Task 3a- Current Networks

Hello Everyone,

So after the skype session, I found a definition on what Professional Networking means-

‘Networking is a deliberate activity to build, reinforce and maintain relationships of trust with other people to further your goals. Professional networking is simply networking focused on professional goals’ (Hennigan, 2015).

In-cooperating this definition and our skype session, I realised that the only professional networking tools I use are Facebook and face to face interactions. As mentioned in previous blogs, I am not the most tech savvy person, so I can only use this as a reason for not being more intoned with my online professional networking. This I believe, has postponed my professional development already. We are as a world ever growing with our connections. The internet and web 2.0 are the ones we have to thank for that. The internet is a key tool in keeping up with professional networks, not only that but to use it as your own self advertisement.

In the aim of looking to advance my professional networking online, I have been looking at a lot of different tools of networking online. I found out there are many options to further your professional network. One tool being LinkedIn. I have heard of this tool before but I’ve never really known what it’s about or what it’s used for. But after reading and talking to a few colleagues about it I feel like this would be an improvement to my career if I were to create one.  What I also need to work on is using Facebook to its full capacity. At the moment I only have a social networking profile, but I believe I could use Facebook to represent my professional self as well. There are so many opportunities to build your networks online, that I think you just have to get started and stop worrying if it’s the right one for you, because how will you find out that answer until you try one.

Linking back to the skype session, Sophie mentioned that a professional relationship can become a personal one as well. You become friends with your work colleagues by being able to relate to them on subjects, experiences etc. this connection could open up opportunities for you in your work place. One of the vital fundamentals in relationships is trust, and in a workplace especially. Your colleagues that you have, trust you, and essentially your skills in your profession. This is why it is good to have networks with the people that you can talk to face to face, because you don’t know what opportunities each person brings to the table. You must represent yourself as your best self.

It would be good to hear if anyone else is on LinkedIn? And if they have any suggestions/experiences on it they would like to share.

Thanks again for reading.

Cassie V.

Bibliography

Hennigan, A. (2015, November 26). What is the definition of professional networking? Retrieved from Quora: https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-definition-of-professional-networking

Skype Session 18th of November- Module 1 Part 3

Hello Everyone,

Last Wednesday we had our first skype session on Module 1 Part 3. Before this skype session we were all asked to read the Reader 3 about ‘The Networked Professional’. I found the section about ‘Affiliation’ by Crisp and J & Turner the most interesting part for me. Before the skype session I created a mind map reflecting some of my thoughts/queries about this theory. Unfortunately its not allowing me to upload my mind map from word. So I have put my questions into a list.

•What is the reason behind professional relationships?

•Is it genuine or an advancing method in your professional career?

•How do you know when its genuine or fake?

•How do people keep track of all their relationships?

•How often would you need to stay in contact to keep track of the relationship?

 

I opened up the conversation with some these queries to the group, and as we discussed each point, I found out how important it is to keep in contact with everyone that you meet through your professional career. Everyone that you meet is a possible influential person in your career, so it’s always good to keep track of them. As Kayleigh stated in the skype session which I have really taken on board is ‘Put back into the network what, you get out of it’. From discussing the above questions, I have realised that I need to start keeping better contact with everyone.

Everyone came to this session with different topics based off the Reader 3, but in my opinion they all seemed to interlink with each other. I found everyone’s points very interesting but I found some of the points that Sophie brought up very thought provoking. Sophie answered the questioned of- What is a professional network? Her answer being that our professional network can materialise into a personal one as well. We discussed how this could be a possibility and how you could look at the professional network being a team, a unit and or a machine. All working together to get the job done. This team work creates trust and from trust creates companionship, so I completely agree with Sophie. You can’t be a piece of metal in the works, you become someone that is a part of the work place community. This is mentioned in the ‘affiliation’ section, it creates the opinion that it is a human need for us to interact with other people in the work place.

These two points also leads to the next point that was brought up by Sophie. Sophie had researched about the ‘6 degrees of Separation’ theory created by Stanley Milgram. This is a theory based on that everyone is connected to each other in the world in 6 people or less. This only emphasises the fact that you must keep in contact with everyone and be at your best at all times, because you don’t know, who knows who.

