Tuesday 3 June 2014

Link to My Prezi

Motivating Boys in the Dance Class

If anyone is looking at motivating boys in the dance class please get in touch and I can share some of my literature and findings with you. Alternatively there is a contact form on my weebly.

bettywells.weebly.com

Betty xx



Monday 2 June 2014

Today was my first and last day at University!!

Today I did my presentation, was so nervous but also proud of what I have achieved. I will put a link to my Prezi tomorrow to hopefully help others.
Was so great to meet Paula, Alan and other students presenting.  It was very informal and Paula and Alan immediately put me at my ease. 
My presentation lasted about 15 minutes and I chose to use Prezi as a medium for my presentation.  I used cue cards to support my slides and also as an aide memoire.  I followed Paula's' advice and had a slide per minute. 
I received positive feedback from other students.
Bernadette pointed out that taking photographs from Google that don't appear to have copyright attached might not necessarily mean that they aren't copyrighted, my artifact is still very much work in progress and I really appreciate her comments, I aim to look into copyrighting rights further and may change the photographs in my artifact.  Has anyone else researched copyrighting?  
Sharing my research project has given me confidence to take my presentation forward and present my findings to my employers as I feel colleagues could benefit from my inquiry.
I truly enjoyed the afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed listening to everyone artifacts knowing the journey that they had been on mirrored my own. 
I feel quite sad tonight as I come to the end of what has been an incredible journey both professionally and personally.  
Good luck to all those who are presenting tomorrow.
Thanks to all those who have helped me along the way, especially those from the SIG group, Sarah, Clare, Bobbie, Chelsie, Georgie, Hayley and Steph.
Thanks also to Paula, who kept me on track and focused.
See you all at Graduation:):)
Betty xx

Wednesday 23 April 2014

'BOYS WILL BE BOYS'

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


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!!!!!!!!





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. 

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

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

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






Saturday 8 February 2014

7a CHANGES TO MY INQUIRY..again..

Please read link on  Google Doc

  • I have decided to make some changes to my original inquiry.  I have done this for several reasons.  My initial plan had been to video interview a selection of Teachers from both mainstream education and the  performing arts sectors to produce a montage of clips with useful advice and tips from Teachers on motivating Boys. However, having piloted one interview, I realised very quickly that this was not a good data medium for my inquiry or artefact.
Rationale for Changes
  • I was only able to interview a small number of teachers and therefore representation would be limited to only a small number.
  • Teachers I approached particularly from mainstream education felt uncomfortable being videoed.
  • Teachers I approached felt that they would be unable to be totally honest in their opinions without the security of anonymity.
  •  The pilot interview I conducted was awkward and I felt that the interviewee was unable to express their true feeling and emotions on the subject with a third party being in the room filming.
  • Having conducted a Teachers questionnaire with great results, I believe that all the valuable tips and advice from teachers with knowledge and expertise would be lost among the pages of my dissertation. Producing a booklet using all the information received from questionnaires, my interventions, telephone interviews would provide me with valuable information to create a really useful booklet.  
Is anyone else thinking of producing a booklet?

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Betty x

Friday 7 February 2014

Keep calm and carry on - module 3

Welcome back fellow bloggers. Wishing everyone a  good 2014. 


Having some time to reflect on my inquiry has been great for me, I have been able to sit back and look at what I've achieved so far and plan the direction I want my inquiry to go.


At the end of last term I was bogged down with literature reviews, questionnaires, evaluations, interviews etc., I  struggled with time management and work commitments and I lost focus.
Setting it to one side has given me time to reflect on what I want to achieve from my inquiry and the changes I need to make to my practice to keep my inquiry on track.
I have had great support and feedback from the SIG groups, and I am relieved that the groups formed in module 2 are still going to continue even though many have now submitted their final dissertation.


The SIG groups have been and are a lifeline to me, somewhere where I feel comfortable sharing ideas, asking for advice, and a place where I have been able to express my worries and concerns without feeling I'm asking 'stupid' questions or being judged.  It is quite amazing the bond and connections that have been built with strangers via the SIG groups.


I am currently writing all my proposed changes to my inquiry and hope to get them up on here soon.


 I am enjoying reading everyone's blogs and am looking forward to making new friends.


Betty xx