Ethics in the work place... my own thoughts

Ethics

As you know I am currently working at an Academy in Hackney. I have been there for over 8 weeks now and have finally caught up with most of their rules and regulations. I will be using this place of work to consider the ethics which might apply there. 

As it is a high school there are a lot of rules and regulations set in place to get the best out of the students, also the teachers, and for everyone's safety and protection. 

General Rules- 

Treat others as you would like to be treated 

Silence in class unless you are being addressed by the teacher or involved in practical work

No running around the school 

No fighting

No swearing 

Respect members of staff 

Plagiarism - this applies to both teachers and pupils. 

With the Internet so accessible these days it is becoming a lot easier for students to type a question into search engines, such as google, and copy the answer down word for word. This is plagiarism as it is not their own work and also means that they haven't thought about the answer resulting in them not reaching their full potential that they could have by completing the task. They need to use other people's work as a stimulus and for the facts and then proceed to put it into their own words. 

This also applies for teachers. They need to keep their work fresh and don't do a carbon copy of someone else's work. Everyone has a different style of teaching, different things will work for different people. Also when it comes to productions it's important to be creative and come up with your own ideas, as work could be copyrighted, again use other people's work to inspire you - don't just copy. 

Protecting data - as a teacher we get informed about information that may affect a students behaviour in the class room. I.e problems at home, medical conditions, problems in school etc. This is protected data and is down to the school to be private and confidential, it's strictly between staff and the pupil in question. If the student wants to talk to his/ her peers about things then that's their choice to make. 

Preventing Harm - all members of staff should be CRB cheeked. 

It is important that teachers do not put themselves in a position where they can be falsely accused of a situation. 

Always ask permission of the student if they are ok with any physical contact before it is made. 

If you find yourself in a uncomfortable or aggressive  position try and make sure that another colleague  is in the room with you for your own safety. 

Covert-v-overt observation 

I tend to use both types of observation. 

Overt - I make the class fully aware at the beginning, that they are being marked on all aspects of the class, their practical work (rehearsal and performance),  participation in group discussions and how they evaluate.

Covert- random inspection of their books. This allows me to see the level of their work and if they are fully grasping the tasks at hand and can support the practical with the theory.

Random practical lessons when we are not working on a project I will observe the class and give them a mark for that lesson and see if the result differs to when they are aware they are being marked, more centralised around personal focus, effort and team work.  

Both types of observations allow you to see a wider picture of the students capabilities. 

All these different aspects help to create a safe atmosphere allowing the students to be focused and stimulated in class. The main aim of the school is to make sure every student reaches his / her full potential, what ever level that may be. It is important that we offer equal opportunities to each and every single student and not leave anyone behind. 

Survey...

Hey!

So finaly I have completed my survey, if you could just take a quick two mins to fill it out I would be extermally  grateful. 
My survey is aimed at looking at Drama as a subject in high schools and will hopefully give me a wide idea of peoples views / experiences of the subject. Can drama lend it self to provide skills that the 'everyday person' can take away with them? Should we enforce  the importance of drama as a stand alone subject on the National Curriculum?
In the end I am wanting to look at what drama can offer us in our high schools and how the recent government funding has effected the subject. Will the revised educational plan have an effect of the subject, will it be fall down to English teachers to add an element of drama to their classes? From my research I already know that they have started to combine the subjects or Art and Design Technology, is something similar the future for Drama?

Bye for now! 

SURVEY - DOES DRAMA HAVE A PLACE...

SIG Group...

Hey guys,

So you might have already guessed but I'm properly going to be looking more at the drama side in my studies rather then dance. I'm currently exploring the idea of whether drama has a place on the national curriculum or whether it should be dropped and only offered as an after school hobby. This is due to the recent government cuts in funding and the refocussing of the UK educational system. 
Also I will look into the skills used as a drama teacher and how this subject area can help students gain skills that they can use in everyday life and not just if they go into the actual area itself. 
To kick start the conversations I have set up a page and invited people from all areas to respond, not just performers, as I want to get the widest response possible. Below is the link to the group! Have fun and comment away! 

Keep your eyes open for my survey coming very soon! 

Bye for now!

Jonny's SIG - Does Drama have a place...

Just a little 'Hey'...

