Okay so I have been chatting with Alan again and he did bring an interesting question to me...will boys an teachers attitudes perhaps be to broad to focus on? what are the advantages of the bredth and what might the benifit be of a more tightly focussed aim? he suggested perhap just focussing on teacjer views and going for greater depth.
This got me thinking, it is right that I could get a much more indepth research for focussing on just one aspect, however I have found some really interesting litreture on boys attitudes as well as teachers and I do think that boh are importan aspects in conquering this issue. Terefore I am currently trying to think of a way to inlude both, but still keep my research focussed. I could focus in on the gaps and overlaps sort of like a cmpare and contrast type research, as suggested by Alan.
It is important for me to decide soon so that I can get my questionnaires more focussed to the research aim.
Any thoughts let me know"!
Saturday, 8 October 2011
Saturday, 24 September 2011
Clearer Mind!
So I have had a second chat with Alan and have discussed so many different things that were on my mind which is great. I have had some thoughts on my professional artefact in terms of who it would be for and what would be the best type of artefact to go for. I am thinking along the lines of a leaflet or brochure that I can present to headteachers of the school. If i went down this route, as my dad is a headteacher hmself, i am aware that they are very busy people that simply havent got time to read through lots and lots of writing about everything they get sent. Therfoe I need my leaflet to be soemthing which stands out from the crowd and that has perhaps a link to a pdf file on line with more information should the reader wish to find out more! This artefact could help me in the future to secure more work. I need to come up 3 or 4 key issues which i want the artefact to display and then 3 o 4 ways to overcome this .
I feel much clearer after speaking to alan and making notes. Today I have been attemptimg my Litreture review which is causing me headaches! I have gathered some really interested litreture over the last few months however writing it all down and gettin it to flow is where I am struggling.
Overall I am trying to be more organised this time round and keep one step ahead ll the time i hope this will mean that as my professional workload increases as well as my uni workload I will be well prepared for this.
I feel much clearer after speaking to alan and making notes. Today I have been attemptimg my Litreture review which is causing me headaches! I have gathered some really interested litreture over the last few months however writing it all down and gettin it to flow is where I am struggling.
Overall I am trying to be more organised this time round and keep one step ahead ll the time i hope this will mean that as my professional workload increases as well as my uni workload I will be well prepared for this.
Friday, 9 September 2011
Out with the old in with the new!!!
Hello! So I couldnt keep up with the workload last year and now I am back and raring to go. After taking such a long break I do feel quite lost about the whole thing however I decided a good place to start would be to read back ovr my previous assignment. This helped me a lot and all the memorys came flooding back! I have spent a useful few hours getting some thoughts down on paper so originally my project title was going to be " a research into the efective strategies for intergrating boys of presecondary age into dance"... however i realised that it was too big a task!
therefore working title is now "exploring the issues: boys participation and attitudes to dance within primary schools"
Key objecives: main objective of the project will be to help me gain an understanding of boys attitudes and teachers attitudes to teaching boys to possibly help come up with stratergys in the future. I will need to write questionaires in order to gain data and also gain data by observation and reading up on literiture to enable me to analyze my findings and write a report.
research methods and tools: i will take a case study approach to this research but will use elements of survey and observational research to aid my case study. as i am already working in many schools i believe case study will be the best approach for me as it is comprises of many different methods. i will use qualatatuve and quantataive resarch to enable me both a wide and indepth insight into the issues. I think this coupled with my own research and observations will provide me with the basis of a well rounded project.
research tools...i am stil not 100% sure about this!!! tools i will use are questionnaires which i will write and interviews which i will write. i will use my dictaphone to aid me with the interviews. I will present the findings by producing some sort of chart but havent decided what kind yet! I will also use coding to help me with my interview findings. I will also use the internet and librarys as research tools a well as an observational diary.
I have some questions here for anyone that knows the answer to respond please!!
1. Do we need to rerite litreture review in our essay or do we post the review on our blogs andrefer to it within the final "essay".
2. Professional artefact....I am confused as to what this is, could it be for instance a power point presentation of our findings?
therefore working title is now "exploring the issues: boys participation and attitudes to dance within primary schools"
Key objecives: main objective of the project will be to help me gain an understanding of boys attitudes and teachers attitudes to teaching boys to possibly help come up with stratergys in the future. I will need to write questionaires in order to gain data and also gain data by observation and reading up on literiture to enable me to analyze my findings and write a report.
research methods and tools: i will take a case study approach to this research but will use elements of survey and observational research to aid my case study. as i am already working in many schools i believe case study will be the best approach for me as it is comprises of many different methods. i will use qualatatuve and quantataive resarch to enable me both a wide and indepth insight into the issues. I think this coupled with my own research and observations will provide me with the basis of a well rounded project.
research tools...i am stil not 100% sure about this!!! tools i will use are questionnaires which i will write and interviews which i will write. i will use my dictaphone to aid me with the interviews. I will present the findings by producing some sort of chart but havent decided what kind yet! I will also use coding to help me with my interview findings. I will also use the internet and librarys as research tools a well as an observational diary.
I have some questions here for anyone that knows the answer to respond please!!
1. Do we need to rerite litreture review in our essay or do we post the review on our blogs andrefer to it within the final "essay".
2. Professional artefact....I am confused as to what this is, could it be for instance a power point presentation of our findings?
Friday, 30 April 2010
Appendix Two
2. Critical commentary
As I reflect upon Module 3835, Project Planning and Development (Research Methods), I can see a clear progression in many areas of my learning.
Before undertaking this module I was aware of many research terms and data collection techniques due to my work as a telemarketer, throughout this project I have developed this stage further and now feel confident that I can instantly recognize different research methods and the advantages and disadvantages of them. A new term for me which has particularly benefited my work on this module is worker-researcher. I feel activity two (appendix!!!), where we had to consider our role as worker – researcher has been vital in order for me to decide the best research approach to use. I had never really explored the advantages and disadvantages of this before and the impact it can have on a research project.
I have seen a vast improvement in my use of quotation from module 3002 to the current module 3835. This was something my advisor commented on when I received my module feedback as an area which could have improved my grades. I have reflected on this and really worked hard to improve it for this module, and I can see now, after reflecting on my proposal that quotation has really enriched my work and supported my academic text. This is a skill that I now hope to carry through my professional career.
Due to being based in the Midlands and my work commitments, I have only managed to attend one campus session, and when I look back at my learning diaries I can see that the one relating to the campus session is much clearer and concise. For the most part of the module I have had to rely on the blog posts from fellow students and advisors to assist me in my understanding of the tasks set. This has become a fundamental networking tool for me, the benefits of this have been invaluable to my project. This is something I will try to engage more in throughout my career as I can now see it is always good practice to network with people within your sector and learn and share ideas with each other.
