This blog is created to support conversation generated from and about the learning process for MA Professional Practice (MAPP) in the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries (ACI) at Middlesex University.

Friday 27 February 2015

One thing

This post is about exchanging one thing - one idea.

My one idea is: I have just been thinking about dance that comes from islands and how the influence of water impacts the movement and conception of the dancing body. My context is very land-based I feel a connection with the land when I dance: it is how I conceptualise pull-up. I wonder how this would be affected by the islands/ocean.

What one thing are you thinking about - can you comment with:
One AOL you are thinking about
or
One question to inquire about
or
One surprise or thought as you start to inquiry

What are you thinking about?
Adesola

Tuesday 24 February 2015

Skype session on Sunday

Hi everyone
This Sunday March 1st is our skype group chats. We have am and pm sessions as follows:

AM session 11am (time in London)
PM session 5:30pm (time in London)

Looking forward to chatting with everyone. Please comment on this post to let me know which session you would like to join. If the session time comes around and I have not called:
  1. 1)   Check you are on-line!!
  2. 2)   Then skype me and I can add you to the conversation.


If you have not skyped with me before you will need to send me a skype request before Sunday so we can connect

Looking forward to comments

Adesola

Tuesday 3 February 2015

Great community of learners


I have felt so overwhelmed with marking this year but the content of the work I am looking is so inspiring it becomes a pleasure. I feel really inspired to keep questioning and developing my own teaching (especially of dance technique) having read the inspirational AOLs , project plans and inquiries everyone has been engaging in this past term. Well done. Keep up the great work as we start the next term.
Adesola

Monday 2 February 2015

PM session Group Skype chat

The afternoon skype session went well.
We talked about the difference between looking for a research ‘topic’ and designing a research inquiry. Whereas the topic is important it is not the topic itself that makes a ‘good’ research project. As always it is what you do (with it) that makes something what it is. So although the topic is important allowing yourself to create something/design something as the process of Module Two is where the activity/learning/growth is involved.

We talked about ideas for research topics and people shared things they had been thinking about

We talked about where to look for literature – again remembering it is not about accumulating literature but it is about what you do with the literature. Books are not answers but go to inform you and help you construct your ideas.

We talked about the worth of Module One and why it is a good idea not to rush it. The AOLs are important as a way of gathering yourself and remembering who you are and what you’ve achieved as well as being important as the foundation for the next two modules.

Maria R. is going to post on the discussion about research inquiry and how it is not necessarily about asking a question and looking for an answer but  about asking a question and get to understand the question better or becoming able to ask a better question.

Ainsley and Sarah S. will post further on the planning an inquiry conversation we had.

Tamzin will post on keeping going on Module One and taking one AOL at a time!

http://tamzinhoward.blogspot.co.uk

What do you think of these points
Adesola

Sunday 1 February 2015

Am Skype conversation - dance as an approach to the lived experience

This morning’s skype session was great. We have 7 people in the conversation. We talked about a number of things, which included:
  • Research project ideas in general
  • At what point a research project emerges (It is better not to have an idea from the beginning and stick to it regardless of the course!! Rather the course is designed for ideas to emerge and maybe re-shaped by the activity of each module)
  • We heard about Cathie’s research project ideas and this led us to conversation about what it means to be professional in the dance field (is everyone in dance trying to be a paid performer? Could we see dance as a field of practice with many roles, or even could we see dance as an approach to the lived experience).
  • Where do we trace our learning from and what impact does that have on how we try to ignite learning in our students. Is learning about dance primarily in the practical professional experiences we have rather than in our training (which could be seen as something where we were taught by rote, or taught to copy / reproduce our teachers)

People who were a part of the conversation are posting on different aspects of the conversation:
Rose will be posting about observation http://rosepaye3012.blogspot.co.uk

Zsuzanne will be posting on reflections on research project ideas www.zsurcy.wordpress.com

Cathy will be posting on her approach to finding a research idea and a little about what she has been thinking about thus far. http://cathieingram.wordpress.com

Michael will be posting on historical reflection on ones own learning mcmastan.blogspot.co.uk

Amanda will be posting on the journal writing experience. (Amanda can you put your blog address in the comments below)

What do you all think?
People in conversation have I captured it!! People not in conversation what do you think of these topics?

Adesola