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Creative and Reflective Business Practice-Coursework Name:Iva Dimitrova ID:11036953 My aims in this essay is to discuss what methods of learning I have felt in particularly successful during my first year of University and wchich areas need to be looked and improved in preperation for the next years of my studies.When I start University this year I was very curious and I didn't knew what exactely I will study in Creative and reflective business practice module.I realise that this module is very useful because is giving you an idea how academic essays should be written and how to use Harvard referencing and why working in team is very important for your future work place.In the first lecture students were asked to set three personal targets which they would like to develop throughout the module.I don't feel very confident managing my time and I needed to find ways how to use it more effectively and effeciently,writing essays and reports.I always struggling get everything done on time and I start arranging all my tasks into personal diary which really helped me keep on track with which academic texts should I focusing on first.To perform well and to be a successful student you should make deep research for all your exams and academic essays.I often concentrated reading only the textbooks from my reading list and never paying too much attention on secondary texts and recommended further reading.I think that would be really helpful for my studies and I plan to make a conscious effort to read around my subject areas more. My first assignment was a presentation groupwork and I would like to

use Gibbs' reflective cycle to explain my (Figure1)feelings,evaluation,analysis,conclusion,action plan and description. I was really excited about that because I didn't know anyone yet and that was good reason to make new friends and the task was really challenging.I work in a group with two girls named Hulia and Karolina so far we have good relation and our work together went smoothly.Our idea was to create a unique product which we could sell successfully in Tate Modern museum.Every member of the group express their opinion and we conclude is a good idea to create a hot water bottle with Picasso's image. Each participant visit our group meetings reagularly.I discovered that working as a part of a group and good team work is the key to success in design activities where time and resources are limited.As everyone had their own poin of view and many different ideas could be produced I found that group participation made me feel more energetic when contributing something.Also I discovered that even the simpliest things on earth could be turned into something amazing if you use enough creativity and effort working on it.To creat our product we use some simple materials such as cloth with Picasso's image and hot water bottle.We thought that our product was great but when we needed to presen we were very nervous.When I was standing in front of the audience I forget all my words which I wanted to say and I didn't express my thoughts very clearly.I didn't sound very confident and I think everyone in the room notice.I was embarrassed and upset of my own inability to control my nerves.We had 10 minutes to present and 5 minutes for answering questions.I was glad that we manage with the time and I think we perform very well when we needed to answer the questions asked from the tutor and the audience.We had lots of negotiations about the product,our marketing strategy and we think very carefylly what is good to say at the time of the presentation but we didn't spend much time practicing together.We met an hour before the presentation and manage to practise a couple of times but I think that wasn't enough.I

should practise more at home because that will be the only possible way how I can get used to speaking more confidently in presentations.I learned that in this type of assignmets is very important not only what you are saying but also how you behave.I think Carolina perform very well she was nervous as well but she manage to overcome her nerves.Hulia was even more nervous than me.In retrospect I should do several things different next time.My next presentation if the problem occures again with my nerves I will take a deep breath I will try to calm down and to continue.But beforehand I will make sure that I made lots of practice at home and with my group. Donald Alan Schon was an influential thinker in developing the theory and practice of reflective profetional learning in his book 'The Reflective Practitoner:how profetionals think in action'.Schon divide his understanding for reflective practice in two prosses:reflection on action and reflection in action.Schon defines reflection on action as: 'thinkig back on what we have done in order to discover how our knowing in action may have contributed to an expected outcome.We may do so after the fact,in tranquility or we may pause in the midst of action(stop and thinkig).'(Schon 1987.p.26) Reflection on action describes the prosess of reflection which takes place after the event where the practitioner makes explicit and evaluates the theories of action used to solve the problem.I am agree with this theory because when you are calm you can think about your actions.In a new situation you can experience confusion and uncertanty and after that you can evaluate what was better to do.Now I am thinkig back over the way how I perform in the presentation and I realise I didn't put enough efford to make it good enough and now I am able to see the situation differently.We said something for Tate modern,Picasso and his creation but we didn't made deep research for the product and we needed to persuade tha audience and the tutor that our product will be successful and when the customers attending the museum they has to

buy our hot water bottle.The other groups didn't paid too much attention about the history of the museum-they were more concentrated about their marketing strategy and how their idea will work out. Schon states that reflection in action is: 'When someone reflect in action,he become a researcher in the practice context.He is not dependent on the categories of establishe theory and tecnique,but constract a new theory of the unique case.His inquary is not limitted to a delibiration about means which depends on a prior agreement about ends'.(Schon,1983,p.68). Reflection in action describe the prosses when we are in a live action and we have to search for reasonable solution of given problem or task.If the problem contains an element of uncertainty or value of conflict we consciously confront our theories in order to cope with the problem and make it easier of resolution.Schon describe this process as 'reflective conversation'.''When someone reflect in action he become a researcher in the practice context''(Schon,1983).Now I would like to explain when I use the theory of reflection in action.In one of the lectures we needed to build a spagetti tower and to make it sits right without falling at least 15 seconds(I don't remeber the exact time).First of all I thought how we gonna build a tower from spagetti they they are so thin and very easily breaking Again we were divided in groups but this time we needed to work with people different from our groups which we have been before for the presentation.I really enjoyed this task because was like a competition and I find it more interesting than the presentation.Our time was limited and we have to create the tower and put on the top a small bag of chocalates.We made three levels for the tower and wraped each of them with rope to make is stable and on the bottom we put spagetti to support the tower without falling down.In this task we reflect in action because we were in a live situation and we have to make quick decicions how to build the tower.Our team was the winner because we

manage to reflect our thoughts and imagination in the spagetti tower and we had good team work together. This module help me to improve my understanding how to be successful university student and how to gain more knowledge form the lectures.Also when I get a negative feedback from the tutor I learned that I don't have to be angry and many people learn from their mistakes.