Hey guys, its been ages since I posted on my blog so thought its about time that I did!
Been mad busy at the moment, I have just started volunteering at a high school in Hackney but I've had to keep my job in the theatre to pay bills etc the joys of being an adult so doing 8-10 at the mo which is killing me but hey ho it will all be worth it and the experience is amazing! 
Working with years 7-10 and I'm loving it, also choreographing  the end of year musical which will be exciting! So all systems go!

Working in the school has got me thinking about what I could do for my inquiry. At the moment I'm torn between two ideas:

Does Drama still have a place in our National Curriculum?
Can you combine the techniques of Brecht and Stanislavski in a piece of Drama?

Let me know what you think....
Catch you all soon!!! 

Sources of Information

Identify your current 5 most important sources of information and blog a critical reflection on their importance to you and your practice.

1. People from work- 
At the moment I work front of house at a west end theatre, a job that I have been working on and off for the last three years. I find that the majority of people who work front of house tends to be out of work actors. I have found this an amazing way to make connections with people in the business. We socialise in and out of work and we take the opportunity to pass on any information that we think will benefit each other, for instance if we know that a show is casting that we think they would suit we would tell them incase their agent hasn't already put them up for it. I find working front of house and the connections I have made have helped my carer develop to the next level. For example: 
• Gianni - I first meet Gianni working on Sister Act nearly three years. Gianni originally started off in musical theatre but has crossed over to focus on his singer/song writing carer focusing on a more commercial pop sound, inspired by the sound created by Adele. Over the years I have noticed that more and more auditions are starting to ask for pop songs as well as musical theatre. The modern day musical way of writing has developed along with the pop industry. More shows are starting to adopt that pop/ rock sound; We Will Rock, 9 to 5 the musical, Looservile, Mama Mia, Viva Forever, The Body Guard etc.
As I am classically trained I have a very strong operatic tone to my voice, so using my connections- Gianni, we have been working on different techniques to help create a softer, lighter sound that can be applied when singing pop material. 
• Clark Devlin- a couple of years ago I was trying to change my agent. Clark and I sat down and made a list of everything I should be looking for in an agent, then we researched agents using the internet and also the knowledge he had from past agents and friends in the business to create a short list of agents. Together we then spoke about the best way to approach agents and with his help I sent my CV and headshot off to the agents and managed to transfer to a better agent for me at that particular time in my carer. 

These are just two examples of how I have used the connections I have made working front of house to my advantage to help the development of my carer. The wonderful thing with front of house is that the turn around is rather high so you keep meeting new people and it offers the opportunity to meet different people in the profession at social events. Theres no real down fall to this way of networking- the only way it won't benefit people is if they are not active. It's down to you to make the connections work, like many things in life you can't just sit back and expect things to happen. 
One down fall I have found is not having your evenings free. This restricts you to the amount of theatre you can go and see; many times I have had to pass down the opportunity to go and watch small scale theatre/ fringe as I was working. These were events that I had been invited to by either an actor in the production or the director/ producer of the show and it just means that I wasn't able to use the connection to my full advantage and you never know who you might meet at these events. 

2. Agent- 
Another connection that I use is my Agent. My agent is basically the person who will find out about auditions and submit me for any parts he thinks I'm suitable for. They are your representation. Your agent technically should be your strongest connection in the audition world. Unfortunately with me this is not the case. At the moment I feel my connection with my agent is rather weak, all the active communication happens on my behalf and if I'm completely honest he doesn't seem to be working for me. I have been with this agent for the last 6 months and have only had two auditions under his representation, auditions that I found myself.e At the end of the day this is my carer so I approached this subject matter with him and he claimed that he was submitting me for auditions but I wasn't getting called in. I then asked what steps I could take to help my chances, change of headshot, alter my spotlight, alter C.V etc but no advice was given. It's a very difficult situation as you have to completely trust your agent to do his job. I haven't got a clue what is happening behind closed doors, it might be that he is submitting me and I'm just unlucky and not being called in or he might not be reading form the same page and submitting me for things that I'm not right for. As your agent is your representation a lot rides on his/hers, if they are unknown/ have a tainted representation it will reflect on the client. 
I personally feel this is one connection that I need to re-view and have been in talks with people from work to try and get them to put in a good word for me with their own agents. 

