Really interesting discussion on Skype on Sunday. It's great how it refocuses or sheds light on things from different perspectives which really helps in understanding some of the big ideas we are working with.
For example, we talked of positivism and non-positivism again (many books talk also of post-positivism?). Testing views of this approach by looking at any aspect of what we're doing and seeing what information it gives helps to clarify what I think and how I understand non-positivism. The example we discussed was the interview process. We talked about how several of us were unexpectedly nervous in the role of interviewer and that it was a much more complex and changeable process then first thought. I believe that everything about my demeanour, the environment we were in for the interview, the questions I asked and how I worded them, and the practicalities that affected how I could do things that day, all of this will have had an affect on how the interviewee responded to me, how they felt, and how this affected me in turn. If someone else had asked my questions for me I think there would have been different outcomes.
The interview process can also help us reflect on ethics. What position did I put that person in? Were my expectations of them unreasonable? Would they ever want to participate in research again! Maybe I'm being dramatic there, but I can also think back to when I was a subject for someone's PhD research and took part in a one to one interview. Inter-personal relations certainly came into play and I went away feeling that I had shaped my answers in some way to represent myself in a certain light. Not being dishonest but perhaps speaking from a slightly defended position.
That's my take on out chat, there was a lot more besides but that's what remained with me after we hung up.
Good to talk to everyone again
Tuesday, 14 April 2015
Sunday, 29 March 2015
Teacher and student perceptions of feedback in dance technique class
Hi everyone,
I'd like to kick off this conversation again that I started on Linked in a few months ago.
https://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=4276460&type=member&item=5932981799532658691&commentID=-1&trk=groups_item_detail-b-jump_last#lastComment
Here are a few questions that are framing my research and that I'm pondering on now as I collect data.
What is feedback? What does it encompass?
What influences the way teachers teach and give feedback?
What do you think students expect from feedback in dance technique classes?
How do you respond to feedback in technique class? Either thinking back to when you were a dance student, or in the present.
My setting is Contemporary technique teaching in higher education courses but am happy to hear all thoughts from other dance education settings and styles etc.
I've moved quite a long way now from my original thoughts about confidence and self esteem towards questions around learning and teaching in relation to feedback. I'm still interested in the impact that feedback has on emotional and mental well being and I've read some accessible and insightful literature on the subject but when it comes down to including psychological aspects of dance training in my own research I feel I don't have the necessary skills and knowledge. I don't have any background in psychology. Plus I felt I really had to narrow my focus in order to make the research more manageable and realistic in terms of it's scope.
Looking forward to hearing from you about any of the above and hope all is going well.
I'd like to kick off this conversation again that I started on Linked in a few months ago.
https://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=4276460&type=member&item=5932981799532658691&commentID=-1&trk=groups_item_detail-b-jump_last#lastComment
Here are a few questions that are framing my research and that I'm pondering on now as I collect data.
What is feedback? What does it encompass?
What influences the way teachers teach and give feedback?
What do you think students expect from feedback in dance technique classes?
How do you respond to feedback in technique class? Either thinking back to when you were a dance student, or in the present.
How would you
describe your identity, values and role as a dance technique teacher?
How did you
learn to teach dance technique?
What is your
approach to feedback in dance technique learning? How would you describe the
way you embody and facilitate this approach?
What or who do
you consider your main influences as a dance teacher?
How do you see
your experiences as a dance student impacting on your teaching practice?
What kind of
teacher-student relationship do you hope to build in dance technique classes?
My setting is Contemporary technique teaching in higher education courses but am happy to hear all thoughts from other dance education settings and styles etc.
I've moved quite a long way now from my original thoughts about confidence and self esteem towards questions around learning and teaching in relation to feedback. I'm still interested in the impact that feedback has on emotional and mental well being and I've read some accessible and insightful literature on the subject but when it comes down to including psychological aspects of dance training in my own research I feel I don't have the necessary skills and knowledge. I don't have any background in psychology. Plus I felt I really had to narrow my focus in order to make the research more manageable and realistic in terms of it's scope.
Looking forward to hearing from you about any of the above and hope all is going well.
Sunday, 22 February 2015
Opening up to students
So I thought I'd share a few thoughts from my reflective journal with you as I've not quite started my field work (although I am trying to have my research questions constantly on my radar at work).
I'm starting to get into Module 3 and realised that it would have really helped me with designing my research inquiry if I'd read the Module 3 handbook much earlier, like four months ago! I didn't want to overwhelm myself but it would have been good to get an idea of where I was heading, even if I didn't understand all of it. I sometimes say to students when I demonstrate a long phrase in real time (not a slower speed) not to worry, take in what they can but that it can be useful to get a view of the whole picture and then go back and build it up. Funny that I don't apply this to my own academic study!
I'm also coming across books and articles that would have been really useful for writing my proposal but I'm sure they will still inform my research to come.
So, from my journal this week..... It's not edited so apologies if it meanders a bit.
I realised today that I reveal my thought process to my students quite a lot in class. It might be talking about what I've decided id like to do next as I try to create a good progression within the session, or a music change, or or part of an exercise that doesn't flow very well in terms of my choreography. This can leave me as teacher feeling a bit vulnerable and perhaps open to the critism of lacking authority but I think the reason I teach like this, for this particular group is that they are a fairly mature group of 1st year undergraduates, a very small cohort so I am getting to know them quite well, and I think/hope we have built up some mutual trust. I hope revealing my thought process to them about what and how I'm teaching as I go along, might lessen the gap they might feel between themselves and me as teacher, and also, to help them learn as student dance teachers. I am older and more experienced in the technique I teach then my students are but perhaps it's about trying to create a feeling of working together, and perhaps being honest with them about the fact that I'm learning all the time as well and am human, not some kind of dance teaching machine.
What do you think?
I'm starting to get into Module 3 and realised that it would have really helped me with designing my research inquiry if I'd read the Module 3 handbook much earlier, like four months ago! I didn't want to overwhelm myself but it would have been good to get an idea of where I was heading, even if I didn't understand all of it. I sometimes say to students when I demonstrate a long phrase in real time (not a slower speed) not to worry, take in what they can but that it can be useful to get a view of the whole picture and then go back and build it up. Funny that I don't apply this to my own academic study!
I'm also coming across books and articles that would have been really useful for writing my proposal but I'm sure they will still inform my research to come.
So, from my journal this week..... It's not edited so apologies if it meanders a bit.
I realised today that I reveal my thought process to my students quite a lot in class. It might be talking about what I've decided id like to do next as I try to create a good progression within the session, or a music change, or or part of an exercise that doesn't flow very well in terms of my choreography. This can leave me as teacher feeling a bit vulnerable and perhaps open to the critism of lacking authority but I think the reason I teach like this, for this particular group is that they are a fairly mature group of 1st year undergraduates, a very small cohort so I am getting to know them quite well, and I think/hope we have built up some mutual trust. I hope revealing my thought process to them about what and how I'm teaching as I go along, might lessen the gap they might feel between themselves and me as teacher, and also, to help them learn as student dance teachers. I am older and more experienced in the technique I teach then my students are but perhaps it's about trying to create a feeling of working together, and perhaps being honest with them about the fact that I'm learning all the time as well and am human, not some kind of dance teaching machine.
