Alys May-James BA Professional Practice Blog

This week I attended 2 skype calls with other students. The first one was an all module discussion group, and the second had a module 2 focus. It was good to be able to connect with other students and listen to their thoughts on their work and the different ideas they have had. This week I have had to isolate due to a positive COVID-19 case at work, and so these skype calls came at a really good time for me. It reminded me of the importance of community and having contact with people- even if it is through a screen. This links to the concept of Affiliation which looks at how people benefit from forming close connections with others. Crisp and Turner (2007) explain affiliation as ‘a network of support that will help us when we are in need,’ (p. 266). I feel that the connections we make are so important at the moment, especially with what is happening in the world. These skype calls are an important place to make space for each other and to listen to what others have to say. The skype...

This week I attended a skype discussion group for modules 1, 2 and 3. It was great getting to talk to everyone and discuss where everyone is at with the course and general learning and development. There were 2 main points that I picked up on from our discussion. Questions Reflection Questions I am becoming more aware of how important it is to question yourself, not only for this course but in life. By questioning things, it means you don’t just accept what is. Questioning isn’t always about finding an answer, but about gaining more information. Things are constantly changing and we do not have the capacity to know everything. There is too much information in the world for it to be accessed by everyone. This is why when we question, we never get a full answer because it’s impossible- hence why we gain knowledge to develop on, not an end point. As George Siemens talks about in 'Knowing Knowledge' (2006), we should look at ‘knowledge as a river, not reservoir.’ Page 53. H...

On Wednesday 1 st April we had our second skype for all modules. We covered a range of topics in the meeting, including- finding your own voice, interviewing and integration. Below I have bullet pointed some of the main points we covered in each topic. Finding our own voice  How can we write in a way that isn’t too casual but without losing yourself? How writing on social media is different to writing an essay- How do we write blogs in comparison to essays? Keeping core intensions clear Having different documents open to write down different ideas. Write all your ideas down and then go about moving it around and breaking bits up. The process is messy; things don’t always go in a straight line. Interviewing Why do we interview? What is the point? What are we trying to achieve/gain? How interviewing in person is different from over the phone/ skype Silences are ok- what do the silences tell you Its not all about what people say, how do they say it, what do...

Earlier on in the week I joined my second module one focused skype. It was nice to have some stability and familiarity with the uncertainty of the world right now. We discussed 3 main topics- Diagrams, Ethics and Literature. Diagrams We spoke about how some of us were struggling to come to terms with the idea of what a diagram actually was. It’s not clear cut, like an essay that we could have had plenty of practice doing from time at school. At first, I was really confused about it, but actually its ambiguity is what I’ve really enjoyed. I have been able to create what I want that reflects me. It’s personal to me and my own practice. It’s very rare to have opportunities like that.  We also spoke about how it’s visual. We already have our essay where we use words and theories to explain and explore our practice. The diagram is a visual representation that goes along side our essay. The two should work together. Something that one person mentioned that I hadn’t thought about...

Last night I attended my first discussion Skype for all modules. I found it very insightful listening to other people and their experiences. One of the parts I have been struggling with is the ‘diagram’ or ‘artefact’, so I went with the intention of trying to get some clarity and inspiration! The information from others was invaluable. It became clear to me, from many of the now module two people, that the essay and artefact go hand in hand. They compliment each other and should work in harmony. When discussing which one should be done first, I realised that to get the best results they should be done together and so become fluid. Yes, they are different pieces of work, but they work together and each enhance the other. It is also important to make a decision and commit to it. 12 weeks will go fast, so if you have an idea, go for it! What’s different about the artefact, is that it can be what you want it to be. Some of the suggestions included videos, spider diagrams and pic...