Task 4A (With reconsideration)

 'Transitioning from Performer too Teacher'


What actions need too be taken in order to make this transition? 



Are there different approaches too making this transition? If so, what are they?


Does professional Performance experience and vocational training in all three disciplines (Dancing, Singing, Acting) prove a valuable asset too teaching?


Does having studied at a vocational school put teachers at a disadvantage too teachers who trained on an academic degree?


Are students inspired by teachers who have had a successful performance career?


What are the similarities and differences between the two? 


Are any of the skills used as a performer transferable ?


Are there different routes depending on the environment in which you wish too teach?


Why do performers make the decision too pursue a teaching career? Does the reason have an effect on how they teach and there motivation?

I would be extremely appreciative of any advise on how too develop these questions further and any more questions that I could possibly consider.

Task 4A

Getting started on Module 2 has proved challenging. I have an extremely busy term ahead and already feeling overwhelmed with the work load. As I discussed in module 1, time management was an aspect of my professional practice of which I needed to improve in order for me too be successful and therefore, I delved straight in too Task 4A despite feeling confused.

At this early stage my ideas are still varied and unspecific. I plan too speak too Paula and use other professional networks to help me progress with my inquiry and clarify my thoughts.

My original 'potential line of inquiry' was educational based and was related too my job at a local stage school were I taught  performing arts to children aged between 3 sand 11 . unfortunately due too unforeseen circumstances i am no longer teaching; however it is still a topic I am enthusiastic about and will consider developing.

Since leaving my teaching job and Reflecting throughout module 1. It became apparent that i was not yet ready too give up performing  and  Pursue a full time teaching career at present. I am still very passionate about performing and feel there is a great amount I wish too experience before I move on. This decision led me to question what it was I wanted to achieve and how I planned on achieving it.

Although my training at The Hammond School of Dance was Dance/Musical Theatre based, I found a great love for acting and studied LAMDA in my spare time. Since graduating I have gained numerous acting roles in both Musical Theatre and Pantomime however I would love too progress onto acting for screen or be cast in a straight play.

• Is Musical Theatre taken seriously in the acting world?
• In terms of acting, is it beneficial too be trained as a triple threat or a hindrance? 
• What are the key skills needed too transfer from acting in Musicals too acting in straight plays and for screen.
• Are any of the skills learnt in Musical Theatre transferable?
• What steps can a performer take too progress onto a new medium in the arts world?
• What are the differences and similarities between Musical Theatre and acting?
• What are peoples perception of Musical Theatre?

I will look forward too hearing your thoughts on these topics.

Potential line of enquiry

I recently became a teacher of dance, drama and music. This has led me too consider 'The relevance of performing arts within education'.

 I can immediately think of numerous benefits taking part in the arts in school has on children:

• Boosts confidence
• Encourages team work 
• Encourages children too affiliate and co-operate with other class members. (This may encourage children too be friends and therefore reduce bullying and number of children feeling isolated)
• Dance is a form of exercise which in turn could reduce child obesity
• Script reading will allow children too practice their literacy skills.
• Allow children of whom do not particularly excel in academic work, too express intelligence and talent through the arts. Gardner (1983) suggests  children can be musical-rhythmic’ and ‘bodily-kinaesthetic’ learners.

I researched this topic and found american studies proving how arts can benefit learning in different ways on the site below.

http://www.onlinecolleges.net/10-salient-studies-on-the-arts-in-education/

After discussing this topic with other BAPP students I will also consider different cultures and their views on arts in education. Catherine Haywood brought too my attention that schools/universities in Dubai do not offer performing arts as a course. Catherine also mentioned that it is becoming increasingly popular in non compulsory classes out of schools/universities.

Affiliation

Affiliation

Affiliation is important in professional life. More often than not, working in the arts introduces us to new experiences regularly and we will rely on support from others to provide us with the knowledge and information we need to make the most out of the situation. 

Affiliation can be explained as 'A social process that provides us with a network of support that will help us when we are in need (Crisp and turner 2007, Reader 3).

Through research and relying on my own knowledge I have found that all humans have the need to affiliate, however these needs differ. 

If levels of actual affiliation do not reach the persons desire for affiliation it can often have last effects. 