What do you think?
Sunday, 1 February 2015
Observation, and a few other thoughts on the Skype conversations today
Quite a few things stayed with me from today's discussions and it was good to get into some big questions straight away.
Teacher identity is really important to my research. Who am I? (back to Module 1) How do I see myself in the teaching role? and how does this interrelate to all the other factors that have influenced and built my dance teaching knowledge? How have I learnt the assumptions I make?
We talked about the privileging of professional performance, however we define 'professional' and, I suggested, the possible lower status of teaching and other roles/jobs within dance. Where does this perception come from? Society, parents and the media were all mentioned by Cathy (I think it was Cathy, apologies if it was someone else)
I feel that I value teachers as highly as any other role in dance, of course, being one, but I can hear voices (whose?) saying, 'well, many teachers were dancers themselves'. True to some extent but what if they weren't? Teachers need a deep understanding of the subject they teach, but if we think of a science teacher, does she have to have been a successful scientist in the field, getting paid to develop new ideas, to be a good science teacher? I don't think so but I'm just thinking out loud. Is dance, or the Arts a different case? It's always interesting to compare dance with completely different disciplines or industries to test out ideas about dance.
I seem to struggle to articulate and express myself verbally, interesting for a teacher, but maybe not so weird if you're in the realm of movement? Anyway, just to shed a bit more light on my area of research. I'm interested in the giving and receiving of feedback, both non-verbal and verbal, that happens during the dance learning experience itself. Feedback comes at different times for different purposes (often accompanying a mark at the end of term for example) but I'm interested in the interplay between the teacher and learner during the physicality of learning dance technique in the studio.
One method I'll be using to explore this is observation of my teaching, through video and reflection, and other teachers in action. So how will I observe? Today people made many suggestions such as letting observations sit with you for a while and avoiding dismissing things that don't seem to fit neatly anywhere. They may fit or link to something later or they may become important as the research continues or they may not. Adesola talked about the need to find a balance between not knowing what you're looking for (a good thing!) and knowing what you would like to do in the analysis, which will guide the research. The importance of thinking about the method of recording observations was also mentioned. How to best capture things, in what form?
That's it for now. Thanks for an interesting and helpful talk this morning and nice to hear familiar, and new voices.
Teacher identity is really important to my research. Who am I? (back to Module 1) How do I see myself in the teaching role? and how does this interrelate to all the other factors that have influenced and built my dance teaching knowledge? How have I learnt the assumptions I make?
We talked about the privileging of professional performance, however we define 'professional' and, I suggested, the possible lower status of teaching and other roles/jobs within dance. Where does this perception come from? Society, parents and the media were all mentioned by Cathy (I think it was Cathy, apologies if it was someone else)
I feel that I value teachers as highly as any other role in dance, of course, being one, but I can hear voices (whose?) saying, 'well, many teachers were dancers themselves'. True to some extent but what if they weren't? Teachers need a deep understanding of the subject they teach, but if we think of a science teacher, does she have to have been a successful scientist in the field, getting paid to develop new ideas, to be a good science teacher? I don't think so but I'm just thinking out loud. Is dance, or the Arts a different case? It's always interesting to compare dance with completely different disciplines or industries to test out ideas about dance.
I seem to struggle to articulate and express myself verbally, interesting for a teacher, but maybe not so weird if you're in the realm of movement? Anyway, just to shed a bit more light on my area of research. I'm interested in the giving and receiving of feedback, both non-verbal and verbal, that happens during the dance learning experience itself. Feedback comes at different times for different purposes (often accompanying a mark at the end of term for example) but I'm interested in the interplay between the teacher and learner during the physicality of learning dance technique in the studio.
One method I'll be using to explore this is observation of my teaching, through video and reflection, and other teachers in action. So how will I observe? Today people made many suggestions such as letting observations sit with you for a while and avoiding dismissing things that don't seem to fit neatly anywhere. They may fit or link to something later or they may become important as the research continues or they may not. Adesola talked about the need to find a balance between not knowing what you're looking for (a good thing!) and knowing what you would like to do in the analysis, which will guide the research. The importance of thinking about the method of recording observations was also mentioned. How to best capture things, in what form?
That's it for now. Thanks for an interesting and helpful talk this morning and nice to hear familiar, and new voices.
Tuesday, 9 December 2014
Where I (possibly) stand
Thinking about non-positivist as opposed to positivist thought, Embodiment versus Dualism is complex.
I believe that dance is associated with a non-posistivist stance and I feel that I clearly 'know' this through my experience dancing and teaching. I know that there is an interaction between many elements or factors that affect people moving so that there can't be total certainty, or a single version of truth about it, out there.
My emotions, what has happened before I come into the studio, what I ate before class what I learnt in a class last week, last year, 10 years ago, where I am in the room, tension somewhere in my body, the teachers mood, an old injury, will all affect how I experience a tendu today and how I am able to learn or work on that particular skill. Because of all these things it will also be a totally different experience for each individual. And all this applies to my viewpoint if I'm the teacher and not the participant. Through a non-positivist lens (Im trying to see it as a spectrum though) as a teacher I would hope to attend to some of these factors in teaching skills, or movements that will help a student to understand things more fully and have more tools to use develop their own knowledge, of doing a tendu for example. I want my students to work with principles of movement rather then then idea of "this is how it's done".
I'm not sure how my understanding of these concepts today chimes with others understanding, yours and the theorists, but it helps to write about it. The blog is a bit of a testing ground which is great but also a bit scary as others might make comments that reveal to me that my thinking is superficial, narrow or off-base on this.
There are lots of versions of the truth out there including mine. This seems obvious, knowledge is always from an individual perspective, it's how each individual understands something, but I realise it's not so obvious and often raises conflict when my thinking sometimes reveals how I'm looking at certain things in quite a positivist way, especially in terms of this MA study if not perhaps so much in the dance studio.
So in my research, I'm trying to put my idea/s, on the subject out there to share, alongside other people's. And to articulate more clarity for myself about the field of research I'm inquiring into.
The module 2 research proposal is helping me challenge the way I think about research. I'm thinking about ways to match the subject I'm exploring with the methods I choose to explore it and gather data. The methods are hugely important and reflect my stance on everything mentioned above. Its starting to sink in much more, how the way we choose to do things says much about our beliefs and politics. There are so many choices to make about which qualitative frameworks and methods fit best with my stance and the ideas I'm discussing.
