EF MAPP Journey

My research has led me to think about the communication I have had with myself and others to generate ideas, for both teaching and thinking about my professional practice and lifelong learning. I have discovered that I use both interpersonal and intrapersonal forms of communication.  Interpersonal Communication -  is an exchange of information between two or more people.  From looking back at module 1, I have found that this type of communication has come from blogging and MAPP discussion groups. This exchange of information has allowed me to them express thoughts that have come to light from this. Thinking about the idea the "vision is the art of seeing things invisible" (Swift), the use of the blog, especially has allowed me to convey thought processes and make them visible by being words on a screen. "When we search for words to capture and communicate our experiences, we discover what language is the medium through which we clarify and express our uniqueness" (C...

Over the past (and my first) 10 weeks of the MAPP DTP course I realise that I think a lot about what I do and how this helps my teaching and proving that what I learn gets put into practice. But, after speaking to Adesola about my DAN4510 essay draft this morning, I have realised that I need to focus on what I think about certain topics and what I have learnt from this. Thinking about knowledge, information and learning is where I have decided to begin.  What is knowledge? - the information, understanding and skills that you gain through education and experience. Knowledge is valuable, and to 'know' means to have some special form of competence. Another meaning of 'knowing' can be recognising something as true.  What is information? - facts or details about somebody/something. Information is said to be categorised as, Information-as-knowledge, information-as-process and information-as-thing. I find that information is acquired without us even acknowledging it. Informati...

Following on from Sunday (15/11/20) nights discussion group about communication, I have been reflecting on one specific point that was raised - Have learning styles been debunked?  I have since looked into this, and deciphered that it is a case of psychologists vs. instructors. I do agree that becoming too fixated on learning styles can lead to an assumption of being fixed on using a specific style for a particular student; however, I do also think that we can adopt various learning styles, and more than one at a time, dependent on the activity or skill needed to be acquired. As teachers/instructors I think we need to be aware of these learning styles to enhance learning, as a form of effective communication between teachers and students. Personally, I do think students learn more effectively when they think about their learning style, however, I do think there needs to be a holistic approach to learning and teaching, which includes this, amongst other teaching devices.  From ...

 I have always used mirrors when dancing myself, so that has led me to use them a fair bit when I am teaching. However, are we, as dancers, looking into mirrors too much? Do we get too caught up in the way movements look rather than the way they (should) feel?  This thought stemmed from my teaching via zoom last night. One of my Grade 1 Ballet students, when asked to perform an exercise with the rest of her group said "ooh I'm just going to pin myself first" - was this so she could just see herself so she wasn't then copying others? Or, was it so she could show some vanity and just watch herself? I'm sure her thought process for this wasn't complex, but it did make me think, have I used mirrors too much in my teaching and what impacts is this having, both positive and negative on my students? 

It has taken me a long time to get my head around the AOLs, but, I think I've finally got there. From my BA degree I have delved further into the idea of being reflective and understanding that our learning comes from somewhere, we aren't born with all this knowledge after all! Having only been teaching full time for 2 years, I found it hard to discover what I had been learning since leaving the RAD. But, since I work with young people, I realised that I am in fact learning everyday, in order to improve their learning experience.  A concept of teaching that I had only thought in depth about due to writing previous essays, was the importance of understanding teaching and learning styles and how we must use them effectively to maximise the student's learning and aid them in mastering specific skills needed, specifically relating to, RAD Ballet and ISTD Tap and Modern.  We all learn in different ways, and I think that's one of the vital aspects that we, as teachers, need t...

This was the first Sunday Skype discussion that I had attended, being new this term, to the MAPP community. I found it very informative and fascinating listening to everyone's different ideas and perspectives surrounding the topic of 'knowledge information and learning'.  It was discussed that we pass through each step to lead to another, we dissect information, absorb knowledge and embody learning.  Knowledge, information and learning can all come hand in hand, however, they can also be treated as individual factors. It was discussed, that knowledge is not necessarily about the outcome, rather the journey we pass to acquire it. From this, as a group we briefly touched on the philosophical aspects and the nature and theories of learning, a topic which I personally find fascinating. For me, the methods and theories of learning are how we acquire knowledge in a dance setting. The VARK learning styles (visual auditory, read/write and kinaesthetic), when used appropriately and ...