2c. Reflective Theory

David Boud (Professor of Adult Education, University of Technology, Sydney), states journal writing can be a "vehicle for learning" (1).  However, it is important you as an individual understand how you learn best in order to improve to your full potential.  

Howard Gardner (an American Developmental Psychologist) has identified seven distinct intelligences. The learning styles are as follows (2):

As a dancer I personally feel I learn better using a body-kinesthetic and musical style, as I can relate to rhythms and sounds and also learn well with a hands on approach.  Sometimes I have to do things in person to understand them and I often put things I need to remember to rhythms and songs.  

Another way I learn from mistakes I make as a dancer is by using muscle memory. If you repeat the movement enough times it will eventually become second nature and your body will take over without even thinking about it. Twyla Tharp (an American Dancer and Choreographer) quotes from her book "The Creative Habit" ‘...Muscle memory. Automatic. Precise. A little scary. The second time through, however, or trying to explain the steps and patterns to the dancers, she will hesitate, second-guess herself, question her muscles, and forget. That’s because she’s thinking about it, using language to interpret something she knows nonverbally. Her memory of movement doesn’t need to be accessed through conscious effort’ (Tharp and Reiter, 2006). (3)

As a dancer this is very appropriate as repeated practice allows the body to remember a routine and even perfect movements. 

Keeping a journal is another way which could be effective for some people, as they could use this as a way of documenting choreographic ideas and those that worked well and those that didn't. 

By writing a journal not only does it allow you to evaluate what went well and what doesn't and how you can improve on certain things Moon (an Associate Professor at Bournemouth University), identifies other purposes of writing journals (4)

"To deepen the quality of learning, in the form of critical thinking or developing a questioning attitude"
"To enable learners to understand their own learning process"
"To increase active involvement in learning and  personal ownership of learning"
"To enhance professional practice or the professional self in practice"
"To enhance personal valuing of the self towards self-empowerment"
"To enhance creativity by making better use of intuitive understanding"
"To free up writing and the representation of learning"
"To provide an alternative "voice" for those not good at expressing them-selves"
"To foster reflective and creative interaction in a group"

The quotes I have put in bold above are the quotes I feel are most relevant to what I will be considering whilst writing my journal.

Boud quotes "Reflection has been described as a process of turning experience into learning". (5)

Everyone goes through different experiences throughout life and therefore, this is why I believe everyone has a different learning style.  

In the picture opposite, you can see John Dewey, (an American Philosopher, Psychologist and Educational Reformer), sees "Reflection as a meaning making process" and it "Moves the learner from one experience to the next with deeper understanding of its relationships with and connections to other experiences and ideas". (6)

I agree with this because reflecting on whether a performance has gone well or not and if not how it can be improved upon when you come to the next performance, is a beneficial learning process.

I feel it is beneficial to reflect after what happens as you can see the situation as a whole.  However I have also used Schon's (1983,1987) theory of "reflection in action". Schon was an influential thinker in developing the theory and practice of reflective professional learning.

I have used this method whilst teaching, as sometimes you aren't made aware that an exercise or a method of teaching you have planned isn't effective until you are in the process of using it.  Therefore, you have to analyse the situation on the spot and think what would be more effective and change what you are doing. 

There are different occasions of reflection. (7)

• Reflection in Anticipation of Events - preparing ourselves for what's to come

• Reflection in the Midst of Action - through noticing, intervening and reflection in action, we can steer ourselves through events in accordance with what our intentions are and with what we take with us to help us through the process.

• Reflection after Events - the ability to view particular events in a wider context.   Here we can return to an experience, focus on the feelings and emotions that were (or are) present and then re-evaluate the experience in order to improve on what we could do better.

As a performer I can prepare myself for what's to come by practising, however you can never fully prepare for what WILL happen.  This leads to using "Reflection in action", which I have used a lot without even noticing!  For example, the space in which we have to perform changes at each venue and therefore we have to adapt the steps and spacing accordingly.  Also if someone becomes injured during a show we have to adapt and re-block the performance.  As they say "The show must go on".  After the show you can assess how well it went and what you need to go away and work on more for the following shows, so the same mistakes aren't made again.

When teaching, sometimes I prepare a piece of choreography, however this is hard if you don't know the standard of the students.  I will then often have to use "reflection in action" as sometimes they find what I have prepared too hard, so I have to simplify the movements on the spot and vice versa, if they are finding it too easy I will have to make it harder.  

