What does professionalism mean to you?

One of the discussion points that Paula raised in our Skype session was 'What does being professional mean to you?'

This is something that I have never really thought about but for the past few years I have openly said I am a 'professional dancer'. I decided to actually see what the definition of professional is- 

I feel this is quite a board definition. You may have the qualifications and skills to be able to engage in an activity as a paid occupation but I feel that many other skills are appropriate in stating you are a professional. To explore these ideas I have chosen to explore a new web 2.0 based technology that I have not used before called 'Prezi'. I came across this from a blog by a primary school teacher, Ashley Azzopardi (2012) who gives a list of web 2.0 tools that can be used for effective learning within the classroom. 

As my career plan is to go into primary teaching I feel now is the appropriate time in becoming equipped with the use of new technology tools. I have found it quite stressful but have a real sense of achievement as I pursued through and completed my first presentation. Please use the link below to check it out (caution: it is rather rough around the edges, but it is my first attempt!) 

http://prezi.com/apfk4e_obt0n/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

I think is a fantastic web 2.0 tool that I think I will continue to develop through out my practice. 

Communication:

Factors that effect my communication?

• Audience
• Effectiveness
• Time 
• Cost

Taking into consideration what professionalism means to me I think my communication is greatly effected by who my audience is . Is it a fellow professional/peer, parent, or pupil?

I always want to keep a professional relationship and as there is a blurred line with social media (as discussed in other blogs) of professional/personal use. I would personally choose not to use a web 2.0 professional communication technology to communicate with pupils. 

In terms of my practice I am using the web 2.0 a lot for communication with peers and tutors because of the nature of the course but I will always consider my use of language to keep things professional. 

So far I have already been opened up to the world of web 2.0. I have created a blog, used Skype, developed my skills further with YouTube, and Prezi. I am discovering there is a whole other world out there beyond Facebook, twitter and Instagram and I am interested to see what other tools i discover and how I can effectively use these communication technologies in my practice.