Larson,Csikszentmihalyi (1982 p.322) found that 'teenagers where happier, more alert and more excited when in the company of others rather than alone.

Studies also proved that a lack of social and physical contact negatively affected the ability of the brain to cope with stress.

I would say my overall desire for affiliation is strong.  I feel motivated, positive and happy when spending time with others compared to feeling demotivated and stressed when spending too much time alone.

O'Connor and Rosenblood (1996) explored the model of social affiliation and came up with the idea that 'we operated in according to the principle of homeostasis; the idea that people control their levels of affiliation to keep it stable and as close as possible to a desired level. 


(a person concerned primarily with the physical and social environment (opposed to introvert ). Psychology. to direct (the mind, one's interest, etc.) outward or to things outside the self' http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/extrovert)


People who are introverted may have a lesser desire to affiliate. This links to the 'Privacy regulations theory' (Altman, 1975). Altman believes that our desire for privacy can affect our desire to affiliate. Some people are a lot more open than others. Most people who have met in the performing arts industry are often extroverts and seem to be very open people. It is important in our business to have affiliates and network particularly on stage and when teaching classes. Earlier I discussed how people may withheld information strategically. After studying affiliation and privacy levels I feel really bad for making that assumption.

 After thinking about this in depth I agree that desire of affiliations can vary.  There are certain situations where I feel I need to be alone, for example, when studying for BAPP or rehearsing for an audition. O'Connor and Rosenblood also believed desired levels of affiliation was linked to whether people are an 'extrovert' or 'introvert'. I would consider myself a extrovert.

Professional Situations when I may desire affiliation:

• First day of new job

• When stressed or struggling with work

• When reassurance is needed

• When confused or have little knowledge

All of these situations relate too anxiety. Stanley Schachter (1959) carried out a study in which he measured peoples need for affiliation in relation to anxiety. He split a group of people in to two groups and placed them in too different settings.

• High anxiety setting

• low anxiety setting

His analysis concluded that people in the high anxiety setting had a stronger desire too affiliate ( even with strangers), compared to people in the low anxiety setting.

References

Reader 3, Middlesex university 2014/15


Essential Social Psychology (2nd ed) Crisp, Richard J. and Turner, Rhiannon N. Chapter 11: Affiliation and attraction  

http://faculty.babson.edu/krollag/org_site/soc_psych/schachter_affil.html

Co-operation in relation to my communities of practice

Co-Operation

'Co-Operation' is a concept raised by researcher Robert Alexrod (1984). Alexrod was a political scientist.

 'When should a person Co-Operate and when should a person be selfish in an on-going interaction with another person' Alexrod (1984)

The 'Prisoners Dilemma' is a game created by Alexrod (1984) to explain the above concept. He uses this game to prove co-operation is the best strategy.

'The game allows players to achieve mutual gains from co-operation, but also allows for the possibility that one player will exploit the other, or that neither will co-operate' Alexrod (1984 p.vii)

'Tit for tat' was the simplest yet most commonly used and effective strategy. 

The performing arts business is a very competitive industry. It was only last week an actor friend made a comment based on another actor. 

'He only contacts me when he wants something'

I had never questioned this comment until now. What are the motives of myself and others within my professional networks? Do we always expect to gain when helping others? I have found myself in situations where I am regularly networking with professionals who, in a social situation, I would not see eye to eye with. I do this for one simple reason, I know they have information and contacts that would benefit me. I question whether this is unethical. Does it make me a selfish person? After studying Alexrod I have came to the decision that this is not selfish as I would generally use the Tit for tat approach and therefore co-operate by exchanging some valuable information in return. Personal issues should be kept separate from the work place. 'Leave your personal life at the door' was a phrase I often heard throughout my training. I often inform friends about castings and give them guidance with aspects of scripts, song, choreography etc that will potentially benefit them. I do this as I enjoy helping others and I can certainly empathize  with other professionals struggling to find work and who are dedicated to furthering their career, as I often find myself in similar positions. Having said that I would be disappointed if they withheld information that they know could benefit me in one way or another.