I was talking with a friend who has also been studying for an MA, in Psychology, about learning and emotion. It often seems to come up through Skype chats too, and I often leave the conversation with these kinds of thoughts. How new learning, perhaps especially as an adult, often challenges the identities we have constructed for ourselves. The identity of the knowledgable teacher, the pride in our position at work, the way people often link doing a good job with being a good person and the emotions of fear and uncertainty that can result from the struggles and conflicts of new learning.
I believe that dance is associated with a non-posistivist stance and I feel that I clearly 'know' this through my experience dancing and teaching. I know that there is an interaction between many elements or factors that affect people moving so that there can't be total certainty, or a single version of truth about it, out there.
My emotions, what has happened before I come into the studio, what I ate before class what I learnt in a class last week, last year, 10 years ago, where I am in the room, tension somewhere in my body, the teachers mood, an old injury, will all affect how I experience a tendu today and how I am able to learn or work on that particular skill. Because of all these things it will also be a totally different experience for each individual. And all this applies to my viewpoint if I'm the teacher and not the participant. Through a non-positivist lens (Im trying to see it as a spectrum though) as a teacher I would hope to attend to some of these factors in teaching skills, or movements that will help a student to understand things more fully and have more tools to use develop their own knowledge, of doing a tendu for example. I want my students to work with principles of movement rather then then idea of "this is how it's done".
I'm not sure how my understanding of these concepts today chimes with others understanding, yours and the theorists, but it helps to write about it. The blog is a bit of a testing ground which is great but also a bit scary as others might make comments that reveal to me that my thinking is superficial, narrow or off-base on this.
There are lots of versions of the truth out there including mine. This seems obvious, knowledge is always from an individual perspective, it's how each individual understands something, but I realise it's not so obvious and often raises conflict when my thinking sometimes reveals how I'm looking at certain things in quite a positivist way, especially in terms of this MA study if not perhaps so much in the dance studio.
So in my research, I'm trying to put my idea/s, on the subject out there to share, alongside other people's. And to articulate more clarity for myself about the field of research I'm inquiring into.
The module 2 research proposal is helping me challenge the way I think about research. I'm thinking about ways to match the subject I'm exploring with the methods I choose to explore it and gather data. The methods are hugely important and reflect my stance on everything mentioned above. Its starting to sink in much more, how the way we choose to do things says much about our beliefs and politics. There are so many choices to make about which qualitative frameworks and methods fit best with my stance and the ideas I'm discussing.
I was talking with a friend who has also been studying for an MA, in Psychology, about learning and emotion. It often seems to come up through Skype chats too, and I often leave the conversation with these kinds of thoughts. How new learning, perhaps especially as an adult, often challenges the identities we have constructed for ourselves. The identity of the knowledgable teacher, the pride in our position at work, the way people often link doing a good job with being a good person and the emotions of fear and uncertainty that can result from the struggles and conflicts of new learning.
Tuesday, 25 November 2014
Focusing and refocusing
Just an update from the middle of term on module 2.
I'm feeling a bit lonely being the only one working on module 2, I think I am? I'm coming across so many interesting ideas through my reading which is great but I'm also struggling to keep focused on what I'm trying to create for my research proposal. What stumbling blocks did people who have completed it find?
I'm aware that I'm not tackling tasks from the handbook in a consecutive order, I've been working on the things that I feel most able to tackle first in order to feel able to start other tasks. I'm trying to read a lot but am not getting much down in writing apart from lots of notes. I've know that reading of the literature of all kinds, needs to happen throughout the whole process of research; focusing, framing, planning, refocusing, data collection, analysis and report writing.
I keep coming back to, or coming across ideas about language and it's meaning and importance. The words we choose to represent are thoughts and beliefs, reveal and contain so much meaning, although sometimes I know I use words that aren't right but I can't find better ones! An example of this in relation to my research is the use of the word 'correction'. Do I want to use it in my teaching? Is it appropriate for dance students at university? It says right and wrong to me, "you must do it this way" and I'm not sure that's always the case in my classes. The students I teach might/should be able to find their own way, their own solution to a movement or skill, after all, no two bodies or individuals are the same. Perhaps there's not a one size fits all solution in technique classes.I certainly don't want students to dance like me, I want them to dance like themselves. What does this all mean for codified techniques such as Limon? Or perhaps it's simply the word itself, "correction" that I don't seem to like using (why do I feel a bit uncomfortable about it?) What does it mean if I replace it with "feedback" but teach in exactly the same way?
Some final thoughts on a different note. I'm not teaching dance at the moment, back to work in January, but I have been taking a few classes, mostly Pilates, but also a couple of Contemporary classes and I enjoyed dancing again so much! It's been 10 months. It felt like my body was waking up again, things felt so familiar (I was worried they wouldn't) the endorphins flowed, the knowledge was still there although I was a bit wobbly, and I REALLY enjoyed the class. It made me think about the importance of trying to find the pleasure in dance ( I was looking around at a few miserable looking students, admittedly it was 9am) that sounds obvious and I know enjoying a class depends on a multitude of different factors but I also remember the teachers at a professional gaga workshop I went to, talking again and again about pleasure, not worrying about what we look like, whether we're doing it right, it won't be right unless you can enjoy it!
I'm feeling a bit lonely being the only one working on module 2, I think I am? I'm coming across so many interesting ideas through my reading which is great but I'm also struggling to keep focused on what I'm trying to create for my research proposal. What stumbling blocks did people who have completed it find?
I'm aware that I'm not tackling tasks from the handbook in a consecutive order, I've been working on the things that I feel most able to tackle first in order to feel able to start other tasks. I'm trying to read a lot but am not getting much down in writing apart from lots of notes. I've know that reading of the literature of all kinds, needs to happen throughout the whole process of research; focusing, framing, planning, refocusing, data collection, analysis and report writing.
I keep coming back to, or coming across ideas about language and it's meaning and importance. The words we choose to represent are thoughts and beliefs, reveal and contain so much meaning, although sometimes I know I use words that aren't right but I can't find better ones! An example of this in relation to my research is the use of the word 'correction'. Do I want to use it in my teaching? Is it appropriate for dance students at university? It says right and wrong to me, "you must do it this way" and I'm not sure that's always the case in my classes. The students I teach might/should be able to find their own way, their own solution to a movement or skill, after all, no two bodies or individuals are the same. Perhaps there's not a one size fits all solution in technique classes.I certainly don't want students to dance like me, I want them to dance like themselves. What does this all mean for codified techniques such as Limon? Or perhaps it's simply the word itself, "correction" that I don't seem to like using (why do I feel a bit uncomfortable about it?) What does it mean if I replace it with "feedback" but teach in exactly the same way?
