipient will reciprocate at some future date' (which sounds like Tit for Tat) helped me to understand a little bit more about cooperation however I'm still unsure about how or whether I'd like to build this into my Professional Network.
Affiliation
Affiliation is a concept that 'seeks to explain why humans for close relationships' (Crisp & Turner, 2007 pg 266) I guess this goes back to the very beginning... Adam had a perfect relationship with God but then God
said 'it's not good for man to be alone' and created Eve, his helper. Could this be the start of a social network?!
The question is raised in the course reader 'If experienced and influential individuals are likely to be at their preferred level of affiliation, why is it common for them to still assist younger, less experienced individuals?'
I think that our natural desire to be in relationship means that we value, on some level all the relationships we have. I personally delight in being able to pass on knowledge to a younger person or up and coming performer. I questioned why this is such a satisfying feeling and concluded that it could be for many reasons.. Possibly because I value the people who passed their knowledge and experience on to me and want to keep the cycle going. I also enjoy seeing others progress in advance in an industry I'm passionate about after all if they are learning or gaining from something I've already experienced then it takes nothing away from me! If i was the CEO of a large company it would probably be in my best interest to invest in a young intern as they may be the one to keep the business going long after I've left...of course this is just speculation. The other question raised was 'how do we attract those individuals into our professional networks that we wish to benefit from?'. I don't have a structured answer for this, but i could only draw on my experience as someone being drawn into others professional networks and to question why i would be willing to be part of a particular network or on the other hand the times when i would decline. For me it all boils down to the strength of the relationship i have with that person. This may only have been a brief encounter but the impressions they left of them self has quite a significant effect on my willingness to get involved in their network.

Connectivism
Connectivism is taking more and more president in our society with social media on the increase.

'Social media sites are a critical component in professional networking, career success, and career development going forward. Social media sites will play an increasing role in networking, career advancement, and professional success.' http://humanresources.about.com/od/careernetworking/a/social_media.htm (accessed 23.11.10) 

Connectivism provides an explanation about how networks provide the means for individuals to connect and learn from and within the network. (Course reader,2010, pg 8).
I have found that connnectivism plays a significant role throughout this course. Rather than being taught via text books and having to memorize facts and figures as some of us may have done in the past. The BAPP course very much allows us to see our tutors and the readers as nodes. As we interact with one another on our blogs, posting and commenting and developing our own lines of inquiry we create our own experience and are learning in quite a unique way. As Stephen Downes states

    "to teach is to model and demonstrate, to learn is to practice and reflect."
(Wikipedia, accessed 23.11.10)

For me learning in this way helps me to engage my brain and question what I am learning thus gaining a deeper level of understanding rather than just being fed information and regurgitating it at the right time.
Community of Practice
Learning as a process of engagement in social relationships. (course reader, 2010, pg15)
At a first glance I highly value the idea of communities of practice. Learning from others within a community can be as valuable as learning from your own experience.
Experience has long been considered the best teacher of knowledge. since we cannot experience everything, other people's experiences, and hence other people, become the surrogate for knowledge' Karen Stephenson, undated.
I wonder whether how effective it would be to be a part multiple communities? Or would you be able to expand your knowledge through being involved with many different groups and meeting a large volume of people?
The Industry Hangout that I mentioned in my last blog is an example of a community of practice i have developed in my professional network. We have all come together with similar interest(creative/entertainment business), but importantly for all of us their is no sense of selfish gain, this community has been primarily built on friendship so there is no risk of being 'stabbed in the back'. Karen Stephenson talks about trust on her website. Well worth a listen...
http://www.drkaren.us/KS_video01.htm
Trust is...'Underlying force that is holding together a network' (Stephenson, K. http://www.drkaren.us/ accessed 23.11.10)

References:
The Networked Professional Course Reader, 2010
 http://www.math.com/  (accessed 23.11.10)
http://www.everythingbio.com/ (accessed 29.11.10)
http://humanresources.about.com/ (accessed 23.11.10)
http://www.drkaren.us/ (accessed 29.11.10)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connectivism_(learning_theory) (accessed 23.11.10)

