'Tit for Tat' rules in web 2.0.

Since I have finished off BAPP, I have started to notice and understand better about what the course was trying to teach me.
An example would be 'Tit for Tat' rules in Module one. I did not fully understood about the rules and connection between the web 2.0. Albeit, I am starting to understand about the rule since I quit being a professional dancer, and started to teach.

It happened a few days ago. As I opened up my tablet to start checking about my 'teacher/business' account on Facebook, I have noticed there was a message from my acquaintance. It was an advertisement/merchandise of the acquaintance's performance with a message "Please promote it". It means to share it on Facebook. I pressed the button of 'Like', so a notification would come up on all of my friends page. However, I did not promote any further. There is a reason for it. The acquaintance whom asked my promotion had let me down in past about a teaching plan. As I was expecting what we planned, I was disappointed. That was the reason why I did not promote any further than pressing 'Like' button.

Another incident. As a part of what I do now for living, advertisement and to update a notification is important. So, I can remind people of what is happening. However, one day When I had up dated a post to remind about the class, a person written an advertisement message of a different class as a comment on my post. I could just simply not believe it! I found that extremely rude and I was not impressed the person's action. The person sent me a friend request after. However, I am still thinking about accepting or not.

Opposite example would be a dance shop page on the site. They liked my page. I immediately liked their page. Since then, their dance shop news pops up on my teacher page. However, I am absolutely fine with it. As they helped me out, I will help them out.

So, going through these incidence, I have slowly started to realise what the web 2.0. and Social Networking Service has done to the world. These new systems changed this big world as a Local Community. And, if people are living in a big place where they do not know each other, people do care less about the consequences of their action towards each other. However, the web 2.0. assembled us as a big group. We all need to be careful and need to think about what we write and say on SNS. 'Tit for Tat', do not forget.

What is education? What is a healthy way to guide the students?

Through my university work, I have found some contradiction in education in ballet. As ballet is one of the oldest form of dance. Therefore, it contains so many strict rules and traditions. However, as I developed my research I have noticed these strict rules and even the tradition change with time and place. And, I have even noticed a fact teeters change these rules and tradition to suits them: use it to control the students. Same as discipline. Teachers and parents use the word to control the children to suit their adult life style.

However, through the experience of inspired the young boy, I have realised there is a better way in education, better than raising the voice or forcing them to fit in the rules which has created by the adults. This education and discipline system is exactly same as how powerful people run the world. Adults, people with power make the rules to gain the benefits from weak people and try control them: kids. End of the day it is just adults’ ego against kids’ ego. Because the rules adults create and even the educational system changes with time and place. And adults is the only one who has power to mess around the system. Every people have different opinions. S,  every one try to change the rules to suits them, therefore they can gain maximum benefits from the system they create.

Once I have realised this fact, I started to wonder what education is all about? I have expressed in my essay for my degree that instead of forcing young people to learn, focus on engaging with the students and use more of Socrates method to guide them to the individual answers they are looking for.  For a while I was happy with the theory I came up with my study and research. However, one day I was watching Darren Brown’s tv program and I have realised how powerful and effective his NLP manipulation technique is to us people. I was especially surprised about how sattle his manipulation technique was. The participant had no idea what was going on. And, when I noticed the similarity in this method to Socrates method, I was shocked.  
Neuro Linguistic Programming, known as NLP. This method’s original idea developed from communication, psychology and personal development. However, it is known as a manipulating technique these days. I found NLP method similar to Socrates method. This means I use to believe education is depend on how well adults can manipulate the students to believe what teachers are saying. So, is education all about how to imprint teachers thought in to the students mind? This really does not sound right. But, then, what is education? What is teachers doing to the students? What exactly is teacher's job? Is it our job to mind control or brain wash the students to put our ideas in their head?

These new questions are my new begging and new challenge as a teacher in dance. It is difficult to teach the things which changes with time and place. So myself as a practitioner, I should never stop looking the better way of teaching and the answer to these questions.

End of my module, yet...

After my oral presentation, I have finished my BAPP course! I did my presentation towards the end of the session. And it was great to see other students' presentation. They all prepared well and as they finish their presentation one by one, I have started to realise how oral presentation should of been done; mine was not great compare to the other students' presentation.

It is always very ironic that I deepen my understanding towards my previous module when I finish them. I have learned how oral presentation needs to be done, after the presentation. It seems like exams and courses are to set to deepen my own understanding, rather than aiming for high marks, which I do not even know how to get high marks!

Anyway, the reason I am updating my blog is not for my module, as I have finished so there is no reasons for me to carry on up dating it. But, there is something I have understood about my inquiry.
I have mentioned Socrates method is a very good way to guide the students in education. And, yes, I still believe it is true. However, as I am reading lots of books(it is my most favourite thing!) I have realised something and as I reported on my inquiry the importance of output, I must express my opinion and findings. I have a strange feeling that Socrates method was created to manipulate people to believe that Socrates was right at the time. And, there is no doubt how effective Socrates method is to GUIDE people. It is every where, when parents try to stop the kids from marrying with a stranger. Wife explains how important to save the money for the future. It happens every where in sales business, also famous Darren Brown's famous manipulating skill call NLP; Neuro-Linguistic Programming. I personally think this is the modern version of Socrates method. I guess Socrates use to use his method as today's NLP.

