Skype

If Skype did not exist my phone bill would be huge! I have used Skype to talk to my tutor (Paula Nottingham) at every stage through my work based learning, due to the fact that I have been in numerous different countries throughout the process. Not only is the free Skype to Skype calling beneficial but the fact you can use video really makes a difference in the understanding of what one is saying and it gives the call a more personal feel.

The ability to share screens on Skype is great to it means during a chat you can show people clearly what is going on, for example I have used it when designing advertising for my company and been able to edit the posters whilst gaining the feedback. This helps to save time and memory space!

Skype is the middleman between my family, friends, colleagues, university and me. If I could not use it I certainly would not have the relationships I do with these people. It saves money, time, memory and allows you to interact with someone in more ways than voice even if they are the other side of the world!

Google Docs

Google Docs is an online folder in which documents can be saved and shared. During my production of my research project I continuously updated and saved drafts of my work. This proved helpful when my computer decided to die and I lost everything on it, including my project work. However because of Google docs when I got access to another computer I was able to access the last copy of the work I had saved, unfortunately this did not include the work I had just written when my computer bid me farewell, so I was not entirely left to work from scratch again. Due to my computer dying I was able to realise the importance and helpfulness of using an application such as Google docs, without it I may not have been able to recover my work and would have been put seriously behind meaning I couldn’t not complete the project for the deadline.

When I first was told to use Google docs I was dubious. I did not like the idea of sharing my work for all to see, judge, comment or change. However I soon realized with each document posted you could chose your own privacy settings. I therefore would save some work to Google docs for only me to see, and other drafts for certain people to have editing ability, and others for everyone to see but no-one able to edit. Doing this allowed me to gain constructive criticism from my peers and tutor which I would otherwise not have gained, which in turn allowed me to improve upon my project writing and development.

Google docs could be easier to use, because the tool in which you select people to be able to view or edit your work does not accept the email address unless it is saved in your Google address book. This meant it was more time consuming for me to use as all my email addresses are saved in my main user account which is hotmail, and being technologically illiterate it took me a while to understand and get to grips with this and how to make it work.

In conclusion Google docs are helpful and I feel a vital tool for anyone writing anything, because you never know when your computer may die or where you might lose your USB memory stick. It allows you to receive easy to view annotations which may prove vital to your works development and it means you can easily share improvements with people that need to know them, e.g. your university tutor. I am pleased I was made aware of this application and will certainly be using it long after I have finished this current research project.

Survey Time

Hi everyone!

Please please please help me with my research and do my survey! It wont take you long and doesn't require too much brain power!

click on the link below and it should send you to it.....

free online surveys

Thank You xxxxx

Delicious

Delicious, the social bookmarking site has been extremely advantageous to my project progress. I was struggling with finding appropriate literature to support my theses, then I went on delicious and typed in ‘tags’ for the categories I wanted to search, and suddenly I was presented with a basis to start searching for more literature. The ability to create a network also makes it easier to find websites/literature. Adding people to my network with similar interests to me meant that I could easily search through their bookmarks and find interesting links to work that relate to mine. For example through Rosina Andrews delicious bookmarks I found a number of articles that helped me with research for my project and literature review. In appreciation for finding useful bookmarks through Rosina’s delicious I used the ‘inbox’ tool and sent Rosina links to articles I have found and tagged which I thought may help her.

I did a literature search by reading books and photocopying pages, to find the literature I want at anytime requires a lot more searching and organisation in order to make the search for it easier than using delicious. In fact I bookmarked the books I have hard copies of on delicious so that I can search through them more easily.

When presented with the fact I had to use internet sites to fulfil my project criteria I was not happy, part in due to my techno-phobe nature and lack of knowledge, and also because I already had a set way in which to organise my work/findings. However I am extremely grateful that I have been forced to get to grips with delicious because it has been helpful to the nth degree!

If you want to go to the site just click on the title of this post, my username is simply; Alys Spencer.

Ballet: Aria Alekzander 2010

I have posted this because I feel it is a very honest,clear and easy to understand opinion of a professional dancer! It also has a comment about how important drama is to dance, which is what my project is about.

new module

So after a few weeks off from doing work-based learning work I have finally picked up the new handbook and made a start.

Google docs is still alien to me, I am trying to get to grips with it, however a few of my documents will not convert and therefore it is not really being of any help.

I also created an account with Yahoo so that i can use delicious.
alysgspencer@yahoo.com
My delicious name is quite simply Alys Spencer so add me to your delicious network!


