Task 3B - Theories Relating to Networking

The past few weeks have been filled with trying to fit all of my experience and knowledge thus far into 1000 words in the form of my Critical Reflection. It's definitely taken over slightly and my blog has been put on the back burner. However, thought I'd try and complete all the tasks I can - it can only enhance my knowledge. Therefore BEHOLD! Task 3B. An exploration of a few of the theories in Reader 3 that I found interesting with reference to them within my own practice!

Cooperation

Without even reading the words under the title my mind already began to think about how important cooperation is within my practice. I envision the theatre as a place where everything and everyone is a small cog in a big machine. In order for it to work and run smoothly, everyone/thing has to work in harmony. Have you noticed that when a blog or Blogger itself is trying to load it shows two cogs working?

Ah harmony, those of us who work in a theatrical environment know that nothing is perfect. Things go wrong, technology (sometimes our memory) fails us. It's also probably worth mentioning that although a group of people can work together to achieve the end goal, this doesn't mean that they have to like each other. Being professional and doing my job in the best way I can is how I achieve my part in the working machine. Making friends or connections (hello networking!) is a bonus.

The Game Theory suggests that one person must succeed at the other person's expense. I related this to an audition situation. In order to get a job we have to 'beat' others at what we do. When I first read the term 'at someone else's expense' I thought it was very harsh but now that I can see it in my own practice it seems much less so. There is of course, the choice to not cooperate. I believe that people opt out of situations that are not beneficial to them; 'there is no such thing as selfless act' came to mind. Not sure I agree with this but that's a much more in-depth conversation for another time! With the Prisoners Dilemma, I found it difficult to relate within my own practice slightly because my mind wandered to thinking about crime and justice (fun fact - I actually got a place at University to study Criminology, Psychology and Forensic Science). I'm also an honest person so I couldn't imagine 'framing' or putting someone forward to take the blame for something I had done. I don't  know about anyone else but I've certainly been in situations where a scene or dance piece wasn't up to scratch and you get caught out. I think Teachers and Tutors know when someone isn't pulling their weight in a production/class but the whole company pull together and work as one without isolating one person.

Connectivism

A group of actors, singers, dancers and performers skipping round a fire chanting 'we are one' is the first thing that came to mind. Stephen Downes and George Siemens say that "learning occurs through connections within networks" We learn from one another. We seek to gain knowledge not only from those within our network but those who are affiliated with it - thus expanding our network. A bit like a domino effect the before you is the informant and you pass that on. The circle of knowledge (life). People develop personalities and traits by being influenced from their surroundings and people within their lives. I agree with this on a professional level. There have been many times during rehearsal process where someone will do something and I have thought to myself 'ah that's good, I'll keep that for another time'.

Reader 3 suggested that 'we might suggest that a professional network is a system with which we can interact to learn' and this idea is exactly what we do every day on this course. In the last campus session I mentioned how I spent a while going on to past students blogs. I found it so interesting to see how other people see and interpret things (same with all current students) and how they have written their ideas has got me thinking about not only their opinion but mine too. The digital world can enhance our learning because it is such a broad network with many contributors.

Siemen's Principles of connectivism:

• Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions.
• Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources.
• Learning may reside in non-human appliances.
• Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known
• Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning.
• Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill.
• Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities.
• Decision-making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of a shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the decision.

Nodes: a point in a network or diagram at which lines or pathways intersect or branch.

I really like how Siemen's has considered the changing climate. Sometimes theories can be stuck in their ways. The versatility of connectivism allows almost anyone to relate to it regardless of how or why they're using it. Why? Because we are all learning all the time, pardon the cliché but every day's a school day. This relates to Albert Bandura's social learning theory. We observe to learn. Children do this as a natural instinct and it only takes one or two times before they copy you. I don't think we ever loose this, which is why some people are tactile learners. This relates to Gardener's theory of Multiple Intelligences. This is just more proof that everything is linked - connected!

Communities of Practice

Etienne Wenger summarizes Communities of Practice as “groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.” I believe that my community of practice expands beyond just performing and that each community of practice leads to another. In Lave and Wenger's diagram at the start of this course I would have been in the 'occasional' circle because I was still unsure of what I was doing and didn't yet realise the link between my work and every day practice. Now, I am very much an active participant of the course. Everything seems to be slipping into place and I can identify when this is happening and why.