I have created my professional artefact and also introduced Socrates method on my essay both. However, now I think about this method in education. It is a great method but end of the day, it is just a way to imprint adults' opinion and view. So, what is education? What is a most healthy non manipulating way to build one' own intelligence. Is education just a beauty of manipulation? We often encourage kids' progression as long as adults benefits from it. We also praise them as a part of growing up process. But when kids do what adults do not want them to do or when kids' action make adults' life harder, we tell them off and make sure they will not repeat it again. One of the book I am reading at the moment, it says "Sales is an art form of manipulation to satisfy the customer". So, is it same as education?

My mistake as a dancer was I have improved all of dance technique, including posture, with my habits. So, I have realised that the reason why ballet and martial arts methods have strict rules and position. They have these to erase habits. So, my aim as a teacher is do my best to vanish students' physical and mental bad habits. However, rules are created to be broken in a same time. But that is up to students when they want to or when they decide to. As a dancer, I have understood the importance of breaking the rule and satisfy the audience by entertaining them. As a dancer that was fine, but as a ballet dancer, we need to have a strong ability to go back to the shape of position and rules.

Age? Gender? An Interesting Discussion

I have had focused group discussion to collect some data from my dearest colleagues.

However, this time I have divided the members to twogroupes by age. I chose one young group of dancers, average age of twenty years old and the other group which is assembled by older dancers average age of twenty eight years old.
I purposely divided by age, because I was interested in the difference in the out come. We all see things differently even when we are seeing same object, especially as we get older.

As I guessed, I have succeeded to collect some very interesting data by the end of the two sessions.

As once I have dropped the questions into the field of discussion, younger group tried to get to the conclusion straight away, almost there were no discussion. It sounded like no one was listening to each other. There were not much of process of discussion. However, atmosphere was light and all of them were very interested in the topics. They all wanted to express what they were thinking, all in a same time! Also, their answers and conclusions were mainly the instant, short term solution compare to older group.

Older group' atmosphere was totally different. especially the pause between the questions and the pause between each other's opinions were interesting, and also created very heavy atmosphere. In older group, I have noticed the clear difference of opinions by in gender. It seemed like men do not wish to teach anyone who is not interested in what they do, considering women came with lots of tactics to make students interested in what they do. It came across men did not even want to discuss about the questions. It seemed like some older people took the questions and their answers very personally. I must admit, it was a hard work to keep going on the session with the older one's to make them actively want to express what they think. The men in older group came across they did not want to discuss with their opinions and they seemed like they are not ready to listen to the other's opinions or let other's opinions effect their's. It was almost like a competition, but not active, quiet and heavy one.

I must admit, I was more interested in their attitude and the atmosphere they have created, rather than actual answers for my inquiry.

However, the main difference in between them were, older group's opinions and tactics were much more diverse than younger ones.  For example, older one's came up with using tools as a part of tactics. Also, older one's had a bigger point of view, i.e. to inspire young practitioners older one's came up with ideas of taking them to see live performance or put students in the performance to feel the real atmosphere of being professional. However, younger one;s mainly came up with changing the routine of the steps or changing the type of music, etc... ; short term solutions.

It was a interesting discussion, especially I had two different groups to compare to. Maybe next I will divide by gender, as male and female had clearly different approach to the topic.

Wisdom in wonder

By watching Mr R Dowkins interview, what I was impressed the most was his extreme obsession and  passion for pursue the truth. His discovery and struggle, his life story was also very interesting to watch, however, as I mentioned before that I cannot fully appreciate his discovery or level of understanding as I am a dancer.
However, his possession and passion, they are both incredible. To me, his amazing discoveries are just the outcome and the results from his obsession and passion of his strong will. Therefore, I was more curious about his personality and principal rather than his discovery; how his mind works.

It is not just his speciality as I often see these type of people in any genre. And from my experience, these people are usually quite successful in whatever they do.

Bill Gates, Ray Kroc, Steve Jobs, Thomas Edison, etc...We all hear how they struggle till they archived their success. However, what people say, common sense or already established well known theories, nothing could make stop their strong will. Their obsession and passion was the engine which kept them going.

"Next time someone tells you something that sounds important, think to yourself, is this the kind of thing that people probably know because of evidence or is that kind of things people only believe because of tradition, authority, or revelation. And, next time somebody tells you that something is true, why not say to them what kind of evidence is there for that? And if they can not give you a good answer, I hope you will think very carefully  before you believe a word they say."

Professor Dowkins comments on his interview. He explains  he was trying to tell people HOW to think, not WHAT to think.



There are no compromise, he choose not to believe anything without an evidence.

"I am rather less interested in what other people think, but what is true."

And, he also do not care what people think of him. Compare to the joy of eureka, nothing matters to him.

So, why I am explaining of these? How are these relevant to my inquiry? I have been using these example to everyone to understand how important to question about what we do. That is my point.

