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Connecting Dance with Popular Educational Theoriesby Sandra Minton, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus Dance, Anyone who has been involved in dance for a period of time knows that dance students learn how to observe movements as they are demonstrated. Learning movement also means developing focusing and memory abilities. Students venturing into choreography soon realize dance making takes time to learn, but it can provide the satisfaction of having solved a problem in a creative way. The premise here, however, is that learning dance technique or choreography is not separate from, but connects with a larger educational picture, particularly when dance classes are designed with careful thought and a knowledge of best practices. There are many theories that abound in education today. One of these is Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Simply stated, this theory describes a child’s developmental level and the amount of learning that can be accomplished. This means a child’s experiences need to match his or her developmental level. Thus, pre-school or kindergarten dance students have a short attention span and need a class in which content changes or is varied. Such young students also do not have the physical coordination to master intricate dance steps and are much more comfortable with creative movement experiences based on ideas that are familiar. Learning Style is another educational theory that can be connected to dance. Today, teachers realize that all students do not learn in the same way, because some process information primarily by hearing it (auditory); others prefer to see drawings or diagrams (visual); and a third group prefers physically interacting with what they are learning (tactile-kinesthetic). Dance class by virtue of its content appeals readily to tactile-kinesthetic learners, but it can also appeal to the visually oriented through the use of photos and drawings of dance movements, and by providing movement demonstrations that proceed in a step-by-step manner. In addition, clear verbal descriptions of movements are needed to accommodate auditory learners. Since the 1980’s, the Multiple Intelligences (MI) is another theory that has permeated education. Howard Gardner and others who developed this theory stated that there are many forms of intelligence such as musical, spatial, body-kinesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal. The premise here is that a well-designed dance class helps students develop a variety of intelligences. Most would agree that dance helps students develop their musical and kinesthetic intelligence. Nevertheless, spatial intelligence, which is the ability to see and manipulate images in the mind, can be part of doing choreography if students visualize parts of a dance they are creating. Interpersonal intelligence is developed if students work in groups to make a dance, but intrapersonal intelligence, the ability to focus inward, is enhanced when students create movements based on their own feelings and ideas. Finally, we come to the theory Brain-Based Learning which was developed from recent discoveries in the neurosciences on how the human brain thinks and understands. One of the principles of this theory states that students learn best by understanding patterns or relationships between bits of information. When designing classes dance teachers need to think carefully about what is presented first in a class and how it relates to later movement materials. Class progression must make sense and aid learning. When choreography class is based on best practices, students learn to structure movement phrases and complete dances--a process that involves creating patterns or relationships between single movements and between sections in a dance. Another tenet of Brain-Based Learning is that learning is encouraged through challenge, but discouraged by threat. This means that the atmosphere in a class should be challenging enough to stimulate interest, but not so challenging that students become nervous and fearful. In the face of such a threat, students shut down and learning is stifled. Learn more about the connections between dance and education in Using Movement to Teach Academics: The Mind & Body As One Entity by Sandra Minton and published by Rowman & Littlefield Education 1-800-462-6420 or 301-459-3366. You can contact Sandra at 303-450-6347 or E-mail slminto@msn.com.
Call for Entries The Colorado Alliance for Arts Education is calling for entries in their 2007 Creative Schools of Excellence Awards! Start preparing your nomination packet now and let your favorite school be recognized for the excellent work they are doing by incorporating the arts into their academic curriculum. Nomination forms can be downloaded at www.think360arts.org/2007Nomination.Form.doc. NDEO Annual Conference, June 24-29 National Dance Education Organization will hold its annual conference, Contact Politics: The Dance of Personal and Public Change at Towson University, Towson, MD, June 24-29, 2008. Deadline for submitting proposals is December 15, 2007. Contact: hscheff@coxnet, conference@ndeo.org. Learn More about Connections between Education & the Arts According to a recent study conducted by the Texas Coalition for Quality Arts Education, schools that have higher levels of student participation in fine arts receive higher academic scores and have lower drop out rates. In addition, arts education issues are being addressed at the federal level in Washington, DC by the newly formed Arts Education Working Group. To find out more contact info@think360arts.org. Federal Education Report for 2008 According to the Federal Education Report, President Bush vetoed a spending measure that would have provided $63.6 billion for the US Department of Education in the fiscal year 2008. This would have been a 5% increase over spending for 2007. The President did sign another bill providing a 9% increase in the Pentagon’s non-war budget. To find out more contact http://www.eschoolnews.com. Influencing the Quality of Arts Education in Our Schools It will take you just five minutes to voice your opinions about arts education in Colorado school districts. To do this go to www.think360arts.org/survey. The survey is available in English and Spanish. You can also forward this link to others so that they can take the survey too. |
