Today I will discuss Kolb's experiential learning cycle and how people allow to themselves absorb knowledge through this procedure. When I was started to read about this technique immediately I felt that is fascinating, isn't it? Imagine that we use it every day without having the sense of knowledge of it. I tried to think out of myself and put myself as an object of observation. I saw that finally, I use all the ways of understanding the learning, starting from a different stage every time, depending on the situation. For example, when I want to learn a new choreography I have to do the movements step by step, so I use the stage of Concrete Experience. Finally, after many times of practicing can reflect my experience to my students. The magic is that through this procedure both sides (Teacher and Students ) learn better through Concrete Experience and Reflective Observation respectively.
What follows? There is an expression said:" what follows is what you allow ", so feel free to look the things out of the box. Abstract Conceptualisation the most challenging stage. I was thinking that if you have the base of an idea, you can quickly rise it into new ideas. Brainstorm is a good choice. Finishing this stage, you are almost done! You have the experience of an idea as well as the reflection of it! Now you ready to set your mind free to think about new things around this idea (Active Experimentation stage) and do your own experiment to see what results. I really like to do experiments.
I love to see how people act in different situations. So, I did one. I decided to test the reaction of my students in Rhythmic Gymnastics class yesterday afternoon. I gave them a piece of paper and pencils, and I asked each of them to choose a technical exercise (example: back flick flack, grand jete, fouette turns). I gave them some time to process and write the theory of each movement technique. Then I asked for a role game, in other words, each of the student to be a teacher for the particular exercise, explaining it with their own examples.
After this game, we turn back to our programme, but the magic was that after the game I saw a significant difference in their technique they completely understand the movement because they passed throughout the four stages of Kolb's cycle.
I think it works very well. Inside the week I will try to use this technique again adding a different kind of music to see how music affects the brain. Everybody knows that classical music helps to concentrate, but what about Jazz or Pop music? What do you believe? Is it a good technique? Helps music in this procedure on not at all?
What follows? There is an expression said:" what follows is what you allow ", so feel free to look the things out of the box. Abstract Conceptualisation the most challenging stage. I was thinking that if you have the base of an idea, you can quickly rise it into new ideas. Brainstorm is a good choice. Finishing this stage, you are almost done! You have the experience of an idea as well as the reflection of it! Now you ready to set your mind free to think about new things around this idea (Active Experimentation stage) and do your own experiment to see what results. I really like to do experiments.
I love to see how people act in different situations. So, I did one. I decided to test the reaction of my students in Rhythmic Gymnastics class yesterday afternoon. I gave them a piece of paper and pencils, and I asked each of them to choose a technical exercise (example: back flick flack, grand jete, fouette turns). I gave them some time to process and write the theory of each movement technique. Then I asked for a role game, in other words, each of the student to be a teacher for the particular exercise, explaining it with their own examples.
After this game, we turn back to our programme, but the magic was that after the game I saw a significant difference in their technique they completely understand the movement because they passed throughout the four stages of Kolb's cycle.
I think it works very well. Inside the week I will try to use this technique again adding a different kind of music to see how music affects the brain. Everybody knows that classical music helps to concentrate, but what about Jazz or Pop music? What do you believe? Is it a good technique? Helps music in this procedure on not at all?
Some great observations here linking some of the conversation we had this morning in the 11am discussion with the Handbook. I think an important point you make is that stepping outside yourself - witnessing your own thinking and questioning it. This is the theorizing we were talking about too.
ΑπάντησηΔιαγραφήAdesola
Adesola thank you for your comment. I agree with you it is important to think again, questioning our ideas. Through this prosses, we are evolving day by day.
ΔιαγραφήI loved your post about Kolbs learning cycle. I was (still am) feeling quite lost how to interweave theory and practice, trying to get a grasp on how they relate to each other and feed each other. One thought that came to my mind, is that actually theory is like a pair of glasses, through which you can look at your practice in a certain way. Still searching...;-)
ΑπάντησηΔιαγραφήAgata thank you for your comment. You are so correct the things that we do every day by instinct or by custom gain an entirely different view through the glasses of theory. I love to see your work and your thoughts. :)
ΔιαγραφήHello Maria, this is Jae. I have just started Module one and it’s very educational to read your post about Kolbs learning cycle. I am taking baby steps to understand the course generically. However, I still wasn’t sure how I could bring those theories into my classroom exercises. In the close future I am sure I’d have more knowledge and ideas about Kolbs Theory. I’ve sampled from your class observations. I appreciate you for sharing your experience.
ΑπάντησηΔιαγραφήJae,
ΔιαγραφήThank you for your post. I am happy to hear that. I also have only a few weeks in this MA, and I try to deepen as much as I can despite my limited time. I am looking forward to exchanging ideas. I follow your blog too.I am excited to start communicate with others . I believe through this conversion can see the world differently!