'sociobiology is based on assumption that important aspects of human behavior are guided by out genetic inheritance. Wilson (1975 p.ix)

If this assumption was correct in all cases then 'How can  a 'potential co-operative strategy could get a foothold in an environment which is predominantly non co-operative' 

Alexrod (1984) studied this question and came to the decision that the 'approach was strategic not genetic'

As I previously discussed I enjoy helping others and am more than happy to go out my way to provide a friend or associate with knowledge which will  benefit them. A discussion with another student led me too think it might be due too my love for teaching.  Until now, I did not realise that this was strategic in anyway. Having researched co-operation and finding that often my strategy in networking would be 'tit-for-tat', I began to reflect on other professionals I know, some of which keep their cards very close to their chest. They completely go against the co-operation strategy and keeping information on auditions they are attending a secret. I believe often there reason for doing this is also a strategy. They believe that the less people who know about and therefore do not attend the audition the better the chances are of them being chosen themselves. My view on this is different. It is a small world and people will find out about the audition elsewhere and the competition will always be just as great. By not sharing information people may lose contacts whether as if they participated in networking they would gain more opportunities in return.

Time Management and Organisation

It is evident in my journal that my time management skills and organisation need too improve drastically in order too suit my busy life style. Lack of these skills cause stress which tends too make my day much harder. I often find myself procrastinating and focusing on work I consider 'fun', for example, script work and learning new songs too sing; although this is work related and important too my career it is not always top priority.

I have critically reflected on habits which hinder my ability too manage time and organise and began to make changes too my daily routine.

• Create ACHIEVABLE to do lists, rather than a list of un-achievable tasks which would be impossible too complete effectively in one day. ( maybe split the list and spread tasks over a few days)
• Organise emails into professional and miscellaneous to avoid wasting time searching through hundred of wowcher emails!
• Save contact numbers too my phone rather than guessing which number belongs too which person by reading through call logs and texts.
• DO NOT PROCRASTINATE (no matter how tempted)
• Reflect-on-action and reflect before action. Reflecting on action will enable me too analyse parts of experiences which need improving and which were successful. This will allow me too anticipate for next time and prepare and make changes effectively to save time.
• Organise notebook into sections rather than scribbling notes on random pages. (Teaching, Performance notes, BAPP tasks)

http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sk/time.htm 

This excellent information page from Kent university has really helped me improve my practice so far and will continue too do so. This is not a skill I will master over night and will be a work in progress. I posted it too my blog as I thought it maybe useful too anybody experiencing similar set backs.

Task 3C Sources of Information

As a performer and teacher, I regularly spend time each day gathering useful information. I use a variety of different sources which provide me with an abundance of valuable information to increase my knowledge and assist me in my professional development. Before choosing my top 5 I created a diagram of information sources I use regularly.

As I stated above I use all of these sources regularly and therefore found it difficult to pick out my top 5; especially regarding my use of the Internet.

Google
Without Google I would be lost!
Google is a fast and efficient Internet service which provides an array of information on absolutely anything you could possibly think of. When gathering information Google is always my first point of call. I simply type a question are topic into the search engine and is more than often spoilt for choice with the links Google provides me; for example, if I have been offered a job or audition with a company I have never heard of I would simply 'Google' the company name. This will lead me to many links such as:

• Company website
• Company reviews
• Castings for that specific company
• Social media pages related to the company
• Blogs
• Past and present employees of the company
• YouTube links of their productions

The list is endless!

Google also gives me the option to narrow my searches. If I wanted to specifically see images from a company rather than videos or any other information, I would search 'Google images'. I also am a big fan of 'Google maps'. I have downloaded this to my phone as an App and find it really useful when I attend auditions and castings in places I have never been.

YouTube

I spend endless hours on YouTube. As I discussed in Task 2C, I find I learn a lot and reflect on my own work much better when observing and reflecting on how other professionals approach their work. If I am given a script or song to learn I often search YouTube and watch a variety of videos of professionals performing these pieces to see how others chose to convey the character. I also enjoy watching musicals and plays which people have uploaded. It is extremely helpful to have seen a piece of theatre of which you are auditioning for beforehand and YouTube is a quick, cost efficient way of doing so. I also rely on YouTube for searching new audition materials such as songs and monologues and even backing tracks to upload to my I Phone and CD's too take along with me. 
I have recently became a teacher and also enjoy searching choreography to stimulate new ideas and keep my classes fun and up to date for my class.

