Online Module 1 Session - Professional/Professionalism?

Through the online session I grasped the concept that the BAPP blog should be a professional blog. Yet, the online Skype session for Module 1 provided some different avenues of thought in terms of, ‘What is a professional or professionalism?’ Defining a professional was something that we all found very problematic. Yet in the discussion, the group posed the following ideas about what makes a professional: courtesy, professional etiquette, people perceive that you are good at what you do and discipline.

What is a Professional?

Lester (2010) states that a professional, ‘makes proficient use of expert or specialist knowledge, exercises autonomous thought and judgement, and makes a voluntary commitment to a set of principles. Such a person need not be a member of an easily-defined profession or of a professional association’ (p.2).

I found the Lester (2010) paradigms of professions and professionality in Model A the traditional professional and Model B the new professional very thought provoking. In particular, the differences shown in the two models in profession, professionalism, professional standards and professional development. I firmly believe that in my current role, Model A is best fitting for my job. For example, the profession is an externally defined role; the professionalism has codes of practice; the employer defines professional standards; and professional development is centred on sustaining competence and renewing knowledge (Lester, 2010). This ‘traditional’ professional is used in the teaching profession because a governing body controls it and these are standards that I believe in and abide by every working day.

Yet, interestingly, Model B (the ‘new’ professional) sees attributes such as: professionals creating a portfolio of meaningful activities individual to each practitioner; professionalism created on shared expectations; professional standards are negotiated in accordance to values or beliefs; and professional development is an on going learning process built on reflective practice and continuous questioning and improvement. These principles, in my opinion, apply more to the BAPP course. This course will develop me professionally though the reflective aspect of the course that asks for continuous questioning and thought to improve ideas and posts. Furthermore, as students, we have shared expectations of the course that we will comply with when commenting and discussing our work by following ‘netiquette’. I was concerned about how to use a Web 2.0 and blogging professionally (and, as I mentioned in my previous post, how to present myself as a professional) however, professional Model B, suggests being a professional is not just defined by one traditional set of expectations and rules.

http://online.education.ed.ac.uk/2012/02/carl-simmons-exploring-the-affordances-of-blogging-in-the-formation-of-beginning-teachers-professional-identities/

I hope to combine the aspects of Model A (through my work place) and Model B (through my blog and study). I want to make sure I am professional in my workplace by following what is expected of me from Model A. However, I am excited about this new professionalism I will encounter in the BAPP blog because it will let me use all categorised types of Model A and B to become a better learner and developing professional.

Reference List:

Lester, S. (2010) On professions and being professional. [Internet] Available from: http://www.sld.demon.co.uk/profnal.pdf. [Accessed on 26 February 2015]