This document provides an overview of the Module 1 sessions on professional communication for the BAPP Arts course. It discusses the key topics of professional communication, reflective practice, and professional networking. It outlines the tasks students will complete, including creating a professional profile, using various communication technologies, and maintaining learning blogs. It also summarizes some of the readings from Module 1, including ideas about architectures of participation, remixable data, and harnessing collective intelligence using Web 2.0 platforms. Discussion points focus on defining professionalism, using ideas from the readings, developing CVs, and sharing blogs.

1. Module 1 Sessions BAPP Arts
Theme Part 1: Professional Communication
Dr Paula Nottingham BAPP Arts 22/2/16

2. Professional
communication is the
1st topic in Module 1
(WBS3730).
It has a lot on common
with the other topics in
Module 1
reflective practice
and
professional
networking
At the end of the module you will be
summarising/synthesising your thinking about
these 3 topics when thinking about your practice
Key words:
communication
professional
language
audience

3. From the Module 1 Handbook
• Part 1 Professional Communication Technologies ..................................... 12
• Ethical Considerations ................................................................................ 13
• Overview of Tasks for Part 1 – Professional Communication Technologies 13
• TASK 1a: Professional profile ...................................................................... 13
• TASK 1b: Professional communication technologies ...................................14
• TASK 1c: Audio-visual ................................................................................... 14
• TASK 1d: 2d images ....................................................................................... 14
• Summary of tasks for Part 1 .......................................................................... 15
Tasks are there to help you go through the materials – they are not
marked but the blogs = writing/ideas/mages/links that you do can be
used as evidence of your thinking in the final submission.
In Part 2 reflective practice you will also be doing a private journal to
add to your thinking on the public learning blog – but you can start now
collecting things – and many are starting to take notes of interesting
ideas – so part of the journal thinking about connections.

4. From the Module 1 Reader 1
• Different positions and interpretations (the discourses) ................... 3
• 1. Architectures of participation ........................................................... 3
• Other readings of interest
...................................................................................... 5
• 2. Remixable data and transformations ............................................... 5
• Further reading
.................................................................................................. 6
• 3. Harnessing collective intelligence ................................................... 6
• Further reading
.................................................................................................. 8
The Readers have ideas to help you think about the
three main topics – so Reader 1 has ideas about
professional communication/social media/Web 2.0. You
can also Google and use the library’s Summon tool for
finding interesting ideas that relate to Module 1…

5. What does professionalism mean to you and how
does this affect your communication?
Discussion about CVs or blog introductions….
http://paulanottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/modules-1-1st-campus-
and-online.html
A great sources for defining what it means to be a ‘professional’
http://devmts.org.uk/profnal.pdf Lester (2015)
A music Teacher’s perspective for being a professional
http://www.thecuriouspianoteacher.org/home/being-professional-the-
characteristics-of-a-profession
And further a field – creative professionals ‘out there’ – how do they
interact online (communication links to networking)
http://www.theguardian.com/culture-professionals-
network/2016/feb/05/how-should-we-support-creativity-susan-jones

6. In your own words…
How do ideas, e.g. Reader 1 or others you have
found, help your evaluate your own practice?
Professional + communication – your own definitions
for both? How do they go together? What do others
say?
What is Web 2.0? How does it operate in your
professional practice?
Why should you and others on the BAPP Arts course
know about it in terms of communication?

7. What is Web 2.0?
Why should we know about it?
Tim
O’Reilly……
tries to explain
what Web 2.0
is so that we
will understand
how we want to
engage with it.
The ‘inventor of the web’ Tim Bernes-Lee is
another good source.
http://webfoundation.org/about/sir-tim-berners-lee/

8. http://www.
bbc.co.uk/gu
ides/z9r72hv
#zyf8d2phttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/courtney-price/netiquette-
pointers-for-social-media-users-and-bloggers_b_7786356.html
Netiquette: Pointers for Social Media Users and
Bloggers - most are very aware of being online
BBC Bitesize netiquette

