Alys May-James BA Professional Practice Blog

This week we had a Zoom call where everyone on each module could attend. It was a great opportunity to see what everyone is currently doing within their module. Module 1- starting to talk about their practice and what it means Module 2- thinking about what they want their inquiry to be about Module 3- Looking at starting to gather data for their research Although each module is looking at different things, all of them link with some overall themes- the ones we spoke about are listed below, however there are many more. Creativity The idea of ‘self’ Experience Reflection Motivation and Inspiration Ethics Creativity was a really interesting point to start with as it is so personal to each of us, and so we all had a slightly different view on it. Some people class themselves as creative and others don’t. Here are some of the key points we spoke about with regards to creativity. Are we taught it? Or is it innate within us? Are we born with it? Are we showing our vu...

At the beginning of January, I had the privilege of watching the previous module 3 presentations. It was lovely to see the diversity of the topics everyone had researched and how it related to them and impacted their practices and lives. Everyone did an amazing job at explaining their research. I especially enjoyed seeing the artefacts that had been created because they seemed so personal and relevant to each individual. Some examples are; writing and illustrating a story book, creating a pop-up book, Russian Dolls, choreographing dances, and singing songs. The freedom that comes with creating the artefact can be really special- it can be whatever is relevant to you and your practice and research.   What was eye-opening to me was how each artefact and research topic revealed something about the researcher. It has got me thinking how research is a very personal thing- especially qualitative research- not only for the participants and the data collected, but for the researcher to...

It was lovely getting to see everyone on the group meeting, people who are new and people who are returning, like me. Can’t believe I am at the start of module 3- where has the time gone! It was great to refresh myself with some of the key points for this course. For those of you starting module 1 and 2 these points below really helped me through the modules. Handbooks- re-read these as many times as you need and mark certain pages that have important information on, so you can find them easily. Highlight and make notes on them as you need. You can also use the bibliography on the back to help guide you to more literature to read. Google Scholar is an amazing place to find literature- there is a link on the Unihub page to it. Blogs- use these in a way that is useful to you personally. Write about what resonates with you from the course. For instance, you could write about things you have found, or things that you have questions about. Also, go and check other people blogs who hav...

This is the last weekend before our assignments are due in. I have been going through my work, editing, checking and reflecting on everything that has happened this past year. When I started this course in January, I had no idea how it was going to be, let alone everything else 2020 has had to offer! There have been good bits, bad bits and the usual life ‘in-between’ bits. Something I have learnt from this course is the art of reflection. It isn’t about living in the past, but about embracing your past to enhance your future. Especially when times are tough, take a look back and see how far you’ve come. See everything you have learnt, the things that have changed. But don’t dwell in past errors and mistakes- no one is perfect. Instead of criticising ourselves for our mistakes, why don’t we celebrate the learning that has come from them? I have been looking back at how I felt at this time in module 1- the last week before everything is due in. I am having similar feelings now, as I ...

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...

I know there are lots of different ways to make a Gantt Chart, but I found this video really helpful. It takes you through a step by step version of what to do.  Let me know if you found this helpful!  Bibliography  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z76i2SOaYy4&t=705s

This week I joined a discussion skype about interviews with other module 2 and 3 students. It was a good opportunity to see the perspectives of interviews from the different modules. Something that I found interesting from this session is that it isn’t about getting an answer. We can plan our inquiry into the ground but the reality is, we don’t know what we are going to find and what data we will collect. We do not have control over everything. This means that some of the thoughts we had planned may not work for the data we received… and that is ok. Things change, we don’t always have control and that is ok. What this does, is give us an opportunity to look at ourselves and question why we thought certain things, why did we make those assumptions or have that bias? It gives us a way to learn more about ourselves and to push our own boundaries. Qualitative data is very different from quantitative data regarding what information is collected. With qualitative data the researcher is ...