journal entery

i have really struggled to finalise and develop my fosuc group questions i thought i would go back to basics,....
when in doute brain storm!

hope all your planning is going well

Fosuc group questions... Bit of help needed

I am trying to put my focus group questions together and I'm struggling.
My plan for my focus group

Who?
This focus group will include the Mushroom theatre company which is an inter grated (abled and disabled) dance company/school. Some of the teachers also teach in special needs schools, so I will hopefully gain mixed views and answers for the questions asked.

Where and when?
Mushroom Theatre company on the 20th October.

Intentions
To put together questions that will help and benefit my inquiry.
To learn at least one thing new about my inquiry question, "how does performing arts benefit children with global delay."
To follow my ethics.

Hoped out come.
From this focus group I hope to have explored my questions and receive constructive and contrasting answers, from the teachers which all have different qualifications and experiences.
I also hope to learn about weather communication skills of learners can benefit and develop from performing arts.
 I would also like to have an understanding on how children with global delay struggle with communication and how I can help when working with them. I also want to understand how performing arts can develop their communication skills and what other aspects of learning can benefit from performing arts.

Questions from my interview which I can incorporate.


Do you use performing arts during curricular lessons? And how?
What benefits does it have on children with global delay whilst learning?
How do children with global delay struggle in communication in lessons?
How does using performing arts during lessons help and develop there communication skills?
What other exercises using performing arts would you use to develop there communication skills?

If any one has any tips, ideas or comments would be truly great full!

Charlie

interviews and analisis

yesterday i interviewed twwo teachers at school about how they uses performing arts in curricular lessons and how children with global delay benifit from using singing, drama and dance/movement during lessons helps them learn and understand things more.

the first interview didnt go so well as i couldnt work out how to pause my dicterphone and ended up having three seperate recordings which when i got home one of them had disapiered. so i will re do that one.
my second interview went well as i figured out how to pause it.

i found if i showed my interviewes the questions first they could think about what there answers were going to be as when your holding a dictorphone at them its quiet nervraking.

i followed all my ethical prosses that i set and will carry on doing so.

analasis..... i decided to print off the questions and write down for each interview the answers then i will compair and contrast them and then right a reflection on what i have learnt during the interviews about my question and core questions.

how is every one elses inquires going.

charlie

getting on my feet..... how is every one else getting on?

i have started to look into different aspects my inquiry to find sourse so instead of just foucusing on performing arts and children with learning difficulties.i have looked into early years, global development, teaching children with global delay, music and children ect....

tweeked my final questions, core questions and objectives all to fit in with my new job.... fingures crossed they allow me to interview 3 members of staff.

devised my exersise log.... now to fill it out!!!

Journal... hmmm this needs to become more of a routien but then i think my exersize log will replace that in a way. do i carry on with a journal?????

how is every one else getting on?

so much to do so little time

Charlie

soures?? artical

i have found a good artical about teaching children with global development delay and good stratages to use which will help me in my new job.
have fun reading... Global Development Delay artical.
Charlie

new term

i have just started my new job...DREAM job!!!
I have just started teaching dance at a special needs school. its only my lesson and i love it i have learnt so much within myself and how the chioldren react to dance and also how much it lets off steam.
i feel by doing this i can really develop my learning and it will help with my inquiry.
i am also doing some LSA (learning support assistant) work during the week at the school. Which i am find very exciting.
after a great first week and reading my feed back my head is blurd.... were do i start? what needs tweeking?
What materials shall i use to resurch? can any body help me or give me some advise?
Charlie

Questionnaire....

Survey for parents at MTC.

Does your child have:
Physical disability
Learning difficulty
Both

Please answer the following questions in as much detail possible.



What benefits does your child get from coming from MTC?






2. Since coming to MTC has your child's skills improved?
Please specify how.
Speech and literacy skills;





Co-ordination;






Confidence;






Sense of rhythm;





Memory skills;





Motivation;






3. Has MTC helped improve there learning? And how?





4. Does your child enjoy coming to MTC?





5. Have you noticed any changes to your child's personality since joining MTC? And how?







6. If schools used performing arts ( dance, drama, singing, music and art) to teach the curriculum do you think there would be a change in your child's; skills, behaviour and learning? What are your views and why?












Please let me know the following questions
How long did it take to complete? Was there enough information given about what the questionnaire is for and about? We're any of the questions unclear? We're any of the questions hard to give an answer to? Was the topic of the questionnaire carried through all the questions? Was the layout of the questionnaire clear and attractive? How can it be improved


Thank you for your time
The reason I haven't done the questionnaire on survey monkey is because I want written formal answers.

Task 5b

I work (volentier) at a dance company which specilisises in teaching children and adults with learning difficulties performing arts. I've decided to base my inquiry on how performing art benefit people with learning difficulties and improves there learning and develops the life skills.
I sat down with the principle and discussed there ethics.
She said " following the ethics leads in all our staff having good codes of practise."



