Wednesday 28 March 2018

Hi all! First blog of the year - completing module 2 and now on the research project and getting to triangulate all the data gathered plus literature review and still getting to grips of THE PHILOSOPHY and METHODOLOGY!!! Scary words (for me anyway!).

While I was planning my research project in Module 2, the thing that constantly blocked me and the flow of my research and its planning - is the philosophy behind what I do and why I do what I do and why I do it the way I have been doing it. My whole career has been practised based and to a certain extent been a 'one thing led to another...', although there was some degree of planning and a desire in making some of my career choices. Being on this programme has certainly forced me to think (critically) and reflect (critically) on what I've done and my learning from those career choices. Now that I'm teaching and choreographing and being on the 'other side' of the curtain, having to think and reflect critically is certainly helping me to be systematic in my thoughts, decisions and processes. If anything, I'm more able to answer (coherently, at least) when asked why I made certain choices in my teaching practices.
I attended a workshop/conference on the teaching and well-being for the professional dancer and I found that we were in agreement in nearly everything she said and if fact we were doing everything the same esp in our approach to the teaching and the class. When I told her how surprised and delighted I am about this, she reiterated that most of us do share the same approaches and thoughts - it's just being systematic with our practices. I believe that could be the key to the importance of knowing our approaches and the perspective (and lens) that we are looking from. For most of us, our teaching practice can be so intuitive and if we can be systematic with our approach and practices, we can be clearer in our process and perhaps also in our delivering.
So, onto more literature review on my philosophy and methodology. Those words still scare me but maybe less so now. One thing I do want to leave with everyone - getting my head around the meaning of 'methodology' - I've asked colleagues who are in the academic field to explain in laymen's terms. They tried, I still couldn't quite get it. So, it was up to one of the members of this MAPP community who is on Module 3 like myself. If anyone in the community has a problem like to me to differentiate between METHODS AND METHODOLOGY, here's a good one -

Methodology is the full description on the 'how' and why in which you approach something. Method is the way you do it behind the how.....

I am going to work
My method is to get up and get dressed
My methodology is 'working', so I earn money so that I will be able to buy that things I want
and my Method is teaching my butt off.....!!!

Somehow, that makes perfect sense to me....