For Task 2A we were asked to keep a journal of our everyday events to reflect from. As I missed the campus session with Adesola on Rizome Learning and Theories I decided to do my own research alongside looking a other students blogs.
Rizome Learning and Theories;
The diagram on Rizome Learning was so helpful and easy to understand, as I said when talking in Task 1d I find it easier to look at am image to help me understand a certain message or task. The diagram clearly show blades of grass relating to the tasks we are given the three main being communication,network and reflection. The squiggly lines underneath are the roots underneath the soil that nobody sees, this show how we explore each section of the task and how they are linked together after researching in our own time to get the ideas/answers. The image of the cloud above the blades of grass suggests that in order for the grass to grow you need the correct tools eg Water for the grass to grow. Overall the diagram helped my understand the idea of Rizome learning and I will defiantly create my own images in the future to help with information I don't understand.
Moving onto Theories, again drawing an image of what I took from its meaning helped me see how important it is and relates to my professional practice. Imagine my practice is an apple the theory would be the core of the apple, meaning that the theories are the core of my practice and through reflecting I will discover the theories and explain how I found them. To do this I will be keeping a journal of events and reflecting on them to understand and learn from my experiences. I will also be thinking about the ethical consideration and the thoughts, ideas from other people/students/work colleagues and how their thoughts matter to my practice.
'When we write our reflections on events we not only create meanings for ourselves, we produce a version that can be communicated to others'. (Stephan Brookfied - Reflective practice-4th edition Foreword)
How I already reflect;
Before receiving the task to keep a journal of events to reflect from I unknowingly did it everyday before starting a job or task. When thinking back to the past at the start of the day I would reflect on my actions before doing them which would plan out how I wanted my day to go 'Reflection-in-action'. At the end of the day I would rethink these events and if they had gone to plan, If they hadn't I would rethink these going the way I had wanted them and see if I felt different after, this is something I started to do after reading 'The Secret'. I stopped rethinking the events going a different way later on in the day as I didn't find it helped me as much however, I still think about events before they have happened to see how I want to day to go. By keeping a journal Im finding it interesting to look back on my day and the process I use to reflect upon 'Reflection-on-action'.
'.. But there is something fundamentally different about writing down your understanding of, and reaction to, a situation'. (Stephan Brookfield - Reflective Practice 4th edition-Foreword)
Thinking about what Stephan Brookfield said, what I think about a situation and what I write about it are very different descriptions. I find I go into a lot more depth when writing about something and helps me break up the process, an example;
As dance captain of a new show and an old one with half a new cast I have a lot to consider before each rehearsal, I re space the show according to who is missing, which seems to be someone every week and write down notes alongside each number in a format that will be quick and efficient when teaching. I have to consider my audience as half the cast being new and the others having done the show previously means I have to break down how I explain certain things to certain people whilst maintaining a professional manner.
Once Iv taught or given all the notes for the show I think how my other colleagues have processed this information and if I did it well, after all their performance is based on my feedback. I realise that if they had an opportunity to comment what they would say or if they would change the way Iv taught something.
I also have my directors opinion to think about, his view on the show is very important and I want to work under his views so every week when he watches he will talk to me after the show to say what wet well/not well and I will alter my planning for the next week.
After the show I have to take a step back and think about how everything went, I can't watch the show as I'm also in it so I have to observe things that happen throughout the night and write them down in preparation for next time. I reflect on how I think the show was and how I could of improved for the next week. This happens twice a week for two different shows so it's a lot of preparation and organisation beforehand. Reflecting on this is a great way to get my thoughts on paper and find reasons why I work in this way. I'm looking forward to Task 2B Reflective Writing and going into more depth with my practice.
Thanks Alicia like the use of Brookfield. I like your idea as a dance captain of relating to the experiences of your colleagues and director and audience. The observations that you mention are actually key to the research process that we doing for the professional inquiry - so taking in experience and relating that to evidence of practice.
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