Task 3a Current Networks

My current networks are varied working within the educational setting as a teaching assistant and working within the performing arts industry as a singing teacher. However they both have a similar approach to keeping networked, and emphasise the importance of using networks to benefit your professional practice.

 

What are the current and different ways I engage with my professional networks?

To help me with this, I brain stormed ideas of who and what tools I use to network with others this allowed me to develop thoughts and discover how I use networks to benefit my professional practice. Please see examples of my brain storming from my journal:

 

 

The following processes of networking kept occurring through the brain storming experience:

·         Facebook

I use Facebook to stay connected with friends, family and colleagues. Facebook allows you to create groups and follow individuals/pages. Facebook is a powerful tool to find out information or ask questions and get comments back. Facebook allows me as an individual to promote my singing teaching and advertise events I’m involved in with e.g. Starmaker Performing Arts shows/ events this process attracts interest from the public and brings people together. However, using Facebook from a teacher perspective you have to be very careful what you post and who is looking at your page. From a personal point of view I don’t accept students as friends and keep my settings on my page set to private so public have restricted view, this protects my position as a teacher and keeps information confidential, and prevents people posting inappropriate media e.g. photos, videos on my page.  

 

·         School/Work

I network with other teachers/teaching assistants on a daily basis at my school St John Vianney Catholic Primary School through conversation and modern technologies. Having this network allows me to share teaching ideas/methods on learning activities. We can share effective processes and feedback to each other in order to learn from our experiences and progress as teachers. We hold regular foundation team meetings to discuss weekly events and what we need to do in the forthcoming week e.g. plan resources etc. The school have a communicational network within the school community this includes regular text messages and e-mails to parents and teachers. The school also have a twitter account and website, please see the following link: http://www.st-john-vianney.blackpool.sch.uk/

 

·         BAPP

Campus sessions help me network with fellow students in person to talk through tasks and develop each other’s professional practice.

 

·         Blogging

This again allows me to connect with fellow students and helps me understand how I need to approach tasks by viewing other student’s blogs for ideas. Blogging also allows you to comment and question other people’s blogs within BAPP or other networks related to your professional practice from these comments you will learn something new and develop your learning. Many people use blogging as a means of promoting events or reporting on topics/articles.

 

·         Starmaker

Teaching for a performing arts school we have our own small network of teachers. This close knit of teachers allows us to discuss ideas at regular group meetings and work as a team to produce productions. We can swop ideas of singing exercises, games, songs etc. to help each other out. Co-operating as a group creates a strong and efficient teaching body.

 

·         Internet

Web 2.0 tools Help me network easily with friends and colleagues to benefit my professional practice below are sites I use on a regular basis:

-          You Tube

-          E-mail (Hotmail and Gmail accounts)

-          Skype

-          Facebook

-          Twitter

-          Google

-          Pin interest

-          What’s App

 

Established ways that others use their networks

Starmaker use social media as a source of networking in order to promote their Performing Arts school they do this by uploading regular posts on Facebook, and involve funding raising as part of their shows for particular sentimental charities, this creates more exposure for the school as well as raising money for a good cause. http://www.starmakerperformingartsacademy.com/#
https://www.facebook.com/starmakerpaa

 

 

Motives, Values and Purpose

Looking at current networks, people join them in order to benefit from the experience e.g. to get advice, information or learn something new. Networking keeps people connected, Facebook demonstrates this on a social benefit, by being a member you can re kindle friendships and re-connect with family members in the UK and different countries. People can do this via the internet or on the go via mobile. Skype allows you to network visually, which again can be used personally or professionally e.g. many companies use Skype as a way of conducting meetings for employees who work in different parts of the country. Networking allows people to discuss subjects of interest e.g. Musical reviews. Networking can promote/advertise events and encourage word of mouth or public to spread the word to create interest.  Networking can be a effective and helpful process if it be using modern technologies or good old fashioned vocal communication. Reflecting back on my work history many of my jobs I have achieved through word of mouth or via friends recommendation, For example my current job I gained by doing supply T.A. work, I made an impression on the teachers who have then told management resulting in them asking me if I would like a full time position within the school. In my opinion making a lasting first impression is very important to get on within professional practice to be successful in life as the saying goes, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”.

 

My Ideal network would be:

• Organised
• Co-operative
• Team work
• Share thoughts and ideas
• Self-promotion
• Helpful
• Resourceful
• Communication
• Efficient

What do I know about my current networks and how can I improve them?

My current networks allow me to develop my professional practice and open doors to future experiences by keeping networked with people, media, associations and companies. However,  I feel I don’t use my networks to my full advantage and there is lots more I can gain from my professional practice for future career opportunities e.g. singing teaching networks, Early years networks. As teaching is a career path I would like to develop I need to work on specific teaching networks and discover avenues I can proceed to benefit my future teaching career, this may involve keeping up to date with current teaching techniques/methods and curriculum criteria’s and get myself noticed as a teacher.  I can develop my networks by seeking advice from experienced practitioners and communicating more via educational forums and blogs.  Within my professional practice I need to discover my path as a teacher and what I want to specialise in to maximise my opportunities for future work.