I learnt so much from this skype session and it was so good to speak to everyone and realise that we all have some of the same points and interests from the Reader 3. I can’t wait to do some more research into the rest of the parts of the reader 3.

Please comment below if you have any questions or opinions would love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading.

Cassie V.

Task 2c - Reflective Theory Task

Reflection is used in every profession and social interaction.  It is a way of evaluating and improving one’s self in different areas of work, play and interpersonal relationships. The meaning of reflection is ‘careful or long consideration or thought’ (Collins, 2015). However this description doesn’t explain how we reflect more intricately, this is the difference between reflection and reflective practice. Although we may not be aware, we learn the application of reflection from as early as primary school such as reflecting on how you can better time manage yourself, in school/college we have parent teacher meetings to provide feedback of our work and personal efforts and attitudes. However when we leave the formal educational system and enter the professional and business communities, we only have ourselves to apply ‘self-reflection’.

Reflective practice can be described as ‘a process by which you: stop and think about your practice, consciously analyses your decision making and draw on theory and relate it to what you do in practice. Critical analysis and evaluation refocuses your thinking on your existing knowledge and helps generate new knowledge and ideas. As a result, you may modify your actions, behavior, treatments and learning needs’. (CSP, 2015) This definition describes exactly what the Reader 2’s practioners are promoting (postulating). They have all taken this definition and applied different methods to achieve this outcome. One such practioner is Dr. John Dewey. He theorized that, to achieve reflective thought, you had to experience situations at different levels but ‘……experience alone, however, even educative ones, are not enough…….,. What is critical is the ability to perceive and then weave meaning among the threads of experience’ (Rodgers, 2002).

As an educator and practitioner in the arts and academics I agree with his theory. Experience of the teacher is key into learning, whether that be in a classroom environment or dance studio. Without the experience to hold your thoughts against how can you reflect without that grounded fact that took place, and furthermore, without the experience and without the opportunity of reflection, how can you advance yourself professionally? Every day, I am learning and experiencing what works best to make sure that the children I teach are learning to their full capability. In this regard I am finding reflective journals very helpful, they allow me to ‘voice’ my ideas and plan for future classes based on the experience I have had, both negative and positive. Because of this practice I have experienced day to day improvements in my teaching style and positive reactions from my students. . For example, over the past couple weeks I have experienced that every child has a different learning style whether that be visual, kinesthetic, auditory etc. - In understanding this I have found Howard Gardner’s theory of different learning very informative. Howard Gardner theory focuses on multiple intelligences, and these can be grouped into certain sections, some are suggested above. ‘The Multiple Intelligences concepts and VAK (or VARK or VACT) learning styles models offer relatively simple and accessible methods to understand and explain people's preferred ways to learn and develop’ (1983 & 2003-2014, 2015). I have been self-reflecting in the way I carry out activities, explaining it in different ways to align with each child's learning style.  Sometimes I get the students to copy what I am doing, or get them to listen or show them a visual tool that I may have. While applying these different techniques I am also applying the technique of ‘reflect-in-action’ where you have to assess and change plans as situations develop. I am comfortable with this type of reflecting which is a fundamental skill used as a professional dancer. We all know that during a performance there are possibilities of things going wrong, you have to be ready to reflect-in-action, to make sure that you carry out the performance professionally and safely. I think this technique of reflecting also relates to where I think I fit in Kolb’s learning cycle.

Kolb’s learning cycle is constructed of four different stages that you can enter at. ‘Some people start to learn when they are involved in a concrete experience, (doing something), some people can do something but start to learn about it when they are watching the people around them doing it (Reflective observation), some people need to ‘work it out in their head first’ (Abstract conceptualization), some people start to learn when they start trying out ideas (active experimentation)’ (Akinleye, 2015). Below is a diagram of Kolb’s learning cycle-

 Figure 1- (McLeod, 2015)

 Kolb’s learning cycle is a unique method to reflect on an experience but also a fantastic model to help you understand your style of learning. For example I would consider that I most likely fit into the ‘Concrete Experience and Abstract Conceptualization’ stage of his cycle, because I learn the most when I first make a tentative plan in my head and then try it out,. This theory of learning by doing, also links back to Howard Gardner’s theory of different learners. In Gardner’s eyes, I am a Kinesthetic and visual learner, both have similarities however, the difference being one is for reflection and the other for in-learning experiences. In my profession both of Kolb’s reflective cycle stages are very accurate and ones that I consciously employ as reflective strategies. Within a group it is inevitable that there will be a variety of challenges especially with young children, you must be able to reflect on the spot, to resolve, make better and or adapt as to keep the interest focused and absorbing.

