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.

  

A little more about me!

Hello again!

So now that I have modified my approach towards time management. Let’s backtrack to what should have been my second blog post!

As I mentioned in my profile, I am Australian living in Dubai, U.A.E.

Because of my father’s job (architect/project director) I have moved around the world my entire life. I have lived in Australia, Indonesia, Dubai and England. I have lived in these countries, growing up with different cultures and religions all around me and I am so fortunate to have been able to experience all these countries as it has made me into the person I am today. In my opinion I bonded with Dubai, Australia and England the most, mostly because I grew up there in my later years of childhood. I have received so many opportunities from living abroad however, there is a downside with it as well. Throughout the years, I have questioned myself about where I belong in the world. Do I belong in Australia? Or Dubai? Or England? And don’t get me started on what it’s like to be asked- ‘Where are you from?’ Because truly, I don’t think any expat child knows. And how can we? We as a community feel at home in every country we settle in, because we’ve been brought up that way.  Personally, I am still not sure where I belong in the world, I know I am Australian but from my experiences, I know there is so much more in the world to explore. So I have decided its okay to not know where you belong as long as you keep working towards something that makes you, you. That’s one of the reasons why I chose to move to England to study at Bodywork, as I knew it would only add to my passion for dance. With the above objective of working towards something that makes you, you every experience adds and changes the person you are and will be in your personal and professional life.

My next step is undertaking the Bachelor of Arts in professional practise, I look forward to finding out what this course has in order for me and to have my ‘light bulb moment’ as Paula said in our Induction Skype session.

Thanks again for reading,

Cassie V.

Time.

Hi Everyone,

So it’s been a while since my first post. There is one simple reason for this. Time. There is so little time in a day when you have so many things to organise. This has been one of my biggest struggles this week. Making sure I have enough time to complete everything I have set out to achieve. This week, I didn't achieve everything I wanted too. My blog suffered from my lack of time skills, which I have learnt a lot about this week.

Being newly introduced to the professional world, I have realised, even if you are a small cog in the works of the grand scheme of things, if you’re not there to keep the machine working, it all falls apart. The professional world in my opinion is a team full of interlinking connections that hold it up. This week I saw first-hand what can happen if one piece is missing, it’s manageable but its hard work for the team to carry on. But on top of that you also have other commitments such as exams, second jobs, blogging and life in general. The incident I talk about didn’t include me but another colleague and I could see the strain that it took on them throughout the week. It made me reflect on my time skill management that I have for my place in the professional world. I realised I wasn’t doing everything I could to stay on top of things. To rectify this, this weekend, I decided to write everything down, set myself deadlines, made goals and most importantly to ask for help when I need it. I hope what I have set out this weekend will help me achieve everything I want to this week. As they say-

‘’By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail’’

- Benjamin Franklin (Inc., 2015)

All anyone can do is their best, with the time they have. I aim to make sure I use every single moment of time to its full advantage.

Thanks again for reading,

Cassie V.

(Hoping for a better week of Management)

Bibliography

Inc., G. R. (2015, October 10). Benjamin Franklin > Quotes > Quotable Quote. Retrieved from Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/15061-by-failing-to-prepare-you-are-preparing-to-fail