Starting this task I was drawn back to 'Task 2c - Reflective Theory' and Kolbs cycle. I started out by searching google reader and typed '3c'. I saw Liams idea of a brain storm which I also used in 3a, I think it is a very effective way and decided I would start this task off the same way. My cycle started at the point - reflective observation.
My sources of information are very valuable to me and are all on par with each other, I don't know what I would do without them. The sources are something I don't think about I just know what I want and I know where to find it so this task is interesting as it will highlight there importance to me. The sources are all apart of my learning cycle and progression as a teacher (and student!).
My current five sources of information are:
Google
There are many search engines but I always use google and would be lost without it. I use the internet via Google Chrome, I don't know what I used to do without it. I can open numerous pages and have a toolbar of my most used webpages. My 'Home' button is the google search engine which I will use as a search engine which leads me to information on whatever I want. On a professional level it can lead me to research a dance school or a show. On a day-to-day level I can search for a recipe. I use Google probably almost everyday. Not only is it a search engine like discussed in Task 1 about Web 2.0, but it is the source of Blog information 'google reader', and also Google documents. To me Google is a god send and I really do not know what I would do without it.
Blogs
My Blog is definitely a current source of information. Blogging has become a major part of my everyday life. If I am not logging on to read, I am logging on to write. The BAPP course introduced me to blogging and at first I was reluctant but now it is a massive part of the course - I have really got into it. I have learnt so much already and I feel like it is only just the beginning. Looking at other peoples Blogs and engaging is a key part of the course and learning process. Being on a work based learning course I felt I wouldn't meet anyone, and even though I have not been able to make campus sessions I feel personalities shine through peoples work, and I feel I know the students really.
Facebook
As Liam said about status browsing being a good source for him, it is for myself too. Most of my contacts are from the dance industry so there are always videos, class information, audition information etc.. being uploaded. I have contemplated deleting facebook, as I find myself on there when I don't need to be, but I can not bring myself to it. Facebook is too much of a source of information to delete it. As I mentioned about a dance school I work for being on facebook, that is something that benefits me too, as I work for more than one dance school - it keeps me 'in the know'. People think of Facebook as a 'nosey' place but when people add things to their profile then they know all their contacts can see it. I think of it as just being interested in what people are up to. Its hard when you meet so many people in your life to keep up with them but you can see what they are up to and still feel in touch with their lives.
YouTube
YouTube is a source I could not live without. I have many uses for YouTube. In the past I have uploaded audition material and sent it out to potential employers - and was offered a job from it. I have also searched and found material from shows of companies that I may be auditioning for. I now use YouTube to find new music, to get dance ideas, and to upload my own videos. I may want to find a song that I have heard, I like to watch music videos to see what style of dance is used. If I have a song in mind I want to dance too, I may look at a few pieces of choreography. I also upload videos to my channel so that my students can look and practice along with them if they get stuck (especially good when coming up to a show).
Face-to-Face
I like face to face conversations. Sometimes speaking through text or email can give a wrong impression, or maybe your point may not be put across as well. If there is something to organize with more than one person (like planning a show), I think meetings are the best way to do this, as everyone comes together at the same time and can each put across their opinion or idea. You also find out more as you can only put so much into an email or text so when speaking everything can be said. Technology means that people skype, email, text, call, facebook rather than meeting up. I met up with Aicha the other day as we have not seen each other in years, and not only was it good to catch up, but it was also good to talk about our professional lives and find out information about experiences that may help with our own experiences.
Thinking about the future I intend to improve on my Blogging! At the moment I am more likely to talk about someones post in my blog rather than commenting as I tend to read a little of someone's task and then I am inspired to write and sometimes I can't stop and then forget to go back and comment! This way of doing things is not always the best as I know I am supposed to be commenting on others blogs. I had a bit of a gap with blogging, and wish I had kept to the time limits but due to work commitments it was hard so I think in this module I have not engaged as much as I should and therefore I will make a conscious effort to do so after I have completed the Module, as I feel I am limited with time and know I need to get the tasks completed.
Sunday 11 December 2011
Task 3b - Theories Related to Networking
I put this task off at first but I have re-looked at it and think it will be valuable to look into these different concepts. The task says to give each concept time to settle and that is exactly what I have done, and so I will look at them individually rather than thinking about them all at once.
