Module Three - what are you doing?

Yesterday we had a discussion with a focus on what people are doing in module three. It was great to hear from some of you about the fields of your research and feel your passion for it coming through as you spoke.

As people shared their work we spoke about the need to address this in research terms and to find clarity in this expression. Succinctly being able to say what the field of your research is, what your questions are, what your approach is, what methods you are using to explore your questions through this approach... Do go back to your module two proposal and significantly the feedback you received and make sure you are approaching your research with this clarity.

At MA level there is an amount of unpacking of the terms you use that is required - this usually means abstracting the term from your immediate reference of it and understanding it more fully in a wider context before applying it to the context of your own research.

 

Those in module three, do use your blogs now for practicing articulating with clarity what it is that you are doing!!

 

Please do comment here with your blogs on this for ease of finding each other to continue the conversations. 

Sunday Discussions

 What a great start to our Sunday Discussion groups this term!!

Thank you to all who contributed to the discussion around Knowledge, information and learning, I really appreciate your bravery and vulnerability, the space you held for each others learning, thoughtfulness, not-knowing-ness (made up words are up there with rambling...all good!). 

My word thoughts from these conversations:  

 

Please do share your thoughts and reflections in whatever form you choose to take these conversations on further through your own blogs - comment here, click, read, comment and follow each other!!

        independence

 

                                    wisdom

 

                    bodies of knowledge                         choices

 

                transmission             -             transaction

 

        (in)             process

 

                                                    abandon

 

                (un)prepared      

                                             un-prepared-ness

                fluid                              non-static

 

 

                        audience

                                    expectation -                     assumption

            reflection

 

                                unconcious bias

 

                                                                questioning

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Sunday MAPP community discussion

This weekend we are looking forward to the first Sunday MAPP community discussion of the term.

2000-2100 (UK) Sunday Sept 26 on zoom (link in the folder on unihub MAPP ACI page)

These sessions are for all students across all MAPP programmes, across all modules to come together and enjoy the opportunity to share experiences in conversation with each other. 

Each session has a frame, a concept or provocation shaping it - this Sunday it is the relationships between Knowledge, Information and Learning that will be the frame of our discussions. 

The idea is that you give some thought to the frame of the conversation ahead of the session and come with some ideas to contribute, questions to pose. The sessions are facilitated by one of the MAPP Programme team, but are essentially a space for you all to engage in conversation, enjoying the rare opportunity to come together as a rich global community of practitioners in the arts!

Please don't come with the intention of 'listening to what others have to say' if you all do that there is no conversation!! These sessions are not lectures. These discussions are not recorded -  we encourage you to actively engage with each other not be experts in what you offer to the conversation...

 

 

Module Two - Mapping Research Ideas

 Today we had a session with Module Two students beginning to map ideas for research. 

We outlined the module in terms of the different components it is comprised of:

Identifying your area for proposed research

Literature review - mapping the field of the area through existing published material, debate, scholarship, art work

developing your research questions - what are you actually setting out to explore? (rather than questions to seek direct answers to)

Looking at the approach you will take (methodology) and how you will explore these questions (methods)

Considering the ethical implications of the research you propose

Considering what you will do with all the data - what are your plans for analysis

Proposing a Gantt chart - a timeline for the 12 week period of the research

 

Those that were a part of this conversation shared some initial ideas for inquiry and we spoke about the need for these ideas to be within your professional practice and have relevance to the title of your MA degree.

 

Students in the conversation and those that were unable to be with us in real-time, please do blog your thoughts around areas for inquiry - comment below with the link to your blog on this so that we can continue supportive conversations as you map your fields.

This session was recorded and will be available on your MAPP ACI prigramme page on unihub within 24hrs

Module One Recognition of Prior Learning

 On Tuesday we had a session with Module One students focused on the Recognition of Prior Learning Claim (RPL). Those that were a part of this session do blog your thoughts around your Areas of Learning and comment here with your blog post on this so that we can continue the conversations...

 

As a summary :

The RPL claim is worth 80 credits of your MA

- The RPL claim is comprised of a series of Area Of Learning Essays (AOLs) usually 4 short essays (2,000 words) but this is to be discussed and agreed with your supervisor.

- The Area Of Learning essays (AOLs) should critically reflect on areas of your prior learning that you identify as being significant within shaping your current professional practice. 

- AOL titles should nto be job roles/titles, but dig deeper to reveal your learning experiences that may and often are present through many 'roles' you occupy.

- AOLs are expected to engage with extended research - through the essay you are encouraged to reflect on your own experiences in relationship with scholarship in the area of your learning - we talked about this being a way of contextualising and expanding the conversation of your own experiences rather than looking for literature to 'support' you own thinking. You are expected to reference a minimum of three scholars/texts for each AOL essay.

The process is to spend some time thinking, annotating your CV, thinking some more and arriving at the AOL titles you think you would like to expand into essays. You should share these AOL titles with your supervisor (via an email or in conversation through a supervison) to discuss them. 