To conclude, I believe nearly every theory (including those I haven't mentioned) from Reader 3 have the underlying principle that everything we learn and do comes from multiple sources. I agree with the idea that we have multiple influences that upon first glance may seem individual but with further evaluation you can see that they are all linked. This is a valuable asset to my practice because it allows me to learn more and expand my ideas by communicating and working with others. It is important to listen to everyone even if at first it doesn't useful, you never know what you might find.

References

https://www.learning-theories.com/social-learning-theory-bandura.html

https://education-2020.wikispaces.com/Connectivism

https://www.learning-theories.com/communities-of-practice-lave-and-wenger.html

Reader 3

Task 3A - Current Networks

Network - a word that can be interpreted in so many different ways. In this scenario, I envision rivers and streams intertwining and interconnecting. Everything works as one - much like the human body, without the heart we wouldn't have life and without blood the heart wouldn't work, so on and so forth. Having a strong network I believe is incredibly important for those of us in the performance industry. Many people have posted the age old saying 'its who you know not what you know' and I agree. Word of mouth is not only huge within theatre but within other industries. I have a job in retail and I'm often asked for suggestions as to the best face cream, eye shadow etcetera. From advising or working with one person they will go on to tell friends, family and perhaps other colleagues. This is why I think its so important to be aware of how we present ourselves both in the physical and the online world.

I followed by example and mapped out my networks (thank you fellow bloggers!). It actually took me a few attempts because the more I wrote the more I realised just how many people are in 'my network' - a bit like a spider working overtime on their web! Once it was down on paper in front of me I began to evaluate it.

I've taken some inspiration from Eleanor's Task 3A blog when evaluating because I really like how she's displayed it and considered it from lots of different angles.

How Valuable Is My Network?

Unbelievably valuable both professionally and personally. The people I trained with are the next generation of actors, adjudicators (hello Amanda!), casting directors and more. Not only that but they are friends, people who know how I work, who I am and what my strengths and weaknesses are - all of this helps to get the professional ball rolling. I have a friend who runs her own after school drama classes in several schools and I have been asked to help out from time to time.

Range

When I thought about how vast my network spans in just the few years in which I have engaged professionally in my practice, it also made me think about the range of personalities I've met, the amount of lessons I've learned (professionally and personally) that all stem from my network. At drama school we were fortunate enough to be introduced to 'visiting directors' who would come in for a few weeks, teach us a few routines or a whole play in some cases and then leave. Being exposed to all the different styles of teaching and writing really broadened my knowledge and helped towards my development as a performer, without that connection I wouldn't have been able grow.

A good example is in my first year, one of my tutors was on a casting panel for an advert and a few of us got an audition (and successfully got the job woohoo!). Without that connection it may not have turned out so positively. One of my old visiting tutors got the same job because the tutor on the casting panel knew he had a specific skill they were looking for.

How Do I Intend to Expand My Network?

Work, work, work, work, work, work! Nothing like a healthy employment to get the ball rolling! Another example! I work as part of a tech crew in the theatre, now although sourced this job myself, it turns out my dad knows the man who runs the front of house! So that's another possible path way for me to take if needs be. Everyone's network is always expanding, probably without even knowing it. Six months ago none of us even knew we existed on this planet and now thanks to BAPP we're all discussing, discovering and learning together. To be able to fully utilise my network of professional practice, I need to be more aware of the connections and relationships I'm making and creating.

Ethical Considerations

These are always bobbing around in the back of my mind - perhaps that's why I haven't been as aware of my network up until now. As with anything, be considerate. The term 'use and abuse' comes to mind. It's harsh sounding I know, but be thankful for your connections and don't take advantage of them. You want to keep them after all not alienate everyone; plus they'll soon let others know if you take advantage or mistreat them.

It's great to make friends with colleagues and performers alike but I think adding them on social media needs to be carefully considered. I've heard some people say 'just think would your Nan want to read what you've written' when it comes to social media and I like the underlying  premise. I always make sure that what I write I would be happy for anyone, but especially prospective employers, to see. If you're not happy, they're not happy.