After coming from a Musical Theatre diploma background, there is a very particular way of undertaking tasks set and tasks are mainly practical, therefore I have found the university ways of learning and teaching a huge challenge, but one which I have enjoyed getting my teeth into. The very fact that our project title could be about anything we wanted was daunting for me particularly as I am such an indecisive person, however I have learnt to adapt over time. The guidelines to the module being so brief has by far been the most difficult part of the process for me and that coupled with the fact that I haven’t been able to attend campus sessions has left me feeling rather lost a lot of the time, and gaining the confidence to just dive in and give it a go was hard! The book “Doing your research project” by Judith Bell has been like the bible for me throughout this module and I will continue to use it to aid me with carrying out my project.
When I evaluate the learning diaries I have completed I can see that time management has been my main cause of stress and problem and this is something I intend to improve on in order to enable me to achieve my desired objective for the next module. I will need to have a time management action plan and stick to it.
Obviously due to the nature of my work with children, I have always been aware of ethics, however this project has opened my eyes to the depth of the subject and issues surrounding it. I now feel I have the knowledge and understanding needed to continue on to my research project.
I have now completed my project proposal and although I feel this module has been a blurry rollercoaster at times, when reflecting on it properly I can see how far I have come and just how much I have learnt and I believe it is amazing the amount you can learn just from reading blogs and text books. I have identified skills which I would still like to improve upon for the next module but overall I believe this module has prepared me well for the research project and I am approaching the next phase of my degree with confidence, and even a little excitement!
2. Critical commentary
As I reflect upon Module 3835, Project Planning and Development (Research Methods), I can see a clear progression in many areas of my learning.
Before undertaking this module I was aware of many research terms and data collection techniques due to my work as a telemarketer, throughout this project I have developed this stage further and now feel confident that I can instantly recognize different research methods and the advantages and disadvantages of them. A new term for me which has particularly benefited my work on this module is worker-researcher. I feel activity two (appendix!!!), where we had to consider our role as worker – researcher has been vital in order for me to decide the best research approach to use. I had never really explored the advantages and disadvantages of this before and the impact it can have on a research project.
I have seen a vast improvement in my use of quotation from module 3002 to the current module 3835. This was something my advisor commented on when I received my module feedback as an area which could have improved my grades. I have reflected on this and really worked hard to improve it for this module, and I can see now, after reflecting on my proposal that quotation has really enriched my work and supported my academic text. This is a skill that I now hope to carry through my professional career.
Due to being based in the Midlands and my work commitments, I have only managed to attend one campus session, and when I look back at my learning diaries I can see that the one relating to the campus session is much clearer and concise. For the most part of the module I have had to rely on the blog posts from fellow students and advisors to assist me in my understanding of the tasks set. This has become a fundamental networking tool for me, the benefits of this have been invaluable to my project. This is something I will try to engage more in throughout my career as I can now see it is always good practice to network with people within your sector and learn and share ideas with each other.
After coming from a Musical Theatre diploma background, there is a very particular way of undertaking tasks set and tasks are mainly practical, therefore I have found the university ways of learning and teaching a huge challenge, but one which I have enjoyed getting my teeth into. The very fact that our project title could be about anything we wanted was daunting for me particularly as I am such an indecisive person, however I have learnt to adapt over time. The guidelines to the module being so brief has by far been the most difficult part of the process for me and that coupled with the fact that I haven’t been able to attend campus sessions has left me feeling rather lost a lot of the time, and gaining the confidence to just dive in and give it a go was hard! The book “Doing your research project” by Judith Bell has been like the bible for me throughout this module and I will continue to use it to aid me with carrying out my project.
When I evaluate the learning diaries I have completed I can see that time management has been my main cause of stress and problem and this is something I intend to improve on in order to enable me to achieve my desired objective for the next module. I will need to have a time management action plan and stick to it.
Obviously due to the nature of my work with children, I have always been aware of ethics, however this project has opened my eyes to the depth of the subject and issues surrounding it. I now feel I have the knowledge and understanding needed to continue on to my research project.
I have now completed my project proposal and although I feel this module has been a blurry rollercoaster at times, when reflecting on it properly I can see how far I have come and just how much I have learnt and I believe it is amazing the amount you can learn just from reading blogs and text books. I have identified skills which I would still like to improve upon for the next module but overall I believe this module has prepared me well for the research project and I am approaching the next phase of my degree with confidence, and even a little excitement!
1.3 Extract Three
(5/03/2010)
This week I had a telephone appointment with my tutor, Peter Bryant and it really helped me to feel like I was on the right tracks. We spoke about my project title and Peter thought it was a good idea and a solid base for my project. He informed me that as I had already decided on a topic idea and seemed quite solid and secure with that I was ahead of many other people, this made me feel slightly less nervous than I had been feeling! After speaking to Peter I decided not to get too hung up on my topic idea as it will probably focus and change over time. I realised that I need to concentrate more on the module itself and the different research methods.
Another thing that had been bugging me which I discussed with Peter was searching for journals. He explained to me about if I use the library catalogue, I can type keywords but Google scholar will allow me to find different articles and gain the titles and abstract to search for them in the university library of journals. I felt such less pressure on me after speaking to my tutor, as I sometimes feel slightly alone in this project as I can never make the campus sessions!
After my phone appointment I began reflecting on work I had done in the past and how this might help me with my topic. I used to work in a call centre doing market research on a part time basis and many of the terms we used in the office are terms used in the book by Judith Bell and terms that I will need to use in my project. This means I already understand many of the terms, for instance, qualitative and quantitative research and coding etc.
Overall from this week I have decided I need to move away from my topic idea and start working through the module handbook more thoroughly.
1.4 Extract Four
(11/03/2010)
This week has been difficult for me. I am starting to feel very behind on my project proposal and struggling due to lack of time and not being able to attend campus sessions.
I have been relying heavily on the blogs of fellow students to see me through and have been reading up on the feedback from campus sessions.
One way of managing my time I have trailed this week has been to stick post- it notes all over the module handbook where I need to complete a task and then write lists of task and when I want to complete them. As mad as it seems I get lots of satisfaction from ticking off jobs as they are completed and have found it really helpful this week as I can see more clearly how well I am doing!
I have been searching the internet for literature using notes taken from campus sessions
Notes on searching Journals
• Annotations – notes to yourself
• Include research books in bibliography
• Google scholar – cuts out commercial stuff
• G247-RESOURCES – library of journals- learning resources
-electronic database searching
-full text and citation
-Citation databases
-call / email librarians
1.5 Extract Five
(16/04/2010)
I have run out of time for the draft copy to be submitted to my tutor for feedback which is disappointing.
Time is running out for my proposal and I am at a loss. I have been trying to utilise Kolb’s learning cycle
• Concrete (doing, feeling),
• Observation (watching, assimilating)
• Abstract conceptualization (thinking, considering)
• Active experimentation (transforming, adapting).
However it’s not helping. I have been trying to work through the activities in the handbook to feel more prepared and equipped however it is making me feel panicky about time constraints. I have read through some of the work I did in the previous handbook to try and help me with my learning.
I believe the best thing for me to move forward now would be to put the reading aside and begin to work on the proposal itself, hopefully this will make me more confident about completing the work on time. Tasks to complete
• Proposal
• Critical Commentary
• Rationale for Award Title and form
• Ethics Issues and form.