Some final thoughts on a different note. I'm not teaching dance at the moment, back to work in January, but I have been taking a few classes, mostly Pilates, but also a couple of Contemporary classes and I enjoyed dancing again so much! It's been 10 months. It felt like my body was waking up again, things felt so familiar (I was worried they wouldn't) the endorphins flowed, the knowledge was still there although I was a bit wobbly, and I REALLY enjoyed the class. It made me think about the importance of trying to find the pleasure in dance ( I was looking around at a few miserable looking students, admittedly it was 9am) that sounds obvious and I know enjoying a class depends on a multitude of different factors but I also remember the teachers at a professional gaga workshop I went to, talking again and again about pleasure, not worrying about what we look like, whether we're doing it right, it won't be right unless you can enjoy it!
Thursday, 20 November 2014
The embodied mind, the heart of movement
Have a look at this link if you have a moment. Beautiful written expression about Siobhan Davies' realisation of her physical expression through the working process on Two Quartets.
http://www.siobhandaviesreplay.com/media2/UserType/00000000/00002000/00002679.pdf
I'm exploring epistemological and ontological ideas in relation to her work at the moment. More coming soon........
http://www.siobhandaviesreplay.com/media2/UserType/00000000/00002000/00002679.pdf
I'm exploring epistemological and ontological ideas in relation to her work at the moment. More coming soon........
Monday, 3 November 2014
Communication
Hi all,
Yesterday's Skype meeting gave me a lot to think about, even though I had to drop out to feed my little one. Apologies for the sudden exit!
It is interesting to see what issues and questions re-surface for me and other members of the group. One thing for me is our group discussions. Skype sessions are working more smoothly and are certainly always very constructive but it seems to be a difficult thing to do well. This from someone who doesn't enjoy phone conversations! The lack of body language and facial expression definitely cause me some difficulties. There is the video option of course, but as far as I know you can't see everyone's faces at the same time, in real time? That would be really good!
Still on the theme of communication, I notice that often someone else can put into words exactly what I was trying to say, and often say it so much better, effortlessly summing up the ideas. Someone, sorry, I can't remember who, Ainsley? did this when talking about the difference between the communication spaces of Linked-in and blogs. Statements v questions, group v individual, and ease of use were all mentioned.
Thinking, reacting and responding quickly is obviously a key part of teaching (being able to think on your feet) but going back to learning styles, if someone is more of a reflective nature, needing time to formulate ideas without too much pressure, perhaps this need for a fast response is one of the more challenging aspects of teaching practice for them. This might contradict what I was saying in my last blog about responding and just putting some thoughts out there. I think it's great to do that but not always easy in case you reveal your thinking to be confused or lacking in knowledge which can result in feeling vulnerable, or even embarrassed.
Sometimes words, spoken or written, feel inadequate. It could be my language skills of course but a passage in Case Study Research in Educational Settings (Bassey, 1999, p.43)) helped shed some light on feeling unable to make your meaning clear to someone else or the possibility of your meaning being misconstrued....
'language as a more or less agreed symbolic system, in which different people may have some differences in their meanings;'
Here the author is talking about qualitative research and the problem of differences in perception, interpretation and language that which make it unsurprising that we all have different opinions on what is real. What stood out were the words 'more or less' in relation to our shared understanding of language.
Was any of that clear!?
Yesterday's Skype meeting gave me a lot to think about, even though I had to drop out to feed my little one. Apologies for the sudden exit!
It is interesting to see what issues and questions re-surface for me and other members of the group. One thing for me is our group discussions. Skype sessions are working more smoothly and are certainly always very constructive but it seems to be a difficult thing to do well. This from someone who doesn't enjoy phone conversations! The lack of body language and facial expression definitely cause me some difficulties. There is the video option of course, but as far as I know you can't see everyone's faces at the same time, in real time? That would be really good!
Still on the theme of communication, I notice that often someone else can put into words exactly what I was trying to say, and often say it so much better, effortlessly summing up the ideas. Someone, sorry, I can't remember who, Ainsley? did this when talking about the difference between the communication spaces of Linked-in and blogs. Statements v questions, group v individual, and ease of use were all mentioned.
Thinking, reacting and responding quickly is obviously a key part of teaching (being able to think on your feet) but going back to learning styles, if someone is more of a reflective nature, needing time to formulate ideas without too much pressure, perhaps this need for a fast response is one of the more challenging aspects of teaching practice for them. This might contradict what I was saying in my last blog about responding and just putting some thoughts out there. I think it's great to do that but not always easy in case you reveal your thinking to be confused or lacking in knowledge which can result in feeling vulnerable, or even embarrassed.
Sometimes words, spoken or written, feel inadequate. It could be my language skills of course but a passage in Case Study Research in Educational Settings (Bassey, 1999, p.43)) helped shed some light on feeling unable to make your meaning clear to someone else or the possibility of your meaning being misconstrued....
'language as a more or less agreed symbolic system, in which different people may have some differences in their meanings;'
Here the author is talking about qualitative research and the problem of differences in perception, interpretation and language that which make it unsurprising that we all have different opinions on what is real. What stood out were the words 'more or less' in relation to our shared understanding of language.
Was any of that clear!?
Sunday, 2 November 2014
Link to Linked in
Hi all,
Here's the link to the Linked in discussion I've started. It would be really good to hear your thoughts.
It was interesting that Helen mentioned about trust on her blog this week as it's another aspect I was thinking about in relation to the student teacher relationship and the giving and receiving of feedback.
https://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&item=5932981799532658691&type=member&gid=4276460&trk=eml-b2_anet_digest-hero-1-hero-disc-disc-0&midToken=AQFwFFz15Gdn_w&fromEmail=fromEmail&ut=3hNxTOMhTyRCs1&_mSplash=1
Here's the link to the Linked in discussion I've started. It would be really good to hear your thoughts.
It was interesting that Helen mentioned about trust on her blog this week as it's another aspect I was thinking about in relation to the student teacher relationship and the giving and receiving of feedback.
https://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&item=5932981799532658691&type=member&gid=4276460&trk=eml-b2_anet_digest-hero-1-hero-disc-disc-0&midToken=AQFwFFz15Gdn_w&fromEmail=fromEmail&ut=3hNxTOMhTyRCs1&_mSplash=1
Thursday, 23 October 2014
Thoughts and progress
Just thought I'd write a short post to keep in touch and not leave it too long since the last one. I want to get in the habit! I'm writing this pretty late, for me, so I might think it's waffle tomorrow but there's only so much waiting for a good time you can do. Bear with me.
At the moment I'm struggling to understand the big philosophical theories and ideas to be honest. I think I do but then if I imagine trying to explain the meaning of Ontology, for example, to someone else, and be able to use it in a context, Then I'm not so sure. Definitions are one thing but really understanding…. Perhaps I actually do understand it or… maybe I'm giving it a different meaning and missing the point.
Any tips greatly appreciated. I'm just trying to read about the same ideas in different books to see if it will come together.