Developing and Nuturing my Professional Network

After reading other peoples blogs, in particular Laura Jane Weir's blog
where she quoted Ivan Misner, June 2010

"It's not what you know or who you know- its how well you know them that really counts"

 I decided to look more closely at how I am maintaining, nuturing and developing my professional network.
Here are two of the things that I have built in. The first is an
'Industry Hangout',
I got together with another actress-friend of mine and we decided to gather together a fist full of our close friends who are in the entertainment industry..singers about to launch albums, fashion designers, magazine editors/ writers, choreographers, actors and presenters. Some people I knew better than others and others were close friends of hers. We thought it important to invite people who we could trust, the objective being to 'hangout' once a month-ish to encourage one another and extend our networks.Sounds like quite an eclectic mix of people, doesnt it? However the outcome was brilliant. Choreographers connecting with artists.. Editors arranging interviews for their magazine and I connected with a girl who has a friend who works for MTV and another girl who has a friend working for Sky Sports who are willing to pass on my showreel.

The second idea was to keep my own 'Contacts' book. Keeping a log of significant people I meet, the date i met them and their all important contact details. In the hope that this will help me develop and maintain new professional friendships!
Has anyone got any other practical ways to extend and nuture our professional networks?

The Networked Professional

At the last campus session we began to explore the final part of this
module, The Networked Professional.
We were initially given 5 minutes to create a map of our current network.
I really had no idea how to approach this so I just began to write
down the different circles of people in my network, for example
friends in the profession, teachers, agents & casting directors...This
had no order or structure to it at all.
I remembered that in the past I had a conversation with a friend where
we'd categorised the types of friendships in our lives. I felt that
this would be a good way to bring some order to my chaotic network map.
Here is an enlarged version of what i doodled.

This concept revolves around the idea that there are people who you
receive from (mentor types), those you give to and those who you
equally give to and receive from (close friends who you can encourage).

The second part of the task was to share our ideas with another
person. I was paired with Nicholas who had a concise looking map and
had managed to make links between the people in his network. This idea
of connection later developed into a tube map. Check out Nikki,  Jo and
Nicholas' blog for more about that!
Whilst talking to Nicholas we came up with another way to look at our
network.

The idea behind this is that we are in the middle and there are
three circles around us. Inner circle- those in your close network (close friends and professionals on your level). The next circle is those who are important to your network but not people you would have a personal relationship with (casting directors, spotlight); and the outer circle represents those who are in your network in a purely professional capacity (someone who you may meet through a friend who is in the position you aspire to be in). Alan has named this 'The Ripple Effect'

The final part of the task was to work in groups of 3/4 to create a collaborative map that summarised everyone's ideas about their professional network and then give a 5 minute presentation.
I shared my doodles with the group and this was the skeleton for
our presentation. We began by looking at who and what
our networks consisted of and where they fitted into the structure we had created. This is what we came up with;

Receive

Casting Directors
Agents
Contacts book
Spotlight
Facebook
Teachers
People we meet with links to our desired job/industry

Give

Up and coming performers
Students
Younger friends
Charities

Equal

Friends in the industry or similar industries
Blogs
BAPP students
Past and present colleagues

We then began to look more closely into where and when these networks
are significant. We felt that networks are seasonal, as time goes by
your professional network will grow with you. This was most evident to me when we thought
about those who we give to. Four years ago I coached a 16 girl for dance school auditions, at the time she was someone in my network that I gave to. She has now completed her dance training and is working as a professional dancer in the West End. She has moved from being someone I knew on purely a
professional level (outer circle) to being a friend and someone who I could receive from as much as give to!
As we advance in our professional practice the number of people who we can give to will increase and the knowledge and experience we have to pass on will grow richer.

Adesola made a very valid point about our network not just being a
tool for us to get to where we want. I strongly agree, I think the
idea that we can give to others as much as we gain from our
professional network creates a healthy balance. At times we may be
able to act as more of a link between other people, by passing any opportunity for
personal gain other than being a good friend!
There has been a few occasions where a friend of mine, who runs a dance school, has been looking
for dance teachers and I have been able to connect her with someone I know
for a permanent job. Just the other day a friend of a friend called to ask for
dancers for a music video shoot that I was unable to do however i was able
to put him in touch with someone who I knew would be available for the job and appreciate the work!

