A week of marking

So this week has been a week of marking sometimes I feel is this necessary in my department.

 

So I decided to reflect on the matter of marking firstly what does it achieve? Secondly do the students get anything out of marking? Thirdly how much time does it take? Fourthly should performing arts mark books?

 

1. What does it achieve: I think that marking tracks progress of the students makes sure the students is on task and ready for the next scheme of work. It also allows the student to be aware of where they are in the national curriculum levels.

 

2. Do the students get anything out of marking: well students will only get out of it what you as a teacher put in to the marking. The students also need time to reflect on the marking you should as a teacher give them time to reflect on their learning as well as make comments on Teachers marking.

 

3. How much time does it take: Tonight I marked 2 classes it took me 2 and 1/2 hours that time would surely be better spent planning a new lesson or writing a new lesson plan or planning a new scheme of work or even choreographing for my BTEC students. This question I am quite confused about.

 

4. Should Performing Arts mark books: Well I don't think we should I think that we should be given verbal feedback to make students better but record this. I do think that marking is important in written subjects such as Maths, English and Science but for Students who are trying to improve on Facial expression or the alignment of an arm they need to practise and be given verbal feedback.

 

So what are your thoughts on this I really want to know is it necessary.?????

 

I am still in two minds......

 

Task 1C - My YouTube Clip

Please see below my YouTube clip of my intentions of the course. http://youtu.be/NLJHdi2sp3g

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Task 1B - Professional Communication Technologies

Professional Communication Technologies

In today's society and world there is no life without the internet. Last week I organised an assembly on Technology and safety online for the students in the school. Having read the 'Reader 1' it really proves that technology is improving and getting more sophisticated every day and we can’t as a generation live without it.

The ideas that I found interesting and got me thinking were how did we used to communicate? If Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites weren’t available in today's society how would we keep in contact with each other how would we learn I think everybody would be more social and we would see one another more instead of having virtual relationships with family, friends and colleagues.

Kuehn's Article about 'Getting into trouble on Facebook' suggests that being a teacher in a school you are most vulnerable to getting into danger with professional and personal life and you must make sure you keep these boundaries. I really feel that keeping professional and personal boundaries is really important especially when you are working with young students. I really do feel that we should be able to have a network where teachers could help students through social networking as I feel this would interest the students and get them more involved in their independent learning.

I thought my knowledge of technical aspects was strong but now coming on to this course I have realised I have so much to learn about social networking, using public forums such as Blogger I didn’t even knew it existed. I feel quite excited that you can develop your own knowledge and experiences by engaging with other students online using social networking. I like this quote from the reader ' The functional access, skills and practices necessary to become a confident agile adopter of a range of technologies for personal, academic and professional use' my take on this is by using the web you can actually be a more intelligent, know your boundaries as a professional, have a personal life with family and friends, show the world how to be a confident person.

So simply instead of communicating on a one to one basis how we used to we communicate to mass numbers we can approach thousands of people either by YouTube, TV, radio or even social networking. You have a choice to how you want yourself to perceived on a website you can change the way your page looks, what photos you upload, what things you like, what's your interests.

I was astonished by the statistics of all the social media and how many people are on this and how we communicate as a growing world.

I think the Key concepts and principles that I have taken away from reading this Reader is that web 1.0 is all about the Creator feeding us with information. Web 2.0 lets us be the creators, lets us decide the content which will be put on the web and interact with the creator. It all about us sharing ideas and concepts make formal and informal connections.

Task 1D- Posting of Professional Images

I decided to take pictures of one of my Zumba fitness classes the reason for this as I think it’s incredibly inspiring for anyone who has not exercised or feels embarrassed to go to a class they can see by these images that all shapes, ages, good fitness and low fitness you are welcome. These also show the versatility of the styles of Dance I do in my classes.

Please see on Flickr for my storyboard of photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/104629886@N07/

The importance of social media in this line of professional business is that all pictures and social networking sites promote you in a good light as this is all publicity and all publicity is good.

