Initial thoughts ethics reader 5

Ethics blog

In this blog I will record my initial thoughts and reactions to the ethics reader and consider,  in turn , the ethics of my own professional inquiry.  

Working with children, ethics is considered in everyday situations, for example in module one I thought about the ethics of data protection and if I was to write about I certain situation, how could I do that ethically? 

Of the case studies presented in this reader the one I feel had the most significant response for was the photograph.  Imagining myself in that position was extremely hard to do and at first I found it hard to approach this objectively as an emotional response was inevitable.  I cannot imagine the guilt Kevin Carter must have felt, did his personal ethics out way his professional ethics in the end? I found myself wondering how many times he must have re lived that situation in his head and what he would have done differently. 

So using the theories presented in the reader I tried to look at it from an objective analytical point of view and see all sides to the event.  From a consequentialist  perspective perhaps there are many more outcomes to be considered.  It could be suggested that by adhering to instructions given and not touching the girl, he could have saved many others from the spread of epidemic.  The 'greater good' perspective could be achieved from this angle, he sacrificed one to potentially save more than that.   Also did the photograph highlight need for aid in the area? Did it's dramatic, Shocking and very memorable image inspire anyone to help others suffering in the same way the girl had? His professional ethics and strong ethos to simply observe where clearly in play here, I do not know what his personal beliefs were, who he was as a person but I can only imagine it was a difficult decision with lots to consider.  From the perspective of a deontologist Kevin Carter was wrong not to interfere and potentially save a life.  It really is a struggle for me to agree or disagree with either one which is why I chose to blog about this, I would like to know where other people stand on this case.  

Thinking about my own personal ethics and virtues, I am a nurturing person, in college I was awarded the 'Class Mother' award as I always stepped in to look after someone should they need it.  I feel I have a very strong maternal instinct and because of this, I thoroughly enjoy my work with children, teaching and nurturing education or artistic development is something I find incredibly rewarding.  If I had been taking the photograph I know that this part of my personality would have been very hard to ignore and my personal ethics are a big part of my professional ethics.  The safety and well being of any class I am a part of is an imperative part of my job.  I suppose this highlights for me why my inquiry is taking the route that it is.  Understanding how I can better implement or aid the implementation of inclusion is something that both my personal and professional ethics can encompass.  Securing a better future for all children can only be a good outcome and I sincerely hope through this process I can understand this further.  

So ethics in regards to my inquiry.  The main discovery I have made recently is that observing a drama therapy session is not possible.  I was a little disappointed at first as originally I had thought that would be a fascinating way to see drama therapy in action.  But thinking now and taking to the time to understand why, I think it comes down to a question of who it would benefit. Observing a session for children who may have educational needs could be detrimental to their participation in the session. A lot of children with learning barriers do not react well to strangers or any degree of change, Just by being in the room I could be inhibiting their own involvement and making them feel uncomfortable.  Not to mention the fact that data protection may be an issue also.  Drama therapist often work in delicate situations with children who not only have educational needs but also who have suffered abuse and trauma of some kind.  Obviously it would be incredibly inappropriate for me to witness any of this as the privacy of these children would be violated.  There's is simply no reason for me to know any private information.  So observing a class would not really benefit my inquiry because I wouldn't be seeing a true representation and it could harm the progression and development of the participants.  With this all in mind I feel the best way to conduct my inquiry would be through the process of interviews with experienced professionals .  In interviews I can ask my questions to someone who knows the field and physically has experienced what it is I wish to know.  It can ease the issues of data protection too as complete anonymity could also be an option.  By using the interview process I can make sure that no one is harmed in my inquiry, that I am not placing the participants of drama therapy in a uncomfortable and harmful position.  

I feel like this is a big step forward in the planning of my inquiry as I now have the ' how' section started. 'How' I am going to ask my questions now I just need to find the 'who'.  

This is just my first reaction to ethics, now I need to read the articles mentioned in the reader along with my own research and ensure I understand fully how my inquiry is ethical.  

McGuinness, R., 2015. Professional Ethics Module 2 , BAPP Arts WBS 3630 (Module  2) Reader  5, Middlesex University, unpublished. 

Initial thoughts on Inclusion in Education

This blog is a little preparation for my literature review. I'm just going to use this to try and piece all my notes together about what I have read so far.  Also to share this and see if anyone else is thinking similar thoughts or has any further ideas. 

