Gibbs Reflection for practical activities

To "Reflect" is to look back at what you've done and make sense of it in terms of...

What have I learned?

What do I need to do?

What more could I have done? 

Your learning is closely linked to the criteria seen in your assignments and as you learn, your work has to address this criteria. If you're aware of the criteria and its demands, you can produce your work so that it directly addresses the criteria within the Gibbs reflections. 

At the stage you're currently working with (Practical) your Gibbs reflections need to include responses to the key words and phrases seen in the criteria. 

C.M3 includes the demand that you "apply the stages and activities within the creative process fluently" Looking back at the work you've done so far, do you feel that you've understood what you've been learning  - does it make sense to you and can you see that you're working within a structured process? If so, this can be used in your Gibbs reflection. It might read something like this...

If you look at the analysis you can see that the criteria (In blue) is used in the the response and the student is demonstrating that they are aware of the criteria and have responded to it by explaining that this part of the requirements for the project is coming together. 

Another of the criteria C.D2 demands that you demonstrate innovation when applying the creative process. In order to address this, you should question in your reflection whether you've done it and, if you feel you have, you should explain how, where, and why your work is innovative.

As in the example above, use the words from the criteria in your Gibbs reflection and anlayse whether  you have demonstrated innovation in your work. This might read like this...

Again, you can see the response in the analysis includes wording (In blue) lifted direct from the criteria. The student therefore is writing up their reflection addressing these key words and phrases clarifying why their work is innovative. 

These types of responses (above) should be used in conjunction with the usual reviewing of the work in terms of...

What have I learned?

What do I need to do?

What more could I have done? 

Layout of the Decay Project (Practical).

From this assignment going forwards, it should be clear as to how you're going to layout your work. None of this is compulsory, just advised.

You now know that at the start of any project you have to research. This research is usually Photographer based and the intention is that something from the research will inspire or influence your work in some way, or enable you to understand aspects of the theme or work you'll be engaging with.

There are a number of ways that the research into the photographers can be laid out. You're no longer required to produce detailed image analysis as you have done previously. The emphasis now is dictated by the requirement to address the criteria. So in the case of this assignment you need to research and write about aspects of the photographers work that relate to Decay. Therefore, the written content can be relatively short and concise. 

It's good practice to introduce the unit with a basic description of the assignment and what's required, this can include the learning aims seen on the front of the assignment. (top left in this image).

With this assignment you've all done some really basic image research just to start the assignment and to get some basic ideas together. Use the images to start the project off. You can do this over 1 or 2 pages. *Note you should indicate that the work is not yours and that it is in fact research. Use the heading Research beneath the intro.

*Note you do not have to use a 3 column layout, 4 columns works really well and looks better a lot of the time and allows more images per page (See below). 

Following your image research page/s you need to produce your artist research...

This example here (Above) shows 2 x A3 pages. It features 5 Photographers with a column allocated to each Photographer. Half the column is taken up with images and the remainder of the column features the written explanation/analysis of the decay aspects of the photographers work and the Bibliography. *Note you can compile your bibliography on one page if you wish and this will need to produced as the final page of your work after the final evaluation. 

The 6th column is the Gibbs Reflection.

Those of you that don't enjoy the research aspect of the work could target 2 really significant photographers such as Ed Burtynsky and Pal Hansen.

You'll just have to ensure you target your commentary/description of the work so that you identify and discuss the decay aspects and how the MTP's reinforce the decay narrative in the images. 

Similarly the 3rd column is the Gibbs reflection, reflecting on your research prior to planning your first shoot.

Note how each of the pages are full with no gaps and each part of the work is produced so that it finishes at the end of the page. Try and work to this same format. Now you move on to the practical work...

Your practical work follows a similar format... 

When you shoot your images, always shoot lots and try different ways of doing it, from above, from the side, close up, with different lenses/focal lengths. Shoot more than you need as this gives you options and allows you to make decisions about whether each shoot in your design sheet takes up 1, 2 or more pages. (There's not an upper limit). Typically, 2 pages is fine.

The section that is High-lighted Blue is your plan and the part at the end that is highlighted yellow is the Gibbs Reflection. This same approach should be applied to work done in the dark-room and when you work with Photoshop in conjunction with a project. Here you can see the plan - do - reflect in action.

Each subsequent shoot or activity you do that follows this will be laid out the same - plan at the start, images of your work and activities followed by a reflection.

Below is another way of doing the same thing, but using 4 columns...

This 4 column approach is far more image heavy and looks very busy and if you feel it might work for you there's no reason that you can't adopt it. See the link in the side bar or simply ask me for a copy of the template. There's no reason you can't mix and match using the 4 column design sheets for some of the work and the 3 column for others. The only thing I would advise is that you start a new design sheet each time and bring all the work together at the end at the PDF stage. I wouldn't advise adding a 3 column to a 4 column in the same file. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O5RNLTcovSiKJJbiSd7qBdSXDcrnKPDb/view?usp=sharing

Instructions for Declaration form.

 You'll have been sent the declaration form as word file, you need to add your signature to it and then send it back to me.

(1). Download the document (Declaration form) from Teams.

(2). Get a piece of white paper and blue or black pen - preferably a thick one (sharpie) if you have one and sign your name on it.

(3). If you have a scanner scan the signature at 1200dpi.

(4). If you don't have a scanner either photograph your signature or scan it using the app on your phone. Do it near a bright window light and try and not cast a shadow across the paper with your signature on. If you are able to control the resolution/file size, make sure you use the highest quality option.

(5). Get the file off your phone/camera/device and open it in MS Paint.

• Click the 'Home' tab.
• Click the 'Resize' option.
• You'll see a drop down box that is titled Resize and Skew
• Click on or check that Pixels is selected.
• Click on or check that Maintain aspect ration is selected.
• Then type 500 in the Horizontal box.
• Click OK and the image will reduce in size.
• Then using the select option crop out any of the image that's not needed so that you are only left with your signature and not a lot of space surrounding (Crop tight). 
• Then click crop
• Rotate if needed.
• Then file save as and give a new name ... signature

(5). Now open your declaration form...

• Fill your name in at the top
• Click into the page where its says Signature. (At the bottom of the page). 
• Then go up to the top of the page in the menu bar and click insert and choose picture.
• Select you image, then click on signature and click insert.
• It'll be too big, so resize it so that it's an appropriate size. 
• Now right click on the image (Signature) and choose format picture at the bottom of the drop down box.
• To the right of the screen where a drop down box "Format picture" has appeared choose the box with the mountains and sun diagram - when you hover over it, it's titled Picture. 
• Click that and then use the Brightness option slider to adjust the brightness of your inserted signature and match it as best you can with the grey surround. 
• Save the file as a PDF naming it using the Unit No. and your name and send it back to me using teams... Unit 00_Declaration form_Joe Bloggs

It should look like this...

Or if you know how to do all this in Photoshop do it in Photoshop. 

Ta