Task 3d - Critical Questions

Do some specific ideas emerge about your networking and sources?
Networking is a huge tool that builds our relationships with those in the industry, I need to find those networks that have already been through what I want to go through, the transition of two totally different careers. It is vital I develop my networking skills using the tools I have learnt to build more networks for my future employment.

Does your engagement to date seem appropriate?
I feel as part 3 of the module my focus was less on this than the other two parts, I think this may be because I saw 'Networking' and thought 'well I already know how to do that' turns out when looking into the theories and understanding them more I was far from where I thought I was... I am very much a planner and I think the planning can sometimes overtake the actual task, What I should be doing is focusing on the work rather than focusing on the perfect plan. Networking is a very similar concept to the engagement I should have on tasks, forget the planning of networking- just go out and do it!

Are your ideas or concerns shared by others within and/or beyond your professional area of work?
Blogging is the biggest answer to this question, it is nice to see that others feel the same concerns you have and aren't afraid to share them...being able to use Web 2.0 and view the blog as well as create the information (sharing comments) is so useful to add extra bits of knowledge and concepts you many have missed. Reading beyond the BAPP blogs and into blogs created by others studying similar concepts within our course has massively opened up my mind to new concepts missed by myself when researching.

Does sharing ideas and communicating with others shift your thinking, planning or practice?
Before the module I never thought blogging could help me learn even more, but by reading others blogs I sometimes question my own blog, which then creates a debate in my head which in turn creates another blog for myself. Communication with others is so important as highlighted in Reader 3 - Community of practice and Connectivism - and it is this interaction with others that creates an extended learning base. Commenting on others blogs also allows me to share my ideas and perhaps change or influence their ideas of practice. 

Does critical reflection help you decide what really matters and the actions to take?
If i didnt take a critical approach to why things work and why things don't then there would be no improvement for future success, by analysing deeply I can work out the correct approach so I think before thinking about critical reflection I was definitely a lot more comfortable with failure than I am now. Everything I do now I seem to refect on, this is something that has become more apparent by writing my personal journal, I have had a reason to write a journal and this in turn has made me approach things I wouldn't normally look into.

To what extent do concepts and theories assist you in thinking about your professional networking in different ways?
Before undertaking this BAPP course I had very little understanding of the concepts of professional networking, I felt I knew what it was but the theories behind it were completely new to me, now that I have an understanding of the theories I can already advance from the ideas I already subconciously use to the more advanced theories of professional networking thus in turn increasing my knowledge on the networks I have yet to discover.

Are you left thinking differently prior to this part of the module? How?
This is the question I feel most confident to answer, as already mentioned above the new concepts of professional networking introduced to me have facinated me on how important professional networking is for a the basis of a sucessful career. By actually framing in on what networks I use and the sources I have I feel I have the correct actions in place now by using tools of reflection to develop the networking process in my current and future practices. The tasks have allowed me to give myself time to focus more in depth on my skills through the networking process, without the sessions that Paula and Adesola delivers to us I wouldn't have the same thinking as I have now. I already feel a great sense of learning achievement throughout the module and especially the new networking concepts. Looking back through my private journal reflects these feelings of knowing nothing to feeling confident enough to make blogs on the subjects.

The next part of this task is to make comments on others blogs, I thought the best way to do this would be to wait for people to upload blogs on this part of the module and then collabaroate all these comments into one large blog. Whilst waiting for this I am going to research into other forums and blogs relating to the concepts the tasks have covered and try and share my thoughts through comments on these new blogs that I have not come across before.