You work on drafting the first AOL you choose to write and send this draft to your supervisor by the deadline published on your schedule, to initiate a feedback discussion on your work. From this feedback and clarity of understanding of the structure and content of the AOL you go ahead and write the others - you do not send a draft of each AOL for feedback, but trust yourself at this point to write.

The RPL claim (all the AOL essays you are submitting this term) is submitted with the RPL claim cover sheet, outlining your claims on November 8th. 

For progressing students in Module Two and Three this term with outstanding credit to claim through AOLs, please not this is also the date for you to submit this term. 

The RPL claim is submitted on Unihub on your MAPP ACI Programme Page and a copy of the RPL claim cover sheet emailed to your supervisor.

This session was recorded and will be uploaded to your MAPP ACI page in unihub later today (22.9.2021)

Rhythms - Change

 I've been thinking a lot about how important feeling in rhythm with our lives is. For me, I notice and feel uneasy when things feel too separated or become disjointed. I know I need to find a rhythm with all the things that I am doing in order to feel balanced and in a good flow.

As the new term starts and we all find ourselves reviewing workloads, juggling commitments and trying to make space for new adventures and learning we can feel a little overwhelmed. Over the week ahead I suggest thinking about how you make space for your learning, through the MA and through your practice and begin to feel in rhythm with this term. 

Noticing when you're most productive for doing - physical practice, when your thinking happens, how you note, or observe that (formally or informally), noticing when anxiety rises or panic sets in and looking at how to quieten that to focus on what you can do maybe rather than what you can't. 

The MA programmes have grown from an embodied perspective - you'll notice through the handbooks that this is the stance we are advocating through this study. An embodied perspective sees 'things' in relationship with each other, so we are suggesting at a fundamental level that you begin to see your 'practice', 'work', 'home life' in relationship with each other not as seperate entities that may manifest as conflict for you, with time management for example. 

As we move through week 2 and you settle into the term, try to take ownership of your learning, the rhythms you move in to find balance in your study-practice, connect with others via the blogs, with your supervisor, actively make space for your learning now.

what are your thoughts?

A note on Finance communication

 Some of you are expressing difficulty in reaching our finance team - please note the following information:

Mdx Finance no longer responds to students vie e-mail, but you should put an enquiry to them through UniHelp. Please find below a link to where information can be found reagarding this:
https://unihub.mdx.ac.uk/support/fees-payments-funding

Also forwarding you a link with information for EU/UK postgraduate students & finance. Follow the link below to view which payment plans are available
https://unihub.mdx.ac.uk/support/fees-payments-funding/fees/postgraduate-fees-and-finance

If you wish to arrange a payment plan there is a link to a Form, which needs to be filled out to request a payment plan. Linking this here additionally as well:
https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=iHvjOKGjz0ifBWU3Qn_tJLV01vNnP1VJmdQl-iHj-FFUNTgxRFRBR0pJMElTUFExNzVWTjFUWklUMC4u

If you need help navigating your way to UniHelp and generally finding your way around Unihub please do use the drop- in sessions later today from 1630- 1730  or Wednesday 1000-1100 (UK)

http://helenkindred.blogspot.com/2021/09/unihub-and-drop-in-sessions-this-term.html

Module One

 Today we had a zoom session with a Module One Focus - I am aware some of you did not have access to the Unihub page in time and so sadly missed the session - PLEASE DO NOT PANIC - You should all be enrolled by the end of the day. 

The session was a discussion and we are going to blog things that were spoken about and our thoughts around them now as a way of continuing the conversations - 

Those that were a part of this discussion session please do comment here with your thoughts and a link to your blog related to this discussion so that people can find you!!

Some thoughts for me from this discussion which was centred on communicating, articulating, sharing your Professional Practice (not your job role);

Empowering others

Commuincation

Connections

Peer Support 

Community Support

World through movement

Life practice

Life-long learning

Not Knowing

Being in Process

Reflecting

 

We spoke about the relationship within this module between your Claim for Recognition of Prior Learning (which you work on first) and identifying Areas of Learning that feel significant in the way that you think about and experience your practice, and the Reflective Essay which comes at the end of the module, where you are reflecting on your learning journey through this first term of study.  

Themes of not being pocketed into identities, not assuming we are fixed in or by the things we do, learning as transformational came up. 

 

What other thoughts emerge for you when you think about your professional practice and your Self?

Meet your Programme Team

Today is the last of our Welcome back activities and you have the opportunity to meet your MAPP programme team. If you attended the Welcome Induction sessions earlier in the week you will know we have expanded our academic team this year and we welcome Dr Mike Dines to the team and continue to benefit from Angela's contribution to the programme. 

At our session today, 1300 (UK) Myself, Angela and Mike will share our areas of practice-research with you in conversation, giving an insight into what we all do, the artistic approaches we take, where our research is taking us. Hopefully there will be some moments of interest and prompting of questions for you in the discussions we may have with you all moving forward into this term. 

You will hear from your Supervisors today also to being to make contact for the term, and should ensure by the end of this week that you have the MAPP calendar dowloaded from UniHub, your Study Plan for this term, and your module handbook for the module you are in now. 