 

 Work Colleagues

With Internet playing a  large role in everyday life, it is easy to overlook important offline networks and information sources. As I previously discussed I have recently began teaching dance and drama to children of all ages. I rely on conversations with more experienced colleagues to improve my teaching skills. I also rely on feedback from cast members when performing as well  as sharing information about different companies, auditions and agents. I am fortunate enough to have worked with many professionals who are willing to share information and assist me on furthering my career. I began performing when I was 16 which is fairly late on considering many professionals have been performing since they were children. I have learnt a lot from people who have been in the business a lot longer than myself and have taught me the 'tricks of the trade'

 Blogs

Since beginning my studies for BA Hons in Professional Practice Blogs have became an essential information source. I often look through other BAPP blogs (past and present) to compare how others have approached different tasks and to clarify my understand of topics of which I find difficult. I also rely on Course tutor blogs to keep me updated with deadline dates and online sessions.


Facebook

I didn't realise how reliant I was on Facebook until I began this course. I find myself talking about Facebook in many of my blog posts as it is an extremely useful tool in assisting my career. Facebook is an easily accessible information tool of which professionals can post information about upcoming auditions and castings. Ones which I may not have heard about through friends or my agent. In a way Facebook is similar to 'word of mouth'. People are passing valuable information on too vast numbers of Facebook users with one simple post. As it is web 2:0 based, users are able to comment on posts and ask questions to clarify their understanding. 


Nowadays learning goes way beyond the traditional method of teacher/student learning. A new learning theory 'Connectivism' has been introduced

 'Connectivism a learning theory for the digital age. Learning has changed over the last several decades. The theories of behaviourism, cognitivism, and constructivism provide an effect view of learning in many environments. They fall short, however, when learning moves into informal, networked, technology-enabled arena.  http://www.connectivism.ca/about.html

 This is apparent in our BAPP course. Paula provides us with the information we need. It is then down to us to seek  information from other sources to further increase our knowledge on the given subjects. Decision making is also an important aspect of our BAPP course and a key principle of the 'Connectivism' theory. We are lucky enough to be able to access endless information with the lick of a button and it is therefore down to the learner to decide which information is considered 'important' or 'un' important.
Over time, I have gathered lots of information on all areas of my professional practice from screen shots on my phone to paper lesson plans and endless emails. To utilise this information properly I could organise it better. I have gathered some ideas from other BAPP blogs and will begin to put this into practice.

Ways in which I will organise my information:

• Sort emails into separate files, for example, 'agent emails' in one file, 'teaching emails' in another. This way I will be able to check for important emails faster rather than scanning through unimportant emails from Wowcher!
• Keep all my lesson plans in a folder (organised into date order)
• I will write my daily 'to do' list in my journal each evening instead of writing it on scraps of paper which I can never find!
• Create a photo album on my I phone for all professional related screenshots.

Task 3A

'Networking' is a highly important part of professional life, especially in the arts industry. There is a strong sense of 'Its not what you know it's who you know'. I have been fortunate enough to meet great people in this industry who have gave me  excellent connections and in some cases gave me opportunities for future work.

Firstly when reading task 3A, I immediately thought of web 2:0 and therefore found it hard to differentiate between task 1:B and 3:A. After reading reader 3 and looking through BAPP blogs I began to understand the definition of networking and the different tools and methods used to engage in networking.

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

Facebook

Facebook is one of the main tools I use for networking. When meeting somebody new in the industry, I add them on Facebook. Myself and many other performers I know, live a very busy lifestyle and are often too busy to meet up and network the good old fashioned way (face to face); Facebook is easily accessible through portable devices such as mobile phones and tablets and therefore allows us to network 'on the go'.  The majority of affiliates I have met throughout my training and professional life live all over the globe and many are constantly travelling the world or even spend years out at sea performing on cruise ships. Without Facebook it would be very difficult to network regularly. As I discussed in task 1B the facebook group 'The hustle' is a place to network and meet new people involved in all aspects of stage and screen.
 I have recently changed the 'privacy settings' on my Facebook account which now allow me to view statuses and pictures, in which I have been tagged in, before they appear on my timeline, This enables me too distinguish between posts I deem appropriate for professionals to view and posts I would prefer to keep personal for social uses only. 

