Presenting on Zoom

 Technology is wonderful, tools like zoom enable us to communicate with people on the other side of the world. But sometimes it can make us feel lonely and isolated.

The oral presentation of a research project is an opportunity to share something about which we are passionate and communicate our subject material with others who share our passion and it was a part of the MAPP experience I was really looking forward too. Unfortunately the experience did not live up to expectation. On the day I felt isolated and lonely as I explained my research to my powerpoint and to people I could not see.

Of course there are advantages with zoom. Not only can we easily connect with people from the comfort of our own homes, studios or offices but also once we have shared our powerpoint on the screen we can happily read a polished and well written manuscript giving a professional and balanced presentation. 

But that didn't work for me. Although I know that everybody listening out there was willing me to do well and was listening intently, because I could not see them, I could not use that positive energy to quell my nerves, nor could I judge if I was speaking too fast or if people were really understanding what I was trying to say. I felt alone and disconnected from my audience.

So my advice to anyone doing a presentation on zoom is to make sure you have someone in the room to it share with. Grab your husband, daughter, friend or co worker, indeed anyone who is prepared to listen and ask them to be your audience. Then you have someone to share your passion for the subject with, someone to engage with and someone to give you that calming energy that will bring your presentation alive for the people listening on zoom. 

Sharing your work should be a positive experience. The subject material is something you have engaged with for a long time and it is something you are passionate about, so enjoy showing it to the world and good luck!

 Returning to Module 3 - a fresh start.

After deferring last term I am now returning into module 3 and trying to find my feet again. 

Last term started as a chaos of extra work and then everything went completely crazy when we were hit by sudden lockdown. The strains of digital teaching became a reality for so many teachers and I consider myself lucky to have only had a short period in a completely digital world before I was able to return to the studio. 

Now as I settle into some kind of normality I realise that some of the skills I was forced to acquire in lockdown may come in handy as I navigate module 3. 

I realised quite quickly how much more comfortable I am using skype as a communication tool. Just the simple things like muting my microphone or turning off my video are second nature now, and communicating through the chat box whilst still focusing on the discussion is so much easier.

I am now excited to see if I can remember how to study. 

The lecture on academic writing by Peter Thomas this morning was an excellent start. I have never been asked to freewrite and it was a surprisingly enjoyable experience. I often "freethink" -trying out ideas and allowing my mind to ponder around a problem - the idea of writing in the same way was new to me, but it was a major eye opener. If I allow my ideas to flow onto paper instead of storing them in my head how much easier it will be to remember and organise them. 

It makes so much sense so I just wonder why I hadn't thought of it before. 

I know I am not a great writer but realising that writing down a jumble of thoughts was allowed was liberating and I can't wait to try it. 

Module 2: Thoughts post Skype session

Starting this Module has been like a rollercoaster ride. I started preparing in the summer break full of enthusiasm. I read the module handbook and was feeling really excited to start the term but then I was hit by the enormity of doing research and I lost the plot completely. It seemed like there were endless possibilities and it would take me forever just to find a subject to research.
I was very despondent, insecure and full of trepidation when I decided to take part in last nights Module 2 Skype session, but I am so glad I put those thoughts aside and joined in. It was a revelation and by the end I was excited again and could not wait to continue.
There were so many important things that came out of the call which I know others will blog about but for me one of the main points that struck me was that the idea isn't to prove something you already know, you are not trying to justify your way of doing something. Instead you should be investigating something that interests you in order to better understand it. The kind of research journey we are embarking on does not need to find answers, in fact it may just provoke more questions which can inspire further research later, a 12 week research project is just the beginning.
The realisation that there need not be a specific answer to the question posed, was a relief and I need to remember that the research should be something that is important to me and should help me develop and if someone else finds it useful, well that is a bonus.
So now the task now looks more manageable. The next move is to read the MORE form and use it to help me refine my thoughts. I also need to continue reading literature related to things which interest me in the hope of finding a topic which is not going to change the world but which is going to give me a sense of fulfilment.
Good Luck to everyone else on module 2.

