It started as an afterthought...

This is not the post I had been hoping to write... but if 2020 has taught us anything, it's that plans change and we must adapt!!

I had been hoping to write a blog following two days of teaching cover I had scheduled - my first time in a studio since March, my first time teaching since February, and my first 'job' whilst on this course.

That won't be happening. Thank you, COVID19 :)

No... after I tested positive for covid, teaching was well and truly out of the question.

What will I write about then? 

Well firstly, the stress of trying to find a replacement teacher in literally 24 hours was at least fifty times more stressful than the knowledge I had covid. Seriously. Between some unavailables, some strict bubble rules, and the odd did-not-respond, it was not looking good. 

Thankfully, we did managed to achieve the impossible task and as I said to my friend, 'I have never networked with as many people in as short a time before!'. Ordinarily I would not have given the situation much more thought, but thanks to this very course my interest was piqued. 

Initially, I began thinking about the contacts I have formed, how I formed them, and who I trusted to contact so last minute to cover for me. Even though I was to be the cover teacher originally, I felt a massive sense of responsibility to find someone when I was cancelling so last minute. 

This is not too dissimilar to various groups on Facebook (throwing it back to social media) that are used to find suitable dancers/performers/models last minute - in fact just last week I had a friend be hired for a two hour photo shoot because of a post in one of these groups.

So my attention was turned on networks and connections, and I headed to the module one handbook. In the relevant section I found a couple of links YouTube clips of Stephen Downes and George Siemens briefly discussing their theories and thoughts on Connectivism.

Downes sees the human mind and society as two separate networks that interact through a process of emergence, where patterns are created in the network; and recognition, where the other network perceives those patterns. He says connectivism isn't something you use as and when you need, but it is instead a way of looking at the world, seeing how it is structured, and seeing how cognition and thought works.

Siemens sees a network as an extension of our capacities - our thoughts and ideas are projected out into the network - but appears to regard the network as incidental; it's the connection that's critical.

Wanting to explore more, I came across a TEDx Talk by Siemens from 2010 in which he discussed the issue of education and how it follows corporate-like structures that do not permit the optimal capacity for connections that we need in order to prepare individuals to contribute, create, share and interact as part of society -- we are exchanging social identity for information value. 

In truth, a lot of what I was watching demonstrated the theory behind the formulation and structure of this course. If I'd watched it a few weeks ago, I probably would have freaked out a bit, but after the last couple of weeks of Skype discussions and blog interactions, it (thankfully) made a lot of sense.

Siemens argues that we are, by nature, connection-forming beings, and if we don't express or subject our thinking to a network structure, we can labour under incorrect assumption for a long period.

For me as a dancer, this could mean: 

• I'm not aware of problems or issues (racial, political, economical, mental etc) in the industry either because they haven't been expressed to a network I am in or I haven't expressed my view and been challenged -- and hence you could argue I was disconnected from my own industry
• If I become injured and think I know what the problem is so 'self-prescribe' treatment without expressing my problem or subjecting my diagnosis to a network (containing professionals who likely know far more than me), I may actually hinder my own recovery and potentially career
• If I don't express to a network that I need a teacher in 24 hours and I just assume no one is available, I'm never actually going to get a teacher in 24 hours

So we can take it that networks are important, or at least the connections we make to people who consequently become part of the network pattern are important.

Another thing Siemens emphasises is how when we learn transparently, we become teachers - i.e. showing others how we're learning is teaching them too. Which is what we are all doing now, is it not? By connecting on these blogs and through discussions we are showing each other how we are learning (about learning), whilst simultaneously learning about the learning of others, and being both student and teacher to ourselves and to them. That's some serious metacognition.

Now bear with me a minute, I haven't totally lost the plot of this, but if we take it back to social media, we can say - according to Siemens' ideas - that every expression in the digital space is an opportunity for connection. Every blog post, tweet, Instagram post, podcast, facilitates future interaction around a connection, and this is important in solving the BIG problems that can only be solved by a network and not by an individual -- allow me to direct your attention to the way the industry is coming together via these connections to fight for the Arts industry and challenge the government in the current crisis; no one person could do that solo. 

The problem when learning via this multi-media method is media fragments understanding, and to fully understand and assess what we experience, we need some kind of structure to help.

Enter the next TEDx talk, and enter Aaron Kitchenered. 

He discussed becoming a lecturer and how initially he relied on his (terrible) intuitions about what good education looks like (teacher, whiteboard, bullet-points), how e-learning suffered the injection of these intuitions (teacher, whiteboard, bullet-points, via computer screen) and how the focus to advance the technology led to everyone forgetting what matters most in education - the people. 

He goes on to tell the story of a grandfather and his 12-year-old granddaughter, Rose, being arrested at the bank when trying to set up an account for her. The bank employee thought their ID cards were fraudulent. Turns out they were Indigenous Canadians. Kitchenered jokes that maybe the bank employee passed their e-learning module on unconscious bias with flying colours... but no e-learning experience would equip them to deal with the situation properly. Whereas, anyone who hears that tale will remember 12-year-old Rose being arrested and think twice. Because telling stories evokes emotion, gives personal meaning and drives engagement.

People teaching other people via human stories is the earliest form of education. Scenario/story-based learning can accelerate our level of understanding because it simulates how we learn through experience and will change our behaviour. The point of education is to empower people, therefore we need to start telling stories again!!

As a dancer, this is often how I learn about the industry - stories of teachers, friends, colleagues etc all shape my understanding and my future behaviour in the profession. We've all heard one or two amazing stories, stories that make you cringe, stories that make you green with envy, stories that inspire you. Artists live, create and interpret stories every day. 

So if you've made it this far down in my blog (firstly, you deserve a medal) you have likely forgotten by now half of what I've talked about. You might remember that you found some of it interesting, boring, rambling etc., but no way do you remember even half the content. I bet though, you remember that 1) I have covid, and 2) I needed to find a teacher in 24 hours. Because that is the real life story I told you. 

What do you take away? Telling stories is to educate, hearing stories is to learn, and it is by connecting with your network of real people that you gain anything at all. 

So if anyone has any great stories to blog about, I, for one, am a willing student!

TEDxNYED - George Siemens - 03/06/10:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BH-uLO6ovI

Why e-learning is killing education | Aaron Barth | TEDxKitchenerED:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwSOeRcX9NI