9. Siemens says we can apply principles to our activities - Principles of
Connectivism (Siemens, 2005). How do they relate to BAPP Arts?
1. Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions – BAPP Arts network
offers differing ways of seeing the world
2. Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information
sources – the web has many links to expertise
3. Learning may reside in non-human appliances – computers!
4. Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known – using
ideas to think about our experience and practice
5. Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning
– engaging with each other and those on the web
6. Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill -
awareness of disciplinarily, interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity – we work in
sectors but our knowledge can be organised as we need
7. Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist
learning activities - changing notion of knowledge – learning for the moment and
future
8. Decision-making is itself a learning process - Making choices for professional
practice and the coursework for BAPP Arts
Siemens, G. (2005) 'Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age', International Journal of
Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 3-10.

10. 3 main ideas in Reader 1
1. Architectures of participation
Ullrich et al. (2008) describes this process as the
‘architecture of assembly’ where the methods by which
people access and use Web 2.0 platforms (such as
Facebook) make ‘data and functionality accessible’.
How do you use the various social media platforms like
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.?
Do you use them differently for you professional work than
you do for social or private conversations?

11. 2. Remixable data and
transformations
Valtysson (2010) suggests that the blurring of the
distinctions between the people who make media and the
people who consume it encourages people to engage and
participate in the media…
Many newspapers and television shows now
have audience participation elements. How
does this change the way that we understand
the world? How do you engage with social
media?

12. 3. Harnessing collective
intelligence
One of the many studies into the effectiveness of Web 2.0 in building
and developing communities (Feenberg & Bakardjieva 2004)
identified that Web 2.0 allowed communities to develop beyond their
‘existing professional networks’ and offer a ‘social space for people,
strangers and almost strangers with diverse backgrounds to come
together as equals, as generators of ideas, to deliberate and act
collectively’ (Feenberg & Bakardjieva 2004, p. 38).
Where do you find your ‘collective
intelligence’ on the web?
Does the web help us understand global
issues? Local issues?

13. Back to the ‘future’ M1 blogs
Adesola’s tutor blog
http://adesolaa.blogspot.co.uk
And website
http://www.dancingstrong.com

14. Discussion points from the 1st session:
1. Blogs – the first part of Module 1 is in the first 3 weeks but the 3
themes go on throughout the study period – you choose when but
the blogs go into the work that is presented at the end (in your online
portfolio).
2. Look at others’ blogs as a reference and for conversations
3. Professional communication – is it just online or is face-face
interaction/performance still important in your work?
4. Personal space (e.g. FB) versus public professional online?
5. Employers Googling you – is it fair that they use your online presence
for decisions about your professional work?
6. Using ideas – use ideas form Reader 1 and simply use the author’s
names and dates when you mention the ideas (the essence of
Harvard referencing)
7. If you have some ideas you need to look up – try Summon in the
university Library – it works a lot like Google
8. Comment on others blogs – the blog list is up on Paula’s blog and on
the BA Professional Practice Arts (135W99X) site.

15. Discussion points from the 2nd session>
1. This new way of working can be a bit daunting – but it can also bring
a sense of liberation – as you are at the centre – you can develop
your ideas about your work in the way that you want to
2. Ideas are at the centre of the course – use the Readers, Google, or
use ideas from your experience – relate what you do to the ideas in
Reader 1 and the Reading list (online) because applying the ideas is
how they come alive
3. Many have not been taught to do a CV – or have just done
performance CVs - you might need to try a different way of formatting a
CV if you are doing something different – like teaching
4. Hyperlinks to the sources – yes you can go to these and read the
originals – or go online on the Reading list – you probably won’t have
time to read all of these sources! But try a few. You might also have
some good sources to share!
5. Tasks and blogs are not marked separately – so experiment and
share. Waiting to put up your blog is fine in these first couple of weeks
as you are figuring out what your bog should look like.
6. Talk to others on the course in M2 or M3 about BAPP Arts!