(5/03/2010)
This week I had a telephone appointment with my tutor, Peter Bryant and it really helped me to feel like I was on the right tracks. We spoke about my project title and Peter thought it was a good idea and a solid base for my project. He informed me that as I had already decided on a topic idea and seemed quite solid and secure with that I was ahead of many other people, this made me feel slightly less nervous than I had been feeling! After speaking to Peter I decided not to get too hung up on my topic idea as it will probably focus and change over time. I realised that I need to concentrate more on the module itself and the different research methods.
Another thing that had been bugging me which I discussed with Peter was searching for journals. He explained to me about if I use the library catalogue, I can type keywords but Google scholar will allow me to find different articles and gain the titles and abstract to search for them in the university library of journals. I felt such less pressure on me after speaking to my tutor, as I sometimes feel slightly alone in this project as I can never make the campus sessions!
After my phone appointment I began reflecting on work I had done in the past and how this might help me with my topic. I used to work in a call centre doing market research on a part time basis and many of the terms we used in the office are terms used in the book by Judith Bell and terms that I will need to use in my project. This means I already understand many of the terms, for instance, qualitative and quantitative research and coding etc.
Overall from this week I have decided I need to move away from my topic idea and start working through the module handbook more thoroughly.
1.4 Extract Four
(11/03/2010)
This week has been difficult for me. I am starting to feel very behind on my project proposal and struggling due to lack of time and not being able to attend campus sessions.
I have been relying heavily on the blogs of fellow students to see me through and have been reading up on the feedback from campus sessions.
One way of managing my time I have trailed this week has been to stick post- it notes all over the module handbook where I need to complete a task and then write lists of task and when I want to complete them. As mad as it seems I get lots of satisfaction from ticking off jobs as they are completed and have found it really helpful this week as I can see more clearly how well I am doing!
I have been searching the internet for literature using notes taken from campus sessions
Notes on searching Journals
• Annotations – notes to yourself
• Include research books in bibliography
• Google scholar – cuts out commercial stuff
• G247-RESOURCES – library of journals- learning resources
-electronic database searching
-full text and citation
-Citation databases
-call / email librarians
1.5 Extract Five
(16/04/2010)
I have run out of time for the draft copy to be submitted to my tutor for feedback which is disappointing.
Time is running out for my proposal and I am at a loss. I have been trying to utilise Kolb’s learning cycle
• Concrete (doing, feeling),
• Observation (watching, assimilating)
• Abstract conceptualization (thinking, considering)
• Active experimentation (transforming, adapting).
However it’s not helping. I have been trying to work through the activities in the handbook to feel more prepared and equipped however it is making me feel panicky about time constraints. I have read through some of the work I did in the previous handbook to try and help me with my learning.
I believe the best thing for me to move forward now would be to put the reading aside and begin to work on the proposal itself, hopefully this will make me more confident about completing the work on time. Tasks to complete
• Proposal
• Critical Commentary
• Rationale for Award Title and form
• Ethics Issues and form.
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Activity two
Potential advantages for workers as researchers
Insider knowledge of
• Problem/question to be researched
• Sources of information
• The organisation
• Key people
Can improve understanding / working practice
Potential disadvantages for workers as researchers
• Too close to the problem
• Influenced by own expectations/values
• Influenced by others
• Duality of roles
After looking at the above advantages and disadvantages, I have been considering my worker-researcher position very carefully.
In my opinion, I see my role as an advantage, in particular with the topic choice I have in mind. Being a worker researcher means I am closer to the subject I am trying to research and would make the ethnographic style of research easier for me, if that was the research approach I were to pick. Judith Bell (1999) states ‘participant observation takes time…The research has to be accepted by the individuals or groups being studied’. The fact that I have been working with the group’s I would be studying, for some time, makes it easier for me as I am already accepted by them, and I believe this would speed up the ethnographic research process for me.
I will also have wider access to the relevant sources needed to undertake my research project. As I am thinking of researching strategies to help young boys integrate into dance, I believe knowing a lot of the children personally will help me. If I decide to use narrative inquiry, it will help me a great deal as I have already built up a rapport and trust with them, making it easier for the child to open up to me, if need be. I will already know about my subject area as it is something I work in daily and am passionate about so this will fill me with more confidence to fulfil my role as worker-researcher. Finally I will be able to speak with key people involved in my research area directly, without having to spend time finding them or corresponding through email or phone.
Although I am confident with the advantages, I do also have to recognise potential disadvantages of being a worker researcher and consider the points displayed at the top of the page. I have also found another disadvantage which is not mentioned in the list above which is that if I were to choose to carry out a survey or some qualities research, I would have to think very carefully about my sample. If I was to present the survey to my pupils, for example, this would not be a sound representative of a good cross-section of people and may leave my results inaccurate of the population as a whole. This is because they would all be pupils of mine and so may have formed similar views on certain issues because of something I have done or not done. This is something I am going to have to be careful of throughout my research project, and also ties into the way in which I carry my research out; whilst I have the benefit of being able to observe those I teach, it may also be worth looking at children in different parts of the country altogether.
After reflecting on what I have written, I believe I will be able to carry out my worker-researcher role effectively but am well aware that I may come across some disadvantages, which I will need to tackle and overcome in order to carry out an effective and worthwhile project.
Insider knowledge of
• Problem/question to be researched
• Sources of information
• The organisation
• Key people
Can improve understanding / working practice
Potential disadvantages for workers as researchers
• Too close to the problem
• Influenced by own expectations/values
• Influenced by others
• Duality of roles
After looking at the above advantages and disadvantages, I have been considering my worker-researcher position very carefully.
In my opinion, I see my role as an advantage, in particular with the topic choice I have in mind. Being a worker researcher means I am closer to the subject I am trying to research and would make the ethnographic style of research easier for me, if that was the research approach I were to pick. Judith Bell (1999) states ‘participant observation takes time…The research has to be accepted by the individuals or groups being studied’. The fact that I have been working with the group’s I would be studying, for some time, makes it easier for me as I am already accepted by them, and I believe this would speed up the ethnographic research process for me.
I will also have wider access to the relevant sources needed to undertake my research project. As I am thinking of researching strategies to help young boys integrate into dance, I believe knowing a lot of the children personally will help me. If I decide to use narrative inquiry, it will help me a great deal as I have already built up a rapport and trust with them, making it easier for the child to open up to me, if need be. I will already know about my subject area as it is something I work in daily and am passionate about so this will fill me with more confidence to fulfil my role as worker-researcher. Finally I will be able to speak with key people involved in my research area directly, without having to spend time finding them or corresponding through email or phone.
Although I am confident with the advantages, I do also have to recognise potential disadvantages of being a worker researcher and consider the points displayed at the top of the page. I have also found another disadvantage which is not mentioned in the list above which is that if I were to choose to carry out a survey or some qualities research, I would have to think very carefully about my sample. If I was to present the survey to my pupils, for example, this would not be a sound representative of a good cross-section of people and may leave my results inaccurate of the population as a whole. This is because they would all be pupils of mine and so may have formed similar views on certain issues because of something I have done or not done. This is something I am going to have to be careful of throughout my research project, and also ties into the way in which I carry my research out; whilst I have the benefit of being able to observe those I teach, it may also be worth looking at children in different parts of the country altogether.
