Task 3c

This blog refers to the theory of connectivism. 

According to education 2020 and the course material Siemen's Principles of connectivism are:

• Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions.
  
• Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources.
  
• Learning may reside in non-human appliances.
  
• Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known
  
• Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning.
  
• Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill.
  
• Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities.
  
• Decision-making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of a shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the decision.
  

Interestingly, neither the Concise English Dictionary, the Oxford English Dictionary Online, nor the dictionary on my computer recognises the word 'connectivism'.

I have approached this in the same way I have approached all of the tasks in unit 3, by creating mind maps to help me channel my thoughts. However, whilst writing this my ideas changed again, in some cases I had identified individuals as a source, where on reflection they might be the centre of that resource but there is a bigger picture.

The five sources I have identified as being most important to my current practice are:

The I.S.T.D
The ISTD is the awarding body in which I hold my qualifications. They provide the examination system with which I enter students and provide further training and development opportunities for their members. Without the ISTD I would not be in the position I am in, both professionally and personally. The training and qualifications it has provided me with has afforded me the freedom to live a life that I find both rewarding and fulfilling.

The ISTD issue a quarterly magazine, as well as regular emails, updates to their website and Facebook/Twitter. It keeps me informed on syllabus, CPD, residential courses and competitions they are holding, as well as keeping me up-to-date with what they as an organisation are doing as well as what is happening within the industry as a whole. In addition to this they regularly post interesting articles on various aspects of dance.

I believe the ISTD to be of benefit to me professionally.  I feel as an organisation it does its utmost to fight for recognition of its members in an ever expanding creative world, to implement structures for the  development of the fundamental principles and longevity of dance education, furthermore working to enhance our professional spectrum.  
Despite the above, how can I be sure the ISTD is the right organisation for me? The ISTD was not an organisation I made an active decision to become a part of initially but one my dance school immersed me in. I have firsthand knowledge of the RAD, and know of many organisations such as IDTA, BBO and BTDA, why have I not looked further into what these could offer me?  I have based my assumption of my consideration of the ISTD (along with the RAD) being the leader in its field on the following reasons, which, on reflection seem flawed and poor:

• The ISTD (and RAD) syllabus is taught in some of the best vocational colleges in the country
  
• The majority of schools/teachers I have come into contact with teach the syllabi ISTD (for Tap and Modern)
  
• It is the syllabi (along with the RAD) that I have always studied.

The internet
The internet is an important source of information because it allows me to keep in touch with people, no matter where they are in the world, allows me to research projects and allows me to function within my current professional requirements. There has been some discussion in previous tasks from other students regarding the internet being a fainéant vehicle for research however, even after some thought I still disagree with this idea. Irrespective of your thoughts on this, we would not be able to be participating on this course without the internet. Below are some sites I regularly use.

Middlesex University and other sites related to my degree, specifically Feedly and Blogger
I use these sites to communicate and maintain connections with other members on the BAPP course and the University itself. Feedly and Blogger enable me to acquire diverse opinions on central topics or individual’s thoughts on a chosen topic, providing thought and reflection on one’s own views and opinions. Whilst my Uni Hub allows me to maintain contact with the university departments, and access all course material.

The Ballet Blog
Lisa Howell's blog is fascinating. I also receive regular updates via email and Twitter. I found Lisa's blog via Deborah Vowel's site. Howell has various question and answer sections on her website, where you are able to see her interaction with others as well as the problems they have/are encountering additionally commenting on their experiences.

YouTube
I use YouTube for various reasons. I have recorded videos at courses and uploaded privately, allowing the sharing of any information/new syllabus work between my close network (those I choose to share the link with). I use it in class to show children various aspects of dance – sometime clips I think they will find interesting, sometimes a great example of execution of movement. I also use YouTube to research dance.

Facebook/Twitter and Whatsapp
My primary use of Facebook and Twitter is social; however I use Facebook in a professional capacity to keep in touch with other professionals I have met and Twitter to keep up-to-date with the goings on of others within the industry.

I regularly check my security settings on Facebook to ensure that others can only see what I wish them to, with different groups able to see different things. However I have to admit to not doing so on Twitter as last time I checked this there were only two options, to have your twitter account open or closed. Given that the point of Twitter is to be able to reach out and engage with those you might not normally, I decided on the former.

Whatsapp is an application that works much like text messaging, but uses the internet. It allows me to keep in touch with everyone, via the internet, via my phone number for free. Living in Beijing this has truly proved invaluable. In addition to this, my boss and I constantly send picture messages regarding costumes or videos of choreography instantly to each other.

Despite the internet being such a good vehicle for many aspects of communicative life in the 21st Century and my involvement with/in it, care still needs to be taken in its use.  Many of the issues surrounding the rise of 2.0 technologies have been raised in Task 1 and we should not forget the importance of online security both in our professional and personal interaction. Just as the internet has the ability to allow us to make connections, it has the ability to break them and in a much more dramatic fashion than ever before.  There is also the issue of quality when using the internet for research.

A local school
The school is an important source of information to me because they have and do help me in every aspect of establishing myself in Beijing.