Kolb, (an American Educational Theorist), was highly influenced by the research conducted by Dewey.  Below is Kolb's learning cycle (1984). (8)

Kolb demonstrates that there are four parts to his theory:

• Concrete experience
• Reflective observation
• Abstract Conceptualisation
• Active experimentation

Where you enter the cycle depends on your individual learning style.

“Although we all have concrete experiences, reflective observations, abstract concepts and actively experiment, the difference between us is the point at which we start to learn...”(9)

On most occasions, I feel I enter the cycle at Active Experimentation because I learn best by actively participating in the learning. 

"Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand." quote by Confucius. (10)

Although, I feel I would enter the cycle at different points depending on what I am doing. For example:

Choreographing

1. If I was choreographing, I would start by experimenting with different moves to a piece of music. (Active Experimental).  

2.  Once I was happy with the movements, I would finalise the routine. (Concrete Experience)

     3. I would then evaluate the routine and whether it had turned out the way I wanted it to. (Reflective Observation)

   

     4.  Finally I would teach it to a class and see if it suits their ability. (Abstract Conceptualisation)

Performing

1.  When I am performing, I enter the cycle at the Concrete Experience point.  This is because I have already learnt the routine.

2.  After performing the routine, I would go on to reflect on the performance. I would think about what had gone well and what I needed to improve. (Reflective Observation)

3.  I would assess which movements needed to be improved, e.g. a pirouette and how I could achieve this. (Abstract Conceptualisation)

4.  I would practise the movement, e.g. a pirouette and work on the technique until I felt satisfied it had improved to the required standard. (Active Experimental)

Gibbs was a previous Professor and Director of the Oxford Learning Institute, University of Oxford.  His model was developed from Kolb’s 4 stages.

Professor Graham Gibbs published his reflective cycle in his 1988 book “Learning by Doing”.  Below is the cycle (11):

It has 6 stages:

   1.    Description

   2.    Feelings  

   3.    Evaluation

   4.    Analysis

   5.    Conclusion

   6.    Action plan

Even though both cycles are very similar in what they are achieving, I feel having more stages in the cycle allows you to break it down in more depth, allowing you to go into more detail.  This detail is important in helping you to improve to your full potential. 

Another learning style that was inspired by Kolb’s cycle is that created by Peter Honey and Alan Mumford (Honey and Mumford 1992). (12)  

 ·  Activists - who are ‘hands-on’ learners and prefer to have a go and learn through trial and error.

·   Reflectors - who are ‘tell me’ learners and prefer to be thoroughly briefed before proceeding.

·   Theorists - who are ‘convince me’ learners and want reassurance that a project makes sense.

·   Pragmatists - who are ‘show me’ learners and want a demonstration from an acknowledged expert.

If you were an Activist you would enter Kolb’s cycle at the Concrete Experimental point.  If you were a Reflector you would enter Kolb’s cycle at the Reflective Observation point.  As a theorist you would enter Kolb’s cycle at the Abstract Conceptualisation point and if you had a Pragmatic style of learning you would enter at the Active Experimental point. 

I feel I am an Activist and a Pragmatist as these are the learning styles which refer to the points in which I enter Kolb’s cycle.  I learn best when I can engage in the learning experience in a practical form.

I agree that all the theories above are useful in reflective practice, however Quinn (1988/2000) states a problem with the impact on the individual reflector is the way reflection can involve constant striving for self-improvement.  It can lead to feelings of self-disapproval and self-rejection. (13)

Smith, (2001) has said about Kolb's model, the stages or steps does not sit well with the reality of thinking.  There is a problem here - that of sequence. (14)

Dewey, (1933) has said about Kolb's model in relation to reflection, the number of processes can occur at once, stages can be jumped.  This way of presenting things is rather too neat and simplistic. (15)

Greenwood (1993) a Practitioner says there should be more importance on reflection -before action. (16)

Davies (2001) identifies limitations to reflective practice, he states that practitioners might feel “uncomfortable challenging and evaluating own practice” and that it could be “time consuming”. (17)

    

I agree that it is hard to critique yourself, but I feel instead of looking at it in a negative way it is only beneficial if you take it constructively in order to better yourself.  The reflective practice method allows you to change what is not working for the better, this enables you to be the best you can be.  It teaches us not to get complaisant but to keep asking yourself how things can be improved and this attitude is what will allow you to improve as an individual and keep setting the bar higher and higher instead of staying still in the way you think and work and therefore never growing as a person. 

