BA PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE (ARTS) PROGRAMME

STUDENT NAME: CERYS DIXIESTUDENT NUMBER: M00312242

MODULE 3 WBS 3760ORAL PRESENTATION 28 /05 /12

Differentiation within a Dance

Class

What is Differentiation?

Differentiation is recognising the differences in us all as individuals.

It is more than just addressing a students ability and includes differences in: preferred learning styles, age, motivation, interests, gender, maturity, prior learning and experience and specific learning difficulties.

“Differentiation is the process by which differences between learners are accommodated so that all students in a group have the best possible chance of learning” (Petty, 2004)

Aims of the Inquiry

Understand how to use differentiation effectively when teaching a dance class.

Be able to structure a dance class where by differentiation is built in to allow you to cater for various students learning needs.

Recognise differences in learning styles and offer alternatives through different teaching methods.

Be inclusive in dance to ensure each student is being challenged within their own capabilities.

Give students the opportunity to maximise their own learning and enjoyment within a dance class.

Ethical Benefits

Each students can be recognised as an individual person.Teachers can acknowledge that everyone learns slightly

differently and have individual needs.

All students can feel included and a valued member of a class.

A students feelings and emotions can be taken into account through a person centred approach.

Students can be taught equally through a variety of different strategies, not a “One size fits all” approach

Tools

Surveys -Students motivation for attending a dance class -What level they would like and feel able to work at -The most important factors for students in a dance class -Teachers understanding and use of differentiation

ObservationsInvolved a group of students aged 8-11

Took the form of Action researchInterviews

Further explored data that came from the surveys and observations

Main Findings

1. Students want to be challenged but also have fun.

2. The process and experience during a dance class is more important than the end result.

Survey results based on 81 dance student participants.

If your class is pratcising a dance for a show, what is the

most important thing for you?

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

PerfectionEnjoyment

Main Findings

3. The importance of the ‘Role of the Dance Teacher’.

4. Not all dance teachers use differentiation and there is a lack of knowledge surrounding it.

- Approachable- Friendly- Get the work done- Help us progress- Balance between

discipline and enjoyment

Main Findings

5. Use of both ability and mixed ability groupings for best learning outcomes.

6. There is an awareness from students about their different learning styles.  VISUAL AUDITIRY/AURAL READ/WRITE KINESTHETIC

Main Findings

7. Visual aids can help learning.

Picture available at: http://www.indiana.edu/~kines/undergraduate/dance.shtml

8. Developing critical learning skills. Observing Analysing Feedback

Conclusion

Its not necessarily What you teach but How you teach it that will define the learning experience of your students.

Not everything you do may suit everybody all of the time, but by using a variety of strategies and giving options within a class a teacher can be inclusive in their teaching.

Varying What you teach and How you teach it will give students different learning experiences and allow a teacher to tap into as many different students needs as possible.

Try not to think of differentiation as something ‘added on’ to normal teaching, but as something that is pass and parcel of the whole teaching/learning experience.

THANK YOU FOR

YOUR TIME!