Link for this afternoon:  

1300-1400 (UK/BST)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://mdx-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/92754257389?pwd=Qms0WkFzcWt0bldFa2hZdUhDTG1ydz09

Meeting ID: 927 5425 7389
Passcode: 295181

Unihub and drop-in sessions this term

 

Great to see so many of you at our Welcome/Welcome Back sessions today and looking forward to seeing more of you at tomorrow's session at 1700. 

As we get started this term Teresa our Graduate Academic Assistant will be offering a Unihub Tour (via zoom) to help you navigate your way more easily through the platform, find the resources you need and signpost you to other services within the university that may be of support to you in your study. 

This session will run on Thursday Sept 9 and 1200 and is repeated 1700 (UK)

 

Topic: UniHub Tour - Thursday 12 AM & 5PM  

Time: Sep 9, 2021 12:00 PM & 05:00 PM London 

 

Join Zoom Meeting 

https://mdx-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/99334157926?pwd=Z1lMbmRKSE03QnF6QVNNVzdlc2hUUT09 

 

Meeting ID: 993 3415 7926 

Passcode: 724927 

 

This is followed by a series of drop-in sessions over weeks 1 and 2 of this term as you settle in for you to ask any questions that may be admin related, unihub related etc..  Do take advantage of these and drop-in to see Teresa if you have quick questions that are not really the focus of a tutorial with your supervisor.

 

The drop-in sessions will be open on zoom Mondays 1630-1730 and Wednesdays 1000-1100

Topic: BAPP/MAPP Drop in Session - Monday
Time: 16:30- 17:30

Join Zoom Meeting
https://mdx-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/98412779872?pwd=Tm1SdDdBVlFuQzY2OWxpc2lsVmVJdz09

Meeting ID: 984 1277 9872
Passcode: 586809

Dates: 13th, 20th of September 16:30- 17:30

 

Topic: BAPP/MAPP Drop in Session - Wednesday

Time: 10:00 - 11:00

 

Join Zoom Meeting 

https://mdx-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/93777636780?pwd=aHY0ci91VHNGc0dzNW9qRzc0WWk2dz09 

 

Meeting ID: 937 7763 6780 

Passcode: 182326

Dates: 15th, 22nd of September 10:00- 11:00 

 

 

 

To note, beyond this week your zoom links for sessions will be in the folder at the top of the MA Professional Practice ACI Hub page on Unihub - do make sure you can access this page as this will be where you will need to go this term for most information including submitting work at the end of term, familiarise yourselves this week while you're less busy with study!

 

MAPP ACI Programmes Hub

Welcome Week

 Hello, hoping you all had summers that were what they needed to be for you!

Term starts back on Sept 13 and we have our Welcome Week activities next week -

While these sessions are aimed at new students joining our community in Module One, you are warmly invited to attend also. The Welcome/Induction sessions on Monday / Tuesday will be a great way to meet new students and staff, refresh your memory of the Programme's aims and expectations and have a chance to take a short tour around our new MA Professional Practice ACI Programmes Hub on Unihub - this will now be the one-stop place for all students across the MA Professional Practice community (MAPP DTP, MAPP Dance, MAPP SS, MAPP AP and MAPP CIP programmes). It is where you will go now to find zoom links for our on-line sessions, each others blogs, book tutorials, access library and wider university resources and support and to submit your work at the end of the term.

Later in the week we are running a session 'Meet your Programme Team' to offer a chance to get to know the areas of practice and research of your supervisors and meet new staff as we expand our Programme team. 

Sessions are as follows: time in UK (BST) repeated to accomodate time zones and schedules please come to one session that works for you!

Induction

6/9/21 – 10.00-11.00

Zoom:

Topic: MAPP Welcome Meeting (1)

Time: Sep 6, 2021 10:00 AM London

 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://mdx-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/92749628061?pwd=VHJONUZ4dGtjWG5SVzJvOTBGY3VhUT09

 

Meeting ID: 927 4962 8061

Passcode: 013319

 Induction

7/9/21 – 17.00-18.00

Zoom:

Topic: MAPP Welcome Meeting (2)

Time: Sep 7, 2021 05:00 PM London

 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://mdx-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/99790594786?pwd=VE4vSm1FZ0lmSzNhWGc3Z2Mzd1pVUT09

 

Meeting ID: 997 9059 4786

Passcode: 212687

 

 

Meet Your Programme Team

 

10/9/21 – 13.00-14.00

Zoom:

Topic: MAPP Meet Your Programme Team

Time: Sep 10, 2021 01:00 PM London

 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://mdx-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/92754257389?pwd=Qms0WkFzcWt0bldFa2hZdUhDTG1ydz09

 

Meeting ID: 927 5425 7389

You will receive an email from your Supervisor toward the end of next week with the full schedule for the term ahead, updated Module Handbook (please refer to this for accuracy of dates and information not anything you may have downloaded last term) and Study Plan for the new term. 

 

Looking forward to the term ahead!

 

Helen