Especially in the world of ballet is built by tradition and authority. To me, very dusty. It is so dusty that this tradition is blinding people, or it is puroposely designed this way by certain people, which I have explained on  my blog about the system and atmosphere which trainer creates to control trainee. Professor Dowkins warns everyone in his interview as  "People should have never say our people always believed X, so you should believe X. Authority should never say Professor so and so believe in X, therefore you should believe in X, or your priest believe X, so you should believe X. Or revolation have this inner conviction that X is true, therefore you should believe in X. No, the only reason should believe in X is, there are evidence for X. " . I do agree with him about we all need to be careful with what we choose to believe.

Another example, there are an unique character call Gideon from the bible. Why was he so unique? Why did he stood out from the other characters in the bible to me?

"If You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken, 37 behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken.” 

“Do not let Your anger burn against me that I may speak once more; please let me make a test once more with the fleece, let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground.” 

Gideon, who doubt God's appearance, more than once! His behavior interested me.
Gideon had to be sure that the messages were from God. I am sure there were people who doubt God's appearance but, it was not so easy to doubt God's appearance in that era. It was almost a taboo to doubt God, but Gideon did it anyway and he doubted out loudly. He asked for some evidence to God like Professor Dowkins does in life.

The importance of question has been mentioned in the book of Mr Mamoru Ito's "If I were a rabbit's coach" too.  In his literature, he explains how to guide students to right direction;

1, To guide them to use their own brain and words to think.

2, To encourage them to make an action based on their own way of thinking.

3, To evaluate results by thier own major or standard, not by anyone else critics or estimation.

Mr M Ito encourages people to use their own brain to think and also to take full responsibility of their action; to be happy with the outcome and accept the results, as most important thing is the process, not the results.This is very similar to one of the Cunningham ten rules, which is posted by Ms Nottingham. His rule number 9; Be happy whenever you can manage it.  Enjoy yourself.  It is lighter than you think .

There is nothing wrong with questioning the common sense or to doubt the rule. In other words, all the great discovery was born by doubting the common sense and by rebuild the structures of the way people think.

Example, Charles Darwin reliesed his "Evolution theory", after Richard Owen's evolution theory has been very much became as the theory of evolution in their era.

Columbus proved that, the earth is round shape, not flat, when everyone believed the earth is flat.

These people did not take other people's words or common sense. They followed their intuition or instinct. And, they did not give up till they get an answer which is good enough to calm their appetite of pursuit of true.

Answers will never be given, if, there are no questions. So, my aim is to create the relaxed atmosphere when I teach, so everyone can question whatever they want to ask.

Therefore, I am very interested in Socrates method. I think that is the method to bring inner intelligence of us human.

At last, "Wisdom in wonder", Thank you Socrates!







Socrates

Beautiful Mind, BBC documentary of Richard Dowkins

I am interested in Meme as I think Meme is an important key to education and learning process of human.

I am reading Richard Dowkins "The selfish Gene" and I have watched his BBC documentary, Beautiful Mind.

One of the picture, "You scratch my back I ride on your back"  was very interesting as I have researched tit for tat on my previous module.

Also, "Meme Phenomenon" and "Internet meme" were also very much what I needed to look into for my first module!

It is a shame I am not a biologist to fully appreciate his discovery and wisdom. However, his interview and his strong personality was inspiring.
I especially liked how he talked about religion and tradition. As I do not have enough knowledge about religions I can not talk about it as well as he did in his interview, and I still think it is a very difficult subject to discuss, as I believe people do have a right to believe whatever they want to believe. However, these tradition and religion can be used as a way of brain washing young child without them realising as well as people who is telling them!
However, I do totally agree about the tradition. Mr Dowkins explains that we all need to be careful about some traditions, which has no solid evidence or critical results.

His strong attitude was what I wish for all the students to have, which I will continue in my next blog.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2I8f4lpBLU

How does the state of Flow effect on performance and record 2

Usain Bolt became and archived more than what he wished to be.

His amazing success was also his grave yard in a same time.
By becoming what he wished to be, and even more, he lost the vision. I think he lost a purpose of what he does.
What do human do when we archive what we wished to archive and even more?
What happens when we accelerates species evolution? What waits at the end of evolution?

Any ways, So the question is " How to back in to Flow?".

Mr M Csikeszentmihilyi explains that, "By increasing the challenge. Thus arousal and control are very important states for learning.".

When we get into this burnout state, what we need to do is to increase the challenge.

As I am a dancer, I agree with his tactic as I have experienced that tactic worked on me.
I was a board of repeating the same performance every performance. So, one night I put front somersault in my entrance. It was not the best front somersault I have ever done, but, the stress and thrill took me into an amazing state! I was buzzing in rest of the performance and the evening! I instinctively knew I had to do something difficult to break through the routine. And, it was lucky that it worked. I was very happy that I tried the somersault, as I was very scared. I was very proud and I felt like I became stronger by trying something new!

So, there you go. we just need to keep on challenging ourselves. But, that is not as easy as it says, especially if you are the fast man in the world...