Task 2c - Reflective Theory



How do we 'Turn Experience into Learning'?

Graham Mcfee, believed the first stage of learning is seeing that something is missing.  Reflection is a tool to help find that missing piece.

I can agree and relate to this, nothing can ever be perfect, there will always be something missing in a creation.  Whether that certain something is missing for the viewer or the creator, it is still missing.  It could be a gut feeling you get when your choreography just isn't working, or it could be a critique from a viewer/consumer stating your piece of work was lacking something.  Either way you have you go away and reflect as the creator to improve and work out what it is that is missing. As a perfectionist I could argue that nothing will ever be perfect, although it may be in your own eyes it most probably wont be in someone else eyes. Creating is a never ending process, there will always be room for improvement and room for new ideas to be introduced and combined.

As a dance teacher and choreographer, reflection is a big part of my every day life whether it be consciously or subconsciously.  It is a job that is involving in a process of change.
I have tried to relate to John Deweys' theories but am finding the way in which he describes his methods very confusing and hard to understand.
I can relate more to the Spiral steps of Kurt Lewin and Kolbs learning cycle as seen below

Image of the continuous Spiral of reflection.

Kurt Lewin.

 

I use this spiral way of learning and reflecting daily when compiling my lesson plans.  I give my self a goal for each class, whether its working on turnout or getting a set exercise perfect.

I Plan my lessons so they are structured and substantial. 

I Act out my plans whilst teaching the classes, adjusting as I go. 

Whist acting out my plans I am Observing the childrens reactions to my exercises and making a mental note of certain elements they are struggling with as a class.

I Reflect once I get home, on how the students coped with my lesson plans, did they get all they could out of it? Did I go too fast? Did I go too slow?  Why did I loose the concentration of the class? What kept the concentration of the class?  There are endless questions to ask my self once I get home. All the answers I get, transfer on to next weeks lesson plans, where the whole spiral will start again.  I am continually learning and trying to improve my teaching methods.

Week by week my spiral continues.

 

 

Kolbs learning cycle looks similar and has a similar thought and action process but.....

Are they the same? Do they have the same out comes? 

 

 

 

Image of Kolbs Learning Cycle

 

 

Is a Concrete Experience the equivalent of a Plan? This is the question I keep coming back to ask my self. I mentioned it in our last Module 1 Skype session and in my last blog.  I get the impression that Lewins' spiral is more relevant to everyday work situations no matter who you are.  Where as Kolbs cycle is aimed at the more creative. It is a cycle to help create a creation, where as the 'spiral' is a learning process that can be applied in any situation. 

I personally find Kolbs Learning Cycle more stimulating.  An example of me using this cycle is also to do with dance choreography. 

 

I accompanied one of my students to a Dance Festival recently. We had entered her into the Ballet solo section for the first time, it was my choreography.  As I watched all the other dancers in the category perform I just knew my student would not win. Not because she didn't not perform to the best of her ability but because of the lack of knowledge in festivals on my behalf.   We were given 4th Place. On the way home we discussed the adjudicators comments and agreed, it was the content of the dance not the way the content was performed.  I went home and changed parts of the dance ready for the next private lesson.

 

In this situation I entered the cycle at the 'Concrete Experience' stage, I experienced watching performers at a festival, that was my experience but I would argue that I would usually enter the cycle at the 'Reflective Observation' stage.  I learn by watching other people.  I get ideas, inspirations, and knowledge from observing, I don't see this as copying, it is me taking little snippets from all kinds of things and putting them together to create my own work. 

Before coming to this conclusion I also considered myself to use 'Active Experimentation' stage to enter the cycle, I thought I liked starting off with trial and error to get new ideas, but after thinking deeper into it, I am taken back to the 'Reflective Observation'.  I would personally not have an idea to play with if I had not previously observed and created it.  This clarified to me this is where I enter this Learning Cycle.

 

Howard Gardner looked further into the idea that people are intelligent in a number of ways.

  

 

 

Reading the above definitions of each intelligence, I can straight away narrow myself down to be a

Logical-mathematical, Bodily-Kinaesthetic, Musical and even a Naturalistic learner.

I am now intrigued to look deeper into this, as I'm sure I can not be all of those and even if I am, one must over power another.

I used the question in the reader to get the ball rolling in my thoughts and mind. What Ideas Do You Like?  From this I have learnt that I am definitely not one of the learners I thought I was.

 

I like the idea that dancers are kinaesthetic learners.  Looking at this on the surface, it makes sense and seems fairly obvious, dancers move, so what better way to learn than move?

After asking myself that question, I thought back to my NBS days and continued as far back as I could remember.  I have struggled picking up choreography all the way through my life. I always loved set exercises and corner work, as they were always structured I felt strong and secure and excelled. But when it came to learning a new routine at the end of the lesson, I would be filled with anxiety and worry that I would not be able to pick it up as fast as my peers.

 

I wasn't and am not a kinaesthetic learner, I remember having to go away and practise the routine on my own and go through it mathematically in my head until it made sense. Until that point when it made sense in my head, I would not be able to perform the steps together.

Obviously the learning environment in a dance class does not allow for this type of learning, it is fast paced, on the spot learning.  I was always the one at the back that didn't know the routine fully. This wasn't because I was physically incapable but because I learn in a different way to most dancers.

Which leads me to another question:

Do Dancers have to be Kinaesthetic learners to become great performers?

Is that why I have found my calling as a teacher rather than a performer?

 

 

Peter Honey and Alan Munford took Kolb's Cycle and made it there own.

They created Four 'Stages'.

I found this image that helped me understand more about the difference in between the two Cycles. It also shows what kind of learning style you supposedly are, dependent on where you enter the cycle.

 

All these methods are very similar, its very interesting that all these theories exist, when at a quick glance they all seem to have the same objective.  I'm quite sure they do all have the same goal of 'learning from an experience'  so are they just aimed and different styles of learners?

I am sure going to try out as many as I can with new experiences to find out which truly works the best for me.