Cooperation was a great one to start with. The reader has an Extract from Axelrod, R. (1984) which I found very interesting. The dance industry is very competitive whether you like it or not. The extract talks about a project which started with a few 'simple questions', however are the questions simple or do you have to think about them and do the answers differ for a different situation? The questions were: 'When should a person cooperate, and when should a person be selfish, in an ongoing interaction with another person? Should a friend keep providing favours to another friend who never reciprocates?' Dancing is very competitive and I remember when I finished college, everyone was out to get a job. One particular incident always sticks in my mind, most of the time all friends from college would travel down to London to audition, however, there was a time that one dancer decided not to tell anyone about a 'private' audition she went to. This is an example of when a friend does not reciprocate after favours (continually telling them about auditions). Cooperation is about working together - in harmony, which means both parties give and gain, so it is not just one sided. As a teacher, cooperation is necessary. You need to build up relationships with people and have a good rapport with them so you know you can ask for help and they know you would always help them out. I am choreographing for a show at present and I needed to mix some music, I asked a contact of mine who said they would help out, it had been a couple of weeks and I was loosing time to work on the dances with my students so I found someone else. My contact was apologetic and said they actually needed music mixing too and that is why she thought she could help. I said I would sort it for her, this is a good example of cooperating, as I could have just ignored it but I decided to help her out as I know she tried to help me. I like Jacobs post on cooperating as it highlighted a situation that had happened to myself. Jacob said about students moving on when they have learnt all they can from that particular teacher. I teach an adult class which has been going for around 10years. I have been teaching there three years now - and I teach mainly syllabus work. My employer said that this year there will not be a 'continuation' class which is the class the dedicated students went to. This was because there is no room for people to join and they are taking up the spaces and there is only so much we can teach them. (this was definitely the case as they had been doing Flamenco for longer than I had!). There were six students involved and because of the recession and little interest from new starters the class was going to have to end, so I decided I would keep on the class - for my sake as I would loose an hours pay, for the schools sake as that is one less class, and for the students sake as they wanted to continue. This gained me a lot of respect and I was proud that I could help and cooperate!
'Affiliation can be defined as a positive, sometimes intimate, personal relationship'. The need for affiliation is dependant on the circumstance. Yacov Rofe suggested that the need for affiliation depended on whether being with others would be useful for the situation or not. So in the case of a professional network, you have to decide who would be useful - so as not to approach the wrong person and to keep you affiliates strong. You build up connections throughout your whole life, and it is important to maintain those connections, as they may be valuable in the future. I approached my old GCSE dance teacher as to ask for guidance and to possibly help out at the school with classes to gain experience. I would hope for the teacher to feel honoured I have asked them and that they would benefit too. Both parties ideally should benefit from the situation in order to keep a strong relationship. I have also recently judged a choreography competition for an old friend. She approached me after no contact for a while but I didn't feel 'used' I felt honoured and proud that she thought of me. It helped her out and I gained a lot of respect from it, I gained experience, dance ideas and a stronger relationship between the two of us. I know that if I ever need something, she would be there to help.
Social Constructionism was a hard one to get my head around. I believe it means that social influences actively create changes in life. Social Constructionism plays a big part of this course and brings me back to the question 'have you ever known something before you know what it means to you?' Unlike history which is learning a lot of facts, social constructionism is talking about going away and looking into something and coming up with your own view of it(alike this course!). This takes me back to learning about web 2.0 tools and how I learnt that Wikipedia is not all factual. I have searched the internet on these different theories and looked at Wikipedia, with my gathered information I make my own view which is my own impression that could be different to others.
In the domain of social constructionist thought, a social construct is an idea or notion that appears to be natural and obvious to people who accept it but may or may not represent reality, so it remains largely an invention or artifice of a given society. (Wikipedia)
Connectivism is something I can definitely relate to. There is the saying 'It is not what you know, it is who you know'. I really dislike that saying as I heard it far too much when auditioning. When you have trained so hard at college and you do endless auditions, spending a fortune on travel and you don't get anywhere. Then there is someone that took on a job in a shop straight after college and they get offered a job dancing because they are recommended by a friend (connection). It happened to me too - I had been auditioning a lot and decided to dedicate myself to teaching and concentrate on that, then all of a sudden I was contacted from various employers saying 'I want you to fly out tomorrow!' This is crazy - they had never watched me dance but through a connection I had been recommended. Connectivism can sometimes be harsh if you are not involved, but you need to become involved and connect with the professional network to be successful. I found this interesting from Wikipedia -
Communities of practice is explained very clearly on Wikipedia:
A community of practice (CoP) is, according to cognitive anthropologists Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger, a group of people who share an interest, a craft, and/or a profession. The group can evolve naturally because of the members' common interest in a particular domain or area, or it can be created specifically with the goal of gaining knowledge related to their field. It is through the process of sharing information and experiences with the group that the members learn from each other, and have an opportunity to develop themselves personally and professionally (Lave & Wenger 1991)
BAPP is a very good example of a community of practice and I will show how it fits in with the three dimensions Wenger identified.