Alan mentioned during the Plenary the importance of being a giver. 18 months ago I enrolled in a presenting course at GMA with Geoff Motley. He has been incredibly genuine and generous with his time long
after the course was complete. As a result I have been able to recommend others to his training course- hopefully resulting in more business for him!

There is a proverb that says 'The world of the generous gets larger and larger, the world of the
stingy gets smaller and smaller'
I think it's important to have a certain level of trust in your close network
but if we can be generous with our time and knowledge who knows where
it will lead?...
These are just my initial thoughts about my professional network and
look forward to uncovering more about the network I already have and
exploring ways of developing that network!

A Critical Reflection on Reflective Practices.

Reid (1993) in her definition also noted reflection as an active process rather than passive thinking. She states:
"Reflection is a process of reviewing an experience of practice in order to describe, analyse, evaluate and so inform learning about practice."(p3)

http://www.practicebasedlearning.org/resources

Until now I can’t say that I’ve been aware of the use of Reflective practices in my Professional Practice. After exploring the reflective tools in the Reader I can conclude that it’s definitely something I’ve done without realizing or paying much attention to it.

The reflective theory that I instantly connect with and feel I have instinctively used in the past is Schön’s theory of Reflecting IN action and reflecting ON action. (Schön,1987). Reflecting IN action is a technique that I have adopted into my Professional Practice and everyday life. For example, when I’m teaching dance I constantly access myself and the work I have set as well as each pupil. If the work is too easy, I will extend it or make it more complex, if the pupils are finding the work too difficult I will simplify it. However when it comes to auditioning, I find that I am more inclined to reflect ON action. There are countless times when I have come out of an audition and asked myself the question ‘why didn’t I try it like that?’ I have been accustomed to waiting for the redirection of the Director rather than accessing my work in the moment. Over time this has led me to take a new approach to auditioning. This new approach is to go through every possible outcome and redirect myself in as many ways as possible before the audition. I now know this to closely relate to Boud’s model of ‘Occasions of Reflection’, in particular Reflection in Anticipation of events. This is something I have unconsciously built into my professional practice in the past.

David Kolb’s learning cycle is a great tool for accessing how one learns. Although we may all go through the same task it may be at different times when we actually begin to learn something new. I have discovered that there are two places where I will most commonly enter the cycle. Reflective Observation; For example if I am in a dance class I am able to pick the choreography but I actually begin to learn something completely new when I step back and watch the choreographer and observe how they are dancing and interpreting the music. On the other hand if somebody is explaining something to me, take setting up a blog for example I am more likely to gain understanding and begin my learning when I ‘give it a go’ myself. This is Active Experimentation.

I have also used Kolb’s learning cycle to aid my students in the reflection of how they learn. I set my students the task, in groups of two or three, of adding a layer of choreography onto what I had previously taught them to create a story. They started with Active Experimentation. I allowed 10 minutes for them to see what they came up with. This then became a Concrete Experience as they formed ideas and practice their work. We then stopped and watched each other’s work, giving critical feedback using a tool I call ‘two stars and a wish’ (two things they liked and one thing to improve on). This was Reflective Observation. Finally they went back to their groups, having heard other people’s feedback on their work and thought about how they could improve their work- Abstract Conceptualization. This was interesting to see where different students began to gain something concrete from these experiences. It also helped me to think about how I could approach this task differently to get the best from the learner. Maybe I could start with allowing them to reflect on someone else’s work before beginning their own choreography?

Recording my thoughts through the use of journal writing, using the framework of Reid and Moon has been a innovative experience that I began during this module. It has helped me to explore my thoughts and feelings in detail, what I am passionate about and where I need to develop. I have also tried to explore different ways to record my thoughts as David Boud so clearly states ‘Journal Writing is as varied as those who engage in it’.