3. Facebook- 
Facebook is a really good way to keep in touch with people in the business. It allows me to receive information from people in the industry that they think I might dean useful. It's also a good place to advertise small scale/ fringe productions to spread the word. Casting organisations have also started to set up their own pages that allows them to post auditions to the public - opening the doors to people who sometimes wouldn't get a look in. 
Over the years open auditions have started to vanish. After speaking to people who have been working along time in the industry I have discovered that casting directors used to do open calls once a year for every major musical, this is something that is slowly vanishing from the profession. Hopefully casting directors will start to use Facebook and other sites to their full advantage and will realise that sites like these can be used to help inform people about auditions but also maybe once a week or month they could post a 'top tip' to help people get the most from auditions, therefore making it more beneficial to them in the audition process. 

4. Websites- 
The websites I mainly use to find out about auditions tends to be 'Spotlight' or 'The Stage'. These websites are easy to use and are updated daily. With 'The Stage' it tends to be holiday parks and cruise ship auditions, which isn't really the field I can see myself working in. It's very rare that you will find auditions for main stream musical theatre or even fringe productions, for this reason I only tend to check this web site once a week, the plus side is that the web site is free to access and I can download an app onto my phone that takes me to the audition page in seconds and I can access it on the move.
With 'Spotlight' I tend to get a wider selection of casting break downs for all fields- tv, film, adverts, musical theatre etc. With the membership me and my agent receive casting breakdowns daily via e-mail, and I have my own personal spotlight page where I can upload my headshot and C.V. This is a really good connection and without 'Spotlight' I wouldn't find out about the majority of auditions that take place and have allowed me to cross over into different fields that without I properly wouldn't have considered. As with most things these days there is a year subscription fee. I do think it's very beneficial to be a member of 'Spotlight' and most casting directors will only accept applicants via the web site. It would be amazing if it was free but then again I feel that this might jeopardise the quality of service that it provides and could end up being like 'The Stage'.  

5. iPhone- 
This is my life line so to speak. It wraps up all my connections and helps me to make the most of them. It allows me to have access to the Internet on the move and also means I am able to be in touch with friends and my agent no matter where I am. As I said before I can download apps that help provide me with information such as 'the Stage'. In the future if more apps were to be created that help provide information on the business and auditions this could enhance this way of connecting with the industry.

Networking...