Mainstream schools in England are required to follow an inclusion policy, guidelines set out by the government, the department for education .  These guidelines are to help schools understand and implement an inclusive education within their classrooms.  So what does that mean? Over the last 20 years or so, legislation has changed and been developed, now all schools are required to include children who may have SEN or other educational barriers.  The legislation also extends to children who may not speak English as a first language, children who have sensory development issues as well as emotional and behavioural difficulties.   Principally , every child has the right to an education in the school that is best for them.  There are many factors to these guidelines including also what should be done if it is deemed unsuitable for a child to be in mainstream, this occurs if it is deemed that the inclusion of a child is disturbing the education of other children.  Schools are to meet the needs of the child and actively strive towards inclusive policies and create a leaning environment that is suitable for all of its pupils. As a SEN support , I have worked in roles before one to one with a child who has, for example recently been given a statement.  Between myself, the class teacher and sometimes an educational psychologist we then figure out what is best for the child.  It is often a process of trial and error, sometimes things that have worked previously to support another child's inclusion will not work with child.  Everyone is unique and different and even if two children have a similar statement that's not to say that the same support techniques will also work n a similar way.  

The Department for Education and Skill (DFES)  says, 

' schools, local education authorities and other should actively seek to remove barriers to learning and participation.' 

So is it working? According to the DFES policy schools who have used tools provided such as the index for inclusion have seen a positive outcome.  

However it is also argued that on an evidential bases, more research  needs to be done. (G, Lindsay 2007) research in this are is complex and difficult because of the amount of variables, it is not black and white.  SEN itself covers a wide range of needs and each can present themselves  differently in each different case.  It all can be deemed individual to each child, just as each child themselves is an individual and unique.  

There is also the question of environment.  Schools themselves have been identified as 'communities of practice' ( Ainscow, Booth and Dyson 2006) with individual personalities and certain ways of doing things and implementing their own policies as well as policies from education authorities.  I would agree that this is another variable to add to the list.  Having worked through an agency and in a wide range of schools I often have to tread carefully and ensure I am familiar with the school's identity in order to understand my role within the already established environment.  I often think it is like moving into someone else's home.  

The other considerations include the attitudes and training history of the teacher (Lindsay 2007). How does the teacher respond to the situation, do they fully believe in the inclusion policy? Are they willing to implement it? Can they approach a situation objectively and without prejudice and discrimination? Teachers have so much to consider, so much pressure is put on levels and attainment that inclusion of a severely disruptive child could be seen as having a negative effect on the rest of that class and their learning.  So training is imperative in the need for inclusion, support is given to teachers to assure they can balance all of the needs of the classroom and ensure the quality of learning for each and every child.  Again from personal experience I have seen a wide range of teachers who have their own strategies for implementing inclusion.  

The research itself, or lack of, shows us that there are marginally positive outcomes in some studies. (Lindsay 2007) I believe the answer to this question lies within the supporting of children's rights and also our developing society and culture. Even if all the research comes back with negative results from inclusive practice, that is more likely to highlight the need for more training and an evaluation of current implementation practice rather than the need for inclusion itself.  Inclusion is a support of children's rights to a suitable, challenging and attainable education, we should be striving to reach this to support children in their future.   We should promote the attitude of acceptance within society, not just educational settings.  Children develop social skills among their peers in school, we should be encouraging and supporting this in ALL children.  We should strive towards an inclusive education because In turn I believe that this will prepare our children for an inclusive society in which all people have a role. 

Ainscow,M. ,Booth, T. ,Dyson, A., 2006. Inclusion and the standards agenda: negotiating policy pressures in England. International Journal of Inclusive Education, [online] Available at: http://www.humanities.manchester.ac.uk/medialibrary/edutest/files/cee/intern_jounal_of_ied_paper_2006.pdf [9/03/16] 

DFES,2001. Inclusive Schooling Children with Special Educational Needs. [pdf] DFES Publications. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-schooling-children-with-special-educational-needs [9/03/16]

Lindsay,G., 2007. Educational Psychology and the effectiveness of Inclusive Education/mainstream.  British Journal of Educational Psychology,[online] available at: 

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Geoff_Lindsay/publication/6411469_Educational_psychology_and_the_effectiveness_of_inclusive_educationmainstreaming/links/0c96052ce535acd711000000.pdf [16/03/16]

Drama therapy in education thoughts....