The school employs many bilingual and Chinese/English speaking staff who have been invaluable to me since my arrival in Beijing, always on hand to interpret and deal with many things I am unable to due to language barriers, cultural differences or not knowing or understanding my location or resources and really have been a great support.

My main contact within the school and reference for everything in Beijing is a British lady who (following residing in many countries in her life) has lived in Beijing upwards of 15 years, is heavily involved in Performing Arts and can point me in the direction of quite literally anything. If she does not have the contact she is able to find me someone who does.

The school supports the dance studio I work for. The staff are incredibly good and always try to help us when there is a problem whether that be with our venue (they have some great studios) or music (they teach music technology) or with involvement in outside events.

I have decided not to name this school for various reasons, the main one being I do not want to compromise anyone's position within this company.

Dance Station, Bristol
Kathy is the principal of 344 Dance School and Dance Academy South West, a full time professional dance college, and registered centre for teacher training (ISTD). Kathy holds her Licentiate Diploma is Modern Theatre and Tap Dancing with the I.S.T.D and is also the area organiser for the Bristol centre. Kathy has a strong understanding of the ITSD's work and syllabus.

I first met Kathy at the age of 18 and she has always been a great help to me. However during April 2012 I decided to return to training and further my qualifications – Kathy has been my Oracle ever since. Her wealth of knowledge and experience is invaluable and I go to her with all my professional questions - even down to help with sourcing suitable music! If she did not have the answer, there are plenty of others in the building to converse with.

Aside from Kathy herself, her skills as a teacher and her wealth of knowledge she has an abundance of material she makes available to all who ask – books, articles, works, performances, summer schools etc and a vast array of 'past pupils' who both come back to share their experience and who she can call upon to help others, all over the world.

In addition the 'traffic' through Kathy's studio has allowed me to form and maintain some great friendships and create a wonderful network of like minded people – some performer, some teachers, all at different points in their journey and witness some truly phenomenal students. Kathy also knows a large percentage of teachers in the local area (due to her school being the ITSD 'centre') and is therefore able to put people in contact with each other.

My friends, and in particular Adrian
Adrian is not only a personal trainer and scientist but a great friend. His knowledge on various aspects that interest me, for example, nutrition, massage and anatomy are strong and he has helped me in these areas enormously, pointing me in a good direction (his networks) for much of my research in these areas. In addition to him being important source of information he is an invaluable sounding block and voice of reason, and often gives me insight into other views allowing me to challenge my current perspective and become more open to different opinions. 

Task 3b

It is my understanding that this task is based on two concepts of the professional network; Affiliation and Co-operation and our reflection on this. I will look at both of these topics separately.

The reader defines professional networks as 'a work related community held together by either close working affiliation or more distant but common work interests or needs'

Affiliation
Crisp and Turner describe affiliation as “A network of support that will help us when we are in need” and go on to say that "we all benefit from affiliations", a point I am certainly in agreement with.

Viewing affiliation subjectively lead me to contemplate my interaction within my current professional networks, and assess whether I have decided to engage on different levels with each of my networks, and if so how those levels differ and my reasons behind those choices. Having approached Task 3 as a whole unit and not as individual tasks I have already established my five important sources of information and it is true that my interaction within each of these networks is very different.

In the excerpt from Essential Social Psychology, Crisp and Turner note meaningful social interaction as requiring four main points:

• Affiliation
  
• Friendship
  
• Attraction
  
• Love
  

Looking at these words within the realms of Professional Practice I suggest they could be changed to:

• Affiliation - A network of support that will help us when we are in need
  
• Interaction – The determinant amount of time spent with such affiliations
  
• Connection – How we feel about the affiliation and their worth
  
• Passion – How we feel about the subject matter the affiliation produces

The reader raised the question: Why are we social creatures? Two quotes immediately sprang to mind:

The first by Aristotle:

“Man is by nature a social animal; an individual who is unsocial naturally and not accidentally is either beneath our notice or more than human. Society is something that precedes the individual. Anyone who either cannot lead the common life or is so self-sufficient as not to need to, and therefore does not partake of society, is either a beast or a god. ”


The second a poem by John Donne:


"No man is an island,
 Entire of itself, Every man is a piece of the continent, A part of the main.
 If a clod be washed away by the sea, 
Europe is the less.
  As well as if a promontory were.  
As well as if a manor of thy friend's
 Or of thine own were: Any man's death diminishes me, Because I am involved in mankind,
 And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; 
It tolls for thee."

It also suggested some theories on this:

Privacy regulation theory
The Privacy regulation theory is a theory about our need for privacy by Irwin Altman.  This theory looks at why people choose solitude at one time, choosing interaction at others. It relates to the levels of privacy required at a given time as opposed to the levels of interaction. Encompassed within this are the dialectic principle – where our desire for privacy can fluctuate, and the optimization principle – the attempted alignment of desired contact with that of actual contact. This blog posted by Mak Wai Hong explains further: 

Social affiliation model
The Social Affiliation Model theory is a theory by O'Conner and Rosenblood (1996) regarding our need for contact and the levels of sociability required, linking in with Granovetter's (1973) concept of “strong ties”

Privacy versus affiliation is an enormous issue which I consider on reflection to have a huge effect on my level of engagement within particular groups. For example there are networks that I am a spectator in, ones which I engage in and a myriad of those in the middle.