As mentioned in my earlier posts I am finding that the method of reflecting through writing is very therapeutic, however that I also felt that I wasn’t accurately recording the raw intensity of my emotions. To help augment my lack of descriptive (I am not a poet)  writing skills to capture my emotions I looked at Jennifer Moons theory about tacit knowledge, and how you can reflect in different ways to accommodate what works best for you. I looked at making lists of the emotions I felt on my work days. Using this as a base I also included visual images, to help represent my reflection of the day. I am finding this more helpful as I can now see from the photos exactly what I was feeling because in the photos I choose, I pick the specific ones that stands out to me to represent that emotion. They remain sharper and fresher than simple words can convey. Without this understanding and application of Moons theory, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve this simply but powerful reflection of my emotions.

After reading the ‘Reader 2’ and completed some of my own research into the area of reflection, I now understand that there are so many different ways of reflecting and how to represent those reflections. Even though we only have this section of work for a few short weeks, I will be continuing my journal and exploring the different ways that work best for me to represent my reflections. I hope by the end of the course, I will be able to see a humongous difference between my first and last journal. It will be interesting to see if my thought tracking has changed and if the representing of the reflections are similar or different.

Bibliography

1983, M. I., & 2003-2014, r. a. (2015, November 22). howard gardner's multiple intelligences . Retrieved from businessballs.com: http://www.businessballs.com/howardgardnermultipleintelligences.htm

Akinleye, A. (2015). Refelctive Practise. Reader 2, 5.

Brightside. (2015, November 14). What is refelctive practise? Retrieved from Brightside, Bright Knowledge: http://www.brightknowledge.org/knowledge-bank/medicine-and-healthcare/spotlight-on-medicine/what-is-reflective-practice

Collins. (2015, November 14). Collins. Retrieved from Reflection: http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/reflection

CSP. (2015, November 14). What is refelctive practise and how do i do it? Retrieved from Chartered Society of Physiotherapy: http://www.csp.org.uk/faqs/cpd/what-reflective-practice-how-do-i-do-it

McLeod, S. (2015, November 16). Kolb-Learning Cycles. Retrieved from Simply Psychology: http://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html

Rodgers, C. (2002). Teacher College Record. Defining Reflection: Another look at John Dewey and Reflective Thinking, 848.

Task 2b- Journal Writing Experience Part 2

Hello again,

As stated in my previous blog, I mentioned how I wasn’t very accustomed to writing a journal/reflection, and how I find it was getting easier but preferred to use visual imagery and linguistic methods combined to have a deeper reflection into my day. While reading other students blogs, I found a really interesting way of how to reflect on Sophie Donald’s blog. She suggested that mind maps worked for her best as she could reflect back to them easier. I really liked this idea as this is something I have been struggling with. Trying to refer back in my journal. I find that my points are getting lost in a thousand words. So taking Sophie’s choice of reflection, I tried a mind map, to reflect on my day. I found that this was a great tactic for me to reflect. I love that all the key points of your day are noted down but still easily available to pick out from. I will definitely be including more of these in my journal. Thank you Sophie Donald!

Thanks for reading.

Cassie V.

Task 2b- Journal Writing Experience

Journals. Journals. Journals.

The word journals immediately brings to mind personal diaries and writing about how you feel throughout, on a day to day basis. When I was younger I always dreamed about keeping a journal, and made the attempt on several occasions, however I was never able to keep a consistent flow of when I would write and the subject matter that held my interest.  I suppose there are several differences at this point of time. When you are younger you have time to explore and discover new things about the world on a daily basis but lack the focus and maturity to reflect properly on an event that occurred during the day. I make this statement now because, surprisingly even to myself, I find writing quite therapeutic. I like be able to write about the events of the day, why I responded to a situation in a certain way and how I feel about those actions now that I have had time to consider the experience.  It’s like having a conversation with your past and present self.  While writing provides me with a new sense of calm it remains a challenge for me to adequately express my emotions through this medium. Instead or perhaps in addition, I learn and reflect better, when I use visual materials. I find photos work best, as they seem to describe exactly how I feel in any given situations. But more importantly, it leaves the window of interpretation open to everyone. I may find one picture to represent stress, but someone may find that picture to represent sadness. In my opinion I feel that if you show someone a picture at the exact moment they are feeling a certain emotion, they will discover that emotion in the picture. I decided to list my emotions that I felt during the day as series of visual images.

