Obviously I had heard of social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc) but until my research into this task with the help of Reader 1 in our manuals, I didn't know the platform name and collective umbrella for all theses forms of communication is web 2.0
I have decided to do a separate blog about web 2.0 as now I want to learn more and develop my knowledge further in to the different web platforms.
So, what does Professional communication technologies mean to me as as dancer & dance teacher...... pretty much everything apart from actually carrying out the work myself, this is something i didn't quite realise until now. The mere fact I am able to complete my degree only needing to visit my university once a term is remarkable at how far technology has come.
Firstly I shall explore some aspects I have picked up through being a Professional dancer about professional communications.
The moment you post about yourself on any social media platform, you open yourself up to the public, whether your receive support or criticism you're out there, many factors such as audience, content of post and if its the right form of communication all need to be taken into consideration if you're trying to use social media to help progress your career.
As soon as I graduated (probably should have been done before as the public can scroll back a long way, ever found yourself on your friends mums sisters Facebook page at 2am when you cant sleep looking at their holiday pics from 2014?) anyway I took this as the opportunity to filter what content I would post on my Facebook page, I knew potential employers & colleagues would be judging me by my content and pictures on my page. So i started to use it as a way of promoting myself. Even if we weren't 'friends' on Facebook i would make sure the public content was suitable, by having a profile picture of me working on a recent dance job instantly made me more appealing to prospective employers. I was careful never to post anything too controversial on my wall, keeping things always upbeat and positive, it may have posed me in a slightly unrealistic light, but we all have those friends on Facebook who post things which probably should have remained private and i didn't want to be one of those!
However, what an excellent tool it has now become, I have gained many jobs through the power of social media, through commenting on a job post asking for more details, or sending a private message straight to the person posting. It allows you to instantly have access and communication without the lengthy process of having to meet a casting director or producer for the job. A few times I have seen a job post for that same evening, last minute cover for a dance gig, I am able to send my pictures, showreel and CV. I then got the job without meeting the agent or client beforehand. I think this has started to happen because everything is so fast paced now and people need things done instantly.
For example, at one time all dance contracts were given through the audition process. This meant most weekdays I spent on the train up and down to London for auditions at either Pineapple dance studios or Dance Attic which was costly as I live in Portsmouth and I expect costly to the company's auditioning, with room hire to pay as well as their own travel and accommodation.
This however has developed through professional communications especially for the smaller companies. Now they require a show reel of you dancing, this used to be a tool used to decide if you would be chosen to attend the audition, now it is a tool to decide whether you get the job or not! This saves both of you time and money not having to attend an audition in person, it can all be done through a youtube video.
I regular post pictures when on dance jobs, on both Instagram and Facebook, I include the venue, the event and the company I am working for, this not only show my prospective employers that I am regularly working, but it helps to promote whoever I am working for. I do however try to be very unbiased with my posts as this could have a detrimental effect at gaining employment with different companies and you cant really afford that when your'e a self employed dancer.
As a dance teacher you need to be even more careful when using Professional Communication Technologies.
The content available to you is amazing, from sample lesson plans, Pinterest ideas on teaching methods to discussion forums for any problems you may be having. I use youtube as a research tool for music and choreography ideas, or when teaching a new syllabus i search for anyone who has already done it, to watch how the exercises should be performed.
However with teaching privacy online is a major factor to consider. many times i think something that my students are doing in class, or some choreography were working on would make an excellent photo, but I cant take it without having pre-consent from every parent that its ok to not only take the picture but to be able to use it online. This hinders my teaching career slightly as I cant always post videos of dances we have created which would show off my teaching and choreography skills.
There is a difference between dance school and primary school. I have many parents of my dance school students as friends on Facebook, as it is a very sociable platform. They tag me in things their child has done to do with dancing, and I can use it as a way to instantly communicate with them so time is not wasted in classes, having to stay behind and discuss. However I try to hide my profile from students i teach at primary school. I feel this gives me more of a professional presence and I wouldn't feel comfortable with students knowing everything about my private life.
Web 2.0 is an excellent way of advertising your business as mentioned before, I always tag whoever I am working so I am helping to promote their business. I have also done advertising through local buy and sell community pages, to gather interest for either a new class starting or to promote an event. This always seems to work as your'e posting directly to the community you want to participate. They can comment and you can provide instant feedback and information. Again i think this is all in the nature of the fast paced instant world we now live in.
Participation with Professional Communication is the key to using it successfully. Smart phones now make it accessible on the move wherever you are, as long as there is wifi or phone signal!
People have different levels of participation. Some just use it purely for informative purposes. The don't have anything really to self promote and like to remain private, but also enjoy seeing what others are up to and being able to access information on things they're interested in. Others are the publishers and the ones opening up those discussions, posting about their lives on a day to day basis. I have found the more i participate and use the tools the more i learn and my circle of networks grow. Using the communication platforms I am finding and adding myself to groups with hints and tips on things I am interested in. Which in turn has meant through the powers of Facebooks search engine it has now tailored my profile into suggesting things that also may interest me. All the accounts I follow on Instagram and Twitter personally interest me, so i keep using them more and more.
I am part of teaching groups for ideas on lesson plans or how to handle a situation in class, as all these people have experience and knowledge in the exact same field as you. By using hashtags helps direct others to subjects they may also find interesting and open your profile up to more than just your friendship circle.
I believe this has started happening due to a few factors;
The more people that post the more people comment and the more thoughts provoked so they post etc and the circle continues and more people follow suit. We are all doing it, just in different ways. My Grandmother, who once was so against technology she refused to have the television on before the 6 O'clock news, now enjoys spending many afternoons wasting time watching youtube videos on things that interest her and expanding her knowledge on hobbies she would like to develop.
I believe this will only keep growing as long the internet keeps providing us with things we are interested in or have an opinion on they we are all hooked!
I already have an Instagram account in which I post daily about things i'm doing, I have also set up one just for my journey through this course.
