In order to portray my personal perception of the CPD activity in 3DS Max,
I’ve have decided to use the framework of the metaphor. The metaphor is not only a form of verbal description
of an analogy, but it’s also a form of visual depiction that can transmit and
create forceful and immediate images in people’s minds. Considering, on the one
hand the expressive qualities of the metaphor and on the other the personal
preferences that I have, for communication and expression through several
illustration techniques (sketching, drawing, diagramming etc), the framework of
the metaphor was almost an immediate choice for me.
Before the selection of the most adequate metaphor, I
had to reflect on several others, that they were also approaching my CPD
(Continuing Professional Development) activity. For example, I was thinking to
examine the metaphors of a multistory building or of a set of pencils or of a
tree. Finally I opted for tree, and more specifically for the apple tree, because it fitted better to
the way I conceive the architectural profession and education.
In order, to examine how and why my CPD activity fitted
into this framework, I’ve decided to draw, from the beginning, an apple tree
and then to try to match the basic concepts of my learning perception with the
equivalent components of the tree structure.
The roots, at the bottom of the structure, keep the
tree firm on the ground. With, the roots, I’ve matched the concept of the
“basic skills learning”. The crown with the branch system was matched with the
concept of the “advanced skills learning”. Subsequently, the soil nutrients
were matched with the acquired information that primarily reinforce the root
system (basic skills) and then expand to the upper levels of the tree (advanced
skills). Both the branches of the roots and the crown can grow and fork
gradually and almost equally in any direction until they create a spherical
shape.
The trunk, with the branches connected to it, matches
the concept of “prior knowledge”. As the tree grows, the trunk (pool of
knowledge) grows too. In the crown also occurs the substantial labor of the
photosynthesis. The photosynthesis resembles the concept of the “practical
exercises”, where several unrelated components (sun, water, food, oxygen- new
and prior knowledge, and professional practice) are cooperate and merged
together, in order to produce energy. With the fruits I also wanted to
accentuate the importance of the learning outcomes, as an artifact that can be
admired and consumed by other people. I also identified an analogy between the
endless circle of the tree life (feeding and producing fruits) and the demands
of the software technology for constant training.
Generally, the metaphor of the tree seems valid and
compatible with the way I perceive my CPD (Continuing Professional Development)
training. Especially the gradual and equal development of the branch system
made me conceptualize the spherical development of my skills. Nevertheless, I
have identified inconsistencies in the way I conceive (or I would like to
conceive) the concept of the learning outcomes. Through the metaphor of the
tree with the endless circle of feeding (education) and producing fruits
(creations), I have identified only one part of my professional targets, which
is the production of feasible and creative ideas (fruits). There is also
another part, that of my economical development and promotion in my job that
could be better represented by a goal-oriented metaphor, like the metaphor of a
ladder.
On the other hand the
tree metaphor could be an indicator, that although my CPD activity helped the
development of my creative and artistic skills, nevertheless it wasn’t focused
enough to my ambitions for promotion and to specific and measurable learning
outcomes.
Of course, as in the case of the concept map, I have
still my doubts about whether the use of a metaphor can help me understand
deeper my professional learning or it is just an idealistic analogy or how I
would like to perceive my professional learning.
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