Finding time to keep in touch with and respond to everyone's blogs and linked-in discussions is sometimes tricky, although they're always really helpful and interesting reading, so this week I'm much more in the mind set of just 'throwing my hat into the ring' and writing a quick reply to things. That means that sometimes I will read things I've written and wish I'd phrased things differently or got my meaning across more clearly somehow but I think something is better then nothing, much as I'd like to carefully compose my thoughts! It sometimes quite liberating to just 'nail your colours to the mast' so to speak. A colleague once told me to do that when assessing work and I think she meant 'be clear on your rationale and have conviction' although not 'to defiantly hold onto your beliefs until the end'! I've just looked it up. Nothing like a good idiom!
I'm not teaching dance at the moment as I'm still on my maternity leave and I haven't seen any live performances either so it's quite strange thinking about it all so much without the daily trickle of thoughts, observations and experiences that I usually get at work. It's a bit isolating but I'm teaching some Pilates to adults and many of the things I'm thinking about for my research are relevant to all physical teaching practices. Particularly feedback and it's relationship with confidence and performance. More on Linked-in soon.
Finally, my 9 month old baby daughter had physio today and we noticed a lateral bias which seems to be making learning to crawl a bit more difficult for her. Really interesting to see this so early, and what we can do to help her balance herself up! She cried when we tried to tempt her to roll onto the other side with her favourite toy, as if to say this feels so awkward! I know the feeling.
At the moment I'm struggling to understand the big philosophical theories and ideas to be honest. I think I do but then if I imagine trying to explain the meaning of Ontology, for example, to someone else, and be able to use it in a context, Then I'm not so sure. Definitions are one thing but really understanding…. Perhaps I actually do understand it or… maybe I'm giving it a different meaning and missing the point.
Any tips greatly appreciated. I'm just trying to read about the same ideas in different books to see if it will come together.
Finding time to keep in touch with and respond to everyone's blogs and linked-in discussions is sometimes tricky, although they're always really helpful and interesting reading, so this week I'm much more in the mind set of just 'throwing my hat into the ring' and writing a quick reply to things. That means that sometimes I will read things I've written and wish I'd phrased things differently or got my meaning across more clearly somehow but I think something is better then nothing, much as I'd like to carefully compose my thoughts! It sometimes quite liberating to just 'nail your colours to the mast' so to speak. A colleague once told me to do that when assessing work and I think she meant 'be clear on your rationale and have conviction' although not 'to defiantly hold onto your beliefs until the end'! I've just looked it up. Nothing like a good idiom!
I'm not teaching dance at the moment as I'm still on my maternity leave and I haven't seen any live performances either so it's quite strange thinking about it all so much without the daily trickle of thoughts, observations and experiences that I usually get at work. It's a bit isolating but I'm teaching some Pilates to adults and many of the things I'm thinking about for my research are relevant to all physical teaching practices. Particularly feedback and it's relationship with confidence and performance. More on Linked-in soon.
Finally, my 9 month old baby daughter had physio today and we noticed a lateral bias which seems to be making learning to crawl a bit more difficult for her. Really interesting to see this so early, and what we can do to help her balance herself up! She cried when we tried to tempt her to roll onto the other side with her favourite toy, as if to say this feels so awkward! I know the feeling.
Sunday, 5 October 2014
The nature of questions
Hi to all, good to be in touch again, it's been a while! and nice to talk with new people on the course. So, just to follow up on the Skype meeting today.
Our conversation about questions really struck a chord with me.
It can be difficult to know how to frame a question, what language to use to give a question some clarity, to get your meaning across. But what resonated most is to remember that whatever we ask, every person responding will have their individual take on it. It will mean something different to everyone, sometimes slight differences at times huge ones, because we all have different lived experiences. We all perceive ideas and knowledge uniquely.
So this (above) can help when we want to respond to someone's question but feel we maybe don't have enough knowledge on the particular subject. The fact that we are maybe coming from a different place, and have a unique perspective and body of knowledge is interesting in itself and so our response is equally valid to that of someone who is an 'authority' on the subject.
When we put forward a question we need to explore how others might find different meaning in it to our own. That others may understand it completely differently. This leads to openness in our research and that will lead to deeper knowledge and new understanding.
It's important to remember the idea that we don't have to provide an answer, let alone the 'correct' answer, whatever the forum may be where the questions are asked, it is fine to provide our own response.
We need to learn how to ask better questions in order to gain greater insight and understanding of our research interests. I've put that in bold to remind myself!
And finally, again the idea of openness. When we ask questions, that they are asked without anticipating or encouraging a particular answer. I think that makes for better research. That we do not have to try to prove something that we think we already know the answer to.
This sums it up for me.
"adhering to the presumption of absolute and authoritarian truth is the greatest obstacle to personal inquiry and the scholarly pursuit of knowledge." (Fraleigh and Hanstein, 1999)
Thanks and bye for now
Our conversation about questions really struck a chord with me.
It can be difficult to know how to frame a question, what language to use to give a question some clarity, to get your meaning across. But what resonated most is to remember that whatever we ask, every person responding will have their individual take on it. It will mean something different to everyone, sometimes slight differences at times huge ones, because we all have different lived experiences. We all perceive ideas and knowledge uniquely.
So this (above) can help when we want to respond to someone's question but feel we maybe don't have enough knowledge on the particular subject. The fact that we are maybe coming from a different place, and have a unique perspective and body of knowledge is interesting in itself and so our response is equally valid to that of someone who is an 'authority' on the subject.
When we put forward a question we need to explore how others might find different meaning in it to our own. That others may understand it completely differently. This leads to openness in our research and that will lead to deeper knowledge and new understanding.
It's important to remember the idea that we don't have to provide an answer, let alone the 'correct' answer, whatever the forum may be where the questions are asked, it is fine to provide our own response.
We need to learn how to ask better questions in order to gain greater insight and understanding of our research interests. I've put that in bold to remind myself!
And finally, again the idea of openness. When we ask questions, that they are asked without anticipating or encouraging a particular answer. I think that makes for better research. That we do not have to try to prove something that we think we already know the answer to.
This sums it up for me.
"adhering to the presumption of absolute and authoritarian truth is the greatest obstacle to personal inquiry and the scholarly pursuit of knowledge." (Fraleigh and Hanstein, 1999)
Thanks and bye for now
Sunday, 15 December 2013
thoughts following group Skype tutorial
My main thoughts after today's discussion were about being in a new learning situation myself and how beneficial this is to my work.
Perhaps one of the best ways to help students is to be a student yourself. I feel I am moving much closer towards empathising with their concerns, difficulties and processes, to a much greater degree then I have been able to in the past. I'm gaining great insights from all involved in MAPPDTP as to how to provide inspiration, through the things I say or do as a teacher to help facilitate this learning process for the students I work with. Others were saying this as well this morning, but it's taken many weeks for this thought to crystallise for me!
Another point that stayed with me was about openness. Allowing for the twists and turns in progress. It's strange as I feel I can be very open in a choreographic process and quite happy not to know what I am aiming for, to accept things as they develop, but when in a more academic process there seems to be a tendency towards rigidity and inflexibility! maybe this is a result of being out of the comfort zone, trying to make sense of new knowledge and skills, and is to be expected and acknowledged.