After reflecting on what I have written, I believe I will be able to carry out my worker-researcher role effectively but am well aware that I may come across some disadvantages, which I will need to tackle and overcome in order to carry out an effective and worthwhile project.
Thursday, 25 February 2010
An Extraxt from my learning diary (25/02/2010)
After last week’s campus session I have been doing a lot of thinking about a possible topic and how I would research it.
The first idea that came to mind was something to do with different types of discipline when teaching. I then started to think would this hold my interest for a long time?, would I be able to cover such a huge area?
I then decided I wanted to do something I was more passionate about. I was watching a Tv show and there was a discussion about homosexuality and footballers, it was asking the question why is there a stigma surrounding gay man in the football industry and from that came a debate about homosexuality within the theatre. This led me to thinking about the stigma surrounding men in the industry, particularly in dance. I knew that this was something I was passionate about and began thinking of different topic ideas surrounding this theme.
As I am currently teaching in different schools, in after school clubs and PE, I began thinking of the boys I teach and there attitudes towards dance and felt this is something I could explore more.
The topic idea I am thinking of at the moment is “A research into effective stratagies for intergrating biys of pre secondary age into dance”. As I work with different ethnic minorities I wanted to incorporate something to do with this into my study so may add to the end of my title “ with particular emphasis on hard to reach groups such as ethnic minorities and white working class boys.”
Different ways I could research this
• Media research- Billy Elliot movie
• Media research – meet the Amish (coming on Tv soon)
• Interviewing young boys from my schools on there attitudes to dance
Notes on searching Journals
• Annotations – notes to yourself
• Include research books in bibliography
• Google scholar – cuts out commercial stuff
• G247-RESOURCES – library of journals- learning resources
-electronic database searching
-full text and citation
-Citation databases
-call / email librarians
Reflecting on what Ive written in this diary entry, I believe I have got a good basisto begin researching a topic area, my thought process and learning this week has gone well as it has made my objective a lot clearer to me. I now need to begin researching and collecting as many things as possible to do with my topic. I may begin by checking out a link that I saw on Danielle Stacey’s blog www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/brief.html-guidenceonresearch
The first idea that came to mind was something to do with different types of discipline when teaching. I then started to think would this hold my interest for a long time?, would I be able to cover such a huge area?
I then decided I wanted to do something I was more passionate about. I was watching a Tv show and there was a discussion about homosexuality and footballers, it was asking the question why is there a stigma surrounding gay man in the football industry and from that came a debate about homosexuality within the theatre. This led me to thinking about the stigma surrounding men in the industry, particularly in dance. I knew that this was something I was passionate about and began thinking of different topic ideas surrounding this theme.
As I am currently teaching in different schools, in after school clubs and PE, I began thinking of the boys I teach and there attitudes towards dance and felt this is something I could explore more.
The topic idea I am thinking of at the moment is “A research into effective stratagies for intergrating biys of pre secondary age into dance”. As I work with different ethnic minorities I wanted to incorporate something to do with this into my study so may add to the end of my title “ with particular emphasis on hard to reach groups such as ethnic minorities and white working class boys.”
Different ways I could research this
• Media research- Billy Elliot movie
• Media research – meet the Amish (coming on Tv soon)
• Interviewing young boys from my schools on there attitudes to dance
Notes on searching Journals
• Annotations – notes to yourself
• Include research books in bibliography
• Google scholar – cuts out commercial stuff
• G247-RESOURCES – library of journals- learning resources
-electronic database searching
-full text and citation
-Citation databases
-call / email librarians
Reflecting on what Ive written in this diary entry, I believe I have got a good basisto begin researching a topic area, my thought process and learning this week has gone well as it has made my objective a lot clearer to me. I now need to begin researching and collecting as many things as possible to do with my topic. I may begin by checking out a link that I saw on Danielle Stacey’s blog www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/brief.html-guidenceonresearch
Thursday, 18 February 2010
An Extract from my learning diary (18/02/10)
Campus session one
I attended my first campus session, it was an introduction to the new module on research methods. I have bullet pointed an overview of my notes below.
• This module is the plan for the final project not the actual project itself.
What is Research?• Finding something new
• Advancing knowledge of professional practice in a systematic way
• Adding to what’s already been learnt
• Developing a deeper understanding of something
Ways into research
Dance performance phenomena
-director/choreographer
-music
-audience
-lighting
-performance time
The above are all variables (they can change at any time)
• A way into research would be to change one or more variable.
Other ways in• Curiosity
• Concepts/issues/contexts
• Problem/issue based
• Mind mapping
• Peers
• Employer/manager/director
Data Resources
• What am I interested in?
Plan something close to home
• What my topic area is
• Where am I getting my info from?
Literature Review
• Literature – searching for work-related content
• Where things come from – theories & concepts
• Finding out what you don’t know
• Finding literature that is against what you think
• Critical thinking
Overall the campus session went very well for me. It helped me to have a clearer picture in my mind of the task in hand and helped me focus on each bit of the module as a small step rather than trying to tackle the module as a whole. The session broke down the module into sections and set clear points of what we had to do and I feel the way I made my notes throughout was a clear and concise way to help me keep focussed on the task. I think, in future, even though I cannot attend all campus sessions I will try and bullet point different problems and issues that I come across throughout the duration of the semester as I believe this will focus my mind on the task at hand.
I attended my first campus session, it was an introduction to the new module on research methods. I have bullet pointed an overview of my notes below.
• This module is the plan for the final project not the actual project itself.
What is Research?• Finding something new
• Advancing knowledge of professional practice in a systematic way
• Adding to what’s already been learnt
• Developing a deeper understanding of something
Ways into research
Dance performance phenomena
-director/choreographer
-music
-audience
-lighting
-performance time
The above are all variables (they can change at any time)
• A way into research would be to change one or more variable.
Other ways in• Curiosity
• Concepts/issues/contexts
• Problem/issue based
• Mind mapping
• Peers
• Employer/manager/director
Data Resources
• What am I interested in?
Plan something close to home
• What my topic area is
• Where am I getting my info from?
Literature Review
• Literature – searching for work-related content
• Where things come from – theories & concepts
• Finding out what you don’t know
• Finding literature that is against what you think
• Critical thinking
Overall the campus session went very well for me. It helped me to have a clearer picture in my mind of the task in hand and helped me focus on each bit of the module as a small step rather than trying to tackle the module as a whole. The session broke down the module into sections and set clear points of what we had to do and I feel the way I made my notes throughout was a clear and concise way to help me keep focussed on the task. I think, in future, even though I cannot attend all campus sessions I will try and bullet point different problems and issues that I come across throughout the duration of the semester as I believe this will focus my mind on the task at hand.
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
task d
Quadrophenia: How does the cult film compare with the stage version?