As a test case, I decided to reflect my day in both writing and through the use of emotive images.  I found these images a few hours after my work day had finished and used them to capture my daily experiences. I wanted to discover if the list of images would have the same effect as my writing did, in my reflection. Also I wanted to see if the feelings that I experienced strengthened or weakened.  Below are the pictures- 

Responsibility

(Roar, 2015)

Opportunity

(Marketing, 2015)

Determination

(Arizechi, 2015)

Problems

(Morgan, 2015)

Anxiety

(Anonymous, 2015)

Relief and Solution

(Self taken Photo)

After a few hours had passed, I then wrote about my experiences of the day. I found that my recollection of the day’s events and my reactions and emotions had weakened somewhat. The feelings were still there but no longer had the raw intensity I had first experienced. It was only after I referred back to images that I realized the strength of these emotions in a visual representation, but also showed me the different types of reflection I achieve through the method of writing. I find that when I write my reflection it lacks the strength of my emotions at the time and I feel that using images captures my emotions, but using both methods together allows me to get a more accurate reflection of my day.

Before starting my journal I decided to look more into the different ways we learn, focusing on Howard Gardner’s theory. I am now, after this experience, questioning if the way we learn (our strengths) is also the way we reflect? Also if we can reflect in the same way, does it differ which learning method we use?

After using two reflective methods, imagery and linguistic, I find that using different ways brings new light to the particular event you are reflecting on. From reflecting on this event, I have now found that instead of interpreting help as someone pointing out a weakness, it is actually an opportunity to learn and better my skills. I now find that I am more willing to accept help if I ever need it. Through my reflections I have realised that when I come to a situation I don’t need to become stressed, because if you step back for two seconds you will regain a sense of calm and control. Without doing both methods of reflection I wouldn’t have found some of the solutions I have. I learn every day in my job, and being able to take a step back and reflect on what I can improve on not only helps me but it also helps the advancement of the children’s learning.

Thanks again reading.

Cassie V.

Bibliography 

Anonymous. (2015, November 9). Anxiety & Academia. Retrieved from Dr Nadine Muller: http://www.nadinemuller.org.uk/academia-and-mental-health/anonymous-anxiety/

Arizechi, A. (2015, November 9). The Power Series…The Power of Determination; Mrs Bolaji Adedotun’s Story. Retrieved from Konnect Africa: http://www.konnectafrica.net/the-power-series-the-power-of-determination-mrs-bolaji-adedotuns-story/

Marketing, C. C. (2015, November 9). Energy Deregulation. Retrieved from IControlEnergy: https://www.icontrolenergy.com/index.php

Morgan, J. (2015, November 9). The Business Problems With Social Media ROI. Retrieved from The Future Organisation: http://www.thefutureorganization.com/the-business-problems-with-social-media-roi/

Roar, D. (2015, November 9). Weight of Responsibility. Retrieved from Deviant Art: http://dragons-roar.deviantart.com/art/weight-of-responsibility-389821855

Task 1C- ''Starting out on the BAPP course''

Hi Everyone,

Below is a link to my YouTube Video about starting out on the BAPP course describing how I felt and what my aspirations are for this course. This was the first time I have ever uploaded anything onto YouTube. I found this quite easy to do and the speed of uploading is quite fast. I feel that as I am overseas and can’t attend many auditions, as there aren’t many taking place in Dubai, it could possibly be a good idea to upload some of my past dances, to represent myself as a performer. Also it is easier to send a YouTube link rather than a file to a possible employer.

Here is my link to my video-

https://youtu.be/jyugBN1hLlc

I found this way of communicating information really easy. It could be an option for me to try to use for my reflections for my work day if I don’t have enough time to write things down.

I hope you like the video!

Thanks for reading.

