So...I have been obsessing over this task for a very long time. Adesolas recent post spoke about week 6 of study and how we should be careful not to get caught up in creating the "perfect task". This made me realise that this is exactly what I had been doing and so I have finally stopped obsessing over this task and posted it.
It is long, but I am proud of it and enjoyed writing it, because it's shown myself how much I have learnt about Reflective Theory over the past few weeks.
Let me know what you think and please criticise as much as possible! (if you can endure the length!)
7 comments:
Hi Liam,
What a great summary of the Reflective Practice taks. You showed a great understanding of many different reflection theories and also your practical use of reflection; both in your teaching and dancing. I also really liked the points raised about testing intelligence, and the Howard Gardner list of intelligence traits. I will soon be watching the video of the lectures by Sir Ken Robbinson as I haven't yet.
Your writing is really gripping and you have a natural flair to be chatty but also being really informative. I really like this style of formal writing, Well Done! Did you manage to get to my link yet of my Task 2C...?
Liam
An excellent descriptive piece of writing, showing an understanding of the theories and how you connect this with your work, also clear, strong convictions. Excellent! I would appreciate you looking my posts and comming up with suggestions.
HI Liam,
I have just watched the video clips of Sir Ken Robbinson, and looked again at how you link it into your Task 2c, it's such a clear message that he is presenting. We need to allow education to evolve, just as the world has, otherwise we will be stuck in the 'linearity' of an old out of date system. I think BAPP is already evolving with this system. Do you feel that about your teaching job? I remember you posting earlier that the levels of organisation are poor, due to teachers not checking their emails or plans efficiently. This is a perfect example that the root of the problem in education is at with people with power. (Think how many times people of our generation check our emails or FB accounts a day, it is now planted into our everyday habits.)
I like how you then likened the idea of 'immeasurable intelligence' to your dancing and how this idea of wasting your time with it was instilled in you from a young age. (Billy-Elliot -esque) I'm sure with time and understanding these ideas were changed, they were 'revolutionized' as Sir Kenneth said.
Hi
I haven't read your task 2c at this time but I was reading Alicia's blog and saw your comment:
"Having written my essay and reading yours, one idea that did spring to mind is should be trying to apply these theories and what we have learnt less specifically? By this I mean, by relating the theories solely to our own practices, could we be missing something? Should we be, for example, trying to relate our learning to other experiences in order to gain a wider perspective?"
Quick note: think about
How can you know any 'thing' beyond yourself?
My advice is to stick to you - that is what this module is about (see my past blogs Oct 2010 I think)
YOU in a humble sense.
Let me know if this doesn't make sense
Adesola
Alicia,
I'm glad Sir Kens videos had an impact on you. Taking into account that my professional aim is to teach in secondary schools, plus the fact that I can relate so specifically to Sir Kens point, I think the idea of "education revolution" is one I could really focus on and explore as an area of inquiry.
Adesola,
I'm not sure, but I feel like perhaps you misinterpreted what I was trying to get across. I didn't mean to not focus on ourselves, but to not focus solely on ourselves as professionals. I was wondering whether by focusing so much on applying reflective theory to my professional practice I was inadvertently missing something that I could have gained by applying the ideas to myself as a whole. As Alicia puts it, our day to day lives, like cooking (which I do refer to in my essay).
I certainly agree that we need to be focusing on ourselves rather than others, but maybe on ourselves in a broader sense? What do you think?
Hi Liam
Couldn't agree more with the previous comments here. Sometimes I find myself having to re-read long pieces of writing- not with this one though, or in fact a lot of what you have previously written. Its such an easy yet informative read. I only found myself reading over it again so I could make notes of what to comment about.
I thought numbering the stages made it clear for the reader to understand what you were thinking, but must also have made it really clear for yourself and putting the whole reflection process into use!
I was also toying with the idea of mentioning how, as dancers we also have other people that we could use as part of our reflection process. Teachers, choreographers, partners all provide feedback that we would use in reflection of our piece or technique.
A great piece Liam, you should be really happy with this :-)
I recently had to do a presentation about Schon - so I had to go back for a quick scan of his earlier book! Many of these adult learning theories took thinking about reflection to the next level. Schon was working in opposition to technical rationality - that is - instead of reflecting on our 'unique' experiences, we ere trying to standardise and problem-solve problems where more creativity was needed.
I think your experiences beyond the self here are focused on the professional practice - dance and teaching - so I don't see the thinking going to far from the tree - identity and critical thinking are central themes of this module. Identity is often an internal pursuit - but knowing the environment that interfaces with the self is also part of work based learning.
I actually find the comparisons to the dance background useful - as you say these are early days but if the critical thinking is being nurtured and you are perceiving your intellectual abilities in conjunction with the dance training - I think this sounds like a positive way forward to your understanding your practice.
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