A classic album, then a cult film in 1979, Quadrophenia has now remerged as a musical. The move from vinyl to the big screen was a roaring success: but what of the transformation form big screen to stage?
The set for the musical is well constructed but the plot is clearly limited by the limitations of stage. With a band on stage each set has to be moved around: the street, a cafe, Jimmy’s home, and Brighton Dance Hall. The action becomes frenetic and distorts the watcher’s ability to place each scene in any particular location. Although Act 2, set in Brighton, is easier to follow than the London based scenes of Act 1, one has to read the programme notes to understand the action. In relying upon songs to relay the story the plot becomes confused.
Quadrophenia the movie deals with the sets and storyline in much more depth because of its ability to move around locations. The public baths, terraced houses motorbikes alleyways, London cafes and Dancehalls all create a setting which takes the viewer to the world of the sixites Mod. Clever shots of bikers arriving in Brighton enable the film watcher to sense the distance between rebellious teenager and home based parent. The street fights and beach scenes enable the film audience to visualize the youth phenomenon in a way that the stage with its gang attack on a lone rocker, does not.
When analyzing the themes within each there is a similar mismatch in terms of the depth that the musical achieves compared to the film. A major theme in both is the generation gap: a rebellious teenager whose parents do not understand his dreams and neither does he. The coming of age searching for identity is evident in both genres. However the musical, a revisiting of the themes in the film, is unable to deal with moral attitudes around in 1960s England, in a way that the film achieves.
Jimmy within the film is seeking an alternative to his hum drum life as part of a teenage gang, Jimmy within the musical is angry and confused but it isn’t evident why he feels this way. The musical is almost an exploration of his state of mind rather than the voice of a generation on the move, which he represents within the film. His issues within the large screen seem to be caused by his humdrum surroundings but in the musical the interpretation suggests that it is different character traits that cause his inner turmoil.
In the stage show the Face is clearly a snazzy dresser who also works as a Bell Boy but within the film we see a fuller, anti hero, who appears at work, in the dance hall, on the beach and within the court. The film buff sees several aspects of his character not just his ability to strut like a peacock straightening his cuffs and collar. The film offers the explanation for Jimmy and The Face’s behavior in terms of their escape from boring day jobs in ways which the musical because of its lack of narrative cannot achieve.
Perhaps the greatest difference between the two genres is this presentation of character. In the musical the characters work extremely hard to move the audience from their comfort zone into high energy world of The Mods on a weekend away. The film can cut to night club to house party, beach scenes, and support several characterizations and sub plots. Jimmy’s relationship with his parents and work colleagues is much more obvious within the film. His position within the pecking order of Mods is apparent. In the stage show it isn’t easy to determine if he is leader or led. This is not helped by the number of characters playing Jimmy in the stage show.
The musical may have gained more critical acclaim if it had been written in between the album and the film rather than after the latter. As a result of the limitations what is a great album, come cult film becomes poorer as a piece of musical theatre. It is popular because of its association with its predecessors, rather than in its own right.Quad
A classic album, then a cult film in 1979, Quadrophenia has now remerged as a musical. The move from vinyl to the big screen was a roaring success: but what of the transformation form big screen to stage?
The set for the musical is well constructed but the plot is clearly limited by the limitations of stage. With a band on stage each set has to be moved around: the street, a cafe, Jimmy’s home, and Brighton Dance Hall. The action becomes frenetic and distorts the watcher’s ability to place each scene in any particular location. Although Act 2, set in Brighton, is easier to follow than the London based scenes of Act 1, one has to read the programme notes to understand the action. In relying upon songs to relay the story the plot becomes confused.
Quadrophenia the movie deals with the sets and storyline in much more depth because of its ability to move around locations. The public baths, terraced houses motorbikes alleyways, London cafes and Dancehalls all create a setting which takes the viewer to the world of the sixites Mod. Clever shots of bikers arriving in Brighton enable the film watcher to sense the distance between rebellious teenager and home based parent. The street fights and beach scenes enable the film audience to visualize the youth phenomenon in a way that the stage with its gang attack on a lone rocker, does not.
When analyzing the themes within each there is a similar mismatch in terms of the depth that the musical achieves compared to the film. A major theme in both is the generation gap: a rebellious teenager whose parents do not understand his dreams and neither does he. The coming of age searching for identity is evident in both genres. However the musical, a revisiting of the themes in the film, is unable to deal with moral attitudes around in 1960s England, in a way that the film achieves.
Jimmy within the film is seeking an alternative to his hum drum life as part of a teenage gang, Jimmy within the musical is angry and confused but it isn’t evident why he feels this way. The musical is almost an exploration of his state of mind rather than the voice of a generation on the move, which he represents within the film. His issues within the large screen seem to be caused by his humdrum surroundings but in the musical the interpretation suggests that it is different character traits that cause his inner turmoil.
In the stage show the Face is clearly a snazzy dresser who also works as a Bell Boy but within the film we see a fuller, anti hero, who appears at work, in the dance hall, on the beach and within the court. The film buff sees several aspects of his character not just his ability to strut like a peacock straightening his cuffs and collar. The film offers the explanation for Jimmy and The Face’s behavior in terms of their escape from boring day jobs in ways which the musical because of its lack of narrative cannot achieve.
Perhaps the greatest difference between the two genres is this presentation of character. In the musical the characters work extremely hard to move the audience from their comfort zone into high energy world of The Mods on a weekend away. The film can cut to night club to house party, beach scenes, and support several characterizations and sub plots. Jimmy’s relationship with his parents and work colleagues is much more obvious within the film. His position within the pecking order of Mods is apparent. In the stage show it isn’t easy to determine if he is leader or led. This is not helped by the number of characters playing Jimmy in the stage show.
The musical may have gained more critical acclaim if it had been written in between the album and the film rather than after the latter. As a result of the limitations what is a great album, come cult film becomes poorer as a piece of musical theatre. It is popular because of its association with its predecessors, rather than in its own right.Quad
Monday, 23 November 2009
task d writing styles
Quadrophenia, the musical, is delivered through songs and a variety of scenes. There is no dialogue other than song lyrics. This means that the audience has to work hard to piece together the complexities of Jimmy’s character and the events of the Mods and Rockers conflict: knowing the plot from the 1970s movie helps. Fortunately the storyline in the musical is fairly simple. Boy from violent dysfunctional home is unhappy with his life and sets off seeking love, adventure and a different purpose to his life. Boy goes astray and dream gets broken. The result is disappointment, frustration and violence.
Quadrophenia, The Musical, tells us the story of Jimmy a young man full of the usual teenage anger. Jimmy is a rebel who feels his life should be better and he cannot settle to the nine to five routine of life. The story line is about Jimmy’s struggle to understand and be understood. His parents cannot help him and his relationship with his Dad descends into violence as Jimmy questions his parents’ loveless relationship. Jimmy is looking for companionship and this leads him to join the local Mod gang who are heading for Brighton. Jimmy throws himself into the scene and his overuse of drugs begins to change his character and outlook. The local Mod leader becomes Jimmy’s hero until he realises that he works in service as a Bell Boy. Jimmy’s fantasy of a completely different life for young people is shattered. In Brighton his life finds a violent tragic end. His trip ends in disappointment as he loses the girl and ends up involved in a violent stabbing of his fallen hero.