Looking at the examples from Task 3c:

ISTD - my involvement with the ISTD is engaged but peripheral. I am an active member, but my engagement is not such that I am well known amongst its 7500 plus members, staff and lectures. This is not down to a privacy versus affiliation issue, but instead down to logistics.

The internet – my involvement with the internet professionally is predominantly one of a spectator, with two exceptions: anything to do with BAPP and my Dance Teachers South West page I set up to unite a profession I considered risked isolation. However even with these I am cautious of my engagement. To have ones opinions-in-progress out there in black and white for anyone to read does not make me comfortable, especially as my opinion can change as quickly as my need for more or less or social affiliation or privacy can. This is something that has remained a concern of mine throughout this course. 

Dance Academy South West – I am fully engaged with DASW and spend a lot of my time either there (when in the UK) or interacting with people I have met there. I feel safe and can 100% myself. There is a steady stream of peers, colleagues, contemporaries and examiners alike, all of which are prepared to listen and help when required. There is a great family atmosphere, along with a wealth of knowledge and experience. Maybe I identify so much with this network as the connections are personal, and face-to-face.

However with many people at the studio the boundaries between personal and professional relationships are definitely blurred (as they are a lot in the dance world).  

A local school – My involvement with the school is engaged yet cautious. I am just establishing myself in Beijing and I need to be careful with the relationships I establish. The school is a great establishment to be involved with and has been a wonderful support to me. 

Friends – Obviously my interaction with my friends is extensive. I am a very open person privately and interact with my closest friends daily. I establish a lot of my thinking with my friends.

The idea that the level of social interaction one might have, need or require being determined by multiple factors was interesting and I have noted some below:

• Personality type – Introvert/extrovert
  
• Physiological determinants
  
• Implications of development of professional networks
  
• Cultural differences
  
• Individual collectivism
  
• Individual differences
  
• Social/Psychological/emotional

The idea of cultural differences effecting interaction is an interesting one for me at the moment, giving my location, however I have not experienced any cultural differences that I would perceive as effecting professional interactions.

Another suggestion was the additional idea of not fully engaging due to the worry of rejection and the discomfort/anxiety that would create. I think this is a huge factor in the process behind people not fully interacting in a situation.

We try to constantly live in a state of homeostasis. Homeostasis is the tendency towards a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes or more simply balancing mutual dependency to maintain normal healthy functioning. This links to the idea of cooperation. By cooperating with those around us we are likely to get back what we put in and thus lead more satisfying lives.

Co-operation
The reader states: In an early but seminal work Axelrod (1984) identified the importance of the notion of cooperation, and in particular, the benefits of cooperating fully with others, until you reach a point of maximum benefit and then to 'defect'. All though I can see the truth in this, the optimist in me struggles to believe it. I believe cooperation leads to a harmonious life, both personally and professionally, and I believe that relationships breakdown but I had never thought of this as one side 'defecting', more of two people naturally going their separate ways.


As suggested I played 'Prisoner's Dilemma', a game based on 'Game Theory'. I have to admit to being a little confused over it, but nevertheless persevered. I attempted starting by both cooperating and competing, pretty much with the same outcome realising after the first few goes it was always giving me the same number of chances and always copying my move, leading me to decided to defect at the last minute and see what the outcome would be. After a couple of times of this, the number of 'turns' changed on me again and I had to decide on a different route.

This process of commencing with cooperation and thereafter copying the opponents previous move it called Tit for Tat. I believe this game highlights how in the beginning when trying to find your feet you may be unintentionally more or less cooperative, more as a result of being incompetent at the task in hand than anything and people are sympathetic to this. However after some time this changes to people only being prepared to do for others their interpretation of what they see as equal to others in the relationship having done for them.

Ideas/people I looked into whilst doing my research:

• Game Theory 
  
• Sociobiology
  
• Tit for Tat
  
• Benefits/drawbacks/processes
  
• Defecting
  
• Strategic vs genetic
  
• Robert Axelrod/William Hamilton (could only find Wikipedia biographies)

The excerpt from Axelrod's work The Evolution of Cooperation made me think. Axelrod asks the questions

“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?” This could put into many contexts, but I believe the answer to be that after a while the friend would 'defect' linking back to the homeostasis of relationships.

Axelrod's concluding paragraph:

“This led me to an evolutionary perspective: a consideration of how cooperation can emerge among egoists without central authority. The evolutionary perspective suggested three distinct questions. First, how can a potentially cooperative strategy get an initial foothold in an environment which is predominantly noncooperative? Second, what type of strategy can thrive in a variegated environment composed of other individuals using a wide diversity of more or less sophisticated strategies? Third, under what conditions can such a strategy, once fully established among a group of people, resist invasion by a less cooperative strategy?"

I found this paragraph thought provoking and something potentially worth delving deeper into.  However with the dominating thought process running through these being one of the Egoist: an ethical theory that treats self-interest as the foundation of morality, where does that leave altruism? 

