Learning and then developing change
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141106131853.htm
Really interesting article I found.
Just been reflecting more on my training and how I teach. I have a year 7 group of students for ballet 5 times a week and i measure the height of each student every half term. They know now about growth spurts and how to manage their training through these periods they're a great group of talented young people and I want to empower them as young learners.
We talk about alignment, posture and placement all the time. So when it comes to the arabesque line for example they face the mirror find the correct placement and then I tell them to use their brain like a document on the computer and click 'save as....... ' . Whenever they take an arabesque line they 'open the file' and create the position.
The big HOWEVER is growth spurts. So I've been talking to them about relearning the line and then opening their file to 're save as....'
I've likened it to plasticine and remodelling for the children.
This article explains the process of how our brains are always on standby to receive new information or knowldge it's what we humans are made for.
What fascinating creatures we are.
Now learning about Myelin and how it helps us develop change and a preparedness for learning I'm on full tilt for my MA. 😊
After this half term break I'm going to explain this process to my class .
The "brains plasticity".... amazing.
Once again, I love the way you use imagery to help the children learn. It a very powerful tool.
ReplyDeleteI work a lot with imagery and I feel it’s important to work away from mirrors as much as possible to promote ‘feeling’, therefore encouraging the development of proprioception.
It’s now got me thinking about how beneficial it would be to compare notes on how we teach anatomical awareness at different stages of training.
Have you read anything by Jean Piaget? some of his work focuses on the cognitive development of children.
Great ideas, do you see the brain as being the place where the files are, the 'thing' directing everything? If so what is the body doing (- just spurting and getting in the way??) Is the body a part of the memory? What if each moment was uniquely complete and we were not looking to reopen the file but created a new one every moment and the 'work' was noticing the file was accessible? What do you feel...
ReplyDeleteI think the process in which we teach young professional vocational students ie 11 year olds, is quite different to that of a post 16 year old entering vocational training.
DeleteThese young people are discovering what their bodies are able to do and I see my job as nurturing them through the process ensuring that they develop their technical skills whist transitioning through the complications of growth spurts and puberty. Using the imagery of the computer file process for movements allows these young dancers to keep returning to positions that are safe thereby allowing them to gain the much needed core strength for their technical development.
As the students journey through professional training progresses and develops so does the way in which we teach, educate and cultivate their talent and so in turn each movement could be a new file.
Imagery is so important within dance teaching it provides a different view point for the student and allows them to think in a different context it can provoke a feeling and or a visual idea of movement/position and as everyone's learning style is different it can help learning take place effectively.
ReplyDeleteI also understand and can relate to not using the mirrors all the time I once observed this in my early teaching career at voc school and have used it ever since I saw how it makes students think further and not rely upon mirrors/each other etc.
Thanks for your post something that really got me thinking!!
Hi Garry. Thanks for your comments. I'm a real a fan of the use of imagery, it’s such a powerful teaching tool. Particularly when you have a class and you get to know them well it’s great to tap onto their wave length and use ideas that they personally relate to.
DeleteThe other idea that I use to improve students’ kinaesthetic awareness is to do a blindfolded barre. I have discovered some strong learning outcomes that benefit the students. In a world, where we operate as predominately visual learners this technique improves their aural skills and the students begin to listen more intensely to process the exercises. Also, rather than relying on sight to ‘see’ the developpe or ports de bras etc. the students are more in tune with their alignment and placement and can internally visualise the track of the developpe or ports de bras etc.
I’ve also used this technique in a tap class which was fascinating. The students began to realise that they each had a unique sound or tone and could identify who was tapping, this in turn became their ‘spoken’ voice.
Watching students learn and how they learn is a privilege for us teachers, we have a great job.
What a fun bit of imagery! Perfect for kids who probably spend many, many hours on devices...
ReplyDelete