Module 1: Task 3d - Critical Questions and Issues That Emerge

As I reach the end of the section on Professional Networking, I feel a lot more knowledgable about what it really involves. It has become apparent to me that networking isn't just something we do for fun. It is natural human instinct to have the need to interact and socialise within different groups of people. With the way in which the world and technology has developed, networking is just another way for humans to affiliate with each other. 

So far, my engagement with professional networking has been fairly limited. I feel there is a lot more I could do to connect with others who might be able to help further my career. This is something I wish to develop over the course with the joining of 'Linked In' and setting up my own personal website. These are tools that I hope will advance my networking skills. 

My concerns with professional networking are similar to that of others on the course and those around me within the industry and outside of it. One of those concerns comes from Reader 3 and the concept of cooperation. I find this concept to be superficial and in some ways malicious; that everyone is using one another to get what they need. I wonder if this is just something I need to accept or is there a way of changing this idea. My second concern comes with all the knowledge I have gained from researching Web 2.0 and professional networking. I worry that too much emphasis is being put on the use of social media, to the point where in the future we will no longer be interacting with one another without the use of the internet and applications. The need will no longer be there. 

The use of critical reflection throughout the whole module has allowed me to go beneath the surface of things that I already knew and provide myself with a much greater understanding. With every critical relection so far, it has made me change my opinions on the subject and lead me to be more thoughtful with my actions involving these topics. I have been left with a new outlook on professional networking that encourages me to be more wary of others, yet more ruthless with the connections I'm making. I believe I need to think more selfishly about how these connections can benefit my career. I will need to control my thoughts about this being vicious and understand that it is just human nature and how the professional industry works. My other relationships outside of work, do not work on the same principles and this is a comfort. 

Module 1: Task 3c - Sources of Information

As a teacher, I rely heavily on the internet for my resources and information. Here are my top five sources that I use regularly. 

Spotify - Spotify is initially a free music player. It's similar to YouTube in the way that you can search for any song or artist and listen to it for free. I pay a monthly subscription so that I am able to listen to music when I'm not connected to the internet and free from any advertisements. It is extremely useful to have this resource, as it means I am able to get the latest chart music which pleases my students. It means that I have music wherever I am, from any device. It also helps my reflection-in-action process, as I can change the plan there and then if something isn't working. For example, if I'm teaching a routine to a young age group and they are finding it too difficult, I am able to find a slower piece of music on the spot. The only implication to this is the suitability of the music. I have to be very wary of curse words or inappropriate subject matter, which isn't always noticable on first glance of a song title. To try and avoid this from happening, I try to stick to songs that are from the 'Now That's What I Call Music' albums, as they are child-friendly but still have the latest chart-toppers.

YouTube - I think we can all agree that YouTube is a phenomenon. The uses and possibilities are endless. I use YouTube for a variety of things but within my professional practice I use it for inspiration and ideas. If I'm ever given a theme for a dance and I'm struggling for what to choreograph, I look to YouTube to provide me with an answer. It gives an array of ideas from dances on television shows or films, to dances that a random user uploaded from their living room. It is this variety that allows me to gather all the inspiration together, and recreate something original of my own. The implications of this are obvious. I have to be careful not to copy anything directly as for some videos, it would breech copyright laws. Therefore, if my work was ever filmed and uploaded to the internet and spotted copying someone else's work, I could be at risk of prosecution. 

Equity - Equity is a network of professionals within the performing arts industry who are able to receieve help or advice on issues within the workplace. As a member of Equity, I am able to get in touch with their staff should I ever have an issue at work with pay, injury, treatment etc. Being a member of Equity also provides me with my Public Liability Insurance which I couldn't do my job without. I rely on their advice and support. 

Email - My email account is my key line of contact. It's through my emails that I keep in touch with the companies I work with/for, how I invoice my boss, how I keep in touch with the schools I work at and how I contact parents of pupils if needs be. It is an instant way of contacting those I need to and I can recieve replies no matter where I am with the use of emails on my smart phone. The implications to sending and receiving emails is being sure to word them correctly and suitably for the situation. I'm always sure to be polite and use the appropriate language. As well as this, I must be sure to keep my emails confidential if any personal infomation is shared about any of my pupils. 