Regarding practicalities and study tools, something that I've recently been working on is to try and prioritise, or rank, the different sources of information for the course. To decide, or find out, which are the most reliable and important, which the most up to date, which the most useful. This is also something I've been attempting to do with the various texts I've been reading.
Good to clear up the hand-in details today. I get a little confused by differences in university procedures between where I work and Middlesex so great to clarify it all.
Perhaps one of the best ways to help students is to be a student yourself. I feel I am moving much closer towards empathising with their concerns, difficulties and processes, to a much greater degree then I have been able to in the past. I'm gaining great insights from all involved in MAPPDTP as to how to provide inspiration, through the things I say or do as a teacher to help facilitate this learning process for the students I work with. Others were saying this as well this morning, but it's taken many weeks for this thought to crystallise for me!
Another point that stayed with me was about openness. Allowing for the twists and turns in progress. It's strange as I feel I can be very open in a choreographic process and quite happy not to know what I am aiming for, to accept things as they develop, but when in a more academic process there seems to be a tendency towards rigidity and inflexibility! maybe this is a result of being out of the comfort zone, trying to make sense of new knowledge and skills, and is to be expected and acknowledged.
Regarding practicalities and study tools, something that I've recently been working on is to try and prioritise, or rank, the different sources of information for the course. To decide, or find out, which are the most reliable and important, which the most up to date, which the most useful. This is also something I've been attempting to do with the various texts I've been reading.
Good to clear up the hand-in details today. I get a little confused by differences in university procedures between where I work and Middlesex so great to clarify it all.
Sunday, 1 December 2013
positive/negative learning experiences
I'm thinking today about positivity and negativity in relation to the characteristics of a learner and attempting to relate this to myself and my previous learning experiences. I've often felt reluctance to voice more negative thoughts as I worry about how it will be perceived but Boud, Keogh and Walker (1985) talk about this in Reflection:Turning Experience into Learning and when reading it I felt a kind of affirmation that what I had been feeling, in relation to past training experiences, was important and should be taken into account. They use the term 'emotional load' to describe the feelings that people often carry with them from previous learning situations, whether, positive or negative, and how these feelings can have a huge impact on someones present ability to learn in certain situations. Teachers will often never know about the past experiences of their students, so I'm not sure yet what to do with this idea but I feel it will help to be more aware of this issue in my teaching practice.
Sunday, 3 November 2013
Questions questions.....
I've just come across this in http://mdx.mrooms.net/course/view.php?id=566 and I can't understand what it means in practice.
Bitesize step 4
"It may be that you develop AOL’s at two different levels of learning, for example at levels 6 and 7. It is possible to gain up to 30 credits at Level 6, the other 40 must be at Level 7. Alternatively, all of your claim may be at Level 7"
Could anyone shed any light on it? I'm not sure how you would write an AOL to claim at Level 6 as opposed to one that you would be claiming for at Level 7? Is it perhaps about any AOL's based on any formal learning you have done at these levels? or is it that, we need to seek advice and then decide how much an AOL is 'worth'?
I've been experimenting with not allowing myself to skip ahead and look at guidance on upcoming tasks until I've feel I've made a major attempt at tackling current activities. The draw back to this, I've been finding, is that sometimes the answers are waiting to be found just around the corner!
Sunday is the day when I have all day, well at least a few solid hours, to really try and get some momentum going for my Module 1 work. But I seem to be bogged down in the detail and can't seem to get warmed up to tackle the bigger tasks requiring focused, connected thinking. It feels as if the 'bitty' details are dominating my thoughts rather then working with a wide perspective where I can see how to connect all the dots. Do others feel that they touch on something but the thought is out of focus and then it slips away without becoming defined or concrete?
I came across the idea of mentally warming up to study, in one of the study skills handbooks and like it! It's such a given part of practice in dance, there's no way I could skip some gentle mobilising and stretching whilst mentally running through my class before I teach and yet I expect to somehow launch into some insightful and well structured writing completely 'cold'. On that note I'm going to try reading some of Gillie Bolton's book on Reflective Practice, thanks Amber for mentioning it in your blog, and see how that effects my study outcomes as a whole today.
Bitesize step 4
"It may be that you develop AOL’s at two different levels of learning, for example at levels 6 and 7. It is possible to gain up to 30 credits at Level 6, the other 40 must be at Level 7. Alternatively, all of your claim may be at Level 7"
Could anyone shed any light on it? I'm not sure how you would write an AOL to claim at Level 6 as opposed to one that you would be claiming for at Level 7? Is it perhaps about any AOL's based on any formal learning you have done at these levels? or is it that, we need to seek advice and then decide how much an AOL is 'worth'?
I've been experimenting with not allowing myself to skip ahead and look at guidance on upcoming tasks until I've feel I've made a major attempt at tackling current activities. The draw back to this, I've been finding, is that sometimes the answers are waiting to be found just around the corner!
Sunday is the day when I have all day, well at least a few solid hours, to really try and get some momentum going for my Module 1 work. But I seem to be bogged down in the detail and can't seem to get warmed up to tackle the bigger tasks requiring focused, connected thinking. It feels as if the 'bitty' details are dominating my thoughts rather then working with a wide perspective where I can see how to connect all the dots. Do others feel that they touch on something but the thought is out of focus and then it slips away without becoming defined or concrete?
I came across the idea of mentally warming up to study, in one of the study skills handbooks and like it! It's such a given part of practice in dance, there's no way I could skip some gentle mobilising and stretching whilst mentally running through my class before I teach and yet I expect to somehow launch into some insightful and well structured writing completely 'cold'. On that note I'm going to try reading some of Gillie Bolton's book on Reflective Practice, thanks Amber for mentioning it in your blog, and see how that effects my study outcomes as a whole today.
Sunday, 27 October 2013
Reflections on motivation and goals in dance
I read an interesting article today titled Considering motivation, goals, and mastery orientation in dance technique
Carey E. Andrzejewski, Adrienne M. Wilson, Daniel J. Henry
Research in Dance Education
Vol. 14, Iss. 2, 2013
I had come across it as I browsed for inspiration through the journal online, looking for something that would shed more light on the thoughts I was left with following teaching this week. These were centred around the goals of students in class, how I motivate everybody through my teaching but also enable students to motivate themselves and finally, how I help such a diverse group of students to improve. I still consider myself very new to teaching in HE with a lot to learn. A key tool for learning that I would love more access to is class observation and reflection from colleagues but the timetable doesn't allow. So for me one of the ways I feel I can develop my pedagogy is through reading as much dance literature as possible as well as discussing my teaching experiences with anyone who will listen!
I suppose I was looking for research that discussed the issues that are concerning me, to know that others are interested in exploring the same things and for something that perhaps provided some validation of my current teaching strategies with students.