Blog

This is just a blog to document my thinking so far and see if anybody else is thinking anything similar. 

My journey through module 2 so far has been incredibly rewarding, through the process of finding out what it is I want to know I have been lead to read fascinating articles and discover things about my chosen area that I didn't even know existed.  I find that I really am enjoying the learning aspect and gaining a deeper understanding of drama as a therapy and educational tool. 

I've decided to focus my research a little more in the way of education as per my experience and what I wish to pursue in the future, I think it will be the most beneficial.  But that doesn't mean I will stop reading all of the other things I have found, simply because I enjoy learning about them.  

I don't know if anyone else would agree with this, but I feel like being involved in the performing arts is all consuming, especially when you're training and trying to find auditions and jobs etc. I have found the BAPP course almost liberating in the feeling that I have been given the chance to see this world in a different light and learn more about the million other areas that make the performing arts what they are.  I have always believed the performing arts can be used for healing and development but until now I never knew just how much. 

So with all of this information mind I want to really focus my thinking on drama therapy and it's role in education.  What can it do? How can it benefit children in school? What does it achieve? 

I have found a few research documents that actively support the role of drama therapy in education and make a very strong case for how much it is needed.  I really need to now look at these studies and articles with a more critical mindset and be objective in my analysis of them also.  

The BBC Report

In my previous blog I identified using the reader that I would like to find out how my current interest in drama as a therapy and the use of psychodrama could be linked to my professional practice.  As I'm sure everyone is the same but I find myself daydreaming about it, it is at the forefront of my thoughts as I try and piece it all together to develop a set of questions.

Then I saw this.

http://www.bbc.com/news/education-35505576

In this video children make brief statements about how the use of counselling makes them feel better.  Are children encouraged enough to talk about their feelings in school and at home?

I immediately thought, is this something that psychodrama can fix? A gap that it can bridge? Is drama therapy ever used in an educational setting?

Working in this type of environment, with children, be it a private dance school or a mainstream primary school, we always have a responsibility to not only teach, but to ensure the safety and well being of the children placed in our care.  According to this report, 1 in 5 children will have a mental health issue, could we use the practices of drama therapy and psychodrama drama to help children cope better with their environment and how it effects them, especially in education? Is it possible that the lack of safe places for children to explore their feelings is aiding towards this '1in 5' figure?

I have been reading the handbook of psychodrama and often return to this particular quote,

" psychodrama has been defined as a way of practicing living without being punished for making mistakes"  Marcia Karp - chapter 2 an introduction to psychodrama

With all of this in mind I will develop the questions I would like to ask, to fellow performers who also teach, to professionals working with arts as a therapy and to people in education.

I have often used my knowledge of drama to aid teaching, even things such as drama games to help the pupils relax and simply get to know each others names, now I am wondering how much more can be done with these tools.

First post of module 2

Here we are in module two, I can honestly say that module one went so fast and was over before I knew it, but it was a whirlwind of reflections and realisations, which I will carry with me throughout my practice and of course into this module.

One aspect which I now utilise regularly is that of reflective writing, I have found it incredibly rewarding and useful in my day to day life as well as on the Bapp course.  I have written about various situations and events and found a sense of reasoning in my writing that has often helped me to either come to a solution or just accept what happened.  Writing freely is therapeutic and I am able to see my thoughts out there in front of me, some of which don't even exist till there is a pen in my hand.  I can spot patterns and often go back over my writing to make sense of what's there and to also make some discoveries.

So in regards to reader 4 I thought the best thing for me to do would be to use my journal  to record my initial reactions and questions.  In this blog, I have gone over what I have written and pieced together my thoughts and their progressions to find out the real meaning behind my reaction to the information presented in reader 4 and how I can use it to develop my own lines of inquiry.

I'm sure everyone is thinking about their own inquiry. What do I want to know? Over the past few weeks I have been researching and looking into the use of the arts as therapy and this lead me on to drama as a therapy which in turn lead me on to psychodrama.  A truly fascinating subject which has absorbed all of my free time, I'm excited by it and what it can do.  Every time I read something, I just want to read more and learn about it.  I have started an online course in the foundations of psychotherapy in order to gain a basic understanding of some of the principles and history behind it, there is an overwhelming amount of knowledge and experience to be gained.  It takes, dedication and years, not to mention a fully accredited course be registered as a psychotherapist and/or psychodrama therapist.

