Knowing and Learning - Sunday discussions...

This month's Sunday Discussion groups focused on the notions of Knowing and Learning. Discussions in the first group covered how we feel we (as dance teachers) prepare and respond to our student's needs for knowledge, how we facilitate learning and how we observe learning as developmental over time as we see student's progression. There was some discussion around how influenced we are in our learning from the teaching we experienced as students, but some gaps here perhaps between the experiences of us as learners and how we are positioning our students learning? Adesola is talking more about this through her blog from today.

The thoughts around learning as a process and knowing as fluid interested me most here.
How might we see knowing as transformational?
How might we use reflection in learning?

 What do you think?



The second discussion group veered more towards teaching/learning and assessment and the relationships between these in different contexts, different parts of the world. Something that struck me in these conversations was the sense of wanting to nurture and help students grow and develop autonomy in their learning through their dancing, while (as teachers) feeling the external pressures of the systems of the school, government, and a general lack of agency these may put on that learning. I wonder how we - as artists (teacher, learners, people) respond to this. I wonder how we might foster 'bettter', more creative relationships between the inner rhythms, our inner dance and the environment that shapes that. What might that look and feel like if we were to bring these conversations around teaching, learning and assesment back to the body and pause to listen...

Love to hear your thoughts and continue the conversations through your own blogs...

New Beginnings...

As we all get settled into the first week of term; finding your space for study is really important. Figuring out when and where the MA is part of your life to that your practice and your study becoming intertwined.This is essential in a programme which is about your Professional Practice. As you move through the first couple of weeks, reading through module handbooks, beginning to dig into something from the reading list and becoming more conscious perhaps of your own practice as a 'thing', it is important to remind yourself to take the time to listen to your own rhythms, observe your own patterns and be aware of your own learning processes. 

The MA programmes are centred around you and your professional practice and aims through guiding and deepening your reflective practice to develop you as practitioners in your fields and within the field of dance pedagogy. 

Module Ones, the next 12 weeks of this module term are all about reflecting on your learning through practice to date. So, locating yourself where you are today through mapping a landscape of your past learning experiences. We recognise that you come to the programme with vast and varied bodies of experience and we are coming from the position of experience = knowledge, but there needs to be a process in the space between (reflection) which makes meaningful the learning from experience. The module handbook gives you dates and deadlines, what needs to be submitted and when, and talks you through observing and engaging in reflection on your practice in order that you will be in a place to first identify and then to articulate in writing what you consider to be your Areas of Learning (this will form part of your RPL – Recognised Prior Learning claim). The handbook offers you the skeleton of the module, your engagement with the learning community, literature, your openness to engage in the process of learning through reflection offers you the flesh you'll need to complete the module. 

Module Twos and Three's, different journeys for you but still needing space to breath in order to move. Module Two - a lot to cover, try to look at all the elements starting by referring back to the AOLs you submitted for the previous module as a reminder of key areas of your practice, identify the area of your research rather than search for the 'perfect question' at this stage. Reading around your area of interest and being within your practice with those thoughts will help your questioning develop.

Module Three's start also by reading back over your research proposals. You're now setting off on doing what you planned in the last module! You've created your map, it may / should shift and take alternative routes as you progress along it, learning from doing, being open to change and being responsive to it along the way.

Get in touch with your Supervisors to arrange one-to-one's as your formualte your ideas and have things to talk through..get posting on your own blogs and commenting on others!!

New term...

Great to meet those of you new to the MAPP programmes as well as say HI to those returning to study at the Welcome/Welcome back skypes over the weekend.

There was a lot of information to go through, I hope you're having a chance to digest this over this coming first week of our term. 

Do take the time to browse through your Programme Pages, MAPP DTP, MAPP Dance and MAPP SS, download the relevant Module Handbooks for your term of study and begin reading through, making notes, highlighting things through them. Do read through the Programme Handbooks also - ALL students, this will have changed for this academic year so even if you are returning to Modules two or three, so take some time to read through this as well.

Begin to gather everything you need for your study this term, and start to find or re-find your rhythm with work-study-life. 

Module two/threes - Complete your response to module feedback forms and end to your supervisors this week.
Module ones - have a look at the study plans your supervisor has sent you and make a first tutorial to check-in!

Remember new students to make the most of being a student...apply for your NUS or ISIC cards to access student discounts on a range of activities and events. 

Register your details with KORTEXT to receive your free text book for the module!

https://www.kortext.com/?_b=b&utm_expid=.4r4w_ldSQOOp0xot48NLJw.1&utm_referrer=



Looking forward to a great term ahead with you all and to our next skype discussion group on Sunday Sept 30th!