Ethics for the mushroom theatre company

Treat everyone equal

Consent form parents of child's participation and for photo graphs and videoing

Consent to assist with movement related safety issues which may require physical contact.

Advise parents of state undress (religion)

Medical form for child disability or medication to be kept up to date

Training for administrating medication for children

When medication is given it should to be logged and signed

Informations of student to be kept in secure place not to be accessed by unortherised persons

Dance/ space to be kept at healthy and safety standards and to be kept up to date

Fire safety to to standards and policy

Understand what students health/ disability to ensure student doesn't suffer any difficulty

Insure parents are liaised and consulted with and respect there's and the students views

To know students limits so students are not unduly pressurised

To ensure all students are accounted for and supervised at all times

Registers to be taken at the beginning of sessions

Treat confidential information respectly

Be honest and trustworthy

Talk to every student and there parents politely and considerately

Respect students dignity and privacy

Give students instructions/ tasks in a way they can understand

Pay attention to different communication needs

Act quickly to prevent students from risk

Public liability insurance

Employers liability insurance

Professional indemnity insurance

CRB checks
Regular training for staff in all policy's

Continuing professional development

When working with minors you need to be aware of the reliving laws eg. Children's act.



Mushrooms policy's
Child protection policy
Equal opportunities policy
Health and safety policy
Safe guarding
Data protection policy
Environmental policy
Quality assurance policy

Task 5a

Ethics..... My version of ethics for the mushroom theatre company.... Children with learning difficulties.

Treat everyone equal

Consent form parents of child's participation

Medical form for child disability or medication to be kept up to date

When medication is given it should to be logged and signed

Informations of student to be kept in secure place not to be accessed by unortherised persons

Dance/ space to be kept at healthy and safety standards and to be kept up to date

Fire safety to to standards and policy

Understand what students health/ disability to ensure student doesn't suffer any difficulty

Insure parents are liaised and consulted with and respect there's and the students views

To know students limits so students are not unduly pressurised

To ensure all students are accounted for and supervised at all times

Registers to be taken at the beginning of sessions

Treat confidential information respectly

Be honest and trustworthy

Talk to every student and there parents politely and considerately

Respect students dignity and privacy

Give students instructions/ tasks in a way they can understand

Pay attention to different communication needs

Act quickly to prevent students from risk

my inquiry and sig group

my sig group is a linked in site. i have written briefly about which literature will benefit my inquiry. if there are any other suggestions they are very welcome

my inquiry ... help...

i want to base my final inquiry on how performing art can benefit people with learning difficulties social and educational skills. i want to explore how performing arts can improve education in schools and how it can open opportunities later on if life...
i want to do a questionaire but feel that the answers are to in-depth to multiple chose and i also would like in-depth answers and also get different answers so i can learn things from it.
how should i go about doing this.

also has anyone done focus groups that can help me understand what the in title and what you got out of them....
charlie

Funding with in dance and schools!

I've currently just started helping out in a theatre company for children with learning difficulties. I'm doing it voluntarily due to lake of funding.... Which I actually don't mind as it gains me experience.... BUT the people that teach them and have taught them for years have now given up there pay due to funding.... I think this is so upsetting to see people that are helping children develop mential and pysicaly are giving up there pay to put it to use were needed.... There must be more funding out there that can go to better use such as dance companys helping children with learning difficulties.

It's all about the SIG

I feel that the SIG groups I would fit in to are teaching, performing and also teaching children with learning difficulties.

I have Made to group descution pages on LinkedIn.


Teaching in schools......http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Teaching-in-schools-4326009?home=&gid=4326009




Teaching children with learning difficulties ...http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Teaching-children-learning-difficulties-4325998?gid=4325998&trk=hb_side_g




Feel free to join group and get discussions rolling :)

4a questions questions questions

After reading the course reader and Sarah Pearson's blog.... I had two potential practises I wanted to develop questions for which would develop my learning. My two subjects I chose were teaching children with learning difficulties and auditioning and dance profession.
After writing questions down for both practises I decided to go with teaching as i will benefit from learning and developing this subject.

My draft set of questions about teaching children with learning difficulties are:


What qualifications do you need to teach children with learning disabilities dance?
Has the resection affected jobs with in schools for Children with learning disabilities? If so how has affected the school?
Can Children with learning disabilities benefit from dance and movement? If yes what would they be?
Should the class be more fun and involved?
Does dance improve there disabling and behaviour?
Does dance help them gain confidence?
Children with learning disabilities rely on routine, so if a dance class is changed how will it affect them?
What type of music is suitable in a dance class?
Can music be calming and relaxing for Children with learning disabilities?
If there are different abilities within a class which ability should you work towards?
Is it advisable to set targets and award systems?
Do exams or assessments add stress to children's lives?
Can the benefits in dance be explored in further depth so it can help other children?



I feel I can expand on my practise through more indepth questions which my occur as my learning develops.