Networking - that very important yet very underestimated word in the performing world. In the last two years the famous saying 'It's not what you know, it's who you know' has never been more true.
After graduating from the Hammond School in Chester I made the move to London. Personally I feel one of the major disadvantages of training out of London, which is the heart of the performing world for the UK, is that your links and connections are nowhere near as strong as those who have trained down south. I have come to know many performers who trained in London and they talk about how they had guest teachers in, directors and choreographers still working in the business come in to conduct workshops and other people still very active in the industry. This giving them a strong stepping stone on their way to start making those all important connections and getting their faces known.
With the way modern technology has progressed there are many ways and tools people can use to network. One big tool that I use is e-mail. This is how I keep in touch with my agent. Any corresponding that we do takes place over e-mail, with the odd phone call thrown in here and there. It's a simple, fast way to keep in touch. Also a lot of people these days have smart phones so can receive e-mails on the move.
Another major tool that I use is that ever so wonderful web site called Facebook. Facebook allows me to keep in touch with other performers no matter where they are in the world but also casting directors/ casting organisations have started to take advantage of the web site and have created there own pages that you can follow where they update the page with up and coming audition information. Once again the joys of technology means that this is very easily accessible. People can download an app onto their phones that will allow them to access their Facebook page in seconds. This method of networking is also being used by some agents. For instance my housemate's agent, Gielgud Management, will simply post any jobs on their Facebook wall and if you wish to be submitted all you have to do is leave a comment on that particular post.
More experienced practitioners will properly still have a Facebook page but I would imagine they would keep this private and only visible to friends and family; so they don't cut themselves off from the public most established artists will have their own personal website. This tends to be a page where people can get information on the person in question and can keep up to date with events that they are taking part in. A more popular craze to come out of the twenty first century is the app known as twitter. This app allows people to post their feelings, thoughts, inform on what they are up to, connect with people, post pictures etc. The amazing thing with this app though is that you don't have to know the person to follow them. When you follow a person anything they post will appear on your update page. So it has allowed the general public to get a closer connection to a high ranked artist. A connection that ten years ago people would have laughed at. An artist who is really well known for using this way of networking is Will.I.Am. who is constantly tweeting, even on the live shows of 'The Voice:Uk' he would be known to be tweeting while they were recording. It's a free way to connect with people and use it to your advantage by publishing the release of your new single/ album, new music video, future events/ concerts etc.
Again this app is used by casting directors. I have found out about two auditions from the same casting director by using this app in the last 6 months. Ann Vosser constantly tweets about events and auditions that are happening, opening the doors to a new way of getting the word out about auditions.
It's very clear why these have taken off so quickly and with such great effect. As I mentioned they are so accessible due to phones/ laptops, fast, you can receive information on the move and to top it off these ways are free! It's a way people can stay in touch and informed using tools that have become an everyday part of the socialising network. When speaking to people it's become very clear that most people cheek their Facebook at least twice a day and this is just for general socialising so to combine these social sites with a perfisional networking aspect is a very easy and personally I feel wise move.
At this particular moment in my carer I feel my connections in the performing area are strong. In-between performing jobs I always work front of house at theatres which means I am still working in the theatre environment and the majority of people I work with are fellow performers. This is very handy as it allows us to share information on auditions, agents, singing teachers etc. Also we socialise with cast members, dance captains, resident directors - allowing us to get are faces out their and you never know when you might come across these people again in the future. My main area to focus on at the moment is my networking in the teaching world. In London this is very weak, I have some good connections up north that I am still in touch with but would like to develop my connections down south. I
Aim to do this by connecting with teachers via e-mail and also I would like to look into researching web sites and chat forums that have been set up to allow teachers to connect with each other. This is something that I need to look into.
I am currently in touch with the head of drama at a high school in Hackney via e-mail. From this I have set up the opportunity to shadow her classes next year. This will hopefully open new doors and widen my connections in this particular environment. 

KOLB'S LEARNING CYCLE...

Kolb's learning cycle...

At which point in Kolb's cycle do you feel you enter learning?

Personal I feel this is a difficult question to answer as the response will differ depending on the person being asked.
Everyone's mind works in completely different ways; no two people with have the same thinking method or pattern therefore the way we break down and evaluate a situation will alter.  
Some people might click onto the fact that they could learn/ grow from the experience as the experience is happening (DONALD SCHÖN - Reflection-in-action). Others might let the experience go by with out thinking anything of it until a question/ event happens and stimulates them to review or reflect on the experience in question (Reflective Observation or as SCHÖN would say Reflection-on-action). I feel by stage three everyone who would use this method will have started learning as to complete this stage your mind frame needs to be in the position of - 'I've had an experience that can help me grow/ develop/ take action as a person, I've reviewed the situation now I need to decided what I want to gain from that experience' this being the conclusion. What am I going to take away from this experience and what actions can I take to for-fill the conclusion. This leads on smoothly to part four - taking action. Putting what you have learnt into action and using it in everyday life or in similar situations to create new experiences. 
Kolb's method is a heightened, slightly more in depth method that people will use naturally with out even knowing they are doing it. When people have an experience they naturally reflect on it - if it's a bad experience they will bitch to their friends, if it's a good experience they will inform their friends/ family's as it will properly be a highlight in their day. This might be where they will naturally stop, they will get it off their chest and think nothing of it but if people would just break it down and come to a conclusion they could learn/ gain something from the experience and help developments in their lives or careers. Which is what the Kolb's method is all about learning - putting the learning outcome into use.
When using this method in my journal I found I tend to use the Active Experimentation approach. I find I naturally take an experience and reflect on it straight away and then I come up with different ways I could use that experience to further my career. It's all about trial and error I prefer to give myself serval options to get the outcome I want, if none of these work then it's back to the drawing board. I have an addictive personality and won't stop until I get the results I want so I find this method of trial and error gives me more of a chance to reach my goal. 
Every experience is a learning curve whether we embrace it or let it pass us by subconsciously and effect us without even knowing it has. Obviously if you embrace it you can learn alot more from it.