Jimmy character is played by four different characters that represent different parts of his character: lunatic, hypocrite, romantic and violent. This can get confusing especially during the first act and when they are all on stage together.
The set for the show is fairly basic. The musicians appear behind the action on a tiered scaffold and there is a central rotating climbing frame as well as a rotating part to the stage. The transition from one scene to the next is slick and the songs move you through each scenario as they tell the story of Jimmy’s troubles. The simplistic set means that the youthful cast have to put lots of energy into recreating the Mod scene of the early sixties. The young performers do this through dance, song and acrobatics as they recreate the energy and dangers of the era. Their costumes represent the fashions of the day. The energetic cast is well supported by the trumpets, guitars and drums at the rear, which at times makes you feel that you are at a pop concert rather than a musical production. During, in the first act, it takes time to get into the plot. The scenes appear a bit random and one bit of dramatic tension, a fight at home, is followed by another bit of dramatic action: a row at work, or the four elements of jimmy’s character wrestling for control. Initially it takes a while to realise that they are all Jimmy, despite the fact that they all wear the same clothes throughout the production. The lack of dialogue, loud music and fast pace of the action makes it hard to follow. Nevertheless it is an enjoyable experience particularly when the old Who classics are bashed out. At the show I went to the cast joined the audience in the bar for after show refreshments and were welcomed and praised by today’s youngsters and a small number of pot bellied Mods, whose parkas, Ben Shermans and mini skirts had seen better days.
Quadrophenia, The Musical, tells us the story of Jimmy a young man full of the usual teenage anger. Jimmy is a rebel who feels his life should be better and he cannot settle to the nine to five routine of life. The story line is about Jimmy’s struggle to understand and be understood. His parents cannot help him and his relationship with his Dad descends into violence as Jimmy questions his parents’ loveless relationship. Jimmy is looking for companionship and this leads him to join the local Mod gang who are heading for Brighton. Jimmy throws himself into the scene and his overuse of drugs begins to change his character and outlook. The local Mod leader becomes Jimmy’s hero until he realises that he works in service as a Bell Boy. Jimmy’s fantasy of a completely different life for young people is shattered. In Brighton his life finds a violent tragic end. His trip ends in disappointment as he loses the girl and ends up involved in a violent stabbing of his fallen hero.
Jimmy character is played by four different characters that represent different parts of his character: lunatic, hypocrite, romantic and violent. This can get confusing especially during the first act and when they are all on stage together.
The set for the show is fairly basic. The musicians appear behind the action on a tiered scaffold and there is a central rotating climbing frame as well as a rotating part to the stage. The transition from one scene to the next is slick and the songs move you through each scenario as they tell the story of Jimmy’s troubles. The simplistic set means that the youthful cast have to put lots of energy into recreating the Mod scene of the early sixties. The young performers do this through dance, song and acrobatics as they recreate the energy and dangers of the era. Their costumes represent the fashions of the day. The energetic cast is well supported by the trumpets, guitars and drums at the rear, which at times makes you feel that you are at a pop concert rather than a musical production. During, in the first act, it takes time to get into the plot. The scenes appear a bit random and one bit of dramatic tension, a fight at home, is followed by another bit of dramatic action: a row at work, or the four elements of jimmy’s character wrestling for control. Initially it takes a while to realise that they are all Jimmy, despite the fact that they all wear the same clothes throughout the production. The lack of dialogue, loud music and fast pace of the action makes it hard to follow. Nevertheless it is an enjoyable experience particularly when the old Who classics are bashed out. At the show I went to the cast joined the audience in the bar for after show refreshments and were welcomed and praised by today’s youngsters and a small number of pot bellied Mods, whose parkas, Ben Shermans and mini skirts had seen better days.
Thursday, 19 November 2009
task d writing styles
Pork pie hats, Parkas, popping ‘blues’, chasing rockers on your Vespa! Remember the Mods? They’re back with a country wide tour of Quadrophenia the Musical. The new show is based on The Who’s famous album of the same name and will take in twenty venues across Great Britain during 2009. Live on stage for the first time Quadrophenia provides a fast moving insight into the changing lives of teenagers in sixties Britain.
Portraying the start of Youth Culture and rebellion Quadrophenia is set in Brighton and London but as a tour of British towns and cities ‘Quad’ reflects the countrywide explosion of the ‘Mods and Rocker’ phenomena. The musical features disaffected Jimmy, who is looking for a good time, a girlfriend and a place in society. In Jimmy’s world you don’t quite get anything right but when it all goes wrong you keep looking for the next piece of action.
Quadrophenia the musical is about the growing pains of teenagers at the start of the boom time sixties. Its backdrop is the lyrics and music of many previously unpublished songs by Pete Townsend lead guitarist and songwriter with The Who. Townsend’s original intention was to write a quadruple album but it never made the shops. ‘Quadrophenia The Musical’ contains several of the songs cut from his initial work.
Pete Townsend, now musical Creative Consultant to the show, will see its opening night in Plymouth and watch with anticipation as audiences around the country experience his interpretation of the movie, before the show’s last night in Coventry, home of ska band The Specials.
This is a musical for the young and describes the early days of ‘You’ve never had it so good Britain’ when young people had money, transport and freedom from the shackles of parents and post war regeneration. Of course, young people today can still relate to the issues Jimmy wrestles with. Today’s teenagers may have IPods, Student Loans, Unemployment and Asbos to deal with but they will quickly recognise, the Jimmy the Romantic, Jimmy The Tough Guy, Jimmy the Lunatic and the need to be different , to be part of the gang and to fit in, to know where the action is and move heaven and hell to get there.
This is the Sixties Generation and whether Jimmy represents the four members of The Who, or just the changeable moods of a young drug user, Quadrophenia will take you back to the days of your youth: gangs, girls, excitement the sounds of the crowd. You will remember the morning after, the comedown back at work and of course the battles with Mum and Dad.
Meet Ace Face, Jimmy, the mod girls and leave Dead End Street on your way to London, Brighton, and Beachy Head. Those were the days my friend and Quadrophenia the Musical gives you the chance to relive the swinging era of Mods and Rockers. And for followers of Quentin Tarantino , when you are at the show keep an eye out for Jack Roth, son of Tim Roth of Reservoir Dogs, Made in Britain and Lie To Me notoriety.
This is a night to see what Magistrate Dr George Simpson was talking about in 1964 when he described Mods and Rockers as ‘These long haired mentally unstable petty little hoodlums, these sawdust Caesars who can only find courage like rats in hunting in packs.’
Never heard your Grandparents described like that before – get down to the show and see for yourself. You won’t get fooled again.
Sunday, 25 October 2009
Sunday, 18 October 2009
Task C, Kolb's Learning Cycle
Reflect on an instance when you have concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation and active experimentation. Describe instances and explain how it was part of the cycle. Explain what happened to get to that point in the cycle and what it led to.