Task 3a

I have chosen to complete task 3a in a series of mind maps and notes answering the questions posed in the handbook.  I chose mind maps as I thought it would be interesting to use a medium I could return to  (should I wish) at a later date and improve (using a different colour) and see where my thoughts have taken me.


What are the current and different ways (tools) that you have, or do, engage with your professional network?


Establishing my currently professional networks:

and showing how I interact with these networks:

What are the established (and different) ways that others use their networks, especially if they are more established or experienced practitioners that you admire?

• Podcasts
  
• Blogs
  
• Seminars/Conferences
  
• Email distribution
  
• Flickr/Instagram
  
• Facebook/Twitter
  
• Youtube
  
• Mentoring
  
• To travel
  
• Competitions
  

Are there methods, approaches and technologies that you use socially that might apply and help you develop your professional networking?


Technologies I employ socially:

How could these aid development of my professional network:

As a business owner in the UK, the dance school had both a Facebook and a twitter account. These were linked meaning anything that was updated to one would be automatically updated to the other.   Due to my enrolment on the BAPP I subsequently have a professional blog now.

Many of the methods above I already engage in professionally. With regard to the ethical implications of using Facebook account settings set to enable to me add people when I meet them without them being able to see everything about my personal life.

Living in China throws up its own set of problems. As previously blogged about many established 2.0 technologies are either banned or limited here. I could therefore be beneficial to look into whether china has its own versions, and if it does whether they are widely used.

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?


The reader talks about "cooperating fully with others until you reach a point of maximum benefit and the to 'defect'".  To me, this implies that we are not creating bonds and relationships but instead 'using' each other, extracting what we can until we feel there is no more to take. I am struggling a little with this theory. We are all drawn to people with similar interests and I suppose as an adult the majority of friends are made through work. However many of my friends or colleagues are not able to directly effect my work.

Below is a mind map looking at my current thoughts on the motives behind joining networks:

During a conversation with my boss, independently of this task she made the statement "I only have people in my life that I like"  I thought briefly about my relationships and affiliations and wondered if I could say the same?  She then corrected herself and came up with the statement "I only have people in my life who are useful to me" and I wondered how do you define useful?  If indeed someone making you smile is them being useful to you, then I agree all my friends are incredibly useful to me.  But do I set out to make relationships purely with people who have something to offer me?  No.  Something to offer the world? Yes.


What would your idea network look like and why?  What realistic things could you do to work towards developing your idea network? What tools and methods do you need to use?

Below is a mind map of my ideal network, taking into account but not looking at my current professional network.  These are things I would like in addition to those I already have:

What do I know about my current/intended networks                

• I have colleagues and friends that live it: United Arab Emirates, China, Europe, America, Canada, England
• I know the level to which my current friends and acquaintances are trained and qualified
• I have a plethora of wed 2.0 technologies at my disposal to help me find and maintain links and connections with current affiliations and to discover new ones.
• My awarding body is a great source of information on all things dance. 

What I do not know

There are many things I do not know, and I don't even know where to start with such an open ended question.  I have looked at my above list and make comment on what I could realistically do to enable my knowledge base:

• The difficulties others face in working abroad/how they train/what schools are like
• How my affiliations got to where they are
• What additional links are out there on the web that would benefit me/what is happening on the dance scene in Beijing

What are the ethical considerations of networking within the workplace?

Task 2c – Reflective Theory

Dewey believed that reflection begins in a state of doubt or perplexity and that is exactly how I have felt for the majority of this course so far. Am I on the right track? And more aptly, what on earth does that mean? I would consider myself fairly well educated, with a firm grasp of the English language however, that said, I have to admit to spending the last few months in a state of confusion:

Task 1 left me questioning how these tools could be useful to my professional practice, however Task 2 had me questioning what exactly we are supposed to be doing, where this is going, when I am supposed to find time and why am I so stressed about it all?!

On my initial perusal, I did not feel that the Reader gave me what I needed, and therefore set about finding out where I could get the information for myself, who these theorists were and what their main principals were. In addition I looked at what I am currently doing, how it fits into their theories and where/when these have an effect on my work. Having undertaken my own research and subsequently re-read the reader numerous times I now feel more able to complete this task.

To quote the reader “Learning a new idea is not as simple as it seems. For example, if you ask the question ‘what is a bachelor?’ To know if the answer is correct ‘a bachelor is an unmarried man’ you need to know the idea (concept) of being ‘an unmarried man’. You are not learning a new idea; you are just learning a new term.”

The Reader goes on to pose the statement “seeing something is missing is the first stage of learning” if this is believed to be true then surely learning a term for a practice you already undertook but didn't know existed, is learning? Learning a new term as opposed to learning a new idea is still learning, furthermore with learning that new term undoubtably a whole new set of principles have been put in front of you. Take Tacit Knowledge, for example; I have known of muscle memory for as long as I can remember but have not been aware of any theories behind it or its relevance to reflection.

Within the excerpt from Boud were a number of reasons highlighting why journal writing is considered so beneficial. I found this excerpt interesting even after multiple reads and I have created a mind map of my main points from the excerpt:

Within this are included the 9 principles of reflection from Moon that are quoted within the excerpt.