I feel like over that time between module one and module two I may have gotten a little carried away with this and I am extremely glad to be able to use the reader 4 as a map which can put me back on the right track again.  I have always been the type of person to want to know everything about a subject that interests me.  I feel with this I have to keep in mind the big picture and stay focused on the inquiry without shifting my focus too far down a different pathway and becoming overwhelmed.

The first thing I decided to freely write about in reader 4 was the idea about different disciplines and knowledge.  My competences and capabilities, professional knowledge, what knowledge do I have? Where did it come from? My first thought was that of my performance training, definitely a discipline, also now I would class it as a type of tacit knowledge too, but the skills and techniques are a discipline.  I think it's safe to say that most people in this industry would understand that that is not enough, and you need another type of knowledge more in the way of marketing and networking.  In a professional knowledge sense, being a performer requires so much more than just the performance side of it but I think primarily the marketing and advertising of yourself is one of the most important things to be aware of.

When I think of specific roles I have had in organisations and companies I think of my life as a performer on cruise ships.  Again, just the performance knowledge is not enough.  A performer on cruise ships needs a professional workplace knowledge in the realm of safety and security which starts to be taught as soon as you board.

Then I think of my time as a teacher.  Technically,  just by being taught by others I think people are always aware of different teaching styles.  My experience in this began very early on as I was a helper at my dance school from a young age, being given small groups of children to work with.  Another thing from module one I will carry with me is the realisation that a type of intelligence I have is that of interpersonal skills, I had never really considered it an intelligence before other than I understood people very well and am usually good with people in different situations.  I noticed this also on cruise ships with passengers of all ages from across the globe.  So is my teaching capability an extension of my interpersonal intelligence, in a way, yes I think it is.  At least it definitely  helps.  I also see teaching as a type of performance art, you are forced to improvise, be creative and often rehearse material before a class.  You have to think about your audience and what type of impression you want to leave on them.  Without my performance background I don't think I would be as good a teacher, so how exactly did I learn to teach? Well aside from the the formal level three teaching assistant diploma I really think it's a mix of experience and all the other things I have mentioned.  To really be good at something, one discipline is not enough.  I think my teaching capabilities are really a combination of experience, being lucky enough to have good teachers myself, interpersonal skills, creativity and the real enjoyment of imparting knowledge of something you enjoy onto someone else. It really can feel like your passing the torch, it's a responsibility.

With all of this in mind it's time to try an connect the lines between this and my fascination for drama as a therapy.  Within an educational setting I have used drama techniques to overcome educational barriers and to provide a lesson that otherwise would have been unsuccessful.  Drama is powerful and can achieve wonderful results, I've experienced that first hand too. But I need to know more, a lot more.

Facebook group

Hi Everyone,

I've created a Facebook group for anyone who wants to join! Thought it might be useful as I'm currently away on cruise ship and thought another point of contact might be helpful in staying connected with my network.  We can share links, ask quick questions and make use of the instant messaging.

So, please feel free to add me as a friend on Facebook then I can add you to the group!

Search Facebook for Kayleigh LeMay or comment below and I will find you!

1st Tuesday of the month chat.

1st December.

Todays chat had a mix of module 1 and 2 and was very helpful for a few reasons.  Within the chat we decided what we were going to blog about, what did we learn or find useful.

We talked about was meant by the word 'appendix'.  Adesola encouraged us to think a little more actively, what did the word appendix actually mean?  The example of the medical condition appendicitis was used, yes it's useful we have them but we can also live without them quite successfully.   This helped to clarify what exactly is useful in the appendices for our Critical Reflections.  Just like our anatomical appendix, if we were to take it out the essay would still function correctly, this clarified for me what type of things I can put into the appendix section and how my main point and understanding needs to be communicated within the main body of my essay.

Another point I took from todays chat was that made by my fellow Bapp Student Lara.  She mentioned the Pomodora technique which is used to consolidate timing and ensure you are working effectively in the time frame.  I've never used anything like this before and I am eager to try.  I often struggle with timing, I don't take regular breaks then when I do they are longer than I planned! I think this will help me to stay on track and work more efficiently.  Thanks Lara!

http://tomato-timer.com

It was really interesting today to hear the module 2 students discussing their current place on the course.  It is very useful to listen to what is going to happen next, to have an indication of whats coming especially in regards to the inquiry and all the preparation involved.