Cassie Vercoe

Where are you from?- Extended

Hello Everyone,

In one of my earlier posts I mentioned how I didn’t have a secure answer to the question- ‘Where are you from?  Because of my expatriate life that I have had. A fellow student on the course commented on this post, pointing out that she has encountered the same problem with some of the students she teaches in Singapore. I don’t know why expat children feel like this, and why they don’t know how to answer this question. However, the other night I found a ‘TED Talk’ by Taiye Selasi, called ‘Don’t ask where I’m from, ask where I am local’ and it really opened my eyes to a different way of thinking. This established woman talks about, countries being a stable point but, in our ever-changing world there are an increasing number of the world’s population becoming part of the expatriate community varying on different circumstances. She quotes a conversation between herself and a fellow colleague of hers ‘All experience is local he said, all identity is experience she said’ (Paz, 2015). One of her conclusions in the video was ‘My experience, is where I am from’ (Paz, 2015). This conclusion, made so much sense to me, it made me question to myself –‘Wow, Why has no one told you this before??’ Such a simple way of putting it. Where you have your experiences, makes that place home. I was dumbfounded.  It made me realise yes I am from Australia but more than that, I am a local of Melbourne, Brisbane, Jakarta, Dubai and Cambridge because these are the places that my identity has grown, these are the places where I have experienced my life. She talks more about a lot of different situations and a technique that she uses to find out why people feel more at home in certain places called ‘The three R’s’. Overall I drew more from her logic of saying ‘My experience, is where I am from’ (Paz, 2015) this logic has simplified the question, Where are you from? From now on I know, when I am asked that question, I have a stable answer to reply with. There will no longer be any nervous ranting of explaining my life story. Just one sentence. Yes my nationality is Australian, but me as a person, goes so much deeper than that, based on the experiences I have had. The YouTube link for this talk is below. I hope people find it as interesting as I did! I would love to know if anyone else has gained anything from her speech.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT5OpU2PlS4

Bibliography

Paz, O. (2015, 10 20). TED Talk - October 2014 - Taiye Selasi - Don't Ask Where I'm From. Ask where I'm Local . Retrieved from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT5OpU2PlS4

Thanks again for reading.

Cassie V.

Task 1b - Reader 1 - Professional Communication Technologies

Hello Everyone,

So I have just finished reading the ‘Reader 1’ booklet on ‘Professional Communication Technologies’ and I can confidently say that my mind is a lot clearer on what web 2.0 is. Before reading this booklet I wasn’t entirely sure on what Web 2.0 was, I initially thought it was anything on the internet. But, now I know that there is such a big difference between web 1.0 and web 2.0. I am not very good with technology so even though I am in the generation where it all kicked off, I find I am still behind on my own personal development in this area. Every day I am learning new things about the internet. Today I learnt that Web 2.0 can simply be described as a way of communication through the internet that is two sided rather than one sided. For example Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even Blogs are a type of Web 2.0, while sites that just have information without the option of being able to comment on them are Web 1.0. Without even realising it I have been using web 2.0 in various ways to communicate with people around the world for years now.

As I live in Dubai, all my family and friends are scattered around the world, this can be a blessing and a curse. A blessing because wherever I am in the world I will most certainly have friends in the same place as me. The negative being is that I can’t see them every day. However the creation of Facebook and Skype has mitigated this negative. These web 2.0 networks allow me to stay in contact with my friends and family more regularly then we ever used to before. On Facebook I can see what they have been doing through 2D images or posts that they have made, while on skype I can have conversations there and then. This technology is not only used to keep in contact with family and friends but has most certainly moved into the educational and business sectors of the world.

Even this course is using websites like blogger, skype and breeze to keep in contact with the students and teachers. Without web 2.0 this long distance course wouldn’t be available. This as a whole is a new process for me as I am used to sitting in a room having face to face conversations with my teachers and fellow students, using web 2.0 technologies in my opinion is giving me more independence in my learning, and letting me branch out my skills with the internet. However it’s also allowed me to reflect on some of my past usage of my web 2.0 facilities. I didn’t realise this certain point until I read a fellow students evaluation on this topic- http://lindaschuetzenhofer.blogspot.ae/. She mentions how when she was younger she posted everything about her life on Facebook. She now feels that was wrong. I completely agree with her. As a young teenager I did exactly the same and it wasn’t until recently that I learnt how to change all my privacy settings on my profile. I believe that if I was better educated about social media sites (Web 2.0) such as Facebook, I know I would have taken more precaution. As a teenager you can’t perceive the prospect that on the internet, information is accessible to anyone if you haven’t protected it also known as the ‘Network as platform’. In today’s modern age, there are so many dangers from using the internet such as- stalkers and hackers. For example, I believe that if the age of joining is 14 then there should be an educational course either in schools or at the beginning of the signing up process to the site so that everyone is informed and know what they are releasing to the internet.  