Google - I rely on the search engine Google for many things. I search for sheet music, information on various professionals, scripts, articles for research and many other resources. If I'm planning a lesson and need some new game ideas, I turn to Google to find me the answers. The whole internet is at your fingertips with Google and although it is extremely useful there are downsides. I must check that any information I find, or articles I read, are from a reliable source. Not all information sourced on the internet is entirely true and I must be sure that whatever I'm reading can be believed. Another implication to the use of Google, is being wary of illegal downloads. If I search for sheet music or scripts, I make sure that the websites are legal. It's normally fairly obvious that if a whole film script is available to print for free, then something isn't quite right. Illegally downloading scripts or music of any kind without the correct copyrights can lead to prosecution.

In some ways, I am subconciously relying on the BAPP Arts course to provide me with information and knowledge on my professional practice. Without the use of other course member's blogs, I would struggle with what to do next. I rely on others to reassure me I'm on the correct lines of thought when writing my blog posts. I would like to mention a couple of blog posts that have helped me with the last couple of tasks.

Katrina Wilson - www.katrinawilson1989.blogspot.co.uk

Due to heavy traffic on my way home from work, I missed out on the third Web Seminar. I found Katrina's post on what was discussed in the Skype session extremely helpful when trying to catch up. It also helped me understand Task 3b a little more after my first look at Reader 3, so be sure to check it out if you're struggling. 

Danielle Austen - www.danniausten.blogspot.co.uk

After reading Reader 3 and working out what Task 3b involved, I was daunted and slightly confused. After reading Danielle's Task 3b post, I was able to make a lot more sense of what it was I needed to do. I have now gone on to complete the task and understand professional networking on a much deeper level. It's an interesting read, so please check out her blog. 

Module 1: Task 3b - Theories Relating to Networking

Professional Networking has always seemed like a fairly simply activity; connecting with people with whom you percieve as beneficial to your career. However, since studying Reader 3 I have realised the theories behind professional networking are a lot more complex. 

Cooperation

Cooperation is the theory that you cooperate in a relationship with someone until it no longer benefits you. It has been associated with the 'Game Theory'. These are games that are created where one player succeeds at the expense of another player. From various experiements with these games, it gives a way of predicting how people respond to specific events. 

Robert Axelrod studied this theory through the use of games and identified the importance of cooperation. He concluded that many of the game players used the idea of 'tit for tat', which is doing the same move as what your opponent did in the last round. "When should a person cooperate, and when should a person be selfish in an ongoing interaction with another person? Should a friend keep providing favours to another friend who never reciprocates?" (Axelrod 2006, p.vii). This quote helped me to understand more deeply what the concept of cooperation means in a professional networking environment. Connections are made in most industries for people's own benefit. Before networking with someone, you are thinking about what it is you will gain from this person by building a relationship with them. In order to continue the relationship until it is no longer of use to you, you have to cooperate with them in the hopes they will give you what you need. 

I find this concept quite vicious. The thought that all my professional networks have these superficial and selfish gains behind them makes me feel uneasy. I can understand that professional industries can be harsh and cut-throat at times. But I would like to think that not all my professional relationships are made purely to gain as much out of them as possible before terminating them. Maybe I am naive in thinking that professional networking can be done without any selfish thoughts.

Affiliation 

As a human, it is a natural instinct to create relationships and socialise with others on a regular basis. The need to be around others is innate be it with one person or a group of people. Affiliation is the concept in social psychology that tries to eplain why humans form close relationships. It has been shown that it is infact a psychological process operating in our brains. It is a social process that means we surround ourselves with groups of people that will be there if a problem occurs. 