I decided to use Flickr for my images I have never used it before but actually it was incredibly easy. I think we forget how automated we are. We get in to a habit of doing things and we don’t realise that we do them every day. Just reflecting on the Reader 1 I actually use web 2.0 pretty much every day of my life and I didn’t even know it.

 

The implications I found is originally I wanted to use my BTEC Dance students but for Child Protection issues I wasn’t allowed. This is very frustrating as I thought these images would have told a much better story. The BTEC students were attending their first ever Assessment and it just showed the images of girls and boys really nervous, somewhere quite confident and a relief at the end when they received their results. But next time I will make sure I can get enough time to create a proposal so I can get round these implications.

Going from Confused to Extremely Positive.....

How a day can make you feel. Yesterday I was so Confused and very down about myself and the course and thinking is this right for me do I belong on this course. Speaking to my Head of Faculty she reassured me that this is normal and I am completely able to do this. I need to start believing in my ability as I believe in my student’s ability. So I went to bed positive and optimistic last night and I woke with the feeling that YES I can do this! I feel so honoured that I have such amazing and influential people around me without them I wouldn’t be the Teacher and person I am today! What a beautiful feeling….

Task 1a - About me

My name is Geri Masucci I have been dancing from the age of 3. Majority of my life I have dedicated time to my profession and making myself the best I can possibly be. I have built over the years many skills in dancing, singing and Acting. From the age of 16 I attended the performing Arts college Italia Conti where I studied Musical Theatre which entailed me to spend 3 years there where I would work on Singing, Dancing and Acting. I decided to major in dance as that’s where my passion lies.

I left Italia Conti in 2006 with a level 6 diploma. In 2006 I started working straight away at a holiday camp in the UK where I spent Christmas and New Year. I was incredibly nervous as I had never spent a Christmas away from the family but I was extremely excited to have my first paid dancing job. I worked on the show team there where I danced in productions such as ‘We will rock you’, ‘Saturday night fever’ A Christmas and New Year show. I decided after the Christmas period I would leave and go to work abroad for a summer. I joined a show team in Portugal where I worked on a 5 man Show team we worked evening and during the day. I got given the role as Dance captain where I would choreograph and decided what numbers should go into what shows as this was my second job I was really excited to have this role and I just ran with it. I worked in Portugal for 9 months and decided that I would like a change of course so in 2008 I looked to another company in Salou Spain I there also got given the role as Dance captain I ended up choreographing and creating 4 shows. This job was extremely challenging as we toured across Salou, so every venue would be different every show we did was different but it actually made it more exhilarating and exciting. I worked alongside some fantastic dancers and singers and found some long life friends.

 I started to realise after that summer that I couldn’t do this forever and really wanted to settle back in to home life in England as I did this I got a phone call from my agent and he had put me through to see the Directors of ‘Shipwrecked’ they were looking for one more contestant. As I am completely oblivious to what this is I said yes as I do. Well once I had got the job I realised what I had put myself up for. This was the best experience I had its taught me really how you can live with nothing in life the one thing I missed out there was music listening to it and being able to dance.

After this little adventure I decided to look in to Dance teaching I searched and searched and at first couldn’t find anything. I initially didn’t want to teach secondary school but this position came up at the local school as a part time dance teacher teaching BTEC. So from 2010 to this current day I have been teaching at a Secondary school in Hertfordshire at first it was part time and now it’s turned in to a full time role where I am now teaching Drama and PE as well as Dance. I teach all years I can say that this has been the best experience I have ever had the students challenge and surprise me every day. Each day is different, each class is different I find it hard to say my day has been boring as it never is.

I have choreographed many shows at the school now. But the achievement and emotions I got from the first ever show I choreographed on my own makes me incredibly proud of what I have achieved and how determined I have been. This is why I want to make my Level 6 diploma a degree and achieve this higher qualification.

Becoming a qualified teacher is where I want to be in 3 years’ time and the BAPP course is my first step.