The article addresses many important ideas that I would like to test and research with my students but it also led me to reflect on my own first experiences as a dance student at HE level.
The article left me with a sense of sadness (maybe the pregnancy hormones are running riot!) that many of my teachers hadn't engaged with the kind of pedagogical approach used by Adrienne Wilson in this research.
Having more self knowledge now, I wonder if I might have thrived more in an environment that focused on mastery orientated goals and personal growth; where reflective progress is discussed through a dialogue with the teacher and where the student-teacher relationship quality is of high importance.
As the article points out though, students can be resistant to certain teaching approaches and styles for many reasons and there is also the possibility that my memory doesn't serve me correctly as I think back! I have many students who have indicated in discussions that they prefer other methods of learning and organisation to some of the ideas outlined in this article. However, at 18 I certainly arrived in an environment that seemed to favour the more successful few while others were left to feelings of frustration and failure. I feel that aspects of teaching that are important to me now and are an essential part of many HE courses, were not a part of the conservatoire training I experienced but would have been extremely valuable skills for my younger self as I started out.
As a teacher, I don't want my students to feel as I often did at their age, slightly lost and invisible, but to end on a positive note, the article predominantly serves to highlight how much impact on the motivational climate of the dance student a teacher has. I can't turn back the clock but I can work to give my students a positive experience as they learn and progress.
Carey E. Andrzejewski, Adrienne M. Wilson, Daniel J. Henry
Research in Dance Education
Vol. 14, Iss. 2, 2013
I had come across it as I browsed for inspiration through the journal online, looking for something that would shed more light on the thoughts I was left with following teaching this week. These were centred around the goals of students in class, how I motivate everybody through my teaching but also enable students to motivate themselves and finally, how I help such a diverse group of students to improve. I still consider myself very new to teaching in HE with a lot to learn. A key tool for learning that I would love more access to is class observation and reflection from colleagues but the timetable doesn't allow. So for me one of the ways I feel I can develop my pedagogy is through reading as much dance literature as possible as well as discussing my teaching experiences with anyone who will listen!
I suppose I was looking for research that discussed the issues that are concerning me, to know that others are interested in exploring the same things and for something that perhaps provided some validation of my current teaching strategies with students.
The article addresses many important ideas that I would like to test and research with my students but it also led me to reflect on my own first experiences as a dance student at HE level.
The article left me with a sense of sadness (maybe the pregnancy hormones are running riot!) that many of my teachers hadn't engaged with the kind of pedagogical approach used by Adrienne Wilson in this research.
Having more self knowledge now, I wonder if I might have thrived more in an environment that focused on mastery orientated goals and personal growth; where reflective progress is discussed through a dialogue with the teacher and where the student-teacher relationship quality is of high importance.
As the article points out though, students can be resistant to certain teaching approaches and styles for many reasons and there is also the possibility that my memory doesn't serve me correctly as I think back! I have many students who have indicated in discussions that they prefer other methods of learning and organisation to some of the ideas outlined in this article. However, at 18 I certainly arrived in an environment that seemed to favour the more successful few while others were left to feelings of frustration and failure. I feel that aspects of teaching that are important to me now and are an essential part of many HE courses, were not a part of the conservatoire training I experienced but would have been extremely valuable skills for my younger self as I started out.
As a teacher, I don't want my students to feel as I often did at their age, slightly lost and invisible, but to end on a positive note, the article predominantly serves to highlight how much impact on the motivational climate of the dance student a teacher has. I can't turn back the clock but I can work to give my students a positive experience as they learn and progress.
Monday, 14 October 2013
Present moment - AOL's
Hi all,
So here's my Areas of Learning list as it stands so far. I've been brainstorming and mapping out each one to some extent but I'll just give a quick overview here:
- Dance in HE: teaching theory through practice, developing resources, working with colleagues, assessment, using virtual learning tools, working relationships with students, giving feedback, planning modules, teaching technique, choreography, improvisation, fundamental teaching skills.
- Dance for Children and Young People: in the curriculum (primary and secondary), learning through creative movement, choreographing for youth companies, working with boys
- Contemporary Techniques: trends in training, methods, Limon/release, gaga, aerial dance, imagery and musicality
- The teaching persona: physicality (being a 'model'), pregnancy, psychology and personality in teaching
- The independent dance artist: continuous development, job creation, funding, projects and commissions, versatility, collaborations, managing projects, profile, devising.
- integrating pilates and somatic approaches in dance training: in teaching, experiential anatomy, injury prevention, my own training experience and practice, safe practice, modifying for different participants
- Working in integrated dance
- Versatility in performance: drawing on my work with a range of choreographers
Helpful Skype chat with Adesola, Amber and Jamie this morning. I realised that while I seem to be able to reflect at length on my work and what I actually do day to day in the studio and with students, I find it difficult to hone in on my thoughts and feelings about my own learning process on this module! It is still early days I know.
Perhaps looking outwards is somehow easier for me then recognising my internal/individual process. It could be a case of familiarity with thinking about work but not with thinking about thinking! I don't know if that makes any sense to anyone else!
It feels like I have to work on this before I will be able to connect the two kinds of reflective process.
Thanks for everyone's questions (and answers) today, they brought quite a few things into focus for me, including making mental processes explicit and making links between journal entries, blog posts, CV's and reading.
Speak soon
Monday, 7 October 2013
study behaviour
I'm finding that sometimes your concentrations levels, priorities and motivation to study don't always fit perfectly with the schedule you've organised for yourself.
So today I'd planned to work for a few hours in the morning in my study, no interruptions, perfect, but I sit and find I can't focus, I wonder why, procrastinate, think about the planning I have to do for teaching this week. Get some fresh air, have a drink, nothing helps. Perhaps sometimes you have to stop struggling and wait until you feel more able or match the task to your mood. It feels like a luxury to think this way when time is so tight and precious but might be more productive in the long run.
On the flip side, there are times I'd set aside to do something else, like start to strip the wallpaper in the babies room, or plan exercises for my new class, and I find that I'm drawn to the computer to write in my journal or read a chapter.
I often tell students in class to listen to their bodies about what is right for them that day and not push themselves too hard as it's not always necessary. Perhaps allowing yourself some space and time without the pressure of 'this must be done now' can actually can lead to new and different discoveries.
This made me think of choreographing or working with a set curriculum or syllabus and the struggle between discipline, sticking to the plan, and creativity, process and achieving a final product or result.
So today I'd planned to work for a few hours in the morning in my study, no interruptions, perfect, but I sit and find I can't focus, I wonder why, procrastinate, think about the planning I have to do for teaching this week. Get some fresh air, have a drink, nothing helps. Perhaps sometimes you have to stop struggling and wait until you feel more able or match the task to your mood. It feels like a luxury to think this way when time is so tight and precious but might be more productive in the long run.