 After reading Adesola’s brief blog entitled ‘Playing with ways to reflect’ http://adesolaa.blogspot.com/2010/11/playing-with-ways-to-reflect.html where she talks about using Poetry at the end of each day as a reflective tool, I have written a few poems as part of my journal. This helps me to consolidate and order my thoughts for that day and see how they fit in my wider Professional Practice. This also gave me an indication of how focused I am on my developing professional practice.

In conclusion, I have found that having the ability to critically reflect on my past, present and future professional practice is invaluable. It is an integral part of my learning practice and something i am keen to further develop. Reflecting on what I have done in the past to help me advance in the future and gain the optimum learning experience from every situation.

Kemmis (1985) puts the arts of reflection beautifully when he agrees with Reid that the process of reflection is more than a process that focuses 'on the head'. It is, he argues, a positive active process that reviews, analyses and evaluates experiences, draws on theoretical concepts or previous learning and so provides an action plan for future experiences.

Using a combination of different theories, that I may already have unconsciously used and stretching my critical thinking to explore new theories that I am less comfortable and familiar with has led to a fascinating learning experience. Where in the past I have been heavily reliant on other people’s opinions about my work and been happy to take others words as truth without question I am now becoming more reflective about my own work and am learning to develop new lines of inquiry.

References

SCHON, D.A. (1983) The reflective practitioner: how professionals think in action

KOLB, D.A. (1984) Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development

MOON, J.A (1997) Learning journals: a handbook for academics, students and professional development

Websites

www.practicebasedlearning.com

www.adesolaa.blogspot.com

http://www.businessballs.com/kolblearningstyles.htm

A line of Inquiry

Having taught dance for a number of years and also worked in primary
schools, I am fortunate enough to see how children learn and develop
in a classroom (with an academic structure) and in a dance studio (in
a predominately creative environment).
My line of inquiry was birthed from the question 'How can we foster an
optimum environment for children to learn both in a creative
environment and in core academic subjects?'As I began to research this question my thoughts became like a bonsai
tree of inquiry! One question lead to another and sprouted off in
another direction.
I decided to journal these thoughts until I came up with one clear
line of inquiry to write about. My thoughts and journal lead me to the
question 'How does a child's emotional well being and emotional security
affect their ability to learn?
I began to wonder if a child is in a 'good' mood will they be able to access
learning more easily than one who is in a 'bad' mood.
I know from my own experiences as a learner and
in my professional practice that I find it more difficult to learn
enthusiastically if I'm feeling negative or if i am currently dealing with
a challenging situation.
I have researched and admire the work of Dr Gary Chapman
(http://www.garychapman.org/)
who has written books that centre around 'love languages'. The five primary
love languages being;
Physical touch (hugs, a pat on the back, hi 5)
Quality Time (spending time talking to someone)
Acts of service
Gifts
Words of affirmation
http://www.fivelovelanguages.com/
Chapman said that 'With an adequate supply of affection, the
child will likely develop into a responsible adult. Without that love,
he or she will be emotionally and socially retarded'. Could it also be
true that if a child is starved of sufficient emotional needs
they will also underachieve in an academic or creative learning environment?
He explores Dr Ross Campbell's (a psychiatrist who specializes in the
treatment of children and adolescents) idea that when ones emotional
needs are met and their 'love tank' is full, a child will develop
normally but when the love tank is empty the child will misbehave. It
almost goes without saying that a child's behaviour has a direct link
to their ability to focus and learn, in or out of the classroom.
Like in adults, each child will have a unique way to give and receive
love. Is it possible that if we were to discover the primary love
language of the children we teach, and use it, that it could have a
positive effect on their approach to learning and final outcome?
'Observe your children. Watch how they express love to others. That is
a clue to their love language. Take note of what they request of you.
Many times, their request will be in keeping with their own love
lamguage' (Chapman, G. The Five Love Languages, 2004)
I noticed there was a particular child in my dance class who would
constantly seek affirmation. After observing this behaviour I
questioned whether 'words of affirmation' could be his primary love
language. I wondered what the affect would be if maximize on every
opportunity to encourage him. Would he become more enthusiastic about
learning new and challenge dance moves?
This is something I'm going to build into my professional practice,
particularly when it comes to teaching over the next few months and
will reflect on and record my experiences.
Helping children to flourish and develop to the best of their ability
is something I'm extremely passionate about and look forward to seeing
what comes of these thoughts and theories!

