Thursday, July 2, 2009
Drama Lesson 2: Movement and It's relationship to Cognition in ECHIn Drama class today, we discussed what body language and personal space (angle, level & distance) meant in different cultures and family backgrounds. Reflecting about it, I realised that at home my family members don't usually speak to each other with eye contact. We quite learn how to read body language especially when my mama's having cold war with someone in the family, we just know it. She'll put a long face and not talk to us for months unless with absolute necessity. However, we do need to realise that with the "same msg" across, different people interpret it differently. There could be high possibilities that we might interpret these non-verbals wrongly. Moreover, we have to be careful when we deal with children. We could have approach the child personally and ask if everything's alright, instead of ignorng something that might be happening as we are afraid that we might be wrong.
Thereafter, we were side-coached to do some mimes in slow motion and moving according to music. I feel today's lesson helped to me reflect on what kind of intelligence do i depend on naturally or to say, the dominant intelligence. The intrapersonal way of moving usually focuses on the coaching and avoiding of the group while moving, whereas the interpersonal way of moving is going in the group and doing something similar together. I realised that I might be more an intrapersonal mover more than an interpersonal one as I was very focused on what I was going to do (which is to get to the bakery and thinking of what I wanted to buy). That's something new I learn about myself today (Maybe I'm beginning to enjoy working alone more). Musical intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence and spatial intelligence could also be exercised during the activity. Like listening to the feel of the music and imagining something that relates to it, then using body movement to express it while moving in a space (preventing ourselves to collide into one another and utilising the space around) and changing the rhythm of the movement as we go along with the music.
During reflection sessions about the activities, John asked questions to prompt us with the reflections. Sometimes, he rephrases the questions for us to better reflect and understand. Many questions he asked might not be use for the intention purpose of education, but just to learn and know more about the child. Abiguity sets us thinking. Sometimes, we don't need an absolute answer and closure to many things, cos it's good to set ourselves thinking and keep our imaginations and creativity running. And the best part is there's no right or wrong answers.
We need to constantly remind ourselves that it's okay to make mistakes. But sometimes, it's really difficult as not all people forgive. And I come from a background where my mama remembers the wrong things I've done is the past very vividly. Or to say, most people take things that are right and available for granted while remembering the wrongdoings for life. We need to pass our own hurdle to be able to teach children that there can be positive mistakes which we all can learn from. We should bring our whole self and be truthful to children and not putting on the costume of a teacher. Being teachers doesn't mean we are always right.
There are really many things I need to learn to better relate to children and people.
Maybe somethings are better living without. But it's hard to do away with.