With professional networking, it is that psychological process that pushes us to build relationships within the industry we work with. Therefore, we have people to go to for problems based in that same field. Affiliation can be different among individuals. Some people will choose to build fewer, closer bonds, whereas others will choose to build many bonds that aren't as meaningful. " To summarise, the studies discussed above suggest that individualistic cultures, people may develop friendships in a fairly self serving manner..." (Crisp and Turner 2010, p.324). Relating this to professional networking within the performing arts industry, performing artists are very much part of an individualistic culture. Performing artists adopt a one track mind of success, therefore a lot of the affiliations made within the professional network will be done with the benefit of their career in mind. This is not to say that other groups they are affiliated with, such as family or friends outside of work, are for these same reasons. I personally feel that I will have affiliated myself with a large group people because they have the same career prospects as me and we share many interests. These relationships won't be particularly meaningful, but they may benefit me in some way with regards to finding work. However, my family and friends who I am affiliated with will be the people that I have strong bonds with and will be there for me when I am in need. 

Social Constructionism

Social Constructionism is the concept that suggests it is through social interaction that we learn about the world around us. 

"As a direct consequence of the way in which we humans have evolved, we depend on culture to direct our behaviour and organise our experience." (Crotty 1998, p.53). Although from a young age we are taught what things are, behaviours that are right and wrong etc. a lot of what we learn is from the people surrounding us. Therefore, with professional networking we learn from others by interacting with them. As a performing arts student, there is only so much that can be taught about going out into the real world. Consequently, when I went into my first contract after graduating, it was being around seasoned professionals that I learnt more about the right way to interact and behave in that environment. 

Connectivism

"Within social networks, hubs are well-connected people who able to foster and maintain knowledge flow." (Siemens 2004)

Connectivism is the idea that we use social networks to keep the flow of knowledge ongoing. An individual learns from a network, puts information back into it, which in turn will be used and expanded on. This cycle keeps on going and there for by staying connected we can derive more and more knowledge on a subject. "The pipe is more important than the content within the pipe" (Siemens 2004).  This quote reinforces the idea that it is not necessarily the information that is important within a network, but the fact that there are always people in the network to keep the information flowing. I find the use of connectivism extremely helpful. It means that within all my professional networks and social media, the information I need will always be available.

Communities of Practice

Communties of Practice are a group of people who share a talent or profession. The group can develop naturally due to it's members' common ground in a particular subject or it can be created specifically with the idea to learn more about the topic (Lave and Wenger 1991). It's the idea of being able to learn from interacting with others rather than just acquiring the knowledge as an individual. This relates to professional networking and the idea that through making connections with others in the industry, you are able to learn more than just finding the information for yourself. This is the whole basis in which professional networking stands on and without it, we wouldn't be able to do as much as we can today.  

Ethical Considerations for Networking

Social networks have a large influencce on scholary practice in modern day. I personally believe this to be a positive influence on the whole, as it enables a wider range of sources for information and the ability to be able to do work wherever, whenever. For example, the BAPP Arts course could not exsist without the use of social networking. The blog itself is a social network with the use of feedback within comments. Skype is an excellent tool for keeping in touch with course advisors and colleagues. The use of blogging and resources online allows students to complete the work at a time that is convenient. 

The implications of social and professional networking is the sharing of information. It is important to remember that anything online is public to others. Any work that goes on our blog is at risk of plagiarism so it is down to the individual to decide on what they share publicly and privately.  

Bibliography

Axelrod, R., 2006. The Evolution of Cooperation. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Crisp, R.J. and Turner, R.N., 2010. Essential Social Psychology Second Edition. London: Sage. 

Crotty, M., 1998. The Foundations of Social Research. Australia: Allen and Unwin.

Lave, J. and Wenger, E., 1991. Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 

Siemens, G., 2004. Connectivism: A Learning Theory for The Digital Age. elearnspace [online]. Available from: http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm [Accessed on 12th April 2015].

Module 1: Task 3a - Current Networks

Networking is done daily by a huge number of people without them even realising. With the internet being so heavily relied on and social media being a key part of modern society, networking has never been easier. 