Conclusion

I've concluded that out network is ever growing but it needs to be carefully nurtured for. What you see initially isn't the full picture and everything works as one. Similar to the rhizome theory and comparing it to blades of grass. We must 'water' ourselves to enable everything else to grow. When we think of 'word of moth' we mustn't just think of what people say about us but how our words impact on others.

Here are some images I found interesting as I looked a little further in to the 'word of mouth' idea:

References

http://versatilesolutionsbb.com/web_documents/word_of_mouth_research_jar_dec-07.pdf

https://michaelhyatt.com/how-our-words-impact-others.html

Allsop, D. T., Bassett, B. R., & Hoskins, J. A. (2007). Word-of-mouth research: principles and applications. Journal of Advertising Research, 47(4), 398.

https://moderncomment.com/customer-feedback-stats

https://michaelhyatt.com/how-our-words-impact-others.html

'Techno Us'

I recently commented on a post on Lauren's blog about how I try to keep up to date with all the latest news. This morning, low and behold,  just as I was about to leave for work, BBC News was on in the background and once again my ears pricked up. They were interviewing a singer-songwriter called Jessica Hoop and she mentioned how much she has to use other ways of promoting herself and her material rather than just streaming.

Here's the link to the video: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b08lm6c2/breakfast-13042017
Skip to around 2:54:00 (or 8:55 by the BBC's clock in the bottom right hand corner).

I mentioned that if I don't keep up with the news I feel like I'm out of the loop. I don't feel the same when it comes to social media, but it made me think about how many people cannot live without their phones for one reason or another. One of the news presenters mentioned that we stream 1 billion pieces of music every month! Isn't that crazy! So I decided to dig a bit deeper. Looking into the usage growth of social media, smartphones and how having all of this in the palm of our hands affects us.

• 7 in 10 people in the UK now own a smart phone.
• It is estimated 2.3 billion people own a smart phone in the World.
• 65% of adults now use social networking sites – a nearly tenfold jump in the past decade

In 2013:
"By the end of this current year, 1.4 billion smartphones will be in use: 798 million of them will run Android, 294 million will run Apple’s iOS, and 45 million will run Windows Phone, according to a new study by ABI Research. With the world population at 7 billion that will mean one phone for every five people in the world."

Technology and the performing arts! I'm not necessarily a techno-phob but more traditional. Someone once asked me 'what's the first thing you do when you wake up?' (expecting me to say pick up my phone) and I simply replied with 'make a brew!' much to their surprise. I've talked about the more negative sides of technology throughout my blog but in this instance it can be positive! Improvements with sound, light, projection, equipment and much more all help with the smooth running of shows, productions, training etc. Working as part of a theatre tech crew, I can experience first hand how these developments can help - but are these always reliable? In a word, no. Technology isn't invincible, but then nor are we so we have to allow for technology faults; just as we would human error in preparation for a show.

                  

It's quite astounding to see the rate at which this online world has grown. There have been many studies on this over the years and I'm sure there will be more to come. Perhaps we should have a technology detox once in a while. I love the feel of a newspaper in my hands, not just a plasma screen. This is such a broad subject that has stemmed from one little snippet I overheard on my way out the door. I probably wouldn't have taken notice of any of this before I started this course, its nice to see and feel like all this learning is finding its way into my everyday life.

Techno Me  

I can't believe how technology
Is destroying us as a humans
It has simply ruined our true journey
Of a good life on earth everywhere
All heads bowed but not in prayer
Staring at their new found life
That they now live within
A hand held device.

I think back to when I was a kid
Before things like this existed
Life back then was a different life,
Friends truly existed, in flesh and blood,
Not on a screen sending smiley face hugs.

Time seemed slower, now is almost over,
There's really nothing we can do,
They control our lives with the new,
iPhone, Android, and Tablets too,

Yeah we know each other,
But only on screen,
Our voices come through in text,
It is not the same as human flesh

by Lori Callahan

References

http://www.yourmodernfamily.com/no-technology-week-for-kids/

 http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/02/19/what-happened-when-teens-gave-up-technology-for-a-week_n_9273204.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8235302/Facebook-generation-suffer-information-withdrawal-syndrome.html

http://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/7-10-people-uk-now-own-smartphone/

http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/10/08/social-networking-usage-2005-2015/

http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/01/04/section-6-overall-impact-of-technology-on-the-arts/

https://hellopoetry.com/words/3949/technology/poems/