Kolb’s theory describes a model for managing learning. It suggests a continuous process by which students can develop their own learning. Kolb describes learning cycle made up of four elements: Concrete (doing, feeling), Observation (watching, assimilating) Abstract conceptualisation (thinking, considering) and active experimentation (transforming, adapting). He acknowledges that a learner can join the cycle at any point. I think the really interesting parts of the process are: abstract thinking and testing in active experimentation elements. It is through these parts of the process that I have grasped an experience and transformed it, adding my own meaning and understanding. For me it is when knowledge and experience interchange in importance determined by the situation in which I am applying my learning.
In 2008 I was cast for a role in a Theatre in Education production ‘Last Order’s’. The production was about the dangers of alcohol abuse and its impact upon individual responsibility and sexual behaviour. I auditioned for the role of Cassie a 15 year old, troubled teenager. Cassie organises a party for her friends and as a result of being plied with alcohol is forced into sexual activity with a seventeen year old male. At twenty two I had left behind my early teens and had to improvise the role of Cassie based upon my recent knowledge. The Director’s briefing notes and script helped me bring my own experience to the character well enough to secure the role.
I had to build upon the concrete experience I was recalling for a number of reasons. Firstly the Drama was being presented to groups of fifteen and sixteen year olds in school settings around the south of England and secondly each production was to be supported by ‘forum theatre’ and ‘hot seating’ in order to help the audience’s own learning about the issues.
Initially I studied characters in the TV drama ‘Waterloo Road’ concentrating on the fourteen and fifteen year olds specifically analysing: how they dressed, the headbands, earrings and the manner they wore their school ties: their style of speech, catch phrases and dialect: their behaviour towards each other and the adults in the programme.
I also visited my local park to watch teenagers interacting with each other, listening carefully to how they used humour, body language and voice to project their image. These activities were my character observation, redeveloping my experience and understanding of the life of a teenager.
I spent time thinking about Cassie and how to layer the thoughts and feelings I had been considering, onto her character. Cassie in the script was larger than life, uncaring, a bit of a bitch. She encouraged everyone to live for the moment. I had to consider how to present her vulnerability, insecurities and her desire to be accepted. The observation stage helped me to consider how to develop the role, how to expose Cassie’s resentment and insecurity when she was criticised by other teenagers. I was also asked to make sure that the audience sympathised with the character. This challenged me to develop two characteristics: Cassie’s brashness and her vulnerability whilst also making her realistic enough to be accepted by other teenagers.
I believe that the process I went through helped me to portray Cassie successfully. I was able to reveal her aggressive, devil may care attitude, whilst also showing her inexperience and conveying how she had been led into a situation which she couldn’t control. It was evident during the after show workshops that the students could empathise and understand how Cassie had behaved as she had and the danger she was in. After each production I was able to use the feedback and questions from the teenagers to refine how I presented ‘Cassie’ in the next show. I was demonstrating that I could combine my knowledge and experience to refine my performance.
It also became evident that some students understanding of the issues related to alcohol abuse and sexual activity developed faster than others. In these situations I began to adapt the role of Cassie within the drama and the workshops. I used a range of strategies: rhetorical questioning, intonation and different levels of explanation, to help the teenagers explore and understand the issues we were presenting. These strategies would change according to different groups of students and also within groups in the same school. This was the company and me personally grasping the experience and transforming it into meaning for ourselves and the students.
I had taken Cassie’s character, personalised my understanding of it and after adding my own perspective to it, I had applied it to different school situations. Further more I had started to understand how to modify, accentuate and exaggerate different elements of my learning in order to help the learning of others.
Kolb’s theory describes a model for managing learning. It suggests a continuous process by which students can develop their own learning. Kolb describes learning cycle made up of four elements: Concrete (doing, feeling), Observation (watching, assimilating) Abstract conceptualisation (thinking, considering) and active experimentation (transforming, adapting). He acknowledges that a learner can join the cycle at any point. I think the really interesting parts of the process are: abstract thinking and testing in active experimentation elements. It is through these parts of the process that I have grasped an experience and transformed it, adding my own meaning and understanding. For me it is when knowledge and experience interchange in importance determined by the situation in which I am applying my learning.
In 2008 I was cast for a role in a Theatre in Education production ‘Last Order’s’. The production was about the dangers of alcohol abuse and its impact upon individual responsibility and sexual behaviour. I auditioned for the role of Cassie a 15 year old, troubled teenager. Cassie organises a party for her friends and as a result of being plied with alcohol is forced into sexual activity with a seventeen year old male. At twenty two I had left behind my early teens and had to improvise the role of Cassie based upon my recent knowledge. The Director’s briefing notes and script helped me bring my own experience to the character well enough to secure the role.
I had to build upon the concrete experience I was recalling for a number of reasons. Firstly the Drama was being presented to groups of fifteen and sixteen year olds in school settings around the south of England and secondly each production was to be supported by ‘forum theatre’ and ‘hot seating’ in order to help the audience’s own learning about the issues.
Initially I studied characters in the TV drama ‘Waterloo Road’ concentrating on the fourteen and fifteen year olds specifically analysing: how they dressed, the headbands, earrings and the manner they wore their school ties: their style of speech, catch phrases and dialect: their behaviour towards each other and the adults in the programme.
I also visited my local park to watch teenagers interacting with each other, listening carefully to how they used humour, body language and voice to project their image. These activities were my character observation, redeveloping my experience and understanding of the life of a teenager.
I spent time thinking about Cassie and how to layer the thoughts and feelings I had been considering, onto her character. Cassie in the script was larger than life, uncaring, a bit of a bitch. She encouraged everyone to live for the moment. I had to consider how to present her vulnerability, insecurities and her desire to be accepted. The observation stage helped me to consider how to develop the role, how to expose Cassie’s resentment and insecurity when she was criticised by other teenagers. I was also asked to make sure that the audience sympathised with the character. This challenged me to develop two characteristics: Cassie’s brashness and her vulnerability whilst also making her realistic enough to be accepted by other teenagers.
I believe that the process I went through helped me to portray Cassie successfully. I was able to reveal her aggressive, devil may care attitude, whilst also showing her inexperience and conveying how she had been led into a situation which she couldn’t control. It was evident during the after show workshops that the students could empathise and understand how Cassie had behaved as she had and the danger she was in. After each production I was able to use the feedback and questions from the teenagers to refine how I presented ‘Cassie’ in the next show. I was demonstrating that I could combine my knowledge and experience to refine my performance.
It also became evident that some students understanding of the issues related to alcohol abuse and sexual activity developed faster than others. In these situations I began to adapt the role of Cassie within the drama and the workshops. I used a range of strategies: rhetorical questioning, intonation and different levels of explanation, to help the teenagers explore and understand the issues we were presenting. These strategies would change according to different groups of students and also within groups in the same school. This was the company and me personally grasping the experience and transforming it into meaning for ourselves and the students.
I had taken Cassie’s character, personalised my understanding of it and after adding my own perspective to it, I had applied it to different school situations. Further more I had started to understand how to modify, accentuate and exaggerate different elements of my learning in order to help the learning of others.