I am already a part of many networks both professionally and socially. For professional networking, there are a handful of key tools that I use regularly.

Spotlight - Spotlight is an obvious network for those involved in the performing arts industry. Although I'm focusing more on my teaching career, I keep my Spotlight profile available should I choose to audition for a job. It's the most widely used network for agents and casting directors and makes the audition application process efficient. 

Email - My emails are my first point of professional contact for all my current jobs. If I wish to apply for a job, it is through my emails that I will send in my application. Gone are the days of only being able to give your hard copy to the company you wish to work for. This email address is how most professionals I encounter would ask to contact me, which is why it is vital that I am always up to date with checking my inbox. 

Facebook - In some cases, professionals will ask for my Facebook username in order to search and contact me. Through my Facebook profile, people are able to see the companies I have previously worked for and how I currently work for. It allows them to see photos, posts and anything else I choose to make public. This obviously means being aware of the content of what I post and always thinking first about how I want others to percieve me.

What's App - I use the messaging application What's App on my phone for one of the companies I work for. It is a very instant way for my boss to advertise work availability for myself and my colleagues to then accept on a 'first come, first served' basis. It is through this application that I could then network further with any of my colleagues who work for the company, should I need to.

Blog - My BAPP Arts blog itself is a tool for networking with others who are on my course. It is through the use of comments and Skype sessions that we are able to gain feedback in order to improve our course work.

Those that are more established within the industry may choose to use other social media in order to network. I often see professionals getting in touch with each other through the use of Twitter and YouTube. Not only are they contacting one individual, but they are able to post that 'tweet' or 'comment' publicly for all to see. This can create positive publicity and advertisement using their networking to an advantage. For example, if a popular musician 'tweeted' another popular artist about collaborating on their next single, it would create great publicity and hype from their fans who are also able to read the post. 

There are other forms of social media that I use socially, that I could potentially make more use of with regards to professional networking. The use of photo applications Instagram and Flickr, could possibly be used for networking if I wanted to use them for advertisement purposes. However, I currently use Instagram for personal use only to keep up with friends. Flickr is something I created for this course and have not yet needed to use for any other purpose. Twitter also has it's own potential for networking, however I feel this is something that can only benefit greatly established professionals who have a large number of followers. I would like to use my YouTube more in the context of networking and passing on my profile details. This is something I hope to develop in the near future.

I believe there are many reasons why people choose these tools to network. One reason is due to it's effeciency. It's quicker than making a phone call or writing a letter and it promotes an instant response. Secondly, the use of social media within networking is great for publicity and advertising. Not only can you connect and speak with others on these platforms, but you can also publicise yourself or company all in the same place. Finally, the main reason behind networking in general is the idea that these connections made can provide you with some form of professional gain. Talking to the right people can hold potential job prospects or further important connections.

My ideal network would be a place where a lot of these current tools are combined. An application which allows you to create your own small website that includes a place for videos, comments, messaging, CV uploads, pictures and any other personal information you wish to provide. It would have the option to search others and invite them to connect with you and be able to view your site. Realistically, this sort of website would not be free to use but it's definitely something I would consider paying for if it became available. Something that could bring me closer to having this kind of platform to network on, would be if I created my own website. This is something I am aiming to do by the end of the year. I currently feel like I don't know enough about it to take the first steps in creating a website so some research will need to be carried out beforehand.

In order to improve my current networking situation, I need to be bolder in giving out my own details such as email address, Facebook name, YouTube channel etc. But I also need to be bolder when asking potential connections for theirs. It is second nature for most professionals to be asked their social media usernames, therefore I should't feel embarassed and shy away from that fact. Especially if it's information that could potentially further my career in some way. I need to make sure I take advantage of all my current networks and get the most out of them as I possibly can. A network I would like to experiment with over the coming months is Linked In. I've many recommendations from other teachers who have explained it's a great way to connect with those in the same field of work as you. As mentioned previously, I also need to look into the ways in which I can create my own website that I can then pass on to network with.