During this task I have discovered that I am very good at looking at the past, relecting and seeing where I have come from, and looking to the future, reflecting and seeing where I would like to be. What I am not great at is reflecting on is the 'now'.

Dewey – REFLECTIVE THOUGHT
According to the reader Dewey saw reflective thought as an “active, persistent and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusions to which it tends” (Dewey, 1933). He also considered that “Education was an experiential action”. To me, the latter implies that education itself is not the key to learning, instead the tool by which we acquire information allowing the process of reflection to be stimulated and thus turned into knowledge. Dewey defined the educational process as a “continual reorganisation, reconstruction, and transformation of experience.” This concept could be highlighted by using a choreographic experience as an example: You have the ideas, play around with them, decide on an order, rearrange/re-choreograph and eventually end up with a complete piece that has transpired and transformed since the initial thought process.

John Dewey, considered reflection an extension of thought and said “while we cannot learn or be taught to think, we do have to learn to think well, especially acquire the general habit of reflection” (Dewey, 1933). This makes me question whether I have truly engaged in the reflection of my practice, as opposed to merely thinking about my practice. At what point does thought, and its extension turn into reflection? Dewey considers reflection to be “rational and purposeful”, to include a“conscious and voluntary effort” and seeks to“establish belief upon a firm basis of evidence and rationality” (Dewey, 1933). Taking the idea of a choreographic experience from above Dewey suggests you go further than the 'end stage' and reflect on what processes would allow the work to mature faster in subsequent choreographic projects.

Dewey also discusses how “Interaction with the arts led to a unique and valuable experience” (Dewey, 1934). Your understanding of this quote depends on your definition of “The Arts”. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the definition of The Arts as follows “(2) The Arts: the various branches of creative activity, such as painting, music, literature, and dance: the visual arts” 

Potentially many of us as dancers would consider “The Arts” to refer to Performing Arts and I am sure we all have our own theories on how Performing or Visual Arts is beneficial within formal education. Whilst this was my initial understanding I now believe Dewey to be talking about the importance of creativity in any form, linking back to the journal ideas with in module: Pictures/Writing/Videos/Reading.

Despite Dewey having influence many of his succeeders I currently find his theories and ideas difficult to identify with. That is not to say I disagree with them in principal, just that my formation of ideas surrounding Dewey's ideas has not been so succinct as many of the other theorist.

Polyani TACIT KNOWLEDGE
The reader describes Tacit Knowledge as "knowledge you cannot express with words". During my research into Tacit knowledge I read many different descriptions and have been left slightly perplexed by the true meaning. Another thought is that Tacit Knowledge is things that have become so a part of your thinking that you don't even think about them anymore. However my research on this left me questioning if anyone is truly able to conceptualise tacit knowledge. 

It is becoming evident that things once known are not the same as things now, or currently know. I'm not talking about things we once believed to be true but have since proved otherwise like fundamental thought shifts in the ideas behind flexibility training, for example the eradication of the use of ballistic stretching in dance, I am talking about the things learned years ago that are no longer known or remembered, the subjects of which I am unable to share due to no longer knowing. Is the knowing of the existence of these 'things' without their defined subject matter Tacit Knowledge?

In addition there are things once consciously knew, and now subconsciously done. There is no longer a need to verbalise the processes, to ask questions or to even think about them, for example, clutch control whilst driving. Or where the letters are on a keyboard whilst typing. Or with reference to Dance proprioception and kinaesthetic awareness. Is this Tacit Knowledge?

There are also the things you know but are unable to verbalise. A great friend once said “Oh Megan! I know what I want to say, just God didn't give me the vocabulary”. How do you explain how something feels? Who's to say two people's perceptions of that description would be the same? Or visa versa. . Or, with reference to Dance, how do you verbalise and describe the move you have just choreographed? Is this Tacit Knowledge?

The reader says that it is important to find ways to articulate and support reflection, but how can you do this if you do not yet know what you know? If you are to take Twyla Tharp's concept of muscle memory being tacit knowledge, as a dancer I have been aware of muscle memory all my life but verbalising or vocalising what exactly muscle memory is is not something I have ever attempted. This links to Moon's idea that reflective practice aims "to enhance creativity by making better use of intuitive understanding"

Schon - REFLECTION IN ACTION AND REFLECTION ON ACTION
The idea of temporal processing is one that specifically resonates within the profession of dance, (undoubtably along with many other occupations), and Schon's theory of reflection in action and reflection on action is the theory that is depicted strongly within my daily practice. In addition to Schon's theories there are other such as those of Lewin that stand out for me. I have noticed that those I relate most strongly with are those of a conceptualisation basis rather than an academic basis.

Potentially the reasons behind my resonation with Schon's theory is because I can immediately see and accept how and when this fits into each part of my daily practice.

During a dance class due to the fast pace of the class, often I am reflecting in action with my response. If the situation is between two students and I have not seen what has happened I always enquire as to the circumstances, outcome usually being both parties apologising and everyone moving on swiftly so as not to dwell and maintain the pace of the class.