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
KOLB'S Learning Cycle
I must say I am rather confused with this section of the work! I could not attend the day at Middlesex Uni so I decided to look through all you lovely people's blogs to see if it helped me understanbd the process better, after looking through, it made it easier but still is confusing for me. I decided to try and write my own cycle with what I was learning.
1) Concrete
I looked at other peoples blogs and the module handbook to try and undertsnad KOLB'S cycle.
2)Reflective
I knew how the basic 4 steps of KOLB's cycle after reading through these blogs and I know the process I need to follow.
However when I got to the next section (Abstract) I didnt know what to put as I couldnt see any differece between the reflective section and the Abstract Conseptualisation section. I then realised that this could perhaps be because I am only really doing section two myself which is refelction and watching, I have not done a task so I have not put it into practice. Am i on the right lines here? could anyone correct me or explain it to me any better? I am under the impression we take on thing we have learnt, for example I might take a recent rehersal process I have done and split the process into the four sections, or take the my teachers essay I did and split that into the sections...is that right? Help is needed I am very confused! or confuzzled as I like to say!
1) Concrete
I looked at other peoples blogs and the module handbook to try and undertsnad KOLB'S cycle.
2)Reflective
I knew how the basic 4 steps of KOLB's cycle after reading through these blogs and I know the process I need to follow.
However when I got to the next section (Abstract) I didnt know what to put as I couldnt see any differece between the reflective section and the Abstract Conseptualisation section. I then realised that this could perhaps be because I am only really doing section two myself which is refelction and watching, I have not done a task so I have not put it into practice. Am i on the right lines here? could anyone correct me or explain it to me any better? I am under the impression we take on thing we have learnt, for example I might take a recent rehersal process I have done and split the process into the four sections, or take the my teachers essay I did and split that into the sections...is that right? Help is needed I am very confused! or confuzzled as I like to say!
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
Question for all the Work Based Learning People!
Hi everyone, I wondered if anyone could shed any light on this for me?....I am confused as to what a "hard copy" of the work means! I presumed this meant a printed out copy that would need to be posted to the university, am I correct or in week 6 is all the work emailed in? I am just trying to get organised in advance as I am leaving for Taiwan soon for six months so I have to arrange someone to post my work off for me once I have emailed it to them if this is the case!!! if anyone could get back to me about this that would be great! cheers x
Thursday, 1 October 2009
My General Intrests
One of the things I love to do the most is read. Many people say dancing is an escape for them but to me it is my work, reading is my escape. I love nothing better than settling down with a good book, I read on the tube, at home, sometimes even walking down the street! I really do believe you can learn so much about the world and different ways of life from every single book you read. My favourite author is Jodi Picoult, and once I start one of her books I cannot put it down, they are real page turners! I love the way she always takes a moral issue and puts it against a legal one. One particular book of hers really struck a chord with me, “Nineteen Minutes” It is about a young lad who ends up shooting lots of people in his school, but it tells the story from his point of view and as strange as it sounds I ended up feeling so sorry for the boy as I read what he had been through and the way he was treated at school that led to his outburst. Jodi always provides such an excellent read, just talking about her books now gets me excited, she is fantastic!
I also am interested in books about other religions as religion is something I find fascinating. A book titled "A Thousand Splendid Suns” is breathtaking, it’s about two women living in Afghanistan when the Taliban took over and really gives you an insight into the life for Muslim women over there. Another great read is “Mao’s Last dancer” this book is so informative and is just so compelling, telling you all about the communist life in China. Reading is something I have always loved and wish I got more time to do.
Another big interest of mine which I have already touched on is religion. I am not religious at all myself but have always been fascinated by different cultures and religions. As a child I used to love my Dad taking me down the Folsehill Road in Coventry, which is a predominantly Asian area, I remember being so excited looking in all the shop windows at the beautiful sari’s and one day I went into a shop to get some shoes and I can still to this day remember how elated I was when the lady presented me with the most beautiful sparkly shoes I had ever seen. My mum always used to buy me sari material with paisley patterns on for me to put up in my room, and different coloured sparkly bangles. I have also always been interested in the Chinese culture, I love going along to the Chinese New Year celebrations in London and this year I will be able to experience them first hand as I will be in Taiwan for six months. I have many friends of all different religions and cultures’s and love nothing more than discussing it with them and finding out as much as I can about the traditions and celebrations they have. I often go onto websites and read up about different religions.
I also am interested in books about other religions as religion is something I find fascinating. A book titled "A Thousand Splendid Suns” is breathtaking, it’s about two women living in Afghanistan when the Taliban took over and really gives you an insight into the life for Muslim women over there. Another great read is “Mao’s Last dancer” this book is so informative and is just so compelling, telling you all about the communist life in China. Reading is something I have always loved and wish I got more time to do.
Another big interest of mine which I have already touched on is religion. I am not religious at all myself but have always been fascinated by different cultures and religions. As a child I used to love my Dad taking me down the Folsehill Road in Coventry, which is a predominantly Asian area, I remember being so excited looking in all the shop windows at the beautiful sari’s and one day I went into a shop to get some shoes and I can still to this day remember how elated I was when the lady presented me with the most beautiful sparkly shoes I had ever seen. My mum always used to buy me sari material with paisley patterns on for me to put up in my room, and different coloured sparkly bangles. I have also always been interested in the Chinese culture, I love going along to the Chinese New Year celebrations in London and this year I will be able to experience them first hand as I will be in Taiwan for six months. I have many friends of all different religions and cultures’s and love nothing more than discussing it with them and finding out as much as I can about the traditions and celebrations they have. I often go onto websites and read up about different religions.
People Whose Work I Admire
Lea Salonga
Lea Salonga is an exquisite and captivating singer and Musical Theatre performer whom I admire greatly. She was born in February 1972 in the Philippines and is probably best known for her starring role as Kim in “Miss Saigon”. She began performing as a child in her local country and it was only when the producers in the UK couldn’t find a strong enough Asian singer/actress over here, that they began looking across countries all over the world, and discovered Lea. For this performance she won an Olivier award in 1998 and since then her career has gone from strength to strength. She went on to become the first Asian actress to play Eponine in “Les Miserables”, and this is something I admire her for, she really flies the flag for Asian actresses and singers around the world. Not only is she famous for her roles on stage but also she is the singing voice of some of our best loved Disney characters, Princess Jasmine in “Aladdin” and “Mulan”. This would be a dream of mine, to sing for a Disney film as I love Disney. Listening to Lea sing the songs is amazing as she has such a beautiful voice.
What I like about Lea is before she hit the big time worldwide, she was very well known in her own country, she hosted her own Musical Television show and acted in many films in the Philippines as well as releasing her own albums and starring in Musicals and since then she has performed a lot in her home country but has never forgotten her roots and where she came from.
She really is an inspiration to so many young female singers and actresses out there, her performance in “Miss Saigon” was breathtaking and I always watch her on the film of “Hey Mr Producer” and am blown away.
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