Other online networking tools I regularly use include:

• Casting call pro 
• Email 
• Skype 
• Blogging
• Flickr

I use Twitter and Instagram often for social uses to catch up with friends and post pictures of my personal life. I do not think these social media sites would benefit my professional network as much as Facebook and other web 2:0 sites as I would rather keep my professional and personal life separate and would find it hard to balance the two on these sites. If an employer asked to see pictures of my work I would link them to my Flickr account or send photographs via email. I very rarely use twitter to network professionally, for example, I sometimes 'retweet' work related posts or positive reviews of shows involving myself and will occasionally be tagged  in 'tweets' by my fellow cast members are company managers however I would not contact an employer via twitter as I believe it is too informal. 

Networking tools offline:

• Auditions - Meeting new people at auditions and also networking with people who are regularly in the same auditions as myself. It is also a great way to make your self known to directors, casting directors and producers etc who maybe on the audition panel as  although you may not have recieved the job you initially auditioned for, it may lead to other opportunities
• Staff meetings- I have recently became a teacher and i find networking with other teachers in meetings  is a great way to learn new teaching techniques, share ideas and reflect on classes.
• Meeting up with friends from the industry- It is always good to meet up with friends who share the same passions as I do. Together we can chat about different theatre productions, companies, job opportunities and share valuable knowledge. I am very lucky to have friends I can trust and confide in. It is always important to keep private information about companies or fellow actors private as its a very small world and bad mouthing people may lead to loss of jobs and loosing important contacts. 

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

Youtube Channel
Many established and more experienced practitioners have youtube channels. They upload videos of their work for the public to view and comment on. Youtube channels can be linked to emails to send to potential employers and also added to casting site profiles such as 'casting call pro'. I have a youtube channel, however I do not have a sufficient amount of footage of me performing to upload. This is something i will work on to build my professional network.  I do however network with potential employers by uploading video auditions. 

Linkedin
Another professional networking tool I have never used is Linkedin. I have came across this network in the past and had dismissed it; however after reading many BAPP blogs and speaking to fellow BAPP student in our last online session, I have decided to look into it and build a profile as it will broaden me networks and could be very beneficial to my career. 

Many also use Facebook as I do, however they create their own professional page or even go as far as creating their own website with forums and news pages etc. Due these tools being web 2:0. People within their network can communicate via comments.


My ideal Network

I have  created a spider diagram of my ideal network. As you can see it is extremely vast and involves people who are related to the arts and teaching and could assist my professional development in numerous different ways. I would ideally be able to network with these professionals quickly and easily through the use of web 2:0 sites and other networking tools.  I understand that some professionals in my ideal network may not be able to help me directly, however they will more than likely have a large network themselves and will often provide me with contacts which will be more beneficial to me providing I also help them out in some way. 

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?

• Gather useful information
• Seek opportunities
• Seek employment
• Gain new contacts

What realistic things could you do to work towards developing your ideal network?

I will continue to network with professionals I have worked with past and present and will also stay in contact with professionals I will meet in future auditions and jobs. I will also try the following techniques to expand my network and also create a Linkedin account as I mentioned above .

Equity meetings
A friend of mine whom I recently met whilst touring regularly attends equity meetings. This is in my opinion an excellent way of networking and discussing important and interesting issues with fellow performers.

Classes/workshops
Another very beneficial way of networking is attending class and workshops. I have recently been considering joining acting classes to further my skills and didn't consider it to be a way of networking until reading Sian Turners blog. Meeting new casting directors and actors may open doors to new opportunities and will also enhance my work by learning from others and reflecting.

             

Task 2C - Critical reflection on reflective practice

'Reflective practice' is a process in which you consciously analyse an experience which then enables you to develop insight into your experiences and improve learning. I believe everybody reflects on experiences; however it is often an unconscious process or loosely thought about. As John 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 conclusion to which it tends' (Dewey 1933)

How important is it to engage with an experience?

