Questions...

Hoping that you've all had good and productive weeks, and schedules that have allowed for some time to think, reflect and assimilate learning also...

Those on Module One - thanks for sharing initial thoughts this week on beginning your MAPP journeys, hopefully you've had a look through your CV and current Job Description this week, please send drafts of these to your advisor via email so that we can feed into your reflections on yourself via your practice past and present and discuss areas that have been significant in your coming to this point in your career.  Please don't forget to attribute value to unpaid as well as paid roles, to experiential as well as accredited learning routes, to question what experiences have shaped and influenced your journeys, to question how you have learnt what you now consider you know, and question what you know you do not know.  To begin to reflect on your learning through different roles, different phases in your career.   Question, how did you get here, and where is here?

Modules Two and Three, it has been great to read and join your discussions on Linked-in this week, keep unpicking the notions of positivist and non-positivist approaches understanding them as they stand in themselves as well as in application to research in dance.  Question where you sit within these proposed systems...Why?

A question raised recently by the Higher Education Academy is that over the use of touch in dance teaching and learning.  I have been approached this week by a student questioning the use of touch within a dance class, describing an incident in which she felt uncomfortable with a teacher using a hands-on approach in giving a correction.  She asked me whether teachers should ask a students permission before making physical contact with them in class.

Quite a difficult issue, whilst physical contact is widely considered part of everyday practice in the field of dance, training, choreography, performance..it is still an issue with carries ethical considerations and needs responses.

I came across a report, written by Fiona Bannon, commissioned by the Higher Education Academy, entitled Relational Ethics, Dance, Touch and Learning, thought I would share it with you and be interested to hear your views on the subject too.

https://drive.google.com/?tab=jo&authuser=0#my-drive

Helen

Reading..(w)Riting...Reflecting..

Nice to catch in on some of your blogs this week and read about the thoughts arising from your initial reading of the module handbooks and from your research specific literature (Module Twos and Threes).  Questions concerning time, process, documentation, sharing of practice, intentions of imagery in teaching all out there..do take a look and respond to each others blogs when you can.  Some great opening discussions around Professionalism on the Linked-in group discussions also this week, take a look and feed in your thoughts if you haven't already, this is going to be a great place for sharing ideas, research, posing questions, maybe finding answers, maybe posing some more questions!    Start to share your experiences of the suggested tasks in your handbook this week also if you haven't and if you can, start forming your opinions based on knowledge, related to philosophy within a particular field of practice.  How do you interpret an historical account, how do you interpret what you see in a body of work?

Module Ones I hope you have had a chance to wade through (without feeling too swamped) your introduction and task handbooks this week, it would be great if you could share your thoughts on what you've read, on embarking on the MA, raise any questions through your blogs this week.  I wonder if any events in your own teaching practice have struck you this week, what have you experienced, what have you thought about it?  Do start keeping your personal Reflective Journals to document all of this as you go through the whole programme, those on Module Two remember to keep these journals going also, but try to share your thoughts on the tasks in the handbooks as you complete them too; whilst they are not for formal assessment, it would be interesting for you (and us) to share your experiences.  What have you learned from theory about reflection, and what are you thinking about how this theory might relate to your own teaching practice?  What questions arise for you?  What is affirmed?  Try to blog on this, this week as it will also help you in preparation for looking at your CV and current Job Description next.

Have a good week, look forward to hearing about some of it!

Helen

New Beginnings

So, we're all getting ready to start term on Monday...A big Welcome to those joining the MAPP journey this term and a warm welcome back to those of you returning this term to embark on the next stage of your journey through the MAPP DTP.

As we're all thinking about new starts and preparation for new experiences and learning I thought I would make a list, as I find lists help me to at least identify things that are happening in my life.  Whether I work through the things on that list methodically or end up adding more to it, as one item, sparks an idea that generates three more, that's another matter!  But here we go..

A weekend 'to do' list:

1.  Make sure you can access all the materials relevant to your module on the libguides page

http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/mappDTP

2. Have a read through your Module Handbook.
For those about to start Module One make sure you read through the Introduction to Module One Handbook FIRST, and for all, note down any thoughts or questions you may have as you go.

3.  For those on Module One, have a go at getting your blogs set up, we recommend using the e-blogger site for this, guidance on 'how to' is in your Introduction to Module One Handbook, or feel free to skype with your advisor for help.  Once set up, why not post your first blog and share your thoughts on starting the programme with the rest of the MAPP community here.
For those on Module Two and Three, get yourselves linked-in on Linked-in!
linkedin.com
and join the discussions, check in with each other there with your thoughts on planning or starting your research for your next modules.

4.  Go through your diaries and make a note to check in with each others and our blogs at some point each week if you can.  Do this at a time that works for you, when you have some time, and don't worry if you have a hectic week and don't manage to blog religiously on the day you'd intended!  I tend to blog on Fridays, Adesola on a Thursday or Friday.  Blog when you want to, when you have something to share, and do leave comments to other blogs that you read also, lots of fruitful discussions about dance, art, teaching, MAPP modules and life in general can grow that way...

5.  Go out for a walk, bake a cake, run yourself a hot bath...have some time to do whatever it is you like to do to relax, rest mind, body and spirit and look forward to the journey that lies ahead...

Helen