Cooperation was a great one to start with. The reader has an Extract from Axelrod, R. (1984) which I found very interesting. The dance industry is very competitive whether you like it or not. The extract talks about a project which started with a few 'simple questions', however are the questions simple or do you have to think about them and do the answers differ for a different situation? The questions were: 'When should a person cooperate, and when should a person be selfish, in an ongoing interaction with another person? Should a friend keep providing favours to another friend who never reciprocates?' Dancing is very competitive and I remember when I finished college, everyone was out to get a job. One particular incident always sticks in my mind, most of the time all friends from college would travel down to London to audition, however, there was a time that one dancer decided not to tell anyone about a 'private' audition she went to. This is an example of when a friend does not reciprocate after favours (continually telling them about auditions). Cooperation is about working together - in harmony, which means both parties give and gain, so it is not just one sided. As a teacher, cooperation is necessary. You need to build up relationships with people and have a good rapport with them so you know you can ask for help and they know you would always help them out. I am choreographing for a show at present and I needed to mix some music, I asked a contact of mine who said they would help out, it had been a couple of weeks and I was loosing time to work on the dances with my students so I found someone else. My contact was apologetic and said they actually needed music mixing too and that is why she thought she could help. I said I would sort it for her, this is a good example of cooperating, as I could have just ignored it but I decided to help her out as I know she tried to help me. I like Jacobs post on cooperating as it highlighted a situation that had happened to myself. Jacob said about students moving on when they have learnt all they can from that particular teacher. I teach an adult class which has been going for around 10years. I have been teaching there three years now - and I teach mainly syllabus work. My employer said that this year there will not be a 'continuation' class which is the class the dedicated students went to. This was because there is no room for people to join and they are taking up the spaces and there is only so much we can teach them. (this was definitely the case as they had been doing Flamenco for longer than I had!). There were six students involved and because of the recession and little interest from new starters the class was going to have to end, so I decided I would keep on the class - for my sake as I would loose an hours pay, for the schools sake as that is one less class, and for the students sake as they wanted to continue. This gained me a lot of respect and I was proud that I could help and cooperate!
'Affiliation can be defined as a positive, sometimes intimate, personal relationship'. The need for affiliation is dependant on the circumstance. Yacov Rofe suggested that the need for affiliation depended on whether being with others would be useful for the situation or not. So in the case of a professional network, you have to decide who would be useful - so as not to approach the wrong person and to keep you affiliates strong. You build up connections throughout your whole life, and it is important to maintain those connections, as they may be valuable in the future. I approached my old GCSE dance teacher as to ask for guidance and to possibly help out at the school with classes to gain experience. I would hope for the teacher to feel honoured I have asked them and that they would benefit too. Both parties ideally should benefit from the situation in order to keep a strong relationship. I have also recently judged a choreography competition for an old friend. She approached me after no contact for a while but I didn't feel 'used' I felt honoured and proud that she thought of me. It helped her out and I gained a lot of respect from it, I gained experience, dance ideas and a stronger relationship between the two of us. I know that if I ever need something, she would be there to help.
In the domain of social constructionist thought, a social construct is an idea or notion that appears to be natural and obvious to people who accept it but may or may not represent reality, so it remains largely an invention or artifice of a given society. (Wikipedia)
A clear (visual) example I have thought of is fashion trends. What is 'in fashion' ? It is something that you believe is the trend but really it is a view that constantly changes in a network. Throughout the Country there will be lots of different 'fashions', but fashion to each individual is the one that they have chose to follow. So things are thought up, then accepted, developed, socially interchanged within networks and believed to be true. Social constructionism is very powerful and makes you think is everything socially constructed? This Blog I came across is a good read and helped me understand Social Constructionism after lots of research!
Connectivism was introduced as a theory of learning based on the premise that knowledge exists in the world rather than in the head of an individual.
Thus saying if you need to know something the knowledge will be out there you just need to connect. You can learn from the connections through your professional network (like what we are doing on the course).
A community of practice (CoP) is, according to cognitive anthropologists Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger, a group of people who share an interest, a craft, and/or a profession. The group can evolve naturally because of the members' common interest in a particular domain or area, or it can be created specifically with the goal of gaining knowledge related to their field. It is through the process of sharing information and experiences with the group that the members learn from each other, and have an opportunity to develop themselves personally and professionally (Lave & Wenger 1991)
BAPP is a very good example of a community of practice and I will show how it fits in with the three dimensions Wenger identified.