I have used a form of reflective practice before whilst at dance College, as we used to have to evaluate our classwork and write out corrections that had been given during class.  This enabled us to document the corrections so we didn’t forget them, so we could improve upon them for the next lesson.  However, this task has really made me think about the way I work in more depth and by going through the different stages of the cycles published by Kolb and Gibbs, it has now given me a structure to follow which I will continue to use throughout my career.

1 .Boud, D (2002) "USING JOURNAL WRITING TO ENHANCE REFLECTIVE PRACTICE" -WBS3730 BAPP ARTS, MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY 2014: READER 2.

2. Gardner, H (1983) UNDERSTANDING YOUR STUDENT'S LEARNING STYLE: THE THEORY OF MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES , AVAILABLE FROM www.connectionsacademy.com (accessed 23rd October 2014).

3. Tharp, T (2006) "THE CREATIVE HABIT", NEW YORK: SIMON AND SCHUSTER PAPERBACKS.

4. MOON, J (1999) WBS3730 BAPP ARTS, MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY 2014: READER 2

5.Boud, D (2002) "USING JOURNAL WRITING TO ENCHANCE REFLECTIVE PRACTICE" - MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY: READER 2.

6. Dewey, J  (1993) SOURCE FROM "JOHN DEWEY AND REFLECTIVE THINKING" Available from http://www.docstoc.com/docs/29999446/JOHN-DEWEY-AND-REFLECTIVE-THINKING (accessed 23rd October 2014)

7. Schon, D (1983, 1987) WBS3730 BAPP ARTS, MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY 2014: READER 2

8. Kolb, D (1984) SOURCE FROM "SIMPLY PSYCHOLOGY", Available from http://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html (accessed 23rd October 2014)

9.Kolb, D (1984) WBS3730 BAPP ARTS, MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY 2014: READER 2

10. Confucius (450 BC) "EXPERIMENTAL LEARNING ARTICLES AND CRITIQUES OF DAVID KOLB'S THEORY, Available from http://reviewing.co.uk/research/experiential.learning.htm#axzz3HfhisO6Z (accessed 23rd October 2014)

11. Gibbs, G (1988) LEARNING BY DOING: A GUIDE TO TEACHING AND LEARNING METHODS. FURTHER EDUCATION UNIT. OXFORD POLYTECHNIC: OXFORD- CYCLE.

 12. Honey and Mumford (1992) "THE LEARNING STYLES QUESTIONAIRE, Available from http://www.peterhoney.com/content/LearningStylesQuestionnaire.html

(accessed 24th October 2014)

13. Quinn, (1988/2000) "REFLECTING ON REFLECTIVE PRACTICE" Available on http://www.open.ac.uk/cetl-workspace/cetlcontent/documents/4bf2b48887459.pdf (accessed 24th October 2014)

14. Smith, (2001)"DAVID A. KOLB ON EXPERIMENTAL LEARNING" Available on http://infed.org/mobi/david-a-kolb-on-experiential-learning/(accessed 24th October 2014) 

15. Dewey, J (1933),"DAVID A. KOLB ON EXPERIMENTAL LEARNING" Available on http://infed.org/mobi/david-a-kolb-on-experiential-learning/(accessed 24th October 2014)

16. 
Greenwood, J. (1993) "REFLECTIVE PRACTICE: A CRITIQUE OF THE WORK OF ARGYRIS AND SCHON.

17.  Davies, S (2012)"Embracing reflective practice". Education for Primary Care 23: 9–12.

2b. Reflective writing (Journal writing experience)

I have been spending some time over the last few days trying out the different methods below to reflect on my day.  I found this task interesting as I made me look and think about my day in many different ways, some which I have never used before!


The  methods I used were:

• DESCRIPTION

• INITIAL REFLECTION

• LIST

• EVALUATION

• GRAPHS, CHARTS, DIAGRAMS

• WHAT IF?

• ANOTHER VIEW

The first method I used was DESCRIPTION.  This wasn't too hard as I found this is the style I am naturally used to anyway.  However, I did find it hard leaving it until the evening to write about the days events as I couldn't remember all my feelings and thoughts in one go and the end of the day and thought it would be far more detailed and beneficial if I wrote my thoughts and feelings down as I went through the day that way I wouldn't leave anything out.  I tried this the following day and this was the case.  My journal entry was definitely more detailed and had reflected on the events in more depth. 