Journal writing experience!...what an experience

Getting started with Journal writing was like trying to start an old 
rusty banger on a frosty December morning... After reading the 
reflective practices reader a few times and getting to grips with the 
fact that journal writing is more about our learning rather than a 
piece of work for assesment (de-icing the windows), I wrote a few inserts rather freely. The 
most honest entry in my journal to-date came out of feeling quite 
frustrated with the fact that I'm not a natural writer, I'd much 
rather record my thoughts and feelings in a visual, audio or 
kinasthetic way. I guess it highlights to me what kind of a learner I 
am!
 
Account of a particular day/event!

I chose to journal about a particular event as it required a lot of
planning which I was able to record and reflect upon. I chose to
journal about the few hours when I filmed a section of my new showreel.
I wrote about my thoughts and feelings the day before which helped me
to plan and prepare well. Part of this was making lists of the things
I would need, writing scripts, interview questions and preparing
resources.
At the end of the day i went back to the tools for reflection we were
given in the reader and began to write about this particular event. I
found it really beneficial to look back on the unexpected events, this
isn't something I'd usually do... If something goes wrong or something
unplanned happens I tend to deal with it on the spot and move on!
However having the opportunity to reflect made me think about how I
can plan for the unplanned.
One unexpected event occured because I had forgotten to ask the relevant person to
bring radio mics and ended up filming everything with the boom (so i'm
hoping the sound quality is of a good enough standard to use).
Working with two children, highlighted the unpredictablitiy of working
with people. At one point i thought one of the twins I was working
with was going to be too shy to take part in the planned activities.
This would've meant a major last minute change as the whole concept revolved
around a study of how alike identical twins are! This is something I
definitely wasn't prepared for, but would've improvised if neccessary!
Fortunately it didn't come to that.
I wrote about the event from this little 9yr old girl's point of view and
enjoyed putting myself in her shoes.
Here is a short extract.
'Eventually a man i'd never met before arrived at school, his name
was Christian, i began to feel a bit shy. Then another strange lady
came, her name was Viv- i think. She had a camera, it was huge! I
hadn't expected it to be so big and i became more and more
nervous' (Adeyinka-Burford.J- Journal.. Another point of view, 2010)I guess it's invaluable to consider others feelings in potentially
high pressured situations.
Writing a detailed account of a particular day is definitely something I'd do again as it's not until 2 weeks after
the event and my initial reflection that I have re read my journal and
been able to comment. There are without a doubt elements that i would
have otherwise forgotten or not turned into a 'learning experience'
had I not recorded the event in such a detailed manor. I leanrt a lot about

myself from this experience and have reaped the benefits of a deeper reflection 

on my actions and everyday events.

My first thoughts on reflective practices and journal writing.

'Reflecting' feels like a completely new skills for me. I generally 
don't feel that I naturally have taken the time to reflect on my 
experiences but it's definately something I want to develop.

After talking to a friend on the BAPP course I realised that 
reflection is something I do naturally without thinking about it!
I was extremley encouraged when I read Schon's theory about 
'reflecting in action' and 'reflecting on action'. As a performer and 
dance teacher I am accustomed to reflecting in action on most 
occasions. For example if I'm teaching a class and something is not 
working or the children are not getting the moves I change it there 
and then. I would be unlikely to stick to my lesson plan and then 
reflect later that evening and change the choreography for the 
following week. This is something that i seem to have adopted in most 
areas of my life. Thus making 'reflecting on action' a slightly more 
challenging concept. Journal writing, although extremley benefical in 
consolidating learning has been something I've had to (and continue to) 
work at!

I'm keen to develop the skill of reflection and journal writing and 
for it to be a key part of my learning and development throughout my 
professional practice.