4a - Developing Inquiry

So I am starting to get back in the swing of questioning my every move. I have found a passion for presenting but I feel that there are so many factors preventing me reaching my dream. I feel that the performance industry is made up of walls like Concentric castles and you have to work your way to the centre of the castle to reach your dream. There are many things preventing you (walls of the castle) but if you work hard enough, it might just come true.

This is my Developing Inquiry

Module 2

Hey

So we are all back for our second Module. I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and an even better New Year. 2012 here we are - the year of the Olympics!

This Module looks like a lot more work is required but I have learnt so much from the last one, I feel that the skills that I have developed will assist my learning further.

So lets get started!!

Task 3d- Comments

My Networking to date has solely evolved around the internet and the different aspects of it. It is such a vast part of networking and technology that is has created a entire new means on communication. However, this does not mean that I stick to the internet for ideas. I find it useful to use other sources like books and paper because they can be more accessible (especially on the tube). I cannot deny that the internet has become one of the biggest, most efficient way of Networking and it is vital to keep up with it, to stay in touch with clients. It is said that  "Over the last twenty years, technology has reorganized how we live, how we communicate and how we learn." Siemens,G 2004. Which just shows how important it is to keep up to date with networking.


My involvement within the course has been slightly limited due to rehearsals and that I have been touring the UK with Panto and therefore, I have been constantly on the move. It has been difficult to find the time to sit and work, but I have found time that i could plan into my day to concentrate on a certain subject. At the beginning of the course, i was set in my ways and followed a scheduled plan to do 10 hours a week, which reduced down to 4 hours. However, this is because I have been working, so it is a positive. I have found it easier to focus my mind for longer periods is a lot easier to get tasks done, instead of doing it every now and then. this helps me become focus and my writing to be more interesting. 


After discussing ideas with others via blogs and talking, I have realised how influenced I am by others. I have discovered that opinions of others can affect my overall decision even though before I had a clear idea of my opinion. It has become apparent to me that you need others if you wish to succeed.  From just doing this course, I have seen that I would not be successful if I worked alone, so I made sure that I viewed and commented on different blogs. This has widened my views and ideas. (see below)


From sharing my views and concerns with other students, I have found that we are all mostly treading along the same path. Phil Carroll states that the Internet is extremely useful for our careers and without it we would all struggle to keep in contact, which I agree with. However, Alicia Beck  suggest the idea of Twitter not being of use, but I have found it a great source of information for me and gave her some ideas of who to follow to help her along.  This is a prime example of how I have developed through others.


I have written 10 different comments on the blogs below. I feel that these comments are useful to the authors and have helped my critical thinking along the way.


Alicia Beck
Emma Hatton
Charlotte Asplin
Phil Carroll
Jessica Hay
Tiffany Newson 
Natalie Less
Stephen Fry Video
Communicate better
Eithne Bryan


Critical Thinking and reflecting has given me the opportunity to stop and think about things. I have taken my time to look into mistakes and improve the way I work with others. I have a discovered that everyone is different in the way that they work and therefore, there is no 'right and wrong' in a reflecting situation. It is personal to you. My Critical Reflection has been created and analysed through different methods from a variety of theorists. http://www.lisawhyte.blogspot.com/2011/11/task-2c-reflective-theory.html


I am finishing this module thinking more openly about situations and giving everything a opportunity, even if I do not agree with it in the first place. It helps to discuss ideas with others to gain a unbiased opinion on subjects. Networking is vital to keep in contact with others and takes a lot more work than I first thought. We are constantly building networks and we have been doing it from an early age, but we are now at the stage were it is important to keep track of all those within the business. You will not always get along with colleagues but you should always put on a brave face as you never know where they might be in the future. Everyone you meet has an impression on you and they will always have met you. You cannot change the past.


My plans for the next year are to continue to use Critical reflection on my own work to help me learn from everything I do, but not to be overly critical, that I become cynical. I plan to start the foundations of my own Production Company and to continue my work as an Actress/Presenter. I want to continue to grow in my chosen career and to keep moving forward.

