BAM!

...and so my module 3835 was handed in to Avni today...

ciao for now bloggers, until the next module! x

Critical Commentary

Throughout this module I have learnt how to research and the numerous styles of research which can boost an organisation to improve a standard of practise.

Looking back over this module I have learnt that being a worker researcher is a benefit towards research and not, how I had first imagined, a hindrance. At the beginning of this module I had not realised all the advantages and disadvantages of numerous research methodologies and now I understand how each one contributes to a different layer of understanding within the research. I now aim to produce a document which is suitable for the next module and can also help young dancers get the most out of their training in order to reach their passion. I was very lucky as a child to come from a family that understood the needs to practice dancing every night of the week and how music lessons were valid within a school timetable but not each child who dreams of becoming a performer is so lucky and within my project I hope to build a greater understanding of what is vital to become a successful performer in theatre.

Reflecting over my learning diary entries and blog entries I can see a quite a meandered path has been formed, reading Bell's book has proved that this misconstructed pathway to a final proposal is a correct way to practise building a project outline. Taking an idea, going back to it and changing it (not discarding it), leaving it to one side, going back to it and then developing it is a way that research evolves from an idea to a project. Within all these stages I tested the feasibility, importance and overall outcome of my suggested research questions.

Unable to make almost all the campus sessions , blogs posted by Rosemary with the slideshows from the lectures and other students interpretations of the information explained have been a crucial learning tool for me in this module. Sometimes personal opinions of information from people that have had the same background as me have explained subject matters within this module in a easier and 'bitesize' way than that of the suggested books and also the university lecturers.

Taking a step back from my proposal I do feel that i would have benefited from more feedback from my advisor, my questions were loosely answered (a way that I am not used to but as a university student should be) and because of this I found most of this module a guessing game piecing each part of the portfolio together once I understood what I was meant to be doing loosely. Having finished in plenty of time before the deadline aiming to receive feedback before jetting off to USA (which now has been postponed nearer the deadline due to the volcano!) I had hoped to be first on the list to receive feedback. Hopefully what i have produced is not so far away from what is necessary to complete this module successfully.

I have enjoyed exploring the areas of research, not what I had expected to be doing in this module, but in contrast to all other areas of my professional life this has been an interesting venture. Looking into the future now and preparing myself for the 'dissertation' is scary but exciting too!

Rationale for award title

Rationale for Award Title.

I am a professional dancer and dance teacher. My qualification achieved at Performers College (Trinity National Diploma in Professional Dance), my teaching qualifications as part of the Imperial Society of Teacher of Dancing in Modern dance and Ballet (Foundation in dance instruction) and my work experience have attributed to the decision of my degree title. My life experience I have had (so far) involves a generation occupied in dance (having had a dance teacher and dance school in my immediate family), training for three years having gained a scholarship to one of the top performing arts schools, I have appeared in numerous professional productions and I am still pursuing auditions within London and have two years of teaching children from 5-18years within a range of abilities have also been taken into account within my title. The award title I would like to achieve is BA Hons Professional Practice of Child Development into Professional Dance.

My anticipated topic for my work-based research aims to ascertain whether the hypothesis ‘studying numerous arts based activities has a beneficial effect on the development of a young dancer aiming to train vocationally’, is true or false and its positives and negatives on the progress of the dancer. This study requires me to have an understanding of what is required as a Professional Dancer to be successful at auditions and respect within a dance company and how this achieved having gained sufficient training since a young age. It also requires me to have an understanding of the ways that children learn and how they develop. This project will notify me of the most efficient ways of combining numerous dance classes and arts based subjects in the best way possible for the pupils to gain the most out of their training preparing them for a career in professional dance. Having a knowledge of the professional dance industry (and its requirements) and also the development of children in dance makes me deserving and justifies my of a title including Professional dance and child development.

Subconsciously my life experience and active present experience within the professional dance industry and teaching industry have provided me with concrete experiences and reflective observations as part of Kolb’s (1984) learning cycle.

Kolb suggests that practitioners of creative disciplines such as he arts find their learning most successful in these two sections of the cycle. Learning from accounts of experience and focusing on creativity are known as divergent knowledge as this involves the feeling and watching quadrant of Kolb’s Cycle. My own personal rationale experiences have lead me through Kolb’s learning cycle (1984), and I continue to circulate it continuously learning, signifying my divergent knowledge. Taking this into account makes me worthy of my chosen title.

Accomplishing this degree title, which involves the words child development; which will in the future help me develop my teaching career after my professional career, which is described in the title as Professional Dance, indicating I am highly skilled within this sector of the arts, is clearly worded in the title, which includes my learning and career perspicacity

References

Kolb, David A(1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J.

Walker, D. (2006). Learning Styles. Available: http://www.cipfa.org.uk/students/current/download/studyaid_Learning_Styles.pdf. Last accessed April 4th 2010.

Ethics release form and Ethical commentary!

Can I just check that these are two separate things? Do I ethically commentate on the release form?? or write an essay separate?

Would be grateful if someone could let me know :)

Happy Saturday x

Good news

The project proposal is finished!!! well the draft is...but still wahoo! x

learning Journal 3 of module 3835

16.03.2010

Analysis of data, and activities 3 and 4.

As I am unable to make it to the campus session I have felt that the activities in the handbook are invaluable. I am making my way through them and seeing my research question develop and tweak at each step. Activity 4 about the feasibility of my project really focused it in towards a feasible topic and also made me think how it connects to the research I have found. By also analyzing the reliability of my data I am now beginning to really enjoy this module and looking forward to investigating and finding my own primary data. My next step is to begin structuring and drafting my proposal using the structure on page 12 of the handbook.

Wish me luck!

After much deliberation about waiting (and then having to rush!) to begin the activities in the project and create my draft proposal...this week is the week that i am to begin to start getting the draft portfolio together as i am unable to do any of it from the 10th April onwards to the module deadline as of course this is the time that everything has fallen at the same time! its always the way eh!!!!

Wish me luck i am going in blind and as i cannot make any more of the campus sessions either please keep me updated!