Using the theories and ideas of many people mentioned in Reader 2. I am beginning to relate my own reflective practice with the given views and ideas provided from them.
What is my relationship with reflective practice? Have I been aware of my practice?
I'm about to relate and discover my reflection style through given theories. As Dewey stated: "We do not learn from experience... We learn from reflecting from experience"
Dewey believed in the philosophy of reflection, it's importance in life as a whole. For the importance of growth he felt that "interaction with the arts led to a unique and valuable experience. If people had full experience and therefore full engagement with their lives they would be better able to be a part of society, fully engage with democracy and spend time solving worldly problems". Dewey by using the term "reflective thought" talked about ways for us to be aware that we were having an experience and to find meanng for ourselves.
From Dewey came all the other influentials. We now go on to how I relate with Kolb and his learning cycle. Kolb identifies that we've had an experience, everyone enters the cycle, but at which point do we enter and flow through the cycle? Our learning styles are as follows:
Concrete
Doing
Reflective observation
Watching
Abstract
Working it out in your head
Active
Trying out and experiencing
Most of Kolb's theory is concerned with the learners internal cognitive processes. The impetus for the development of new concepts is provided by new experiences.
In his cycle his draws upon a processing continuum- which us how were experiencing
And the perception continuum- which is the emotional response we have to the continuum.
After reading and researching Kolb's theory, I worked out my learning style which is ACTIVE reflection. I have an accommodating style which is hands on, I use other peoples analysis and take a practical, experiential approach. I like and learn from new challenges and experiences.
Here are reflective practices and examples I've noticed in my profession:
A diverging CONCRETE experience:
During choreography we used to brainstorm our ideas on particular styles, choreographers, music etc. We had to be sensitive to one another's views. We all used to share ideas and try out different styles before receiving personal feedback, we also had to work together.
An assimilating WATCHING experience:
Audition research, finding and attending needs a good clear approach. You need to read facts and gather the right correct information. You have to have made good preparation and be well organised.
A converging ABSTRACT example:
Finding your way to auditions and solving problems that arise perhaps beforehand or even on the way to auditions. You have to find solutions, and face technical tasks such as punctuality and good sources for finding your way and direction to auditions.
A accommodating ACTIVE example:
This style most appeals to me like I've mentioned, it relies on intuition and gut feelings. Such as executing any choreography or routine. You rely on your gut instinct to give you a feeling and reflection that your performing and carrying out moves correctly.
From learning about multiple intelligences and articstic vision we begin to learn how to utilise an experience. Through reflection we create our development.
HAVING an experience
REVIEWING an experience
CONCLUDING an experience
PLANNING the next steps
Through our own preferred style of engaging with experience we begin to listen not only to ourselves but others and communicate together. I see this as important, I can emphasise with this view shared by Dewey, Lewin, Kolb, Gardener, Honey and Munford in my choreography classes where we had to understand one another's learning. Being open to someone else's style is vitally important to reflection.
Schon's view of reflection is very clever and again helps us to understand different peoples ways of learning.
Reflection in action- more artistic based learners.
Reflection on action- more academic based learners.
For me personally, I use a combination of both, I like this theory on reflection by Schon, I very much agree with it's concept. I feel that I can reflect whilst pursuing a movement in dance/ task in hand in
the present, and also I feel that I review and look back over things as to why so etching worked/didn't work and plan for the future.
A view that I however do not agree much on is Kottcamps view that online or in action reflection is harder than offline or on action reflection. I believe that our gut innate feelings respond well and give us precise and correct reflection. If perhaps we were to view things looking back we may miss certain details about that time in the present moment from which we were performing them. He says that "reflection on section is accomplished off line at a time when full attention can be given to analysis and planning the future". I am not sure that I agree with that statement entirely, and furthermore, Kottcamp insinuates that sun artist or actor as he puts it, is a "sole collector" and possesses authority over their own work. I'm not sure sheathed I like this view as it seems to provoke that us artists do not see others informing/view as important or helpful to our reflection. Therefore, perhaps saying that our style of reflection may not bad as informative as we solely rely upon ourselves and do not utilise the opinion/learning of others.
I particularly liked Tufnell and Crickmay's view of the body and it's senses of how we perceive and gain experience. I liked the use of the word 'grounded' to express our body of knowing and forming of reflection thought the world around us. This relates to me and my field of learning and reflection as it expresses the importance of sensation and feeling. We as dancers perceived the worked through our sensored feelings, more so than through literature. Moon's view also shares this view that reflection does not have to happen as a written process. As we have now all experienced and tried out Moon's theory of Journal writing to record our reflective processes. Our 'active thought' is key to this process in our critical thinking.
Many people view and have contrasting ideas on reflection:
Moon had the 'common sense reflection'. This is when thoughts occur to us during the day to day living. It is when thoughts we can not let go of during a different encounter of the day initiate a reflective process. You think after these vents about what went well and what didn't go well.
Boud suggests that reflection can yoked more when it is more purposeful. He talks about recapturing an experience, thinking about it and then evaluating it.
There are two main reasons for using critical reflection:
- to question our routine and everyday practices. To sum up what did and didn't work.
- so that we can challenge some of our deeper social and cultural thoughts, feelings and reactions of our 'taken for granted assumptions'.
Crucial to our learning; critical reflection is about challenging and testing out what you do and being prepared to act on the results. (Crawley).
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