Different Techniques that affect learning

Students want more interactive classes and prefer activities that involve interaction with teachers and peers. More than 80 percent rated classroom discussion and debate at least "a little" and sometimes "very" exciting and engaging, and more than 70 percent felt this way about group projects. Just 52 percent said teacher lectures are engaging at all.http://childparenting.about.com/od/schoollearning/a/4-reasons-kids-are-bored-at-school.htm


These facts aid my discovery that everyone learns using different methods.


According to "Fleming's VAK/VARK model" there are three types of learner

1. visual learners;
2. auditory learners;
3. kinesthetic learners or tactile learners.^[1]

Fleming claimed that visual learners prefer learning through seeing. They think in pictures and will learn better through visual aids such as overhead slides, diagrams, and handouts. Auditory learners learn best through listening, the `old-school' teaching. Tactile/kinesthetic learners prefer to learn through experience, moving, touching, and doing. If Students are aware of this they can use the model to identify their preferred learning style and maximize their educational experience by focusing on what benefits them the most. 

However, what if you don't know what type of learner you are, or are unaware of this, for example young children, you could be placed into the wrong bracket which could have adverse affects on your learning.  This would of course affect your learning methods, referring back to my blog about reflective theory https://docs.google.com/document/d/17mxcdbYcK96taRlvx6RuQon0xc0LZ0-L-tosftyNrBI/edit?pli=1

Do you need to know what type of learner you are to work out what method works best? Or do you find what method works best and that will tell you which learner you are? even the answer to this question may be determined by the type of learner you are. 

Task 3c - Sources of information

Sources of Information

After long deliberation I have finally chosen my most helpful sources of information. These are the sources that have helped me in my career so far and hopefully will continue to assist me. Everyone is different in what they find helps them, so this will be different form anyone else’s opinions.  The 5 most important sources of information for me are:-

1.       Twitter

2.       Google

3.       Talking to others

4.       Books

5.       YouTube

Twitter

Twitter, for me is the biggest source of information, especially in this day and age as technology is the latest way to stay in touch. The beauty of Twitter is that Theatres, Casting agents and media can tweet and if I am following them, I will receive information on their events or castings. It gives you the opportunity to keep up with live updates from different venues and also keeps you in the know about what is going on in London theatres. Another thing I have recently found useful with Twitter, is that fact that others can follow you. At first I didn’t see this as a source of information, however, I am an actress within the business just like Emma Watson, and so others might be interested in what I am up to. I am following Alex Jones who is a present I aspire to be like and also other presenters who are trying to start out in the business, I feel that this is vital because they are ultimately going to be your competition, so you want to know what they are doing. @eliseCWhyte

Google

Searching the internet via Google can be a helpful source because there is hardly any information that isn’t on the web. Sometimes searching via Google cannot always be accurate because some sites like Wikipedia give everyone the opportunity to place information on people which isn’t always true. However, the majority of evidence found on the web can be of assistance to us who are looking for up and coming work or even information of Celebrities to see what they are up to next. Google is a very general way of finding information but there are sites that you can find off Google that can be more useful.  In fact the Internet in general.  I find sites like CastingCallPro and even Spotlight give us the chance to manage ourselves and find jobs that are suitable for us individually. They are like Social Networking sites specifically made for actors. Other sites like Facebook and The Stage website let you keep in touch with what is going on in the world. Most of the Internet sites that keep you connected are mostly social Networking sites or Web 2.0 sites where you have your own personal profile to advertise yourself. One type of connect I haven’t mentioned is that of the Media. This keeps us up to date with News that is happening now. For example, Ken Russell a well known film director died on the 28 November 2011 with this knowledge, I know he won’t be directing so when looking at current Directors, I will know not to mention him, even though he directed great films. This is why Google is extremely useful, because you can search this information online within minutes and even get live news updates. These sites have really improved my Networking skills. Before, social sites the only way I stayed in touch will people was via email or text and that was a very rare occurrence so I feel that my Networking skills have improved because there is more of an opportunity to Network with others.

