Great to talk to so many of you at the Welcome/Welcome back skypes over the weekend.
The group I spoke to on today's session mainly covered the 3 pillars of learning of the BAPP programme:
Information - Unihub, MyLearning, BAPP Programme Page, Programme and Module Handbooks...
Sharing - Blogs, skype sessions - the process of your learning, making meaningful the information.
Guiding - Supervisors - one-to-ones, feedback discussions, your critical friend!
What were your thoughts, what did you take from the skype today?
Do post comments below, leaving your blogs address so others can hear your thoughts and reflections on the welcome skypes today and don't forget to check Adesola's blog also for her reflections and those commenting from that session.
http://adesolaa.blogspot.com/
We're really looking forward to the term ahead, hearing your ideas, sharing in discussions and being your critical friends along your BAPP journey..Happy new beginnings!
Sunday, 16 September 2018
Sunday, 13 May 2018
A note on drafts...
As you've been busy writing, we've been busy reading your drafts and offering feedback on
them... the feedback is just that - an offering, some thoughts,
suggestions, further considerations, questions to encourage you to move
on, delve deeper, gain more clarity in the communication of your ideas.
It is important to recognise that these are not 'corrections'. We are not telling you what is 'wrong' in order for you to correct it and make it 'right'. The idea is not to draft (send for corrections), make corrections (send another draft) await further corrections...etc...sending multiple drafts to be 'marked' until the essay is 'perfect'.
In giving feedback on your work we are offering professional advice from experience, a critical eye/ear, an alternative and additional perspective to your work. We are not telling you how to do it, or when it is 'right'.
The process of developing your work is just that ... 'a process'.
Something to be re-visited (a draft is not a finished piece of work), re-considered, re-thought along the way in order that it might grow and develop with you. Most creative projects are not linear in their development, most are not 'done' on first draft, first sharing, most are not 'easy' but they take that first sharing to invite others views which may offer something more to your own thinking and perspective. You don't have to take someone else's view as 'correct' or more knowledgeable then your own and amend your thinking, your writing accordingly, but you should be open to re-thinking when you encounter an opinion which questions, challenges or pushes your own a little.
Keep questioning, editing ...it's all part of the process and only you will know when it says what it needs to say...Trust yourself!!
It is important to recognise that these are not 'corrections'. We are not telling you what is 'wrong' in order for you to correct it and make it 'right'. The idea is not to draft (send for corrections), make corrections (send another draft) await further corrections...etc...sending multiple drafts to be 'marked' until the essay is 'perfect'.
In giving feedback on your work we are offering professional advice from experience, a critical eye/ear, an alternative and additional perspective to your work. We are not telling you how to do it, or when it is 'right'.
The process of developing your work is just that ... 'a process'.
Something to be re-visited (a draft is not a finished piece of work), re-considered, re-thought along the way in order that it might grow and develop with you. Most creative projects are not linear in their development, most are not 'done' on first draft, first sharing, most are not 'easy' but they take that first sharing to invite others views which may offer something more to your own thinking and perspective. You don't have to take someone else's view as 'correct' or more knowledgeable then your own and amend your thinking, your writing accordingly, but you should be open to re-thinking when you encounter an opinion which questions, challenges or pushes your own a little.
Keep questioning, editing ...it's all part of the process and only you will know when it says what it needs to say...Trust yourself!!
Thursday, 3 May 2018
Thinking and re-thinking a plan
Much going on in the skype discussions this week - Tuesday's conversations were around talking about your inquiry plans without just telling us the topic itself. We spoke about (and those in the call tried out) actually trying to introduce your inquiry through WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO, to see if getting a sense of what you are planning to do would lead us anyway to what the topic is.
The tendency is to state the topic (that already exists) and not be explicit about what it is YOU plan to do to deepen your knowledge-experience within and around this in relation to your own practice.
I had the visual image of a map from all if this. The map being your inquiry; made up of lots of towns, cities, villages, some bigger/smaller than others, some more inhabitied than others, all with something to offer and all contributing to the overall picture. Trying to look down (take a birds-eye view) of the whole map of your inquiry to see all the parts; what's there already? what parts overlap? where are the contrasts? where are the more sparce areas, the gaps? What are you going to do to immerse yourself in this map, in your inquiry, how do you find out more (beyond asking others in interviews)??
Today's discussion had by intention a module two focus and conversations were rich in the areas of data and analysis; what you gather and what you do with it. The what you do with it being most important, recognising that the raw data by itself is not the research. Those in this call spend some time thinking and re-thinking their inquiry plans, what they were intending to do with the information and experiences collected. Asking questions of the data, considering what it's offering you in the context of what you know from the literature and your own experiences. Looking not for the data to be the 'thing', to answer your questions, but to allow you to question more...
Designing an inquiry proposal is like planning any creative project; it needs some stimulus, some background context, questions, thinking, reading, doing, re-thinking, shifting, editing, refining...it's a process and we want to see and hear that process in your writing of the proposal.
Those that were part of these discussions DO comment below with your blog addresses so that we can catch your on-going thoughts and reflections...
The tendency is to state the topic (that already exists) and not be explicit about what it is YOU plan to do to deepen your knowledge-experience within and around this in relation to your own practice.
I had the visual image of a map from all if this. The map being your inquiry; made up of lots of towns, cities, villages, some bigger/smaller than others, some more inhabitied than others, all with something to offer and all contributing to the overall picture. Trying to look down (take a birds-eye view) of the whole map of your inquiry to see all the parts; what's there already? what parts overlap? where are the contrasts? where are the more sparce areas, the gaps? What are you going to do to immerse yourself in this map, in your inquiry, how do you find out more (beyond asking others in interviews)??