"Ideas can come from anywhere and at any time. The problem with making mental notes is that the ink fades very rapidly.” - Rolf Smith (Author of The 7 Levels of Change)

 This then reminded me of when I was at college and when we had to write about what we did in each lesson and the corrections we were given.  However, the longer I left it the more information I forgot and I had had time after each class to write it down, the corrections would have been fresh in my mind so I wouldn't have forgotten as much.

I then looked at what the INITIAL REFLECTION method was and realised I naturally do this along side the descriptive method in my journal writing.  I usually write how I am feeling about what is happening and what I am thinking about it at the time.

Then tried writing my day out as a LIST.  This approach was very brief.  However, it is a good method if you just want to quickly jot down your thoughts and feelings at the time.  I feel like I could use this method throughout the day, writing down the main points so I don't forget anything and then in the evening expand on the list and write it out in full using the descriptive and initial reflection method.  However, on its own I feel it isn't very useful as I wouldn't be able to recall the day in enough detail for it to be beneficial to reflect on.

The EVALUATION approach forced me to look even more in depth at the events and allowed me to reflect on the things that went well and what I would do again and what I would maybe avoid doing next time.  Therefore, I feel for personal reflection this method is also good as I can identify what I need to improve on and if I added this along side the descriptive and initial reflection method I feel this will be the best combination for me.

GRAPHS, CHARTS AND DIAGRAMS is a completely new reflective method for me.  I do like to learn from visual tools so I thought this might be a new method I could be introduced to and use more often.  I found it gave me a good overview of the day as a whole, however like the LIST method it is very brief and I found it hard to incorporate all the details such as thoughts, feelings and what worked and what didn't on the same diagram.  Therefore, I could use this method as part of my reflection but I would have to use it along side other methods as well.   Above you can see I drew a graph showing my feelings from 1-10 (10 being happiest) during certain events throughout the day.

Even though I could see visually how I felt, it didn't really make a lot of sense and it doesn't explain WHY I felt this way.  It also took a lot of time working out how to draw it out in the most beneficial way.

I associate the phrase WHAT IF? with regrets and my initial thought on this method was quite negative as it would highlight what I could have or should have done.  However, using this method after it has happened is too late as it has already happened.  I guess it would be beneficial if you found yourself in the same situation a couple of days later and you had already thought about what you could have done differently but otherwise you would just constantly be chasing yourself with the question. Therefore, I feel this method would only be useful to me if I asked the question before the event. 

I found writing from ANOTHER VIEW really strange.  In my case, on this particular day I was writing about, I was teaching a dance workshop and I wrote from the point of view of one of the children. It was interesting to see how the way I act can be perceived differently by someone else and it does make you want to think twice about how your actions or words are going to affect others.  However, for a PERSONAL reflection I don't think this method would be very useful because it would take too much time always second guessing what others might be thinking of you, which then will cause self doubt.  We only have a day to produce a show in the workshop to be performed to parents at the end so it is important to make decisions quickly and effectively using our previous knowledge.

So after using all these methods I feel like the most beneficial method for me would be:

DESCRIPTION + INITIAL REFLECTION + EVALUATION

By using this method I will be able to identify the main events, how I felt about them and my thoughts and what I thought worked well and what I can do differently in order to improve as a performer. I do still like usual visual aids to learn, so where I feel it will help me I will continue to use graphs, charts and diagrams.  However, I feel I will be using the method in bold above more than the others.

2a. Reflective Practice

When I was younger I used to keep a diary to spill out all my thoughts as I found it hard to talk openly about them.  There was something very satisfying knowing I could lock it up with a little key and no one would be able to read it apart from me.  However, I did stop writing diary entries a long time ago and have never really got back into it so when I saw this task I was intrigued to get back into it but also a bit anxious for some reason!  

It did take me a while to get into the hang of it but once I had written a few entries I realised it is actually quite nice to get my thoughts and feelings onto paper.

Let's face it, we all have a lot to think about and get stressed from time to time so this is a good way to make a bit of room so everything doesn't get on top of you!

I am someone who likes to plan things and write lists of lists of lists!! But at the end of the day that's all they are....lists! They are very brief and to the point and this journal task is interesting as it is making me write about things in more depth enabling me to reflect more on emotions and events!