When speaking with parents outside of the classroom decisions are not necessarily as immediate as within the class given that we are usually one on one, I have more time to think about their concerns and I am able (time permitting) to structure my response, however I would consider this to be somewhere between reflecting in action and reflecting on action.

In an event that has not been brought to my attention during class (or I have not had time to deal with the parents concern at class) and instead has the situation has been brought to my attention in email format I am able to think more critically about the situation and reflect upon the facts I have been presented with allowing me to reflect on action. I personally feel I a give a better response to most situations outside of the classroom (good or bad) via email as I have had time to think the situation through from all angles before replying or offering suggestions.

The way Robert Kottcamp likens reflection in action to being 'online' and reflection on action as being 'offline' brings the theory up-to-date with modern terminology and therefore made it 'current'. However, referring back to the reader comments on learning, has he actually come up with a new concept? Or just 'renamed' an existing theory?

Peter Honey and Alan Mumford - FOUR STAGE CYCLE

The four stages of the Honey and Mumford cycle are:

• Having an experience
  
• Reviewing the experience
  
• Concluding from the experience
  
• Planning this next steps

I am drawn to this theory because again it exists in my current practice almost subconsciously; this model of 'reflection' almost ingrained in my daily life. Maybe this is a case of confirmation bias. Over the years I have used this model but in a verbal or conceptualistic way, but rarely articular on paper. However looking back at the theories of Dewey's or Moon, is this really reflection? Is thought or conversation alone a great enough articulation of knowledge? I have moved forward, I have looked at the facts and the direction I wish to travel in, but have I really learned anything?

Kurt Lewin - SPIRAL CYCLE

Lewin's Spiral Cycle also resonates with me, for the same reasons as above although I believe this to be a more thorough version of Honey and Mumford's cycle I still question whether this is reflection. Although it is definitely one of my current versions of reflection. Taking once again the choreographic example from above:

• Identifying or generating a general idea: What annual production should we do?
• Reconnaissance or fact finding: What dances/characters does this show require?
  
• Planning: How can we ensure there are enough 'numbers' for each class to partake? Which class will be what? What music shall we use? Would any numbers use props?
  
• Take first action step: Start music edits/Commence choreography.Teach choreography and video at the end of class
  
• Evaluate:Watch choreography back during the week.
  
• Amend plan: what can be improved/where to go next
  
• Take second action step: Re-choreograph where necessary. Break down steps. Choreograph additional sections. 

Currently I see this as more useful to, or more demonstrated by, my current practice than Kolb's Learning Cycle, of which I am yet to decide on my entry point, instead believing that the point of entry is dependant upon the experience.

Kolb - THE LEARNING CYCLE
Kolb believed in the importance of being able to identify experience and the understanding how that experience is of benefit. Kolb created a learning cycle:

Below are the four points to the entry cycle and how they fit into my everyday practice.

• Concrete experience (doing something)
  
• Reflective observation (watching something)
  
• Abstract conceptualisation (thinking about something)
  
• Active experimentation (experimenting with something)

It is my understanding that we all enter this cycle at different points, however effective learning is only achieved when the subject has passed through all four points. I do not think I am one type of learner, instead entering at different points depending on the task as shown above.  In addition to the above Kolb talks about processing continuum (how we approach a task) and perception continuum (our emotional response to it).

I found this website particularly helpful in explaining Kolb's thoughts.  It is suggested that knowing someone's learning style, and tailoring the work to that allows learning to happen more easily however in a classroom situation However that is not always possible. Another factor to consider is Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences.

Howard Gardner - MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES 
Howard Gardner's work was inspired by Kolb, however Gardner proposed the idea of Multiple intelligences. I find the idea of multiple intelligences interesting and can definitely relate to children learning in difference ways. I have long known of Visual, Auditory or Kinaesthetic learners but had not known of these additional “layers” until now.

It is interesting how Gardner says these theories on multiple intelligences should not limit the individual instead using them as a tool for understanding how one learns when a label in itself is often exactly that, a limitation.

Other ideas
Whilst researching this blog I discovered some additional ideas that I liked (predominately from  www.nationalgeographic.com). I have decided not explore them here, and instead list them citing my idea that they could have an influence of reflection and might promote further insight:

The Dunning-Kruger effect is an interesting thought and is similar to my blog post. The same article touched upon:

• Cognitive bias 
• Overconfidence effect - systematically overestimating your knowledge and abilities.
• Heuristic 
• Confirmation bias 
• illusion of control bias 
• Illusion of validity
• Fatigue
• Humanist theories - importance of the whole person

Task 2d (Sixth and Final instalment)

Task 2d seemed huge to me and once I started writing I did not stop.  As a result I have made the decision to post the answers to the questions posed in the task in instalments in the hope they will be more manageable to all.  In each post I will specify the question(s) tackled.

• What gets you angry or makes you sad?
• Who do you admire who shares your feelings or has found a way to work around the sadness or anger.

As a teacher in the UK I felt that children were not achieving as well as the same age group might have ten years ago. Potentially this could be down to the cotton wool culture of the training coupled with society becoming less active/more lazy collectively.