Talking to others

Using the old fashioned way of Word of Mouth never seems to let me down. Whenever you do a job, audition or even go to a party you will always speak to someone and the only way to find out what everyone is up to is to talk to them. I recently did some work down at the Globe Theatre and was approached by a group who were looking for Sword fighters. If I hadn’t spoken to her and told her what we were capable of she wouldn’t have known whether we were suitable for the job. You never know who anyone is. On the tube into work, you could be sitting next to a BBC editor or a film director. I have learnt to be careful with what I say as you never know who might be listening but talking to others and finding out about what they do and who they know may be useful. Like they always say it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. This is a vital source of Information that we use all the time without realising it. Communities of practice portray a prime example of talking to others as it is a group of people with a common interest who talk about what is going on and how they can improve on the current situation. I am not part of any Communities of Practice, however, after looking how discussing problems with people who understand or share the problem, can be really beneficial in the long run.

Books

In this day and age we don’t see books as something that will help us to find things as it becomes tedious to read through so many books and to also get your hands on it. However, I feel that they are important because you can read them on the move and can focus you to study one task instead of skimming through things on the internet. I find books very difficult to read because every page is just full of words in black ink and even though words inspire me, books don’t. However, I have found books like Contacts, which is a list of agents, Directors and Casting Directors can be an immediate help when looking for representation. It helped me when I first left college as it gives you somewhere to start. Another book that I have found really useful is a book of Actions. It is a book filled with action words of all types. This is a bit strange to some, but when finding my character, I find it helps to have a purpose behind each line and a reason for saying it. By giving each line an action, it helps give the script more dynamics and, in the rehearsal process, can also help find characters. I think to improve my skills; I should read more acting technique books such as The Actor and the Target to get more of an understanding of the different techniques used by Directors.

YouTube

I have never seen YouTube as a contributing factor to performers before, but recently I have found many uses for YouTube such as an audition, show reels and advertisement. I used to thing that YouTube would portray me in the wrong way. I.e. I post videos of myself – I am vain! But this is not the case.  YouTube, when used in the correct way, is an opportunity to broadcast yourself via video, so that people can see you for who you really are. A photo was always useful, but to have video footage of a film or in my case Presenting, it gives that little bit more for the employer to see. I have battled with myself for a while, debating whether YouTube was worth it and I have come to a conclusion that it is a quick and easy way to advertise you. If someone is interested in your work, you can direct them to your YouTube channel where there will be a selection of videos. It gives us another link to add to your website/Spotlight and can help you see what you need to improve on by watching yourself back and also comments left below the video. If I was looking to sing a song, I know that I will most probably find someone singing it on YouTube which gives me the chance to learn a song before rehearsals, if it is a song that I am not very familiar with. It is the most recent addition to my sources of Information but I think it will become more of an asset to me in the future. http://www.youtube.com/user/whytesisters This is my professional YouTube Channel.

Task 3b - Networking Theories

It has taken me 2 weeks to process the reader and look into what it was talking about and I found it really interesting so I have added a few sources of my own finding. I have found that a lot of these theories like to psychology in the way we act around different people (affiliation) and the way we all have needs but in different quantities which makes us unique. Social Constructionism is a great example of how we create our own life and how we choose where we go, we are pulled by other forces which alter our decisions (other people) but in the end it becomes our path. These people are our networks and how we work with them can decide how far we go in the future, it is vital to stay in contact with them and that is why connectivism had become an important part of our lives. We must continue to work with these technologies and networks to succeed. 

Have a read and I hope you enjoy my Networking Theories 

Task 3a - Current Networks

I have been looking into my current Networks and I have discovered that I need to develop my Professional networks to stay in touch with Directors and so that I am accessible to Agents and Casting directors on the internet. I have a variety of Social Networking Platforms which will be useful to me if I had a profession version as well to show myself as being professional and also ready to work. 

Current Networks