What it is about – its joint enterprise as understood and continually renegotiated by its
members;
Everyone on the course is hoping to turn their diploma into a degree. How it functions - mutual engagement that bind members together into a social entity
Everyone has to engage in the tasks set in the modules to get the qualification. What capability it has produced – the shared repertoire of communal resources
You will get a BA in Professional Practice.Wednesday 7 December 2011
Task 3a - Current Networks
What are the current and different ways (tools) that you have, or do, engage your professional network?
I have used Nina's idea of a diagram, like Patrick said - it is good for visualisation.
Are there methods, approaches and technologies that you use socially that might apply and help you develop your professional networking?
Most of my classes are taught for dance schools, therefore they do the networking for the classes. I have set up my own class so I had to think carefully how I was going advertise and promote the class. Facebook is a hard one - I set up my own page and sent it to all my contacts, but didn't get much response. The people that have 'liked' my page are people I am not 'friends' with on Facebook, so I update things on there for people to see but I do tend to use my normal account for advertising too, as they know who I am and I am trying to reach as many people as I can, and if people don't 'like' my page then I have no other way than to use my normal account. I have had a banner made that I put up each week to network wider, as well as posters up in shops and distributing flyers. I have also signed up to a website that helps promote the class. Facebook is also a good way to keep in touch with dancers and now dance teachers that I have met along my Journey. I use YouTube a lot. I upload videos for my students of dances they are learning so they have easy access if they wish to practice. I also subscribe to other dancers / dance teachers channels. And now Blogging, which is something that has introduced people with the same interests and goals. This is down to BAPP and although most were wary at first, I believe it is a great way to network.
For the likes of people wanting to join my Facebook page they wish to be involved in what's going on and want to express an interest, they are also interested in being kept up-to-date with the class. For YouTube I am doing that for my students and I am also ensuring they keep motivated about the class and it can also be used to advertise the class. The BAPP course has introduced me to blogging and allowed me to connect with people I probably wouldn't have as we are worked based learning and from all parts of the World. We all have the same interests at heart and Blogs are for sharing thoughts, feelings and knowledge with others. People may have thoughts that may help you learn and thoughts you have may help others learn.
I have used Nina's idea of a diagram, like Patrick said - it is good for visualisation.
What are the established (and different) ways that others use their networks,
especially if they are more established or experienced practitioners that you admire?
I work for two local dance schools. The first is 'PickUpDance' - I experimented and found on a Google search that nothing at all came up about the dance school. The school has suffered from the recession with parents not being able to afford for their children to continue with dance lessons. There are no current networks and so I feel it wont get better unless they do something about it. On the other hand I work for 'Bramhall School of Dancing', a very popular, well established, well networked dance school. BSD has a website which advertises all classes, has contact details etc...and they have also just entered the world of Facebook. The Facebook page is a very effective network that the school provides. It announces any updates on classes, has the school calender on their, announces any news, show dates and shares photos and also advertises the school. The page is more for the children, which is a clever way of keeping up their interest and also keeping them informed. BSD also has an emailing system, where information about fees or classes are sent to all parents in a 'round robin' email which is more effective than giving letters to children who may forget to give it their parents. BSD has definitely not suffered from the recession, it is a family run dance school with a close community and information is always available and someone is always there to answer queries or questions.Are there methods, approaches and technologies that you use socially that might apply and help you develop your professional networking?
Most of my classes are taught for dance schools, therefore they do the networking for the classes. I have set up my own class so I had to think carefully how I was going advertise and promote the class. Facebook is a hard one - I set up my own page and sent it to all my contacts, but didn't get much response. The people that have 'liked' my page are people I am not 'friends' with on Facebook, so I update things on there for people to see but I do tend to use my normal account for advertising too, as they know who I am and I am trying to reach as many people as I can, and if people don't 'like' my page then I have no other way than to use my normal account. I have had a banner made that I put up each week to network wider, as well as posters up in shops and distributing flyers. I have also signed up to a website that helps promote the class. Facebook is also a good way to keep in touch with dancers and now dance teachers that I have met along my Journey. I use YouTube a lot. I upload videos for my students of dances they are learning so they have easy access if they wish to practice. I also subscribe to other dancers / dance teachers channels. And now Blogging, which is something that has introduced people with the same interests and goals. This is down to BAPP and although most were wary at first, I believe it is a great way to network.
When you reflect upon current networks, can you think about the motives of others to be in the network and what values and purpose they have in mind?
For the likes of people wanting to join my Facebook page they wish to be involved in what's going on and want to express an interest, they are also interested in being kept up-to-date with the class. For YouTube I am doing that for my students and I am also ensuring they keep motivated about the class and it can also be used to advertise the class. The BAPP course has introduced me to blogging and allowed me to connect with people I probably wouldn't have as we are worked based learning and from all parts of the World. We all have the same interests at heart and Blogs are for sharing thoughts, feelings and knowledge with others. People may have thoughts that may help you learn and thoughts you have may help others learn.