On the flip side, there are times I'd set aside to do something else, like start to strip the wallpaper in the babies room, or plan exercises for my new class, and I find that I'm drawn to the computer to write in my journal or read a chapter.
I often tell students in class to listen to their bodies about what is right for them that day and not push themselves too hard as it's not always necessary. Perhaps allowing yourself some space and time without the pressure of 'this must be done now' can actually can lead to new and different discoveries.
This made me think of choreographing or working with a set curriculum or syllabus and the struggle between discipline, sticking to the plan, and creativity, process and achieving a final product or result.
Sunday, 22 September 2013
My route to here
Hi,
Good to chat with those of you who were part of the Skype conversation on Friday and hello to everybody else.
So, we've started the course, I'm definitely daunted and excited at the same time. I think this will be a very different type of learning experience to those I've had in the past. Reflective learning is something I've been introducing my students to in the last year but something that I've only had a tacit awareness of myself in my practice.
Reading Honey and Mumford's summary of learning styles in the handbook and thinking about this activity of starting a blog, something I've never done before, I think I'm a Reflector, taking my time to research how it could be done, maybe looking at other examples but without coming up with any sort of strategy, writing a bit and then coming back to it later. I'd love to know what someone else thinks my learning preference might be.
I've learnt that group Skype conversations can be a bit tricky (did anyone else feel the same?) because you can't read facial expressions or always identify who is talking. It difficult to know when people might want to contribute or just listen so gets a bit stilted. Maybe there's some kind of system we could put in place to make it easier to manage? Someone mentioned Google hangouts as a similar kind of thing for group online conversations but I haven't tried it, has anyone?
I wasn't sure if we are all going to be posting a biography or introduction to ourselves on our blogs but here's a bit of background about me and my work. I would love to hear about yours.
I wasn't always sure I wanted to dance, I didn't start any serious training until I was 18 but always did lots of ballet, gymnastics and contemporary dance as I grew up. I was a physical child and enjoyed sports and outdoor adventure as much as dance and music. I still do.
Back in the mists of time I was going to study French at University for my first degree but had a change of heart, motivated by jealousy when some of my friends were auditioning for conservatoires, and realised that was what I really wanted to do. I was lucky in that my parents let me choose for myself but I grew up in a family who loved the arts so I guess they were happy I chose dance in the end.
So I studied for four years at Laban, graduating in 1999, and since then have worked in numerous jobs, teaching, performing and in offices.
My performing work included dancing with inclusive companies, with some fantastic choreographers, outdoor pieces, site specific work and aerial dance. My teaching has ranged from primary schools, professional classes, adult community classes and lots of work with young people in many settings.
Since 2006 I've been working with a close friend and long time colleague to create our own live and video dance. This is on a project basis and happens when we are awarded funding and when our work loads allow, or when we feel inspired! Our projects have always involved an educational aspect and we enjoy inviting different regional artists to collaborate.
I qualified as a Stott Pilates instructor a few years ago and see it as an ongoing training. I love applying Pilates to dance training but I also teach adults with no movement background and often with chronic joint issues.
I live in the North East, near Stockton on Tees, am 37 and currently am an associate lecturer at Teesside University on the BA(hons) Dance degree. There I teach Dance Facilitation, Contemporary technique, mainly Limon, Pilates, Contextual Studies, Choreography and am Third Year Tutor. I've been in the post for a year and work with some fantastic colleagues. I enjoy being part of a team in contrast to the isolation I often felt as a freelancer, and am on a very steep learning curve!
Sailing and travelling are my other big passions and I need to work out how to combine them with my work!
Starting this course feels long overdue and I hope it will be a broadening, deepening, exploring and connecting learning experience.
Speak soon I hope
ps. Anyone know the MAPP DTP group name on Linked In? I can't seem to find it.
Good to chat with those of you who were part of the Skype conversation on Friday and hello to everybody else.
So, we've started the course, I'm definitely daunted and excited at the same time. I think this will be a very different type of learning experience to those I've had in the past. Reflective learning is something I've been introducing my students to in the last year but something that I've only had a tacit awareness of myself in my practice.
Reading Honey and Mumford's summary of learning styles in the handbook and thinking about this activity of starting a blog, something I've never done before, I think I'm a Reflector, taking my time to research how it could be done, maybe looking at other examples but without coming up with any sort of strategy, writing a bit and then coming back to it later. I'd love to know what someone else thinks my learning preference might be.
I've learnt that group Skype conversations can be a bit tricky (did anyone else feel the same?) because you can't read facial expressions or always identify who is talking. It difficult to know when people might want to contribute or just listen so gets a bit stilted. Maybe there's some kind of system we could put in place to make it easier to manage? Someone mentioned Google hangouts as a similar kind of thing for group online conversations but I haven't tried it, has anyone?
I wasn't sure if we are all going to be posting a biography or introduction to ourselves on our blogs but here's a bit of background about me and my work. I would love to hear about yours.
I wasn't always sure I wanted to dance, I didn't start any serious training until I was 18 but always did lots of ballet, gymnastics and contemporary dance as I grew up. I was a physical child and enjoyed sports and outdoor adventure as much as dance and music. I still do.
Back in the mists of time I was going to study French at University for my first degree but had a change of heart, motivated by jealousy when some of my friends were auditioning for conservatoires, and realised that was what I really wanted to do. I was lucky in that my parents let me choose for myself but I grew up in a family who loved the arts so I guess they were happy I chose dance in the end.
So I studied for four years at Laban, graduating in 1999, and since then have worked in numerous jobs, teaching, performing and in offices.
My performing work included dancing with inclusive companies, with some fantastic choreographers, outdoor pieces, site specific work and aerial dance. My teaching has ranged from primary schools, professional classes, adult community classes and lots of work with young people in many settings.
Since 2006 I've been working with a close friend and long time colleague to create our own live and video dance. This is on a project basis and happens when we are awarded funding and when our work loads allow, or when we feel inspired! Our projects have always involved an educational aspect and we enjoy inviting different regional artists to collaborate.
I qualified as a Stott Pilates instructor a few years ago and see it as an ongoing training. I love applying Pilates to dance training but I also teach adults with no movement background and often with chronic joint issues.
I live in the North East, near Stockton on Tees, am 37 and currently am an associate lecturer at Teesside University on the BA(hons) Dance degree. There I teach Dance Facilitation, Contemporary technique, mainly Limon, Pilates, Contextual Studies, Choreography and am Third Year Tutor. I've been in the post for a year and work with some fantastic colleagues. I enjoy being part of a team in contrast to the isolation I often felt as a freelancer, and am on a very steep learning curve!
Sailing and travelling are my other big passions and I need to work out how to combine them with my work!
Starting this course feels long overdue and I hope it will be a broadening, deepening, exploring and connecting learning experience.
Speak soon I hope
ps. Anyone know the MAPP DTP group name on Linked In? I can't seem to find it.
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