There are many different purposes of writing a journal and Moon and Boud identify these purposes in the quotes below:


"Journal writing can be used to enhance what we do and how we do it" - David Boud

"To deepen the quality of learning, in the form of critical thinking or developing a questioning attitude" - Moon (1999a, pp. 188-194)

"To enable learners to understand their own learning process" - Moon (1999a, pp. 188-194)

"To enhance professional practice or the professional self in practice" - Moon (1999a, pp. 188-194)


Writing in a journal is a new method of reflection for me but I will be taking these purposes into consideration as I continue to write more entries into my journal. I hope this will be a new successful method for me which will help me to learn and re-evaluate events and situations in order for me to become a better performer.

1d. 2d Images

It is amazing how we can capture a particular moment and make it last forever!  I can remember when I used to get excited going to pick up my photos from being developed only to find they were all dark from having my finger over the flash or something and being so disappointed that I would never get those photos again!  However, now we can instantly look at the photo and delete it if we don't like it until we get one we do like!

I have taken lots of photos throughout my dance career so far and I love looking back at them now and again to remind you of all the good memories and people you shared those times with.  Accounts such as Instagram, Facebook and Flickr are a good way to share photos instantly!    




I have had a Facebook account for years, however I have never had Instagram or Flickr as I have always thought photos are personal to me and I didn't think any one else would be interested in seeing my photos.  However, I have just created an account for both of them.  I have to admit I am still trying to get the hang of it and haven't used it much yet but here is the link to my Flickr account where I have posted on a few photos from some of my shows.......         
           
                                                                                         
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127727595@N02/ 



As good as these accounts are, they also have disadvantages.  The internet is a wonderful, yet scary thing and once a photo or piece of information has gone on there it is no longer private. This worries me as I am sure there are photos of me online that I don't even know about.  In professional cases the photographer should  always ask permission before publishing a photo of that person, however even though we often give permission we rarely actually see the photos they are going to use and let's face it, an action shot is never flattering!

There is also the issue of copyright.  Photos can be copied so easily with the technology we now have and once something is on the web anyone can see it.  It is not only the fact that the photographer gets credit for his work but also for personal safety for the person in the photo and this is why we need permission to publish photos and especially with children!  When I teach the workshops I do with children we have to get the parents to sign a photo release form in order for the parents to be able to film the show at the end of the day and for us to be able to use any of the material taken from the workshop for advertising purposes  However, if one parent refuses to sign the form then there is to be NO photography or filming allowed at all from us or the parents! 

In our industry, photos are used a lot for advertising, as a photo is more likely to draw attention than a page full of writing.  We need to use photos to advertise shows and ourselves as artists, however along with photos comes Photoshop......!!

Photoshop has been a life saver in some cases!!  However, it can also hinder us in our profession.  I know many people who have had their headshots and portfolio pictures "touched up" on Photoshop  A small touch up here and there is fine to hide the odd blemish but people can get carried away and the photo can end up looking completely different to what they actually look like.  This becomes a problem in auditions when casting directors ask to see you as your headshot and portfolio pictures fit the image they are looking for and you turn up and you look nothing like your photos!  This is a case of "false advertising" and you will waste your time and theirs!

Images are very useful in our industry and I will continue to use them, however you must be careful and be wise in the way in which you use them otherwise it can lead to serious consequences!

1c. Audio-visual

So....... I had been putting off this task for a while as I hate seeing myself on video and hearing my own voice and after reading some of the blogs from the other students it seems like I am not the only one!  A teacher at my college said to us "Performers always have insecurities as they are constantly wanting reassurance and to please people" and this is true!  This is why I think we all find it hard to be ourselves instead of hiding behind a character! 

I found it really awkward just speaking to the camera so I thought it would be a bit more interesting if I added some photos into the video, so this is what I did.

I thought this task wouldn't take me that long, however I am not the most technical person so I was definitely proven wrong!  I used a new app called "Cute cut" which was hard to get the hang of as I have never used it before but once I had sussed it out I actually enjoyed using it!  I was relieved once I had finished putting the video together but I then realised I had the task of trying to get it onto youtube! This also took me a while......but I got there in the end!!!

Here is the link to the video.

http://youtu.be/B3vpOutSMQo

 (Hopefully this works! Can you let me know if it does?? Thanks x)

Audio-visuals are very useful in our industry as we can use showreels to send to employers.  By sending showreels this allows people to see what we are capable of and even get a sense of our character and personality, which you can't get from a photograph.

This task has been very useful, however I am glad it is over! I now know how to put together a small video and am now familiar with the process of putting videos on youtube and putting links on my blog which I had never done before.  I will definitely continue to use this process through out the course and also after the course has finished.