Today's discussion had by intention a module two focus and conversations were rich in the areas of data and analysis; what you gather and what you do with it. The what you do with it being most important, recognising that the raw data by itself is not the research. Those in this call spend some time thinking and re-thinking their inquiry plans, what they were intending to do with the information and experiences collected. Asking questions of the data, considering what it's offering you in the context of what you know from the literature and your own experiences. Looking not for the data to be the 'thing', to answer your questions, but to allow you to question more...
Designing an inquiry proposal is like planning any creative project; it needs some stimulus, some background context, questions, thinking, reading, doing, re-thinking, shifting, editing, refining...it's a process and we want to see and hear that process in your writing of the proposal.
Those that were part of these discussions DO comment below with your blog addresses so that we can catch your on-going thoughts and reflections...
Tuesday, 17 April 2018
Evening skype chat...
This evening's skype had a module three focus. We talked about the elements that are submitted for this module and talked particularly around structuring (of the Critical Review), where the literature review sits within the essay, how literature is used, the triangulation of data in order to begin to reveal patterns and themes of the inquiry and the role of reflection, noting this development from Module One through to Three.
Structure and knowing 'where things go' I suggest comes from an understanding of the role of the 'thing' you are trying to place. So rather than a pragmatic exercise in the literature review goes first, the anaysis third etc, try thinking of what each section is doing/saying, how it contributes to the 'whole' of the essay in order to have a sense of the relationship between the parts and how best to place them and structure the essay.
Those that were a part of the discussion will share more around these themes - Lauren, Emma and Jen, please comment below with your blog address for ease of others following your discussion...
We also talked more broadly of what learning has taken place through the BAPP programme, as the end of module three draws near. Lauren, Emma and Jen all shared 'top tips' from their own journeys through the programme and will also share these via their blogs for others approaching assessment for module one and two now.
And the conversation finished with a reassurance that a draft (that you're working on sending in now) is NOT a finished piece of work!!! IT'S A DRAFT, to be re-drafted, re-thought, re-structured, unpacked, edited ...just as you would expect to draft, re-draft, re-think, re-structure, unpack and edit an artistic piece of work - I offered the process of making choreographic work as an example here - it is rarely a linear pathway from start to finish...
Structure and knowing 'where things go' I suggest comes from an understanding of the role of the 'thing' you are trying to place. So rather than a pragmatic exercise in the literature review goes first, the anaysis third etc, try thinking of what each section is doing/saying, how it contributes to the 'whole' of the essay in order to have a sense of the relationship between the parts and how best to place them and structure the essay.
Those that were a part of the discussion will share more around these themes - Lauren, Emma and Jen, please comment below with your blog address for ease of others following your discussion...
We also talked more broadly of what learning has taken place through the BAPP programme, as the end of module three draws near. Lauren, Emma and Jen all shared 'top tips' from their own journeys through the programme and will also share these via their blogs for others approaching assessment for module one and two now.
And the conversation finished with a reassurance that a draft (that you're working on sending in now) is NOT a finished piece of work!!! IT'S A DRAFT, to be re-drafted, re-thought, re-structured, unpacked, edited ...just as you would expect to draft, re-draft, re-think, re-structure, unpack and edit an artistic piece of work - I offered the process of making choreographic work as an example here - it is rarely a linear pathway from start to finish...
Friday, 13 April 2018
Drafts ...
Just a quick note on sending drafts of work - great to be getting some in this week and I'm working my way through them to offer some feedback on your writing.
A polite ask...Please can you ensure that you start getting into the habit of saving your work with your name on it though!!
'my uni essay' or 'module 1 draft' may make sense to you on your computer, but when multiple copies titled like that arrive to me they do not help me to identify them on my computer!
Thanks!!
A polite ask...Please can you ensure that you start getting into the habit of saving your work with your name on it though!!
'my uni essay' or 'module 1 draft' may make sense to you on your computer, but when multiple copies titled like that arrive to me they do not help me to identify them on my computer!
Thanks!!
Thursday, 12 April 2018
Summer Lab.
We are holding
our annual Summer Intensive for the 4th year this August...
It offers a great transition between modules, and a chance to come together and move, share, discuss and write as a group on our London campus.
Accomodation is offered on campus for around £20 per night, so a great way to spend a week in London, fueling yourself artistically, creatively, academically.
The campus facilities, access to the library, studios etc are fully open and available to you for this week as well as the sessions we run daily from 9.30am to around 3pm. Last year we also took a trip to the British Library and the Tate Modern... there's plenty of inspiration around!
The week runs Aug 13-17th, 2018
Cost (for students) £250
For more information and Booking:
https://www.mdx.ac.uk/courses/cpd/dance-writing-professional-practice-summer-intensive
It offers a great transition between modules, and a chance to come together and move, share, discuss and write as a group on our London campus.
Accomodation is offered on campus for around £20 per night, so a great way to spend a week in London, fueling yourself artistically, creatively, academically.
The campus facilities, access to the library, studios etc are fully open and available to you for this week as well as the sessions we run daily from 9.30am to around 3pm. Last year we also took a trip to the British Library and the Tate Modern... there's plenty of inspiration around!
The week runs Aug 13-17th, 2018
Cost (for students) £250
For more information and Booking:
https://www.mdx.ac.uk/courses/cpd/dance-writing-professional-practice-summer-intensive
12.00 Discussion Group April 12th
Online in 5mins for the 12.00 discussion group today!!
Module Two focus, but anyone very welcome to attend.
Add me on Skype if we haven't connected yet - helen.kindred2
Look forward to talking!
Module Two focus, but anyone very welcome to attend.
Add me on Skype if we haven't connected yet - helen.kindred2
Look forward to talking!
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