Despite coverage in the news regarding the perception of examinations becoming easier I believe the opposite is happening within dance and standards are increasing at speed. Many UK children are unable to keep up with this and it is leaving us, as a nation, behind. Within schools children are taught to question why, and with “because I said so” no longer an acceptable answer much of any class is taken up with discussion. This has its merit; however these are not necessarily visible within the confines of a 45 minute dance lesson.

There is also the 'X-Factor culture' to consider. In an article in The Guardian in 2011 Iain Duncan Smith said “A 'get rich quick' celebrity culture exemplified by The X Factor and the dysfunctional lives of footballers has created a society 'out of balance'" Whilst I have always maintained I do not consider people to be influenced by the media as much as the hype would allow us to believe, I do believe shows like the X Factor hinder ambition, or rather the commitment, work ethic and drive required not just to achieve and succeed but to excel.

I believe a combination of the above, amongst other factors, to be disabling our young talent and it is heartbreaking. It makes me sad when children are underachieving, but even more so when they have no idea of their potential. As teachers we work so hard for our students giving up our own time to help them; planning and researching, looking for new avenues for them to blossom in that when they don't show commitment or understanding of the team work involved, it leaves us disappointed.

The industry of performing arts is a notoriously difficult one for a variety of reasons and there are often times you watch incredible talented people fail, or incompetent people succeed. An example of this is unqualified teachers starting classes and schools, ruining established businesses, putting children at risk and belittling the industry. A colleagues I met on a course has started a campaign against this, details can be seen here.

The principal of my current school and the principal of my old vocational college both have a great work ethic. They both choose to run their businesses in very different ways, and are both great teachers but with very different styles. They have had very similar experiences to me at various times and from both sides of a situation. It is interesting to always have other opinions or ideas on how I might approach something available to me and I regularly speak with them both when I am unsure how to move forward.

Regarding the above, I have previously spoken my childhood Ballet teacher, and she is in agreement that the work ethic and standards of British children has slipped. The continued presence of the Asian work ethic is something I am really enjoying at the moment, and is something my current boss has definitely tapped into. 

Task 2d – Things I love (fifth instalment of task)

Task 2d seemed huge to me and once I started writing I did not stop.  As a result I have made the decision to post the answers to the questions posed in the task in instalments in the hope they will be more manageable to all.  In each post I will specify the question(s) tackled.

Questions I will attempt to answer in this blog:

• 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?

I am fortunate enough to be able to say I absolutely love every aspect of my job. I have always loved my job, although admittedly to varying degrees over the years. Moving abroad was the best thing I have done and I wish I'd done it years ago, although the challenges of living in a Communist Country are vast I am at a great school and love every day. I feel challenged here, and that I am able to move forwards with my career. I love the difference that I can make to a student's day, and the difference that they can make to mine. I love that I never stop learning, and that no two classes will ever be the same despite the words on the lesson plan.

I love that as part of my job I get to watch great choreography and see dancers with beautiful line, extension and unfaultable technique perform.

I love the opportunities dance has given me. It has allowed me to make life long friends; to be a part of something; to travel the world; to never feel like I'm going to work even though I could have a full day of teaching, followed by a business meeting, followed by a trip to the theatre, followed by planning. It's allowed me to own my own business; to buy a house; and to achieve and excel in a way I would never have been able to academically.

In a classroom situation refection in action is most usual however below are some examples of reflection on action:

I pride myself on never letting something cross over into the next class. For example not allowing one classes behaviour to affect my behaviour with the following class. 

I also pride myself on my fairness. If, on reflection, I think I have been too harsh the previous week, I will apologise to the class and not just ignore it.

I expect the same high standards of myself as I expect from the children. If I have delivered a bad class/got results I am not happy with I do not just right it off and let it go, I look at why it went wrong and what I could do to improve upon subsequent lessons just as I would expect the children to in their practice.

In addition, I am never happy sitting still, always looking for ways to better and/or challenge myself. I am continuously thinking about CPD and what/where I would like to go next with my work. What will be beneficial all round. I have also always been supportive of my colleagues and contemporaries helping them in anyway I can.

I don't think you could be involved with something like dance without a genuine love. You certainly couldn't maintain a career. It is not a career of financial reward. All of my colleagues and contemporaries within the industry are admirable for many reasons. Some are just setting out on their own adventures and starting their own businesses, some are striving for better and not settling for what they've already had, some are furthering their qualifications and some continue to build upon the success they have had for years – none of them are happy sitting still in their profession.

Some people I admire hugely are:

The Principal of my vocational college. The woman amazes me. She finds time for everyone, is incredibly nurturing, and will help in whatever way she can. I have also never heard her raise her voice in 12 years. I could never have achieved what I have without her love, support and expertise. She is an example of how dance takes over your life, with little to no financial reward. She has sacrificed everything for her school. We have very different teaching styles, but I aspire to be as good as her.

A male friend who is the most gorgeous dancer I know. He worked on Cruise Ships for 8 years and is now trying to break into the West End. It is heartbreaking watching him get to the final of every audition just to lose out to someone else. He could easily take another job, but he has decided this is what he wants. His dedication and perseverance is admirable. I am incredibly proud of the him and the way he has chosen to follow his dream and he has helped me to realise mine.