John Dewey was an educationist and key theorist regarding reflective practice and learning through experience. John Dewey explains ’The quality of the education was linked to the level of engagement with, and consciousness of the experience' (page 4, Reader 2). This quote I can relate to in my own professional practice.  When I am fully focused in a rehearsal, whether it be dancing, singing or acting, I leave the rehearsal retaining information such as routines, song lyrics and blocking very clearly which I can reflect on during and after the rehearsal to improve for next times. If I am feeling tired or distracted by a thought or event unrelated to the rehearsal I leave having retained very little information and not much to think about for an action plan. I also have developed a dreadful habit of listening and answering to questions unconsciously when my mind is focused elsewhere or distracted. When later asked if I had completed the task asked of me, I cannot recall being asked at all even though I responded. This is a frightening thought that I could lose out on vital information due to this unconscious process. I strongly agree that the level of engagement greatly impacts and like Tufnell and Crickmay, believe that I use all of my senses to fully engage and learn through experience. 

'It is through the sensuous world of the body, through our eyes, ears, skin, muscles, and organs that we see, feel and respond to all that happens. The body is the ground from which all our knowing of the world begins. It is within our bodies, in our instinctual and sensory responses, that we discover the changing field of what is happening to us. (Tufnell and Crickmay, 2004)

After some careful consideration I decided that I do tend to use all senses to fully engage. I thought of a time when I was asked to direct somebody to a certain destination. To fully engage with the question and give the lady correct information, I firstly pictured in my head the destination and my car driving down the correct route. This wasn't enough for me to answer the question and I found myself stuttering after the first direction was given. I felt using hand movements to mimic the direction my car would travel and watching my car take this route in my head combined with voicing the turns and road names out loud enabled me too fully engage and respond to the question quickly and effectively. I also thought of a time when I was choreographing a contemporary dance for my A level dance exam. The theme I was to base my dance upon was domestic violence. As I had never experienced or witnessed domestic violence, I found it difficult to engage with the theme. I was very conscious of this experience as not only was it for an important exam but it was very sensitive topics which I had too approach with care. 

Looking back at my preparation notes from my choreography file, I can see I used many senses to engage with the experience and believe this contributed to my excellent grade. If I had only researched my topic using one sense I would not have as much knowledge about the topic and therefore would have not learnt as much from the experience. 

At which part of an experience do you begin to learn something new?

“Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience” (Kolb, 1984, p. 38).

As explained in reader 2, Kolb was influenced by the work of Dewey, and created a learning cycle as a 'tool to reflect on how you learn and a tool for approaching experience'

The cycle consists of four stages: 

Concrete Experience

Reflective Observation

Abstract conceptualisation 

Active Experimentation

http://cdn-5.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.jpg  

Although we reach all four stages on Kolb’s cycle, it is important to know where we enter first (at which point do we begin learning something new)

As instructed to in reader 2; I thought of the process I went through when learning choreography at a recent audition. I found it really difficult and confusing. I figured I entered at 'concrete experience' as executing the steps whilst they were being taught, was the first step I took; although I was recognising I was using an incorrect arm movement at this stage, it wasn’t until I watched myself in the mirror and watched another dancer perform that I noticed other mistakes. Would this mean I entered Kolb’s cycle at 'reflective observation' Laura (2015)

I decided to look into kolb's learning cycle in more depth to see if I could rectify this or find an explanation. I came across some information that helped me clarify my thoughts and understand my starting position much more clearly. The point of learning (learning style) is actually a combination of two points in the cycle. 

I have listed the learning styles below, however they are also included on the diagram. 

• Diverging
• Assimilating 
• Converging
• Accommodating 

My learning style

I figured my learning style was 'Diverging'. After researching an explanation of this learning style; I was shocked to find how exact my findings were when I cam across this short extract.