What would your ideal network look like and why?
At the moment my professional network is mainly with dancers or dancers wanting to become teachers. I would like my professional network to have more contact with teachers who have done it all and with their knowledge would be able to advise me from their experiences. I like that my network (especially BAPP) there are people in exactly the same boat as me. They are dancers wanting to become teachers. Although I am a dance teacher and know others like myself, I want the next step to be a teacher in a school (through a PGCE). I realise how beneficial networking is and I now know that mine needs developing.What realistic things could you do to work towards developing your ideal network?
I have tried contacting my old GCSE dance teacher through Facebook but had no such luck as I don't think she uses it that often. I know that to get direct answers I need to visit the school and ask for advice and any contacts she may know that could help. I have also spoke to an old college teacher who did a PGDE and although to work at a dance college I don't think you really need a PGDE or PGCE more that you need dance qualifications and dance teacher quals, it probably stands you in better stead and she advised to go along that route.Monday 5 December 2011
Task 2d - Inquiry
What in your daily practice gets you really enthusiastic to find out more about? Who
do you admire who also works with what makes you enthusiastic
My aim is to complete the BAPP course and then move onto a PGCE to enable me to become a GCSE dance teacher. After completing college my aim was to become a professional dancer however it all changed when I was offered a teaching job which admittedly I took because the money was good and it would pay for the frequent trips down to London to audition. I fell in love with teaching and took on more and more classes..mainly in the evenings - to fill the gap in the day I took on a job in a local Pharmacy. I actually really enjoy it as its different and dancers would say it's a 'normal job' but when you need money or a stable job so you can get a mortgage you take on anything. Juggling the jobs and having 5 employers is hard - my sleep pattern - well it isn't a pattern. My work life is my life as I work everyday apart from Sundays ( when I tend to try and catch up with BAPP!) So I looked at all possible options and because I love to teach I decided I wanted to have a Monday - Friday teaching job in a school. So was it to be primary or secondary? It was something that could be decided at a later point but I had made up my mind eventually - and why I hadn't thought of it straight away I don't know but I knew I wanted to teach GCSE dance! I want to know what it's like? My GCSE dance teacher was someone I always looked up to. I will never forget how she was the 'best' teacher and It makes me excited and really want to work at it to become like her! Helen Butler - full of energy all the time and so bubbly, what is it like to be a GCSE Dance teacher? I have actually tried to contact her to see if I can volunteer in what little spare time I have as I just want to experience it. A line of inquiry I am interested in is - How do School teachers maintain enthusiasm with pupils? How do you engage the less enthusiastic pupils in the class? I am used to people coming to a dance class by choice and not because it is a class they have to do.
What gets you angry or makes you sad? Who do you admire who shares your feelings
What do you love about what you do? Who do you admire who also seems to love this
or is an example of what you love
This is so easy for me, and when I think about it - it brings a smile to my face. My Mum always said to me whatever job you choose just make sure it is one you like as she hates her job and wanted it to be different for me. From that day on I have never stopped wanting to follow a career in dance. I love being a teacher although it wasn't what I started out to be - I can not imagine myself doing anything else. I Love passing on my knowledge and experience and love for the dance subject., especially Flamenco dancing. Flamenco is something I loved from the first day I did it! At Hammond I chose a Musical Theatre course and to my disappointment they stopped the Musical Theatre students doing Spanish (flamenco) which I was gutted about. A couple of us were upset and took the issue to the Head of dance who allowed us to continue which made me so happy. I transferred to Kate Simmons Dance, where my Spanish teacher (Gillian Hurst) was Head of Dance. I ended up taking my Instructor De Baile and I am very proud to be a qualified Spanish dance teacher for the Spanish Dance Society! I love teaching Spanish and I would not be where I am today I it wasn't for my Idol Miss Hurst! Miss Hurst has been the biggest inspiration to me and I strive to be as amazing as she is. Miss Hurst is very high up in the Spanish Dance Society (along with Ballet societies too), she examines and is highly sought after. She has helped me and guided me with teaching and I could never thank her enough - she is also always at the end of the phone ready to listen, help etc..I could go on! She is a Goddess! :) A line of Inquiry I am interested in is - When I hopefully become a GCSE dance teacher will I still be able to fit in Spanish ? Will I just do it as a hobby?