I watched the youtube video Danielle Stacey posted and it allowed me to make much more sense of the application than just reading the handbook did! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeBmvDpVbWc

Delicious seems a very helpful site and I am looking forward to easily being able to find reference material! I have saved one bookmark already about 'Terms of reference' because when I was reading the handbook this term had me a little confused therefore I thought it might help others if I made a bookmark explaining it.

Fingers crossed the module does not prove too difficult, but i have already noticed how well prepared the last module as left me for this one.

learning blog

Entry 5

After deciding on my topic it took me a long time to actually get started on the proposal. This was because I had no idea what a proposal actually entailed! I read examples of proposals I found through Athens, Middlesex online library. I read research books. I pondered and pondered. I read the handbook provided and finally broke down what I was expected to do – I separated it in to 13 sections and wrote them out on post-its (as I have found post-its somehow help me think!) I then started writing. Upon examination I decided I could research proposals forever, but everyone has their own writing and development style and I needed to find mine.

What needs to be in a research proposal?
1. Introduction – title, why? Context.
2. Aim – What want to find?
3. Target Audience – Who will it help? Why?
4. Objectives – Why doing research? Constraints of topic chose.
5. Research Techniques – What to use?
6. Methodology – Why using certain techniques?
7. Participant – who will you research?
8. Worker-researcher role – how do I fit in?
9. Feasibility - Action plan, resources needed and how to gain them.
10. Strengths and weaknesses – identify good and bad
11. Reflection – what have I learnt?
12. Appendices – added extras to help research and proposal understanding
13. Bibliography – collection of references

By breaking the points of what needed to be included in my proposal I started developing each bit at a time. I soon realised that writing each point in consecutive order was not going to work most efficiently – feasibility needed to be addressed before methodology could be created, and my role as a worker-researcher needed to be considered before aims could be pin pointed. After thoughts about each point, I slowly developed each section, finding they all intertwined and each part could only be strengthened by knowledge of another.

By doing secondary research I have been able to develop a hypothesis. I did not understand why secondary research needed to be found now for development of the research proposal, but now I do! It has helped me create a concise research statement and realise what areas need more research so I can hone in on them with my research questions.

I am actually beginning to enjoy developing my proposal now! I have stopped feeling confused and am impressed at all the new things I am discovering.

By developing my research dictionary I have learnt research methods and terms and could then access them to help chose my research methods.

While writing my proposal I became aware of the ethical implications that constrict everything that happens.


Critical Commentary on Learning in this Module

This module has improved my knowledge of the dance education models. I used to teach the way I had been taught, taking techniques from a number of teachers and moulding them together to create my own style. However through development of my research proposal I have discovered the regulated teaching models which have been constructed to wholly develop a dancer. I now know it is important to diversify knowledge as much as possible for younger students so they can learn other areas of the arts they like and understand dance is more than a regimented I.D.T.A syllabus.

I have also been introduced to more ways of teaching dance and drama in order to develop more skills, such as the professional model (Autard-Smith,J 1994). By deciding upon research methods and finding dance is naturally a qualitative subject my ideas about dance examinations have been questioned. Before my enquiries about how best to conduct dance research I viewed dance competitions and examinations necessary as a way of proving skills. However I now feel they go against the natural production of a dance and can be unnecessarily degrading due to personal preference. The trinity national diploma does not use a number scale in order to grade its partakers; this is beneficial because it allows movement for individual creativity and style. My ideas, about following examination syllabus work, have been seriously re-considered, and I feel it may not benefit my pupils as I previously believed due to my experiences.

I discovered that people have been theorising for centuries, such as Aristotle, about the importance of drama in dance in order for it to be successful. However I have found little to no research about how studying drama can improve a dancer. I find this strange considering how much ‘perform’ was shouted at me throughout my training, when in fact I had no idea how because all I was taught is pure dance technique. I hope my study will encourage dancers and teachers to include drama in their dance timetables if my study proves that there is a direct positive connection between the two art forms.
The module has introduced me to the world of research, learning research terminology, practice and planning. I now feel confident that I will be able to do the procedures that will allow me to answer my research hypothesis accurately and concisely.

The area of study is a logical progression for me if I wish to improve my teaching and performing skill knowledge. I realise the importance of researching a topic that is personally interesting and valuable, because if it was not I would feel no desire to put in the work needed to succeed in discovering the tasks answer, and it would not benefit me or my place of work. I look forward to completing my project.

References

Bell, J (1999), Doing Your Research Project, Open Universtiy Press, 3rd Edition.

Nottingham, P., 2010, personal email sent to myself Spencer, A.

Autard-Smith, J (1994), The Art of Dance in Education,2nd Edition.