Learning from experience is a way we are able to turn information and learning into knowledge Work based learning programs (WBL) such as the BAPP rely heavily on such methods, as experience in a specific area is expected as a way to gain sufficient knowledge for the course.
Boud et al 1995 refers to needing 'tools' in order to turn learning into knowledge many thinkers feel reflection and reflective practice are key tools within the process.
Using such tools within my personal journey on the BAPP course helps me to find alternative ways to look at my experiences, in order to extend my own understanding beyond its present capacity, learn something ‘new’ and question personal and others experiences in relation to learning.
The first stage of learning is to be able to identify something is missing in order to gain knowledge to find and experience the new learning. Mcfee describes this by using an example based on the concept of the word 'Bachelor'.
A way in which I was able to understand in more depth this concept was to reflect on a personal experience relating to colours. When looking at a towel which I presumed would be commonly seen as blue I found that my friend comment on the fact it was green. My first reaction was to question whether I was correct in my knowledge and perception, or the difference between us was our interpretation of the colour. In order to find and solve the misunderstanding between us I first had to learn what we both understood as Blue or Green ie a blue sky, a blue sea, the green grass, a green traffic light. But in my reflection I found myself again asking how we can be sure what each of us is seeing and interpreting? Part of what we know and understand is based on what we have understood and adopted from people who are around us frequently. An extreme example of this would be the film the Truman Show where he is conditioned into thinking that his whole world is with in a fixed environment and daily routine as this is all his has been taught and learned from birth. Therefore he has not had the tools to enable him to reflect and question his knowledge and to identify anything missing. We all to a certain degree except what is around us for what it is, the degree to which we question anything depends on individuals and there inquizitivness and need to know more.
Going back to my original example I quickly realise that my friends family refer to that colour as Green and that is where her interpretation stems from. Whilst me and my friends have always looked upon it as Blue.
In general we all go as individuals for the most commonly perceived view and acceptance of things around us, up to the point where someone questions it, we then need to make an evaluated decision on what the 'consensus' is. Sometimes to be comfortable in or minds we may just except this.
In the case of the colour we could actually refer to an internationaly excepted standard suchas the Pantone which would say definitively what that colour was. As long as both I and my friend agree we are both looking at the same colour we can then interperate it individually as we wish.
Within my role as a dance teacher my ability to understand individuals ways to learn and process information is essential, in order to be confident in this I need to ensure i am able to identify different ways and aspects of learning. Both Kolb and Gardner refer to this in their thinking, with Kolbs learning cycle & Gardners multiple intelligences.
I have discovered that the point in which i enter the 'learning cycle' can alter depending on what learning I am doing. Reflective observation and active experimentation are key processes to begin for my personal learning, I find to initially get myself started I rely on examples and viewing other people's opinions as inspiration to create my own ideas, however at some points I simply use 'trial and error' (active experimentation) as a way to get my ideas out and down on paper before editing for a final piece.
As a child my Brother was extremely academic, flying high through school always performing well in exam situations and gaining fantastic grades at both GCSE & ALevel. For me it was slightly different, I hated exams and never thought myself to be an academic, I always classed myself as the 'Creative' one. My parents would constantly comment on how this didn't make me any less 'bright' for perhaps not getting an 'A' in Maths but that I shone in the subjects that required more practical elements. I never really thought about this until looking through the reader and reflecting which actually made me realise that infact my parents where completely correct in what they were saying and the fact was that the way in which I processed and learnt form information was completely different to that of my Brother.
Children can be very vulnerable during times of learning and if they feel the information is not perhaps delivered in a way they can understand and relate, this can in some instances stunt their learning rather then insure its growth. In this respect Garderners concept of multiple intelligences or VAK can be incredibly useful. His research change the way we think of a 'traditional learner' and enabled us to uderstand that people can be 'intelligent' in a number of different ways. With regards to my teaching this can help me to identify the best way to communicate and get the best from my children in both a class and individual basis, ensuring each child can reach their potential though learning in the way which comes easiest and most natural to them.
A major part of my work involves choreography, developing and adapting pieces
depending on individual needs. When devising choreography I rely heavily on methods such as reflection-in-action as theorised by Donald Schön (1987) to ensure a hands on approach to correcting and editing my work. Schon introduced the idea of reflection-in-action, and reflection-on- action the theory states that Reflection can happen both while you are in the middle of it or reflection can happen looking back on it. Referring back to the comparison between myself and my Brother, who I class to be more of an 'academic' as a-posed to myself would be a prime example of both types of reflection in practice. On a daily basis I head into a new school with little information as regards to ability of classed and individuals bar their age, the process of reflection -in- action is one i use frequently. If I find the children are finding certain steps difficult or the choreography perhaps hasn't developed as I would have hoped, I'm able to identify this and change parts as we go along to create the desired effect within the time allocated. Whereas My brother tends to use the concept of 'Reflection -on- action taking his time to reflect on previously written works to go back and develop at a later date after rereading & analysing from a new perspective.
Dewey also makes this temporal distinction, looking at how the time/situation impacts on how you engage with new ideas, 'present' or 'future' being two distinct and different ways to engage with experience. (Jackson,1998;Dewey, 1934)
It has been a very interesting process looking at how relevant many of the theories are to me personally and how I rely heavily on many for my work on a day to day basis. It had also given me food for thought regarding my possible inquiry questions .
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