Investigating My Own Interpretations...

After a week with 3 interesting online sessions, I am finally able to carve out 

some time, try to collect my thoughts and express them here on my blog.

First, I just want to make a reference to something that Adesola said as we began the 23/9 Module One discussion on "Seeing Your Practice & Self". She likened our online discussions to an improvisation. Oooohhhh, that's nice! That actually made me feel something and I instantly understood what she meant. As a tap dancer & teacher ( I also teach and have trained/performed in other genres),  I so appreciated the suggestion of a riff, then playing off of it, then changing the rhythm and sharing... I found comfort in that familiarity. It was an excellent analogy.

The Skype discussions are something new for me. Like many, I now have some experience (thanks to the Covid-19 situation) teaching and taking class online, but being involved in an online discussion is different and new. I find myself feeling nervous, intimidated and hesitant to participate and speak out.

Perhaps this is because I am a "rookie" at the very beginning of the programme? 

Or maybe it's because I was concerned with turning on my microphone and starting to speak at the same time as someone else?

I doesn't feel very natural to me - yet. I'm hoping to get used to it and settle in. Time will tell. I did enjoy listening and I attempted to take away as much as I possibly could from each of this week's sessions.

Knowledge, Information and Learning...

It has been very interesting to listen, read and appreciate how we all can have a different take on these three words and their meanings. Rhoda made a comment that definitions are very important to her. Although we are not supposed to simply agree with each other in a discussion, here on my blog, I will. Her comment was reassuring that I am not alone in my thinking. I agree completely about definitions being important - for me. I find that they provide a clarity. It was fascinating however, to listen to others points of view and interpretations.

This is a brief rundown of how the topic sits with me:

1. Information: consists of facts, details, theories, data, etc., that we digest in various ways with our senses.

2. Learning: is a process of receiving the information and understanding how it works and/or how to use it.

3. Knowledge: comes from learning and fully understanding and experiencing something(s).

After breaking it down like this, I can see that for me, they are 3 very separate concepts BUT they function together as a PROCESS. When I use them in a sequential order (1-3), I then feel ready for (what Adesola mentioned) the "Doing". I like to think of the Doing as my BEHAVIOUR. What can I do/how can I act now that I have received the info, learned about it and feel knowledgeable about it?

Using imagery, I picture it as a series of train cars. Each car being one concept: Information - Learning - Knowledge. Separately, they serve their own purpose, but are stationary. Once combined and attached to  me (the engine), they create the train and it can begin to move. I suppose, depending on where I may find myself within this process, the train may roll forwards or backwards. At times, I may need to unlearn things and eliminate or correct information that I had previously digested.

I’m going to leave it here, for now. I’m still gathering my thoughts with regards to the ethics/filming dance portion of our discussion from Sunday 27/9. I guess that will be my “coming up next...” blog!