Please check out my website on motivating boys in the dance class. It is full of lots of tips and ideas on how to keep the boys in your dance class engaged and on task.
I am constantly adding new ideas and working on improving the webpage, so bookmark my site and keep checking back.
I am hoping to add comment boxes and contact information so we can keep in touch and share experiences.
www.bettywells.weebly.com
Thanks
Betty x
Wednesday, 23 April 2014
Tuesday, 22 April 2014
The final steps of the BAPP journey:) Eeeek!!
As the end of the course looms ever closer, it is a good time to reflect on how this course has changed me as a person professionally and personally.
18 months ago I was singing on a cruise ship, struggling to get internet and feeling desperately homesick.
Today I am choreographing musicals for two local Secondary school, teaching dance at a Musical Theatre academy,working as a SEN teaching assistant and living on land:). Quite a change!
In one of my old blogs I likened myself to Rita in the film Educating Rita and apart from not changing my name to Susan, this analogy still applies. She too entered the alien world of academic learning and embarked on a journey of self-discovery which culminated in the changing of her aspirations and ambitions.
This course has enabled me to do the very same supporting me in my transition from performer to dance teacher.
My aim was always to be the best dance teacher I could be, but now I have an understanding of how to do this, ethically and professionally. The course has taught me the importance of questioning my practice and finding answers to those questions, taking my academic learning to a new level and heightening my problem solving skills. I can now read a piece of research, analyse it's usefulness for purpose, extract from it relevant data and apply it to my practice. It has given me a new appreciation and understanding of the works of the theorists and provided me with teaching and learning strategies I can apply to my own practice.
The course has given me the confidence to carry out my own research project, by following a carefully designed and structured pathway, guided by tutor and peer support from online SIG groups and blogs. At each step of the journey the course asks us to reflect not only on our practice but on our strengths and weaknesses. It is as much as about self-discovery as it is about academia.
Work based learning suited my lifestyle, during the course I've worked on cruise ships, pantomimes and several touring shows:) there has been comfort in knowing that wherever you are in the world (excluding rubbish ship internet), the course and a whole support network is only a click away. (It is amazing how close you can become to people whom you have never met). I have developed strong friendships and a valuable professional network for the future.
As I end this course I am proud of myself and of what I have achieved.
Finally, my transition is complete!!!!!!!!
18 months ago I was singing on a cruise ship, struggling to get internet and feeling desperately homesick.
Today I am choreographing musicals for two local Secondary school, teaching dance at a Musical Theatre academy,working as a SEN teaching assistant and living on land:). Quite a change!
In one of my old blogs I likened myself to Rita in the film Educating Rita and apart from not changing my name to Susan, this analogy still applies. She too entered the alien world of academic learning and embarked on a journey of self-discovery which culminated in the changing of her aspirations and ambitions.
This course has enabled me to do the very same supporting me in my transition from performer to dance teacher.
My aim was always to be the best dance teacher I could be, but now I have an understanding of how to do this, ethically and professionally. The course has taught me the importance of questioning my practice and finding answers to those questions, taking my academic learning to a new level and heightening my problem solving skills. I can now read a piece of research, analyse it's usefulness for purpose, extract from it relevant data and apply it to my practice. It has given me a new appreciation and understanding of the works of the theorists and provided me with teaching and learning strategies I can apply to my own practice.
The course has given me the confidence to carry out my own research project, by following a carefully designed and structured pathway, guided by tutor and peer support from online SIG groups and blogs. At each step of the journey the course asks us to reflect not only on our practice but on our strengths and weaknesses. It is as much as about self-discovery as it is about academia.
Work based learning suited my lifestyle, during the course I've worked on cruise ships, pantomimes and several touring shows:) there has been comfort in knowing that wherever you are in the world (excluding rubbish ship internet), the course and a whole support network is only a click away. (It is amazing how close you can become to people whom you have never met). I have developed strong friendships and a valuable professional network for the future.
As I end this course I am proud of myself and of what I have achieved.
Finally, my transition is complete!!!!!!!!
Saturday, 12 April 2014
Weebly????? Should I change my plan AGAIN!!!
Having started my artefact booklet, I realised that it would need to be a book to get in all that I want. So have decided to change my original plan AGAIN!!! I am designing a web page on Weebly. It's in the early stages and has a long way to go, but I already feel more comfortable with my decision.
I can keep adding to it long after the course has finished and it will be a quick online tool for other professional dance teachers. Have a look and see what you think. It is in the early stages so feedback would be great.
Betty x
Thursday, 27 March 2014
Artefact
Hello fellow bloggers:)
In the process of designing my booklet and wondered if anyone else was thinking about or had actually produced a booklet for their artefact.