What do you feel you don’t understand? Who do you admire who does seem to
understand it or who has found a way of making not understanding it interesting or
beautiful, or has asked the same questions as you
Some people love to choreograph - maybe it comes naturally to them? I don't understand why I find choreographing such a chore? I used to love making up dances when I was younger but now with the added pressure of having to choreograph I find it very difficult. With teaching Flamenco I teach the Spanish Dance Society Syllabus but Jazz and Tap I have to make up exercises or dances. I have a studio which I go in to practice or choreograph but I find myself just looking in the mirror thinking help! and nothing comes to me. At the moment I have the pressure of a show coming up which I need to choreograph four dances for...I have only ever choreographed one full dance before! I find it easier when there is a style to the dance or a theme - but I don't want a certain style sometimes, I just want a plain old jazz or tap dance. I do not understand how this can happen - I have had extensive training, been in numerous shows and yet when I am trying to choreograph nothing comes to me. I tend to look on YouTube for inspiration as I mentioned in a previous post and there is one person that stood out in particular. This is not even my style of jazz I teach it is more street dance style but I am just so impressed at her choreography. Jasmine Meakin ....How does she do it? I wish I could teach a new dance each lesson but I tend to stick to stretches and short exercises and leave the choreographing until a show. A line of enquiry I am interested in is - how do others start to choreograph? Is it something that most find hard at first? Will it get easier?
do you admire who also works with what makes you enthusiastic
My aim is to complete the BAPP course and then move onto a PGCE to enable me to become a GCSE dance teacher. After completing college my aim was to become a professional dancer however it all changed when I was offered a teaching job which admittedly I took because the money was good and it would pay for the frequent trips down to London to audition. I fell in love with teaching and took on more and more classes..mainly in the evenings - to fill the gap in the day I took on a job in a local Pharmacy. I actually really enjoy it as its different and dancers would say it's a 'normal job' but when you need money or a stable job so you can get a mortgage you take on anything. Juggling the jobs and having 5 employers is hard - my sleep pattern - well it isn't a pattern. My work life is my life as I work everyday apart from Sundays ( when I tend to try and catch up with BAPP!) So I looked at all possible options and because I love to teach I decided I wanted to have a Monday - Friday teaching job in a school. So was it to be primary or secondary? It was something that could be decided at a later point but I had made up my mind eventually - and why I hadn't thought of it straight away I don't know but I knew I wanted to teach GCSE dance! I want to know what it's like? My GCSE dance teacher was someone I always looked up to. I will never forget how she was the 'best' teacher and It makes me excited and really want to work at it to become like her! Helen Butler - full of energy all the time and so bubbly, what is it like to be a GCSE Dance teacher? I have actually tried to contact her to see if I can volunteer in what little spare time I have as I just want to experience it. A line of inquiry I am interested in is - How do School teachers maintain enthusiasm with pupils? How do you engage the less enthusiastic pupils in the class? I am used to people coming to a dance class by choice and not because it is a class they have to do.
What gets you angry or makes you sad? Who do you admire who shares your feelings
or has found away to work around the sadness or anger
As a freelance dance teacher the pay is quite good and makes up for the minimum wage I get at the Pharmacy, However, during school holidays you don't get paid at all and it is a real struggle, especially when those are the times when you need money most as you may want to go on holiday. When trying to save for a deposit on a house it makes me really sad to see nothing in the bank and having to go into my overdraft. Luckily with the Pharmacy you get 'Holiday Pay' but still it is only part time and hardly makes a difference. I often wonder how others cope? Something recently has really angered me yet there is nothing I can do about it. I work for a dance school and used to get paid monthly however, parents aren't paying the children's fees on time and a lot have dropped out due to lack of money to fund it - so the dance school pays the teachers each half term now- which at first I didn't mind as they were waiting until all fees were paid so they can pay the teachers. Now my feelings have changed as I depend on that income and waiting 8weeks instead of 4 when using petrol etc.. it is very difficult. I would like to know how other dance teachers cope who are in the same situation. I admire my old dance teacher and her husband as although she owned and ran the dance school it was only a small school that she had built up her whole life and she used to say to me that she only just breaks even and sometimes she even lost money but she used to do it as more of a hobby and didn't ever want to let anyone down and always thought about others before herself. Her Husband someone else I admire because of the way that he 'put up' with Susan not earning much because she was doing something she loved and they coped and had a lovely house and family. A line of Inquiry I am interested in is - When I come to find a job after completing my qualifications will there be a full time salaried job available? Will it be near by if there is on or would I need to move?
