There are many different ways that we can conduct research and I feel that there are Pros and Cons to all forms of research. I also feel that certain types of research are better suited to different topics.
Surveys: I believe that Surveys are a great way to gain statistics and discover patterns when researching for an inquiry. It allows us to gain a wide range of answers, from different people and makes the summary non biased. However, I don't believe that it gets a deep enough answer to questions and can be very vague. I don't feel that I could just use a survey by itself and gain optimal results for my Inquiry. It is less personal but more statistical.
Interviews: An interview is a great tool of research. It allows the researcher to gain a more personal opinion on their topic and also allows them to feel the participants emotion towards the topic. It also allows the researcher to ask questions about the respondents answers. An interview can evolve as it is going along and can lead on to so many other questions and topics. The personal side can however, become biased and cant be used for statistics but can be used to get an inside view from somebody who is involved in the topic.
Focus Groups: Focus groups are great for bringing together ideas, and creating discussion and debates on topics. It brings an inquiry to life, and allows us to develop ideas from other peoples knowledge and opinions and maybe take a different view on the topic. I do however feel that focus groups can also be biased and this therefore doesn't allow enough variety and truth about the topic to be discussed.
Pilot Observations: Observations help greatly with an inquiry as they allow you to develop feedback and ideas over time. By doing more than one observation, you are able to compare the different ways in which people work and have a variety of research to work from.It allows us to see the topic in action and get a more live experience from the work involved. I do feel that Observations may not always be beneficiary though, as if the people know they are being observed they may adapt the way they do things and it may not be a true display of the work.
Sunday, 10 November 2013
Wednesday, 30 October 2013
Professional Ethics Findings in the Workplace
After
writing what I feel are the ethics and code of conduct within teaching dance, I
have done some research into literature and professional sources to see how my
views and opinions differ or relate to these pieces.
I found a piece on the 'NDTA website,http://www.ndta.org.uk/advice-information/dance-studio-specification ', which i feel supports my views on Health and Safety in my work place.
I do however feel that this goes into a lot
more detail and there are more categories listed that I didn't consider in my
views on professional ethics.
I found a
very interesting piece through Google about the ethics and regulations in
dance, and how this writer feels that dance doesn't create its own ethics and
that it is run and ruled by laws and regulations that have been set by those
who have no knowledge of the industry. After reading this, it has made me very
intrigued to research deeper into the political views this writer discusses and
has risen the question in my mind, 'Do Dancers follow Dance ethics, or are we
following a system that was never created for us?' The Link is below:
I also
found another great piece, written by a polish philosopher who's take on
Dancer's professional ethic differs from the piece above:
I do feel
that by researching on the internet, there is a wide range of views on what the
professional ethics are within dance. I think that this however sums up
that dance doesn't have its own professional ethics, it runs on the guidelines
of other laws and professions to create ethics. Can we build a foundation
of solid ethics on something that is so free and expressive? Who can put
a restriction on creativity? If we have to sit and think whether a piece
of choreography fits into a code of conduct, is it really a piece of expression
or merely a militarized combination of ethical movement?
Professional Ethics in the Workplace.
Professional Ethics tie in greatly with Laws and Regulations. I feel that we base our professional ethics around what we are told we have to do legally, especially when working with children as there are many do's and don'ts in this field that we must stick to strongly.
I feel that the following are some of the main ethics we apply in my work setting when teaching children to dance.
Health And Safety
We must make sure that the space we are working in is free of any hazards and that it has been checked for any sharp objects or things that could potentially harm any of the children and myself. It is ideal to have sprung floor to prevent any injuries. There must be a source of ventilation and access to drinking water within very close proximity of the studio, ideally inside. The children must all be wearing appropriate shoes for the class to prevent any injuries. The doors in the studio must also be closed during sessions, so only the adults can open them, to prevent any children getting out.
PAR - Q (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire)
Before allowing a child to join in a class, the Parent/Guardian must fill out a PAR-Q so that the teacher can know of anything that could prevent a child from doing certain activities. It should also contain the Parent/Guardians contact details in case of emergencies and state any special requirements that need to be met for the child. I feel this is very important as we can always look back at this and check, for example if a child has asthma we should let them have more rest periods and make sure they always bring their pump to class.
Music
When choosing music to play in a children's dance class, it must be age appropriate and we must have PPL Licensing to play any music in a public place. It is not appropriate to play any music with swearing or sexual innuendos within the lyrics and the music must be groomed properly before it is played in a class. This can sometimes be difficult as a lot of children these days love commercial music and you want to play songs they know and can identify as this makes their classes more enjoyable. But it is very hard to find popular commercial songs without some bad lyrics.
I feel that the following are some of the main ethics we apply in my work setting when teaching children to dance.
Health And Safety
We must make sure that the space we are working in is free of any hazards and that it has been checked for any sharp objects or things that could potentially harm any of the children and myself. It is ideal to have sprung floor to prevent any injuries. There must be a source of ventilation and access to drinking water within very close proximity of the studio, ideally inside. The children must all be wearing appropriate shoes for the class to prevent any injuries. The doors in the studio must also be closed during sessions, so only the adults can open them, to prevent any children getting out.
PAR - Q (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire)
Before allowing a child to join in a class, the Parent/Guardian must fill out a PAR-Q so that the teacher can know of anything that could prevent a child from doing certain activities. It should also contain the Parent/Guardians contact details in case of emergencies and state any special requirements that need to be met for the child. I feel this is very important as we can always look back at this and check, for example if a child has asthma we should let them have more rest periods and make sure they always bring their pump to class.
Music
When choosing music to play in a children's dance class, it must be age appropriate and we must have PPL Licensing to play any music in a public place. It is not appropriate to play any music with swearing or sexual innuendos within the lyrics and the music must be groomed properly before it is played in a class. This can sometimes be difficult as a lot of children these days love commercial music and you want to play songs they know and can identify as this makes their classes more enjoyable. But it is very hard to find popular commercial songs without some bad lyrics.
Tuesday, 22 October 2013
I believe that this article from Equity really supports the research I have been doing on performers working for free. Please feel free to comment on this subject :)
http://www.spotlight.com/news/archive/2012/07/04/equityrsquos-guide-to-the-issues-around-low-no-pay-for.aspx#.UmbMDVBJOFs
http://www.spotlight.com/news/archive/2012/07/04/equityrsquos-guide-to-the-issues-around-low-no-pay-for.aspx#.UmbMDVBJOFs
Survey
Here is a short survey I created on working for free. Would be great if you could take it. Thanks
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9F7BK6T
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9F7BK6T
Tuesday, 8 October 2013
working for free.
Having just had a short but inspirational chat with Alan Durrant, I felt I wanted to blog about this issue whilst it was still fresh in my mind. Unpaid jobs within the performing arts are on a rise and I want to explore this issue and see if i can find research that supports working for free. I have like many other performers worked on jobs for no pay, my main reason was to gain experience and network. But, how long can you work for free before you need money to pay your bills? If money wasn't an issue I would perform for free every day, as it is what I have a great passion for and I would love to do it all the time. But money is a big issue in this world, we have to have money to survive, we live in a society where money rules. So how can we justify working for free?
I found this very interesting info graphic, made by 'Jessica Hische', which I feel is mocking the idea of working for free and thought I would share it below:
I found this very interesting info graphic, made by 'Jessica Hische', which I feel is mocking the idea of working for free and thought I would share it below:
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