I am using all the information I've gathered to put together a booklet about creating a learning environment in the dance class to motivate boys. I don't really want to reference every page with where I got the information from and thought I would just put a google doc link on the last page linking to where I got my references from. I would also like to put a link to some of the useful webpages etc. I have found. Can anyone see a problem with this or has anyone actually done this.
Help greatly appreciated
Betty x.
In the process of designing my booklet and wondered if anyone else was thinking about or had actually produced a booklet for their artefact.
I am using all the information I've gathered to put together a booklet about creating a learning environment in the dance class to motivate boys. I don't really want to reference every page with where I got the information from and thought I would just put a google doc link on the last page linking to where I got my references from. I would also like to put a link to some of the useful webpages etc. I have found. Can anyone see a problem with this or has anyone actually done this.
Help greatly appreciated
Betty x.
Friday, 28 February 2014
SIR KEN ROBINSON - TED TALK
Hi bloggers,
I came across this inspirational lecture by Sir Ken Robinson.
http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html
Although it does not directly link to my inquiry, it is interesting for me as a Teacher to hear the value he puts on the importance of teaching the arts.
I am at the moment reading an article suggesting that the high incidence of boys in special needs education might be attributed to the lack of teaching knowledge around catering to the mindset of boys.
Although, Sir Ken in his lecture discusses the dancer Gilliam Lynne, I can see parallels with the boys I teach in mainstream education and wonder how many of these fidgeting, hyperactive boys, would thrive in the dance class if dance wasn't so stigmatised by our western perception of masculinity.
Betty x
I came across this inspirational lecture by Sir Ken Robinson.
http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html
Although it does not directly link to my inquiry, it is interesting for me as a Teacher to hear the value he puts on the importance of teaching the arts.
I am at the moment reading an article suggesting that the high incidence of boys in special needs education might be attributed to the lack of teaching knowledge around catering to the mindset of boys.
Although, Sir Ken in his lecture discusses the dancer Gilliam Lynne, I can see parallels with the boys I teach in mainstream education and wonder how many of these fidgeting, hyperactive boys, would thrive in the dance class if dance wasn't so stigmatised by our western perception of masculinity.
Betty x
Thursday, 27 February 2014
BOYS IN DANCE
Thought I would share this you tube video for all those studying boys in dance.
Getting Boys to Dance
Also these video links which are both really interesting to those looking at teaching and learning strategies for boys in the dance class.
BOYS CAN DANCE (if this link doesn't work then you will need to sign up / it's free to join and is full of valuable advice and for Teachers. http://www.teachersmedia.co.uk/
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/boys-dance-class
Betty x
Getting Boys to Dance
Also these video links which are both really interesting to those looking at teaching and learning strategies for boys in the dance class.
BOYS CAN DANCE (if this link doesn't work then you will need to sign up / it's free to join and is full of valuable advice and for Teachers. http://www.teachersmedia.co.uk/
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/boys-dance-class
Betty x
I HAVE A PLAN
Time to take stock, reflect on feedback and work out where I am.
Aim - ' I want to motivate the boys in my dance class'.
I have been that busy switching from one section to another, writing the introduction, trying to design the artefact, carry out the literature review that I seem to have lost direction and focus. How can I write the Introduction or design my Artefact when I haven't analysed all the findings?
Talking it over with my employer has been valuable. I can see that I am trying to run before I can walk and having to explain my inquiry indepth, face to face has highlighted the flaws and the lack of clarity of my inquiry.
My inquiry doesn't follow the usual pattern in that I have had to analyse the literature, Teachers interviews and questionnaires in order to be able to trial researched strategies in my dance class. So I have had to research - analyse -evaluate - trial strategies - analyse. Until I have all my key findings and evidence in place I can't move forward.
So in the words of Baldrick 'I have a cunning plan'. Just hope that unlike Baldricks' plan mine actual works:)
A PLAN
Panic over......for now:)
Betty x
Aim - ' I want to motivate the boys in my dance class'.
I have been that busy switching from one section to another, writing the introduction, trying to design the artefact, carry out the literature review that I seem to have lost direction and focus. How can I write the Introduction or design my Artefact when I haven't analysed all the findings?
Talking it over with my employer has been valuable. I can see that I am trying to run before I can walk and having to explain my inquiry indepth, face to face has highlighted the flaws and the lack of clarity of my inquiry.
My inquiry doesn't follow the usual pattern in that I have had to analyse the literature, Teachers interviews and questionnaires in order to be able to trial researched strategies in my dance class. So I have had to research - analyse -evaluate - trial strategies - analyse. Until I have all my key findings and evidence in place I can't move forward.
So in the words of Baldrick 'I have a cunning plan'. Just hope that unlike Baldricks' plan mine actual works:)
A PLAN
Panic over......for now:)
Betty x
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)