 (Feeling and watching - CE/RO)

These people are able to look at things from different perspectives. They are sensitive. They prefer to watch rather than do, tending to gather information and use imagination to solve problems. They are best at viewing concrete situations at several different viewpoints.’ Kolb called this style 'diverging' because these people perform better in situations that require ideas-generation, for example, brainstorming. People with a diverging learning style have broad cultural interests and like to gather information. They are interested in people, tend to be imaginative and emotional, and tend to be strong in the arts. People with the diverging style prefer to work in groups, to listen with an open mind and to receive personal feedback McLeod, S. A. (2010). Kolb - Learning Styles. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html

As explained in reader 2, Howard Gardner Believed people were intelligent in numerous ways. He introduced the idea of 'multiple intelligences'

(Gardner, 1983)

Whilst in training I was asked to complete a short test to determine what type of learner I was. Only one answer was to be chosen from a choose of three for each question, I found the test very difficult due to this as in most questions I would have preferred to choose more then one answer; Below is an example I created myself with a similar idea to the other questions.

'What type of book would you prefer to read?' 

A: Picture book/comic strip

B: Novel with no pictures

C: Activity book , crosswords, recipe book, word search 

I would answer both B and C for this if possible, however this would go against the views of what a 'traditional learner' is. I found the idea of learning one specific way very restricting. Similarly to what I wrote about above regarding engaging with experiences, I prefer to use all senses. 

I took Gardner's 'multiple intelligence test' and my results are as follows:

Musical: Enjoy listening to music, working with instruments, singing. Often very rhythmic with great pitch. Remember experiences and learn more when associated with music. 

Movement/ kinaesthetic: Actions and movements will enable this type of learner to retain information. Often active people who are sports people and engage most with learning when 'doing'

Intrapersonal: 'Relates to ones emotional life as a means to understand others' (Reader 2, Middlesex University 2014)

Occasions of reflection

'Present or future being two distinct and different ways to engage with experience (Jackson, 1998; Dewey, 1934)

Depending on the situation I tend to reflect at different points of the experience. 

If I am learning a dance routine or song and notice I am doing something incorrectly, I will take a very direct approach and rectify the mistake straight away; this is called 'reflection-in-action'. On the other hand if I was writing an essay for my BAPP work I would firstly write a draft, read over it and then correct it later (reflection-on-action) however as I am currently writing the first draft of my critical reflection on reflective practise, I am beginning to notice I do actually use reflection-in-action to a certain extent by correcting spelling and re-writing phrases as I am writing. The idea of reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action was introduced by shun (1987)

The type of profession you are in has an impact on whether you reflect-in-action or on-action. A performer in most situations would not find the latter beneficial. Singing the wrong tune throughout an entire rehearsal or audition when fully conscious of the fact you are wrong is not acceptable in our business. It is simply not good enough to continue to make the mistake thinking its ok to go home later that evening and sort it out then. If singing with a group, this could distract them and affect the learning of everybody else in the rehearsal/ audition and in both cases more than likely cost you your job. Reflecting-in-action is second nature to me, I can reflect in the midst of action without having to give it a thought. Until I researched this topic I was completely unaware that it was already present in my professional practice. Kottcamp disagrees with my view he believes reflection-in-action is harder to achieve. This arises many ethical issues as he is basing his theory on himself as an individual and not considering the different factors that may influence other people to reflect on a different occasion.

Journal Writing:

Keeping a Journal is a very effective way of reflecting on experience. It is an essential element of work based learning and as explained in reader 2, will support our process of critical thinking. Previously in my professional practice, I had never understood the importance of keeping a journal; however after studying theorists such as Moon and Boud I fully understand the benefits. I have discussed my relationship with journal writing and methods in which I could use to write in my journal in previous blog entries 'Task 2A' and 'Task 2B' http://laurajanegregory.blogspot.co.uk/

Conclusion

After studying key theorists of reflective practice and learning through experience. I now have sound knowledge of my preferred learning styles. I discovered which elements of these topics I already incorporate in my professional practice. I will use tools such as Kolb's learning cycle and Gardner’s multiple intelligence tests too not only improve my learning in all aspects of my career but to also improve the learning of pupils I teach. I will adapt lesson plans to incorporate different learning styles to suit their needs and reflect on which techniques are most successful. I will also continue to reflect on my professional practice using my journal entries.

References:
Reader 2, Middlesex University (2014)


Dewey, John (1934), Art as Experience,1958 reprint, New York: Putnam
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development (Vol. 1). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Boud, David (2001) 'Using Journal Writing to Enhance Reflective practice'

http://www.literacynet.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html

http://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html