I hadn't read the module handbook when I came up with the idea of looking into the use of imagery as a teaching tool for ballet students. I teach a wide variety of ages from 5 to 18 and started trying out imagery ideas which would be appropriate for the developmental stage for each age group as of course you have to tailor your verbal imagery for example depending on their own stage of understanding and experience. Then I read the handbook and saw imagery and teaching was an example of potential research study. Would it seem then that I'm copying that? So not sure whether to do something else.
From the idea of tailoring teaching for understanding to the different ages I teach I also thought of the topic of teaching ballet to incorporate differing learning styles. Having had two (now grown up!) children who occasionally struggled in school due to their learning style which was primarily visual/tactile I thought this would be a good area to study. However this could be a huge topic so I would narrow my focus to the group of students I teach most frequently which is the age 7-11 age group. Still deciding how I would go about this, perhaps using questionnaires to help determine each child's primary learning style? since we overlap our learning styles there is usually one or two ways which seem to dominate. Then perhaps a questionnaire towards the end of the session of classes to see how they felt/responded.
Any thoughts on those two ideas would be greatly appreciated!
From the idea of tailoring teaching for understanding to the different ages I teach I also thought of the topic of teaching ballet to incorporate differing learning styles. Having had two (now grown up!) children who occasionally struggled in school due to their learning style which was primarily visual/tactile I thought this would be a good area to study. However this could be a huge topic so I would narrow my focus to the group of students I teach most frequently which is the age 7-11 age group. Still deciding how I would go about this, perhaps using questionnaires to help determine each child's primary learning style? since we overlap our learning styles there is usually one or two ways which seem to dominate. Then perhaps a questionnaire towards the end of the session of classes to see how they felt/responded.
Any thoughts on those two ideas would be greatly appreciated!
Hello Louise.
ReplyDeleteI think that you can pick the imagery topic of your research if you are interested in it. When you start looking at it in your practice it will probably turn out quite different than the little of it that is written about it in the handbook. That being said, I must really say that you other idea speaks to me: I would love to hear what you find out regarding this field. After writing my AoL on teaching syllabus and reading different literature in connection with this- and og course the Module 1 Handbook I too found this difference of learning styles exciting. I was actually thinking a bit about it as a topic for research myself before I ended up with adolescence and ballet. And if you go for it it sounds reasonable to limit it two one of your groups (the ones you teach the most or knows the best) and not generalise it too much.
I hope this helped a little, it was great reading your blog. I appreciate it when people/us mappers share their thought, it reminds me it is not only me doing this.....
Maria:)
and you probably know but the article from our reading list: "The quest for an Ecosomatic Approach to Dance Pedagogy" talks about learning styles and methods of how you can help the students identify how they learn.....
ReplyDeleteHi Maria,
DeleteThank you so much for taking time to respond to my blog - it is great to get input from other MAPPers! I think I do like the learning style idea and will keep you updated on what I find out. Thanks too for the reading suggestion, I did see the extensive list on the Unihub website - over 40 books/papers for this module! So I hadn't yet zeroed in on that one. I need to get going on this - so behind! thanks again!
Maria - Can I ask, is that article from the reading list of Module 1? Or have I missed something in the Module 2 handbook? I feel embarrassed to ask! haha :)
ReplyDeleteHello Ainsley. The article is from our Reading List in Module 2. The Reading List is not mentioned in the Handbook, but you can find it in Uni hub. I also found it very late and then just because Suzy told me about it;)
ReplyDeleteMaria
Hello Louise.
ReplyDeleteI hope you find lots of ideas regarding the topic you choose:) And yes the list is quite extensive, I have been a little overwhelmed as to where to start. All the articles are available for free and short so therefore I decided to start with them. A few of the books I find very difficult to read/understand, but I hope they will make more sense during the Module.
Maria
Hello again Louise.
ReplyDeleteI found this book freely on the web. I have not read it all but it talks about different ways the brain learns in correlation with dance. Maybe you find it useful (if you go for the learning style topic)... I am currently working on my literature review, but always seem to find interesting but not useful (for the angle of my field of enquiry) articles, books and publications.
Maria
Learning, arts, and the brain, the Dana Consortium report on arts and cognition, organized by Michael S. Gazzaniga, Carolyn Asbury and Barbara Rich, editors, New York/Washington, Dana Press, 2008, pp. 51-59 (http://www.dana.org/workarea/downloadasset.aspx?id=88374, access: February 22, 2015).
Hi Maria,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sending this my way, will definitely take a look at this book.