A female friend who moved her life to another part of the UK, has found work as a dance teacher within an established school and set up her own school. She entered the complete unknown and gave up a good teaching job in a well established school for this. I think she was incredibly brave.

A teacher and friend of mine who truly believes in herself. She always seems so confident in everything. She undertakes a lot of CPD but doesn't feel the need to rise through the ranks in the qualification system within an awarding body any further than she already is. She knows what she stands for.

The Principal of my current school knows what she wants, what her school stands for and where she's taking it.  To her, it is not a business.  She will not be swayed by the parents or buckle under customer pressure.  She is strong in her beliefs and clear on her visions and if we are not the school for a certain child then "that's okay".  In addition she has set up this programme in a foreign county, having to abide by rules and regulations that are alien to her, dealing in a language she cannot speak.  I think she is incredibly courageous. 

All of these people have attributes that I admire, and have found strength to follow their dreams. Seeing their strength and struggles has allowed me to evaluate where I am in my development and where I want to be. They have given me strength and belief. 

Ideas and enthusiasm – Task 2d (fourth instalment of task)

Task 2d seemed huge to me and once I started writing I did not stop.  As a result I have made the decision to post the answers to the questions posed in the task in instalments in the hope they will be more manageable to all.  In each post I will specify the question(s) tackled.

• What ideas do you think about?
  
• What in your daily practice get you really enthusiastic to find out more about?
  
• Who do you admire who also works with what makes you enthusiastic?
  

The thought of being able to help someone make a difference pulls me into work every day. I enjoy being part of that breakthrough. Helping students find their strengths and weaknesses and discovering ways we can work together to achieve their potential. A massive part of this is getting the students, irrespective of age, to own their own bodies and therefore own their work, taking responsibility for their own individual learning. Gardiner's 'multiple ways of inteligence' comes into play here: As a teacher it is important that you are aware of the different types of intelligence, and are able to note when a student is on their way to ownership and give the appropriate cue to them as individuals to consolidate their learning and ownership. For example, should I tell them to move their leg? Or should I move it for them? Do they need both?


The students that I have at the moment are particularly daring and willing to try anything. This makes choreography so much fun. I really enjoy giving them new lifts, or jumps to attempt and this keeps me constantly thinking. I am looking at getting a Tumbling Coach for our Troupe girls to push them and expand both mine and their skill sets. I'm really excited at the prospect of working with the Coach and seeing what they are able to offer and we are able to create.


I am particularly interested in strength and flexibility: This is potentially because flexibility is something I have always struggled with, but also because it adds to the aesthetics of every line but is useless without its partner, strength.


At some point last year I came across Deborah Vogel's work and through this discovered Lisa Howell. Both woman are dance specific therapists and have a wealth of knowledge and ideas on issues surrounding flexibility and how it can be improved, although they do not always agree with each others ideas as is evident the podcasts they broadcast.


Last year I was training harder than I had in years and was making next to no progress with my flexibility and was really aware that my student's weren't either. I think a large proportion of this was down to their lack of commitment outside of class. However around the same time as discovering these woman's work, I also took up Bikram Yoga. I was intrigued by Bikram Yoga. I found many of the exercises went against my idea of safe practice and at times the heat was unbearable. I cannot, however, deny the results. It definitely helped my hips to 'open up'. Was this the heat? The relaxation? Or the exercises? Mr Bikram could be onto something.


Initially Vogel, but more recently Howell and a friend qualified in Level 4 Sports Massage introduced me to Myofascial Release and the importance of massage and how if you weren't able to see a practitioner you could achieve good results by yourself with the use of foam rollers, and various sized balls. The results were amazing for me, and I was keen to try this out on my students.


Many of my teachers have spoken about 'muscle length' over the years, and have passed my flexibility off as me just having short muscles. Indeed one of my past teachers had such limited flexibility she cannot work at 90 degrees, not that she has allowed this to hinder her career in anyway. I now believe that short muscles do not exist, instead the muscle is held in a contracted position by the brain. This may initially have been to protect the muscle from injury, but has now become habit. The key to flexibility is to undo these habits.


Since discovering all of the above I have incorporated a lot of the exercises from Yoga and Howell's Front Splits Fast programme into my classes. from Back in the UK we achieved some immediate results. Since being in China the results have not been so clear, however this could be down to the differences in anatomical make up. Even here, the differences between the flexibility of Asian and Western students is evident. I have many combinations, some students are flexible with no strength, some strong with no flexibility, some have both – what can I do for these students? Is there such a thing as too flexible?


Floor barre is something I have recently started using with the students in the hope of building strength with good results, and I look forward to having time to research this further.


Below are some additional ideas that I think about:

• What I can do to push the students further.
  
• How can I help them to break through the next barrier.
  
• What else do they need. Can I provide it, or do I need to source an additional coach or ask for help.
  
• What do they need individually.
  
• How can flexibility be improved. What if they are already very flexible?
  
• Does trigger point therapy work. How beneficial is massage, or self massage?
  
• How do strength and flexibility go together? Is there any use in one without the other.
  
• What are common faults of dancers? At what ages? How can these be fixed?
  
• Where are dancers weak? Is this a weakness across an age group? the world?