Task 1: introducing myself
Hi everyone - I already had my blog up and running from my undergrad so these posts have been a bit backwards apologies!
My name is Chrissie, I am currently working part time as a dance and vocal lecturer at a Southampton based college and the rest of the time I work as a Health Practitioner at a cardiovascular prevention service.
I trained professionally at The Hammond School of Dance where I disciplined in Musical theatre, various dance styles, acting and singing.
I have taught freelance dance and fitness classes for many years and have taught adults up to 60 and children from pre primary. I have worked with specialist population groups and vulnerable adults, and children with autism. I have worked in community centres, colleges, schools, universities and dance centres, each with its own unique learning experience for me.
I did my undergrad distance learning at Middlesex and I really struggled with it until the last module we did. I did not do well at engaging in blogs and keeping my own updated. Whilst reflecting back I realised this had to be something to take on board for the MA to strengthen and improve my knowledge and to create a bigger social network!
Reading the piece about knowledge as experience and experience as practice and practice as knowledge... it reminded me of how I felt during a module on my undergrad. It felt like my brain and the information was wrapped in layers of tissue paper, and each time I read over something or found a new piece of literature of read over my own work, it was like I unwrapped a layer of the tissue paper. And eventually all the tissue fell off and my understanding and knowledge became clear.
Embodiment is a really important term for me and I feel its something I have grown into over time - when I first started teaching I had confidence in my teaching abilities but little confidence in my own skills as a dancer when demonstrating in class. As I learnt and read and taught my confidence in my abilities grew again and I felt what I wanted to express whilst teaching came from both my mind and body - does that make sense? Everything I was saying and explaining for technique was showing in my movements - they were there all along I just had to have the confidence to use them.
In Kolb's learning cycle we are continuously reaching a point where we 'know' just before we realise then that we 'don't know' and must learn more - and the cycle continues. This is how I felt teaching my classes, my confidence grew and I realised I had to learn more to continually develop as a teacher and get the best out of my students.
I know we digressed from a CV but that's what my brain was telling me to write :) - what are everybody's thought on how we access knowledge?
PS. I really also love yoga, running and eating some biscuits during Bake Off :)
Thanks for reading xx
My name is Chrissie, I am currently working part time as a dance and vocal lecturer at a Southampton based college and the rest of the time I work as a Health Practitioner at a cardiovascular prevention service.
I trained professionally at The Hammond School of Dance where I disciplined in Musical theatre, various dance styles, acting and singing.
I have taught freelance dance and fitness classes for many years and have taught adults up to 60 and children from pre primary. I have worked with specialist population groups and vulnerable adults, and children with autism. I have worked in community centres, colleges, schools, universities and dance centres, each with its own unique learning experience for me.
I did my undergrad distance learning at Middlesex and I really struggled with it until the last module we did. I did not do well at engaging in blogs and keeping my own updated. Whilst reflecting back I realised this had to be something to take on board for the MA to strengthen and improve my knowledge and to create a bigger social network!
Reading the piece about knowledge as experience and experience as practice and practice as knowledge... it reminded me of how I felt during a module on my undergrad. It felt like my brain and the information was wrapped in layers of tissue paper, and each time I read over something or found a new piece of literature of read over my own work, it was like I unwrapped a layer of the tissue paper. And eventually all the tissue fell off and my understanding and knowledge became clear.
Embodiment is a really important term for me and I feel its something I have grown into over time - when I first started teaching I had confidence in my teaching abilities but little confidence in my own skills as a dancer when demonstrating in class. As I learnt and read and taught my confidence in my abilities grew again and I felt what I wanted to express whilst teaching came from both my mind and body - does that make sense? Everything I was saying and explaining for technique was showing in my movements - they were there all along I just had to have the confidence to use them.
In Kolb's learning cycle we are continuously reaching a point where we 'know' just before we realise then that we 'don't know' and must learn more - and the cycle continues. This is how I felt teaching my classes, my confidence grew and I realised I had to learn more to continually develop as a teacher and get the best out of my students.
I know we digressed from a CV but that's what my brain was telling me to write :) - what are everybody's thought on how we access knowledge?
PS. I really also love yoga, running and eating some biscuits during Bake Off :)
Thanks for reading xx
Hi Chrissie, great reading your introduction! And I loved the paper tissue analogy, I can relate to that ;-). I find your question on how we access knowledge quite interesting, as I am looking into "knowing bodies", or embodied knowledge as a research subject. I find it fascinating on how many levels our knowledge manifests and interacts. I think reflection can be a tool to access knowledge, but I guess there are many more ways, Ill defiantly think about your question some more! Looking forward to reading more of your blogs and have a great start into Module 1.
ReplyDeleteOoh that sounds really interesting! I'll definitely keep an eye out for more of your findings! Yes I think we have so many layers of knowledge - and its always changing! I was commenting on a conversation on Adesola's blog earlier, and as I was typing my thoughts they completely changed - something clicked in my head and then I accessed a clearer (or higher if that's the right phrase) level of my thoughts and knowledge. Yes I think reflection, taking that 'pause' during or after an experience, as in Kolb's learning cycle, can really highlight what we know and then of course... what we do not know! Thanks very much look forward to reading more of your blogs too! x
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