What do you love about what you do? Who do you admire who also seems to love this
or is an example of what you love
This is so easy for me, and when I think about it - it brings a smile to my face. My Mum always said to me whatever job you choose just make sure it is one you like as she hates her job and wanted it to be different for me. From that day on I have never stopped wanting to follow a career in dance. I love being a teacher although it wasn't what I started out to be - I can not imagine myself doing anything else. I Love passing on my knowledge and experience and love for the dance subject., especially Flamenco dancing. Flamenco is something I loved from the first day I did it! At Hammond I chose a Musical Theatre course and to my disappointment they stopped the Musical Theatre students doing Spanish (flamenco) which I was gutted about. A couple of us were upset and took the issue to the Head of dance who allowed us to continue which made me so happy. I transferred to Kate Simmons Dance, where my Spanish teacher (Gillian Hurst) was Head of Dance. I ended up taking my Instructor De Baile and I am very proud to be a qualified Spanish dance teacher for the Spanish Dance Society! I love teaching Spanish and I would not be where I am today I it wasn't for my Idol Miss Hurst! Miss Hurst has been the biggest inspiration to me and I strive to be as amazing as she is. Miss Hurst is very high up in the Spanish Dance Society (along with Ballet societies too), she examines and is highly sought after. She has helped me and guided me with teaching and I could never thank her enough - she is also always at the end of the phone ready to listen, help etc..I could go on! She is a Goddess! :) A line of Inquiry I am interested in is - When I hopefully become a GCSE dance teacher will I still be able to fit in Spanish ? Will I just do it as a hobby?
What do you feel you don’t understand? Who do you admire who does seem to
understand it or who has found a way of making not understanding it interesting or
beautiful, or has asked the same questions as you
Some people love to choreograph - maybe it comes naturally to them? I don't understand why I find choreographing such a chore? I used to love making up dances when I was younger but now with the added pressure of having to choreograph I find it very difficult. With teaching Flamenco I teach the Spanish Dance Society Syllabus but Jazz and Tap I have to make up exercises or dances. I have a studio which I go in to practice or choreograph but I find myself just looking in the mirror thinking help! and nothing comes to me. At the moment I have the pressure of a show coming up which I need to choreograph four dances for...I have only ever choreographed one full dance before! I find it easier when there is a style to the dance or a theme - but I don't want a certain style sometimes, I just want a plain old jazz or tap dance. I do not understand how this can happen - I have had extensive training, been in numerous shows and yet when I am trying to choreograph nothing comes to me. I tend to look on YouTube for inspiration as I mentioned in a previous post and there is one person that stood out in particular. This is not even my style of jazz I teach it is more street dance style but I am just so impressed at her choreography. Jasmine Meakin ....How does she do it? I wish I could teach a new dance each lesson but I tend to stick to stretches and short exercises and leave the choreographing until a show. A line of enquiry I am interested in is - how do others start to choreograph? Is it something that most find hard at first? Will it get easier?
Task 2c - Reflective Theory
Reflection is something I have done a lot of, especially at college. We had to do weekly reflections, which at the time seemed to be a bit of a chore! I have honestly never really understood why we did those until starting on BAPP. In the module reader it says 'Have you ever known something before you realise what it means to you?' This is something I have felt a lot since starting out on BAPP. Reflecting - what does it really mean? 'Learning from experience' which enables progression. At college the reflections were about corrections we had been told (if any) and what went well or not so well, I could have learned a lot from the weekly task but I didn't really see it as something I could gain from. I couldn't be more wrong, as since starting BAPP I have taken on a different approach to things and found reflection is playing a major role in my progression with my career. Reflection is a very beneficial process that could help anyone in any career. I think reflection is crucial for a teacher and I will continue to reflect after BAPP as an ongoing learning and progression cycle. I used to think about how classes went and tell my parents when I'd get in but I wouldn't call it reflection. I think of reflection as a deeper thought than just recounting events. My journal is now how I reflect, I write into a diary stylebook each night. This not only helps me reflect but it is there for future reference, which will show the journey I have been on and see what has changed
Have you ever said 'I learnt that by experience'? I definitely learnt how to be a good teacher by experience. I was thrown in at the deep end with teaching, as I had no previous experience, which most others had with assisting classes at a dance school. I knew what to teach and what to look out for but nothing could have prepared me. A lot was expected of me with my first teaching job as it was for the council and I was teaching people that had been doing Flamenco a lot longer than I had, which I thought was crazy! I have learnt how to deal with behaviour, learning styles, different levels of learning. I believe you can learn something from any experience. The example I chose was a significant one in my life, but they can be smaller experiences, for example I have bad knees and one floor I teach on is like concrete and I once over did some Flamenco footwork which resulted in me having excruciating pains in my knees the next day - so I learnt to never do that again!
Dewey says gaining from experience helps to fully engage with your life. My experience of reflecting is definitely helping me engage with my life, it helps me put things into perspective and like Dewey says it becomes a valuable experience.
