Of course new experiences increase our knowledge, however we do have to roughly be aware of the initial idea/concept. This gives us a foundation to work and build upon. The concept of learning a new idea is not as easy as you think. Instead of learning a new idea we are learning a new term, phrase, word, meaning or method. Tackling what you do not understand or know is the foundation of learning. For instance, if you ask 'what is a raconteur?', you may get an incorrect answer: 'A raconteur is a personal driver'. However, you may gradually work out that you have been given false information and come to the realisation that you still do not know the answer! You have identified that information is still missing, and your now open to find it using a different method of research or questioning.
Graham Mcfee explains:
'One must understand what is being defined in order that on a judge for oneself the accuracy ... Moreover, the definition itself must be understood.' (McFee, 1992:18)
By combining Reflection and experience we can build upon new ideas to find the missing link. New ideas, information and new techniques build upon the original ones to gain knowledge and information to perfect and complete an understanding. It's a bit like finding the missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle.
Experience, Reflection & Learning
The method of reflection is frequently used within most professions as we all have to learn new techniques, methods and procedures to carry out our work. More obvious examples are Teachers who on a daily basis have to convey and adapt different teaching methods to enable students to understand the information being taught.
Nurses, Health professionals such as Doctors have to understand a patient's ailment in order to treat them. they will constantly reflect upon a patient's symptoms in order to find the right treatment.
A considered philosopher, John Dewey believed that there were different levels of experiences, viewing experience as an experiential action. Dewey expressed the educational process as a 'continual reorganisation, reconstruction and transformation of experience.' (Dewey, 1916) John believed that you are able to become a better member of society and can interact within democracy if you have valuable and fully engaged experiences. The term 'Reflective Thought' was used by Dewey to identify a new experience, linking to previous experiences and finding meaning for ourselves.
'Active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusions to which it tends' (Dewey, 1933)
I do agree with Dewey's previous statement, as the more we experience the more we will learn. By witnessing a range of different experiences involving different locations, people and situations our knowledge will expand, making it easier to communicate and socialise within day-to-day life. These experiences will build our character and strengthen our Independence.
Likewise to John Dewey, Kurt Lewin, who originally studied in medicine also shared an interest within experiential learning. His method involved, dividing an experience into a set of steps:
- A cycle of idea
- Fact finding, planning (Research)
- Action
- Evaluation
- Planning
- Action
Dewey and Lewin informed the work of Kolb, who developed the concept of a learning cycle.
Its essential that we identify the importance of acknowledging an experience, and the methods/tools enabling us to reflect upon it. Everybody's experience are different. As we learn new information at different stages of our lives it is existing knowledge that we all build upon. Concrete Experiences, Reflective Observations, Abstract Concepts and Active Experimentation are part of everyone's experiences:
Concrete Experiences - Doing something due to the experience
Reflective Observations - Learning something due to watching other people doing it
Abstract Conceptualisation - Some people may need to solve the question themselves
Active Experimentation - Learning as you trial a new idea
Your personal entrance into the Learning Cycle starts as soon as you find new information and meaning within an experience. Kolb's idea/concept is a major tool for reflection and approaching an experience.
My example of 'Kolbs Learning Cycle':
Multiple Intelligences, VAK
Howard Gardner originally created the concept of Multiple Intelligences as he was intrigued by the idea that people had different ways to engage with learning and understanding. Gardner believed that people are intelligent in a variety of ways, he groups like minded professionals together:
Spatial - Travel Agent, Architect, Tour Guide, Pilot, Graphic Designer, Surveyor
Verbal-linguistic - Comedian, Historian, Journalist, Politician, Lawyer, Librarian
Logical-mathematical - Accountant, Detective, Economist, Engineer, Scientist
Bodily-Kinaesthetic - Athlete, Actor, Dancer, Carpenter, Jeweller, Surgeon
Musical - Singer, Songwriter, Sound Editor, Musician, Audiologist, Piano Tuner
Interpersonal (Understanding people and relationships) - Social Worker, Teacher, Psychologist, Cruise Director, Nurse
Intrapersonal (Relates to your emotional life as a means to understand yourself and others) - Consultant, Philosopher, Entrepreneur, Psychic, Writer
Naturalistic - Biologist, Farmer, Gardener, Astronomer, Meteorologist
Visual, Auditory & Kinaesthetic learners
Gardner also discussed a multiple of ways to look at situations. Multiple Intelligence is for us to understand how we and learn, not to categories you as a 'one-type learner'.
Multiple Intelligences / Artistic Vision
Alan Munford and Peter Honey (Inspired by Kolb's Theories) designed a model of an adaptation of David Kolb's four points of 'The Learning Cycle'. These staged were:
- Having an experience
- Reviewing the experience
- Concluding the experience
- Planning the next steps
The Professional Practitioner
The idea that you can reflect during and looking back on an experience was created by Donald Schon (1987). For example, as a dancer, if you are performing a combination and find that you run out of space, you would automatically adapt to the situation by changing the step or travel pattern. Schon called this particular method, Reflection-In-Action. Another theory entitled, Reflection-On-Action is fostered within Academics who react to what is happening by going away, looking back at the experience to form a concept or an idea.
Writer and Academic, Robert Kottcamp refers Reflection-In-Action to 'online' and Reflection-On-Action to 'offline'. Kottcamp suggests:
'The latter type is more difficult to achieve, but the more powerful for improvement of practice because it results in online experiments to adjust and improve ones professional actions. It is more difficult to achieve because the actor must simultaneously attend to performing the action and observe and analyse his or her action, as if from an external perspective. Further, in reflection in action the actor is the sole collector of data on the event.