Adding onto this, I was speaking to my father about a new app called ‘Charlie’ that is available. That allows you to type in a person’s name and its brings up all the information it can find about you on the web. It brings up how many kids you have, your interests, your age, where you’re from. All that personal information that you thought was only accessible on sights such as Facebook is now beginning to be released to other applications. In the reader it quotes Mark Zuckerberg point ‘that he thinks connectivity is a basic human right’ (limited, 2015). But how far are we willing to take connectivity? Does it stop at just our friends? I think we can all be certain that it doesn’t stop with just friends. The app discussed above is proof that strangers have access to our personal information if they want it. Is it right, that web 2.0 allows us to have access to everyone’s personal information whether they realise it or not? Obviously, all the information put onto these sites have been approved by ourselves but after reading about web 2.0 more in depth, I don’t think everyone realises the trail of information that we are leaving behind on the internet.

Web 2.0 has its benefits with connecting people I agree, but I disagree with the amount of information that can be accessible by everyone if the user is unaware of the depths of this expanding creation.

I would love to read some of your opinions, on some of the above points I have made. Please comment below.

Thanks for reading.

Cassie V.

 Bibliography

limited, G. M. (2015, October 17). Mark Zuckerberg says connectivity is a basic human right – do you agree? Retrieved from The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2014/jan/03/mark-zuckerberg-connectivity-basic-human-right

Skype Session 16/10/2015 - With Paula Nottingham

Hello Everyone,

This Friday just gone, I had a group skype chat with Paula and a few other students on the course. To begin with Paula got us to introduce ourselves to the group and what we wanted to discuss during the skype session. For me I was still a little confused on Web 2.0 and that I was feeling still a little hesitant on professional communication. As Paula described it – ‘Everything in your life starts with a beginning, and at the beginning, the start is always wobbly but this is key, to the initiation to your professional development. All new things start with this’. I completely agree with her, as humans I believe that we are always trying to do our best. For me personally I always worry about not getting things right and that’s where my hesitation comes from. I just have to remember that making mistakes is a learning curve and when it does occur, to embrace the mistakes rather than think that I have failed.

Throughout the talk we discussed what web 2.0 was and how we are using professional communication everyday such as Facebook. From this conversation we ventured into the depths of how far technology as come over the years. We discussed all our different experiences with learning at school with technology and how different it is now. As I teach children, I find that they are so advanced with all the new technology that is coming out. But even though I am considered to have grown up in the technology advanced age group of children, I still struggle a lot with technology. I find that I am always being told- ‘You’re young! You should know how all this stuff works’. I agree to an extent. Yes I know the basics, yes I have the advantage of being taught about ICT (For windows) at school however, How can you define that as knowing ‘all’ about technology such as IT development, apple products and code writing, unless you studied in higher Education to do so? I find this assumption something that I have no control over. However, we assume that the younger generation is so advanced already with technology. We base this assumption off our own experiences. We haven’t sat down and conducted experiments, we are going off, what I, ourselves witness. Technology is so accessible in today’s modern age, is this the reason why younger generations are able to understand technology more then we can? And if so, is this the same outlook that older generations would have for my generation? 

 I did some research and found a study conducted by Alison Hillhouse from MTV Insights, she says ‘the 70 million millennials, or Generation Y, have been dubbed the entitled or me generation. Younger millennials, aged 13-17, are very different in outlook, planning and use of technology than 20-somethings’ (Post, 2015) as well as stating that the younger generation aged 13-17 are ‘’digital homesteaders, instead of digital pioneers. They have grown up with social media their entire life" (Post, 2015). This study represents that growing up with the advanced technology available is what give the younger generation the knowledge they have.

I mentioned earlier that my skills with technology are not the best, I have two circumstances that have occurred already just from using blogger.

