Thursday 27th, Module Two Focus

The first discussion group with a module two focus on Research as Mapping to build understanding was great with some sharing of ideas, areas of interest and questions that arose as we dug a little deeper through questioning.

We talked about the idea of creating a map (visual, virtual, literal) of your field of interest and how you/your practice, the literature, resources around you (BAPP community and your professional practice) all contribute to that map. We acknowledged that what we know comes from our own experience but in order to better know that and to deepen our understanding through the research it is critical to look outside yourself - backwards (historically), sideways (culturally) in order to move forwards in your own development.

There felt at the start of the discussion a want to pin ideas down to one singular focus, and while your research ideas will need to get deeper in their specificity, this will happen with time and through a thorough mapping of the field first. Reading what's already out there is key to beginning your research journey...remember that you are trying to contribute to the wheel, rather than reinvent it!

Naomi, Amber, Laura S, Syanne and Nikita will share what they found helpful from the conversation through their blogs so do go to them to engage more and continue the conversations... 

The second discussion group shared the same focus and we talked around the importance of alternative perspectives. Not looking at something through one lens only, but understanding things more through being aware of multiple perspectives. We had conversations around each others areas of interest - Shanice, Nicole, Rachel H and Sophie will blog about what they found useful as they begin to approach research as mapping to build understanding.

Skype discussion group - 9pm

We had some good conversations on the 2nd skype discussion group today, talking across the modules, connecting our processes of getting started, getting to know what to do, organising our time. We talked about this as a focus of getting into the BAPP programme, whether for the first time, finding your way with the first module, or returning to study and re-starting. We found that connections are easily drawn with how we approach our practice; how do we begin, get started, plan ahead, achieve deadlines etc...

Communication became quite a key focus and we touched on Web 2.0, the interactivity this promotes and how this can be likened to learning - being a process of active engagement and interaction rather than a passive response only mode. Blogs were a reminder of useful ways to communicate ideas and share thoughts with each other and we talked about seeing the module handbooks as a companion with you all the way through each module to keep going back to, not an introductory step-in only.

As those of you on this call asked questions, gained confidence in responding, listened, learnt, all had your own experiences and perspectives to see things through you demonstrated in-action, the benefit of conversations; connecting thoughts, ideas, sharing...not posing a question and having it answered...

I look forward to reading more about your thoughts in your blogs...
Do comment below with your blog address so we can all find each other and continue the conversations!!

Discussions...

Great to have met most of you new to the programme online now at least!

I'm looking forward to our first open discussion group for all modules on Skype this evening.

9pm UK time

Please do make sure you have send a contact request to both myself and Adeosla ahead of time so we can call you easily into the group at the time you've indicated - 

Our skype addresses:
 
helen.kindred2
aonthephone

Also make sure you do indicate which group you wish to be a part of on Adesola's blog!

 http://adesolaa.blogspot.com/

Please not the time changes for Thursday's Module two focus discussion groups 
These will run now at 12.00 and 6.00 UK time.

 

SKYPE one-to-ones

Hi, I'm looking forward to talking with those of you on Module One that have made appointments for a one-to-ne with me, it'll be great to talk through your study plans with you (please do have them on your screen to talk to if you haven't emailed them to me yet)...

I don't have skype connections with you all yet!!

Please do make a contact request to me (stating that you are a BAPP ACI student) so that we can skype easily - my Skype address is <helen.kindred2>

Thanks!

Helen

New starts...

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!

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!!

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...