Saturday 30 September 2017

MAPP on twitter...

We are now on twitter!! 

Follow us for quick updates through the week, tweets from conferences we attend, dance and research at Middlesex, networking with others...

@mappdancemdx



Thursday 28 September 2017

Frameworks and Space...

As we all get settled into the first week of term; finding your space for study, 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 programme is 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. You will articulate these through the written essays, called Areas of Learning, but you need to give the time initially to identify them...whilst at this point you've got the yeast, flour, milk, salt, you can't bake the bread until you've needed the dough and allowed it time and space to rise. 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. 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.

So, take some time in these early weeks to listen, observe, think while you do...

We come together for your first monthly Skype Group discussion this Sunday - 11am or 5pm (London time) do let us know by commenting on Adesola's blog which discussion you'd like to be a part of and what you'd like to bring to the discussion.

http://adesolamapp.blogspot.co.uk

Look forward to talking as a group then!

Helen

Sunday 10 September 2017

New term...

As we prepare to start the new term a  Welcome to new starters to the programme and Welcome Back to returning students !! 

We begin term officially on Monday Sept 25th so for now just some dates for your diaries and a nudge to point you towards the updated UniHub pages.

UniHub
You will see has had a make-over this summer! Navigation is essentially the same, but do take the time to have a look through our 

MA PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE DANCE TECHNIQUE PEDAGOGY PROGRAMME PAGE 

download the MAPP DTP CALENDAR and MODULE HANDBOOK for the module you are moving into. 



SKYPE DISCUSSION GROUPS

New Starters - we will will be having two Inductions via Skype this month for those starting the programme this term:

Friday Sept 22nd at 5pm (London time)
Sat Sept 23rd at 11am (London time)


All students are then invited to the first of our Monthly Skype Discussion Groups on 
SUNDAY OCT 1st

We will have one call at 11am and one at 5pm (London time)

Please go to Adesola's blog http://adesolamapp.blogspot.co.uk where you can comment to indicate which discussion group/time you would like to be a part of. Please make sure also that you have made contact vis Skype with myself and Adesola ahead of the Skype calls.If we have not spoken on Skype before please do introduce yourself with 'Hi, I'm ..... from the MAPP DTP programme' so that we know who it is contacting us and can make sure to call you into the right discussion groups!

Adesola Skype - aonthephone
Helen Skype - helen.kindred2


Returning students we'd really like to kick of our first monthly Skype discussion with some thoughts around feedback-feedforward and it would be great if you could all blog ahead of the first Skype back on Oct 1st, some reflections on and responses to the feedback you received at the end of the last module.

Looking forward to more conversations with you all as the term begins!

Helen