I found Kolb's cycle really interesting, an ‘on-going’ learning cycle which is hard to find where you fit in. All the four steps in the cycle apply to me and how I learn but where do I start the cycle? It is best to think of an experience that you have had and look at how you entered the learning. Although I have Facebook and I think of myself to be quite handy on a computer - starting a Blog for me just seemed far from anything I have done. I panicked and didn't even know what a Blog was and if I did I just couldn't understand why we would need one for BAPP.
My Cycle
I initially found out what a Blog was which is 'reflective observation' Learning from that experience and now knowing what a Blog was (abstract conceptualisation) I then decided I was ready to have a go at making my Blog (active experimentation) I followed the link to make a Blog just went straight into making one (concrete experience) I did not know what other peoples Blogs would be like on the BAPP course so I linked up Blogs and started to review what others had done (reflective experience). I then learnt that people had added pictures to their Blogs.... I want to do that - so I looked into how I would do this (abstract experimentation) I then tried out what I thought would add pictures to my Blog, I found I added some random sample pictures (active experimentation) I then used what I did and found how to add my personal pictures (concrete experience).
I doubted I would fit into Kolb's cycle, and so I found this exercise very therapeutic as I definitely fit into the cycle - and I know that any experience I have will fit in the cycle. Everyone learns differently - I experience different learners each day. Some people learn from watching the steps first (reflective experience) Some people can just do it straight away (concrete experience) some try out steps before they are ready to demonstrate (active experimentation) Some people like to think about it and understand it before they try it out (abstract conceptualisation). I always knew there were different styles of learners but now know exactly what it means to me. Which brings me to the question 'Have you ever known something before you realise what it means to you'? Yes! This is exactly how I feel about the learning cycle, and I feel the more I look into this the more I understand and the more interesting it is for me.
Gardner introduced the idea of multiple intelligences, which I can definitely relate to. The idea I gave of people learning steps differently can fit into this theory. Flamenco music in particular is hard to count and some learners like to count there way through dances (logical - mathematical). Some learn by listening to the words I use to describe steps or rhythms (verbal - linguistic). Others can feel the music and can just put the steps to the music (musical). I have to deal with understanding multiple intelligences and to be able to adapt to each learners style of learning. As a teacher you must be able to teach all intelligences. This is something I 'learnt from experience' an example of this is: I would not class my self as a logical learner yet I teach people that can only learn this way so I have to be able to teach this way, so I have taught myself to do this. This again looks at the question 'have you ever known something before you realise what it means to you'?
Schon introduced the idea of 'reflection-in-action' and 'reflection-on-action', with Dewey’s take on it being 'present' or 'future'. As a teacher I can relate to both experiences. Sometimes I may choreograph something on the spot and whilst I am teaching it I would think 'that doesn't work' and I would change it straight away, which would be 'reflection-in-action' (present). I remember a time I was teaching a dance to a particular class and when I asked to see what they had remembered the next week there was a bit in it that I thought - why on earth did I put that step in? Which would be a 'future' reflection (reflection-on-action).
Kottcamps take is very interesting, likening 'on-line' with 'reflection-in-action'. I used to do an annual pantomime at Buxton opera house. In the program for the pantomime it would say 'outstanding choreography'. That it was but Martin Robinson the choreographer was amazing. I knew the dances were good but now I really think of him as an inspiration. Martin would choreograph on the spot. Which surprises me as how under all the pressure of making up good dances could he think of things on the spot. Does anyone else use this way of choreographing? I am very envious of him as he would know there and then what would work and what wouldn't (on-line) Kottcamps says it is more difficult to achieve this - which I agree with, but I believe it is more beneficial action as a teacher. I wouldn't go to the extent of Martins very 'hands on' approach (although I would love to - just not confident enough) but I would like to think I do use the on-line approach which is something I have learnt from experience but the off-line approach is also very useful. You may choreograph something but change it at a later stage when you think of something better, which would be an off-line approach to improve something.
I like the idea that with technology teachers can visually learn / remember. Writing down choreography can be hard work - describing steps and having notes on paper that could be lost or ruined. I like the idea of videoing a dance I have choreographed so it is easily accessible and a good way to record what I have done for future reference. Was I saying that because it is the easy way out and I do not have to write this way? What if my camera breaks? Or I cannot get my camera out in a class to review what I have done if I forget what is next... Really the camera option is the quick and easy way out and I didn't chose to logically think about it and write it down because I think it takes more time but in the long run it will be more beneficial. It is easily accessible if I want to remember what is next when teaching. This makes me realise that my first idea of videoing choreography is just the easy way to remember what I have done, which makes me realise that writing choreography down is a more practical way and makes me understand that it is actually better to logically write down choreography rather than my initial thought of videoing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)