This week whilst absent I sadly was unable to participate in the group performance of the dance that involved the combination of all previous dances in one with the halloween theme. Below is a screenshot of my groups section of the dance.
I also sadly missed an improvisation session on glockenspiels in music which I would like to have attempted to improve my musical talent. By just promoting improvisation in the class it allows all pupils to stand as equals due to previous musical knowledge such as the ability to read musical notation not being used.
However, during my absence this week I decided to research the potential benefits of teaching the expressive arts. For example I learned about how painting can benefit pupils along with other areas of the arts such as playing an instrument. Whilst the benefits are not immediately obvious as they are not reflected by any assessment or definitive feedback they are essential in developing skills that are simply not possible in the other outcomes like literacy and numeracy. They can greatly enhance a variety of different qualities such as collaboration skills, improved creativity, increased emphatic ability and becoming more emotionally aware (Fleming, 2012).
References
Fleming, M. (2012) The Arts in Education: An introduction to aesthetics, theory and pedagogy. London: Routledge. Available: Integrated module on Moodle. [Accessed 5 January 2017].
Whilst absent this week I looked into the dance session which I missed this week and discovered some interesting benefits.
I learned about our role as teachers in dance and why it is important. It was discovered that as teachers in the future when facilitating a dance session it should be child led to encourage their own unique creativity. I was initially skeptical at the idea of letting children lead the dance session as it could become unorganised and without focus. However, by providing the children with a framework to which they may graft their own ideas with supervision they can gain more benefit than a simple classroom activity. It will allow them to also gain more meaning through active learning. Through reviewing the slides that were available I also discovered that our role as teacher entails valuing the child’s ideas and the process they take. To do this we must create a safe environment for children to feel welcome expressing themselves and assist in giving structure that could encourage further creativity. Further research revealed that to ensure the teachers role in enabling a dance session is successful you require 10 basic dance skills that are being able to perform the following moves; turn; twist; slide; roll; jump; spin; kick; hop; balance and gesture. Whilst my dancing skills are truly subpar even I am able to perform these basic moves for the benefit of using them in future lessons. I was surprised to learn the large amount of benefits that dance can provide to pupils such as increasing their confidence and physical, psychosocial and mental wellbeing. It also improves their interpersonal skills whilst raising their self esteem as it allows them to create something that expresses their own ideas (Cone, 2009). It was also interesting to see the large scope of activities that could be interdisciplinary through dance giving topics a more meaningful and beneficial experience for pupils.
References
Cone, T.P. (2009) Following Their Lead: Supporting Children’s Ideas for Creating Dances. Journal of Dance Education. [Online] Vol.9(3), pp.81-89. [Available: Taylor & Francis. Accessed 2 January 2017].
A summary of development as a result of the Integrated Arts module
