Week 8: How is it going? Just to be clear this is a twelve-week term. So the modules finish on December 16th. But then you have until January 9th to hand-in your work. Different advisors have different cut of dates for feedback. That is when you have to have work in by in December if you want feedback before you hand-in your work. Check you know when the cut off date is and any other requirements your advisor has. I would leave the last two weeks of the term for writing what I am handing in (December).
Try to do as much as you can, so that drafts are as clear as possible. Make drafts a ‘full-out dress rehearsal’, so that you can see where your problems are.
Think about what will work for you in-terms of your personal and work life over Christmas: so that you give yourself enough time to do what you want to do.
Don’t leave all the nagging things you think you aught to do any longer. Get them done now. If there is a task you really want to do but didn’t get round to do it this week. You need to give yourself time to learn from it.
Overall everyone seems well in the stew of thinking and doing. Just make sure you are not in ‘I must do that mode’ be in ‘I’m doing’. Time is going to go by quickly.
Feedback:
Principle one: only ask for feedback if you are interested in possibly changing what you have created. Do not ask for it as away to engage someone in talking about you work.
I wrote a funny thing about feedback maybe Akin or another graphically gifted person can make it a cartoon. In my head it is a cartoon:
My process for receiving feedback cycle!!
1) Oh, my God that’s right, that’s a much better way to do it than I did!
2) I can’t do it, I can’t change it, maybe I just can’t achieve this.
3) Wait a minute maybe she (the feedbacker) doesn’t really know what she is talking about. I think my work is fine.
4) I feel really sick (fat=cultural / social conditioning , etc… or other excuses for feeling not up to things and just wanting to go back to bed)
5) O.K. that’s better, I think I did, need to develop that etc…
6) Oh my God I’m brilliant; she (the feedbacker) is amazing to be able to see my amazing potential.
7) New feedback
1) Oh, my God that’s right…
2) I can’t do it….
Etc….
!!!!!
Adesola
I think I have had many a moments of self doubt and what, where am I going please help me! In regards to my inquiry question your comments on my recent post- have made me look at some of my assumptions in a different way. Something that I am going to try is to take all the words that are floating around my inquiry and look at them and ask why I assume and what is it that I want to know. This may seem a bit off the beaten track, I think it is going to help me straighten my thoughts and help me fit them like a puzzle.
ReplyDeleteI have jotted down my words and thoughts- ending up back at the start with the question-what kind of knowledge is dance? Your comment on actions being intentions- actions are movement which is dance! Body’s engagement in learning -is this dance; we engage our bodies and move in order to learn – What is physical knowledge? Senses? ( this makes no sense but it has helped me to clarify my thinking.
Thanks for the comment they have really helped.
Sounds like a good process. Some of the things you have come up with here are a lot of what my PhD is about. It does make sense (to me!). I found a resonance with my dance experiences in the notion that we are embodied beings not made of a mind and body.
ReplyDeletePragmatism sees meaning in action. Dewey wrote:
'ideas are statements not of what is or what has been but of acts to be performed.’Dewey (Human Nature and Conduct)
I believe the mind is the reflective action of the body.
What kind of knowledge is dance is a little problematic because people can't agree on what Knowledge is and it is here in terms of body / mind, Practice / theory that the biggest differences exist.
It might be better to ask what (specific) people 'feel they have learnt from dancing', or 'When or how do people feel their physical body is involved in experiences that they feel they gained knowledge from'!!! (a bit long winded)
Adesola
Thank you for this post Adesola I can really relate to this! it almost feels as soon as you get excited and passionate about an idea you hit a brick wall and try to re evaluate your thoughts and iron out the flaws. I've learnt that planning is vital this term!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Adesola, that was a post I needed to read! It helped me re-focus and collect my scattered thoughts together! Time is certainly travelling fast and I need to get into "I'm doing" mode.
ReplyDeleteHi Adesola. I can really relate to your feedback cycle, I keep going from "Ahh, I can't cope with the workload" to "Yes I can do this!".
ReplyDeleteCould you please confirm what your cut of date for feedback is? Is it the 16th December or earlier?
Thanks