My engagement with reflective practises is something I have never really thought about. Taking a moment to reflect on this induces the realisation that I am regularly using tools on a daily basis. I constantly jot notes, thoughts and ideas down in dairies and sometimes just on pieces of paper. For the most part to get thoughts out of my brain and into some sort of order. Lists and bullet points are frequently found on any scrap piece of paper littering the house, as well as in folders, books and even my phone calendar. When I have a moment of nothing, when my brain is whirling, I’ll write a list or make some sort of mind map. I have done this from a very young age. To start with it was just so I could sleep at night, to silence my wittering brain. However, more recently in my professional subdivision of my life, writing lists, tables and notes, is a frequent mind release of mine. An opportunity to reflect and digest all the information I am presented with on a day to day basis.
Moreover, I regularly record videos of choreographed pieces so I can later look at the outcome and reflect on the use of music, space and shapes created. This is something I did without conscious thought, I was unaware that habitually I used this process to aid my professional work. Frequently I would use feedback from students as a line of reflection, a chance to get back to basics and really discuss progress. I suppose in many ways something as simple as a facebook status is a moment of reflection. How you are feeling at that moment or what you choose to write is an instant of juncture, when you find the words to express a certain position, emotion or opinion.
Looking outward at what other people have written and said about reflection it's obvious it is an important part of learning and development, whether professional or personal.
My own reflection does loosely fit within John Dewey's (1930) ideas of reflective thought and experience. My own engagement in 'reflective thought' through 'consciousness of the experience' is how I learn to improve teaching techniques. The thought process's when watching a piece I have choreographed (recorded on video) or when simply choreographing and adapting movements for a particular individual, could be considered an ‘active, persistent, and careful consideration' of 'supposed form of knowledge' (Dewey, 1933). Furthermore, when choreographing and teaching a dance to a pupil, movements may change or be adapted for aesthetic reasons, or even because a dancer is not as flexible as first perceived. Therefore, I am learning what the dancer is capable of and what I can create using his or hers best attributes, through the teaching experience.
David Kolb's (born 1939) learning cycle is useful for understanding one’s own process of reflection, finding the point in which one finds a meaning and starts to learn. I hadn't previously considered these processes and thought imprudently that reflection was just ones opinion of a certain moment or event. Acknowledging these stages of learning from experience helps me grasp the idea of reflection. Using this cycle I imagine I enter the cycle at the 'Concrete experience' stage. I usually go head first into everything I do and then think about the consequences later. When teaching a class I feel that sometimes a teaching plan has to be very flexible when the pupils are very young. On the other hand, preparation is needed, so here I enter the cycle at 'Active experimentation'. Actually using the cycle will help me plan lessons for example;
Active Experimentation (Convergers and Accommodators)
• Lesson Plan; Teach choreography for new dance and trying it out on the children.
Concrete Experience (Divergers and Accommodators)
• Teaching choreography using imagery and repetition.
Reflective Observation (Divergers and Assimilators)
• Some children struggled and couldn't keep up, others thrived with the challenge.
Abstract Conceptualisation (Assimilators and Convergers)
• Will use differentiation when teaching choreography.
• Children struggling are to dance choreography without arm movements.
• Children thriving are to dance with arm movements and maybe directions.
Active Experimentation
• Improved level of concentration.
• Choreography performed at a better standard.
I enter the cycle at 'Active Experimentation', here I have learnt that differentiation improves a classes performance.
I researched for other theories on the internet and found interesting critiques from theorists that I have already discussed and from others, some on Wikipedia. Looking more at David Kolb's model;
'The resulting learning styles are combinations of the individual’s preferred approaches.' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_styles)
Combining the learning cycle and an individual’s preferred learning approach according to Kolb is how one finds their learning style. A Converger being a practical problem solver, a Diverger being imaginative and can see problems from another’s perspective, an Assimilator is seen to be good at reasoning, and an Accommodator is a doer rather than a thinker. I feel primarily I am a combination of a Diverger and an Accomodator, which looking back at the cycle places me again at Concrete Experience. While actively thinking about reflection from now on, I hope I can be more flexible in the way that I approach learning.
Howard Gardener and Fleming's VAK/VARK model looks at intelligence in a number of ways. This theory I feel I can relate easily to. It talks about:
• Visual learners
• Auditory learners
• Reading/writing-preference learners
• Kinesthetic learners or tactile learners
Within Gardner’s theory there are seven intelligences many of which, as a combination I fit into. I deduce, I am a Musical, Body Kinaesthetic learner. Knowing the different types of intelligences can be a useful tool. When teaching I need to be aware of the different ways in which one learns and need to remember that not everyone learns in the same way as I do therefore changing my teaching techniques accordingly to suit individuals within a class.
Donald Schon's (1983, 1987) theory of reflection-in-action is similar to Dewey's active experimentation, when teaching a class and children become bored and disruptive it is important that I adapt, reacting accordingly. To assure a successful class ensues, I then need to recapture the childrens' imaginations and change teaching technique. Robert Kottcamp's on-line theory, also describes reflection in action, he explains as an academic that it is harder to achieve. I disagree as other performers would, that in fact as a dancer it is easier to reflect change and adapt in action. I particularly enjoyed reading about Laura Weirs experience when another dancer in her cast had a costume mishap and exited the stage mid performance. The other dancers managed to dance and adapt accordingly without a single word uttered. This is a great example of Kottcamp's reflection on-line theory. Dancers often have to be prepared for this in a class scenario We train for this and sometimes dance a choreographed piece on the other side or leg without a moment to stand and work it out, dancing via reflection-in-action.
When auditioning and dancing without being taught, as professional artists, we are the sole collectors of our own work. We have to think critically about our own ability, this is an example of the difference between learning physically and learning conceptually also underlined by Kottcamp.
Schon's reflection-on-action is similar to Dewey's reflective observation and Kottcamp's off-line theory.
Reflection-on-action is accomplished “off-line” at a time when full attention can be given to analysis and planning for the future without the imperative for immediate action…” (Kottcamp, R. B. (1990). Means for facilitating reflection. Education and Urban Society, 22, 182-203.)
As a teacher I feel it is important to make an effort to reflect on classes 'off-line' to help the planning process and general development of structure, to ensure progress throughout the year. Analysing teaching techniques, styles and there effectiveness towards differences in age, sex and ability is fundamental in reaching a child on a relative level. A level where both you are able to learn and grow.
My Journal writing is very important to me now. Using the framework of Reid and Moon, I now acknowledge the process of reflection through my day to day thoughts. I feel to reflect about what I am learning is important and will heighten my level of success. With the Journal I can keep my thoughts together, my ramblings are no longer on scraps of paper and I very much like the idea of writing poems, I had done this previously, but didn’t give them any real significance or active reflection. Now from these poems my mood is apparent and my thoughts clear thanks to Adesola's blog. Now I feel I ‘understand how to think and learn from' my 'experiences in practice and' can 'apply and monitor the outcomes of that learning’ (Moon 1999:42).
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_styles
Akinleye. A (2010) Reflective Practices Reader
Kolb, D. 1984 Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall
Schön D (1983) The reflective practitioner. Basic Books: New York
Moon, J. (1999) Learning Journals. A Handbook for Academics, Students and Professional Development, Kogan Page Limited, London.
Kottcamp, R. B. (1990). Means for facilitating reflection. Education and Urban Society, 22, 182-203
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