Reflection-On-Action is accomplished offline at a time when full attention can be given to analysis and planning for the future without the imperative for immediate action . . .' (Kottcamp, 1990)
I believe that Kottcamp's method is incredibly important for this course and contributes greatly towards your profession due to how you reflect upon experiences. Therefore I do agree with Robert Kottcamp's view, that Reflection-In-Action is a harder process.
I come from a strong performance background and am comfortable reflecting 'in the moment'. It has taken me many years of practice to be confident in this method. Past experiences, performances have taught me to be a 'quick thinker'. I can adapt to my surroundings, the musicality and choreography enabling me to project a good performance.
Even though I do use Reflection-In-Action during my day-to-day experiences, I also use Reflection-On-Action. An example of this is after a performance where I have had to adapt a dance routine to suit a specific stage plan or auditorium layout. Upon reflection I have learnt to always rehearse on the stage before the performance. This allows me to plan my routine to fit the stage (size and layout). In the long term this experience will help me as every stage is a different size and depth. I agree that 'the actor is the sole collector of data on the event' as we take responsibility and authority of our work and that there is a big difference to learning physically and learning conceptually.
Muscle Memory, interplay of conscious and unconscious
Likewise to many of the practitioners within my blog Chris Crickmay and Miranda Tufnell explained the importance of engaging throughout reflection:
'The body is the ground from which all our knowing of the world begins. It is within our bodies, in our instinctual and sensory responses, that we discover the changing field of what is happening to us. In the rush and pressure f our everyday lives we easily become numbed, cut off from our bodies.' (Tufnell and Crickmay, 2004)
I was fascinated by Tufnul and Crickmay's explanation as they have both thoroughly put into perspective that 'it is through the sensuous world of the body, through our eyes, ears, skin, muscles, and organs.'
The aspects of articulation and communication play a huge part in the reflective process enabling you to recall, process and link ideas. A reflection does not have to happen as a written process.
There is a combination of ways to documentate your reflection. Example include:
- Notebook
- Journal
- Drawings
- Poems
- Writing
- Sketches
- Mind Maps
- Lists
Journal Writing
As an increasingly common method for professionals to continue to learn after education/training Journal writing is an excellent way to further your knowledge and reflect on your learning.
Jenifer A. Moon has written about learning journals:
'Learning journals come in
all shapes and sizes. They are for public
and private reading. They include
versions on paper, tape, video, graphic ‘notebooks’, and electronic forms where
something that is in effect a journal might be called a blog. While the focus of this paper will be on
pen-on-paper journals (but equally applies to all other forms), it is
interesting to speculate on how the use of different media might influence the
process of writing and the learning that results.' (Moon and Dawson, 2006)
There are many purposes for using a journal:
- To record experience
- To facilitate
learning from experience
- To support
understanding and the representation of the understanding
- To develop critical thinking or the development of a questioning attitude
- To increase active
involvement in and ownership of learning
- To increase ability
in reflection and thinking
- To enhance problem
solving skills
- As a means of
assessment in formal education
- To enhance reflective
practice
- To support personal
development and self empowerment
- As means of
supporting behaviour change
- To enhance creativity
- To improve writing
- To support planning
and progress in research or a project
Journal writing is also heavily involved with Unit 2 of the BAPP Course to articulate our reflective process.
David Boud / Overview
Reflecting on Ethical Practice
David Boud expresses within the Chapter, the distinct link between Reflection and Ethical Practice and integrating them both into 'Value-based Knowledge'. Fox Martin and Green expresses this in 'Doing Practitioner Research':
'What the practitioner research decides to do in a given situation will be determined by what he or she believes to be the 'right' thing to do. For example, when confronted with a swamp an engineer might examine how the swamp could be drained, while the ecologist might examine how it might be preserved - neither can be said to be wrong. Professional practice is underpinned by judgements that professionals make based upon value-based knowledge'
(2007, p. 36)
I have gained allot of new information from Martin and Green, as I have never linked my own opinion within Ethical Practice in that much detail or from different perspectives. By explaining that 'Professional Practice is underpinned by judgements that professionals make based upon value-based knowledge', has changed my perspective of Professional Practice and has inspired me to explore my own view and opinion with regards to Ethical Practice as a part of Value -based Learning. This will hopefully give me a more in depth understanding of the Performing Arts industry.
Keeping a Journal: A Critical Reflection
'We write journals for many different reasons prompted by many different purposes. We may want to capture an experience, record an event, explore our feelings or make sense of what we know. We may want to narrate something of importance so that others can see what we saw in it. Sometimes we write primarily for ourselves, sometimes for other people. Journal writing is as varied as those who engage in it'
(Using journals writing to enhance professional practice, David Boud)
This paragraph is the opening of Boud's Article and is very detailed and resourceful.
Upon reflection this insert has reminded me that as a child I kept a diary/journal. Every evening I would sit down before bedtime and write about my day, whether it be action packed or just a normal day. I can recall being excited to write in my book when something exciting had happened (usually dance related).
I have searched my room and found my old notations/diary. There are so many memories and experiences that I had forgotten about. I am now looking forward to keeping a journal, and the prospect of reflecting upon it in years to come.
My thought on Reflection / Reflective Practice 2a
Upon reflection I wish I had kept a notation journal of all of the milestone events/experiences at college. During my 3 years professional training I can recall meeting some very important actors, dancers and mentors. I have been taught by West End Professionals, who have passed on their techniques and knowledge.
I can recall bumping into Sheridan Smith in the 'ladies' as I was singing a song from Legally Blonde!
I have danced with the Strictly Come Dancing Stars, met Bruce Forsyth and even in front of West End Directors. These are all memories that I can remember vividly now but in years to come may get forgotten.
If I had kept a journal then my experiences and memories would have been a concrete tool for reflection.
I can now see how Module 1 of this course links with Module 2. Blogs, photos, journals and social media sites are all tools for reflection and gaining knowledge and information.
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