Working with a syllabus

This last week I have been thinking about the use of working with a set syllabus.
Jade raised a question recently on the focus of the ISTD modern syllabus on gender differentiation. I agree that this needs to be thought about but on reading more carefully I can see nothing in the syllabus to say that you cannot teach the boys the lyrical work presented by the girls, they just cannot be examined in that work at this time (that may change in the future as more research is done on the subject.)
As a ISTD teacher and examiner I use syllabus work to inform my children's classes and then I go beyond the syllabus to ensure that my classes are interesting and inspiring. At vocational level I tend to work even more outside the syllabus but I come back to the syllabus work when I feel there is a need to repeat technical exercises over several lessons to improve muscle memory.
I often find myself questioning the syllabus content and adapting it to suit a particular group of students or any new research that I have come across. Yet I still return to the syllabus to ensure that my work has a structure that the parents and children can follow and I enter children and students for exams to give them goals within their learning.
I use the syllabus as a framework to inform my teaching and as such I believe it has value, but I can see that some teachers may think of the syllabus as all they need to teach; if the children can perform the syllabus exercises then they will be dancers. I believe this kind of thinking is damaging as it hinders personal interpretation and creativity, the syllabus is just a guideline, a tool to help teachers build classes appropriate to the cognitive and physical development of the students.
As to whether one syllabus is better than another, I think that may be individual. My research on the question of using a syllabus has led me to reflect on the benefit of creating ones own syllabus or not using a syllabus at all.
I would love to hear what other people think on this subject.

Ethics vs. freedom of artistic expression?

Apologies for not writing anything useful following the Skype session on reflection and Ethics.
The discussion opened my mind to so many avenues of thought that I find myself wandering down many new avenues of thought and getting distracted.

                                                         From the play "ways of seeing"                                                                                                                 FOTO: LEIF GABRIELSEN

However the discussion on ethics caught my attention. There has been a case in the Norwegian press recently which has raised a discussion on the balance between ethical practice and the importance of freedom of artistic expression. The play "Ways of seeing" presented at Oslo Black Box theatre by Pia Maria    Roll provoked an intense political discussion and a legal battle.
The producer, director and actors were charged with violation of privacy for using film of the home of the Minister of justice Tor Mikkel Wara in the play. The film was taken and used without the permission of the home owner. A lot of prominent people in the theatre world mean that these charges are an attack on freedom of artistic expression but I am wondering if ethically the producer should have considered asking permission before using these images. The theatre has admitted that the play has provoked controversy and raised ethical issues, but they support the use of the film claiming it was taken from such a distance as to be within the law.
I had not really paid attention to the case until our discussion on ethics last week brought it to my attention. I think based on that discussion that permission should have been sought to avoid what has become a serious political and legal battle. Any thoughts.

Gender and Identity

A few weeks ago there was a discussion about gender and the issue of the ISTD syllabus work which conforms to the gender norms that were in place when I started teaching 35 years ago.
In her blog yesterday Adesola presented a fascinating film which challenged the traditional role of Male and female and got me thinking.
I was taught to be very aware of gender differentiation, when approaching the teaching of boys it was important to emphasise strength and breadth of movement to make sure that the boys did not see dancing as something "girly".
Nothing emphasises this more than the way we were taught Ballroom and Latin dance. In order to take our exams all the girls in the class were made to learn to lead, dance the mans steps, and to follow, dance the woman steps, and we had no problem switching from lead to follow just as Trevor Copp and Jeff Fox demonstrated. There were no boys in my class, but when I was working for my Associate I was asked to work with the first years and there were two boys in the class. They were not made to learn to follow, "be the girl", they took the same exams but only ever did the mans steps.
Watching the film I realised that I need to look at this subject in more depth.
I teach mostly classical ballet and modern theatre dance and over the years I have had a fair number of boys in my classes. I have always allowed them to do the lyrical work if they want to alongside the traditional boys exercises that develop upper body strength and core stability. They have nearly all been late starters and have mostly joined to work with the girls as partners, supporting and lifting and taking the traditionally masculine roles but they still meet with the usual comments at school about dance being for girls.
Norway is a very open and forward thinking society in many ways, same sex marriage is accepted and gender equality is very important in the workplace. Sadly I think that small town mentality where I work means that it may be to soon to challenge the norms too much but I am going to discuss this film and the questions raised by it with my pas de deux class this week and see what the boys and girls think.
I look forward to hearing their response and seeing if it is time to challenge our local community.

What to write?

Wow this hard. Knowing what to write about is a real challenge.
I have spent 35 years teaching dance and throughout those 35 years I have learnt as much as I have taught. Each group of students challenges me to rethink my method, encouraging me to research different approaches to teaching the same exercises, forcing me to revisit old ideas or find new ones. I have also been an examiner for the ISTD for over 15 years. I have watched students all over Europe and seen how different teachers approach the same exercises and how students in different countries approach the exam experience. I have attended courses and lectures both as a teacher and as an examiner, all designed to make me a better teacher and examiner.
I know I am lucky as my ISTD fellowship status counts for 60 credits at this level so I only need to find material for 20 credits but what do I write about?
How do I put into words what I have learnt and how do I make it into a cohesive and intelligent piece of writing?
I have read so many fantastic blogposts from fellow students and have even managed to reply to a few but I can't seem to put my thoughts into words... I spend days trying to compose blogposts in my head only to find that they have lost their relevance as others have taken the ideas and written them so eloquently. Now I need to present a draft of my AOL and I am struggling to know where to start.
Any advice?