1. I briefly mentioned this in an earlier post- Because of where I am living, my blogger search on google automatically came up with the address local to the U.A.E., this is absolutely what I thought would occur. However what I didn’t think would happen was it all being in Arabic! Starting the blog was nerving enough let alone not being able to understand anything on the page. I ended up having to use google translate copying and pasting until I found the English option.
2. After finally setting up my blog, I wanted to add some photos, as I am a visual person/learner. However every time I selected the photo and went to upload the photo, my computer froze! I tried a lot of different things to make my photos upload. Checking they weren’t too big a sized photo, checking it was JPEG but, nothing worked. When I spoke to my tech savvy boyfriend, he suggested trying a different web browser and it worked. So for future reference for any bloggers out there, don’t use internet explorer because the photos won’t upload. I now use Google Chrome.

These two incidents both show how unnatural the internet is to me, however I am learning. This course is definitely helping with that! I am becoming more aware of the options available on the internet to use for professional communication. After the skype session, I am definitely feeling more grounded on the topics of Web 2.0 and professional communication.

Please comment below if you would like, I would love to know if anyone else is having problems using blogger.

Thanks for reading,

Cassie V.

Module 1. Task 1a.

Hello Everyone,

So after my three years at college, and now being newly introduced to the professional world. I can confidently say that C.V.’s are one of the most important factors when applying for a job in any industry. A C.V. is the employer’s first opportunity to glance at your skills that you would provide to the job as well, as an insight to your personality.

In high school and Dance College we learnt how to write and present a C.V. in a more professional manner. Rather than saying- ‘Hi, my names Cassie and I would really love this job because….’ We learnt how to set out all the material, in an informative way. In my earlier post I talked about how time in the day is so tight trying to fit all your goals in. So one of my main objectives while creating/editing my C.V. is to make sure that all the important information is easily found. For me, I like to make all my contact details in bold, so that it’s just that little bit easier to find. Even though, it’s a small amount of time that would have been saved, it’s saved time nonetheless.

I have been dancing since I was four years old, and have been dancing semi-professional/professionally since I was about 14 years old. The majority of my performance work has been in Dubai. Flash mobs, conference performances and events have been some of the highlights that I have been able to dance at with ‘Diverse Choreography’. Most of the performances can be found on YouTube. Below is some of the work I have done.

Theatre Credits

Production	Role	Theatre	Director
Lenova GITEX Flash mob	Dancer	World Trade Centre, Dubai, U.A.E	Scott Marshall
Hilton Fashion Show Flash mob	Dancer	Marriott Hotel	Scott Marshall
Motorola Flash mob	Dancer	Dubai Mall	Scott Marshall
Dubai Airport Flash mob, DXB Connect (YouTube) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yXy4YGOyvU	Dancer	Dubai Airport, Dubai, U.A.E	Scott Marshall
Armani Hotel Flash mob	Dancer	Armani Hotel Dubai, U.A.E	Scott Marshall
Harvey Nichols Flash mob- Harvey Nichols Facebook page http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFJnqJh6z2U	Dancer	Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, U.A.E	Scott Marshall
U.A.E National Day Parade	Assistant Choreographer	Mirdif City Centre, Dubai, U.A.E	Scott Marshall
Brave Heart Foundation Charity Flash mob	Dancer	Mina Al Salam Dubai, U.A.E	Scott Marshall

  


On the other side of my professional career in the arts industry, I fell in love with teaching. During year 12 and 13, to complete a part of my course I had to fulfil 50 hours of service. I decided to be an assistant teacher at my dance school. I finished my 50 hours requirement, but continued on with helping out in classes. It made me realise that even though I love performing, I also love being able to teach dance. At the moment, I am teaching a dance class at a school in Dubai, while as well working at an established school in Dubai as an assistant teacher.

Throughout all my applications that I have made for jobs, I have always had to include a C.V. and a headshot. A C.V. and a headshot goes hand in hand when applying for a job. It is especially important in the arts industry as in this industry, how you present yourself is extremely vital, as your specific look could be the exact representation they are looking for in the role available. It also gives a base recognition for that first audition/interview. Below are some of my head shots by Simon Mayhew it was a great experience and I can highly recommend him!

Thanks for reading,

Cassie V.