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When I first embarked upon this BAPP course it was with the sole purpose of obtaining a degree so that I could then go on to gain a PGCE and teach in mainstream education I never imagined that, at the end of it, I would have a different objective, which is to become a specialist in delivering dance classes for people on the autism spectrum.
At the end of Module 2 I was sure that my inquiry was going to be something to do with the use of projected image in choreography, but it actually ended up being about dance teaching methods for the autistic range of people. It's strange the different twists and turns that life's path can lead you down.
When I read Module 1 Handbook and was confronted with Dewey's theories, Kolb's learning cycle and O'Reilly's blogosphere I wanted to turn and run! Here I was, a self confessed technophobe, barely able to turn on a computer, about to do a whole course that relied upon being able to competently navigate my way round the world wide web. The only web I had been familiar with was a spider's web!
Yet, as I ploughed through Moon's 'four level's of reflection', contemplated Schon and Kottcamp's views of 'reflection-in-action' and tried to make sense of the concept of 'homeostasis' I found myself becoming immersed in a whole new voyage of self-discovery. Miraculously, too, my computer skills began to develop and the fear I had been gripped with at the outset started to subside.
I have now completed my inquiry- just the oral presentation to go now. It was an inspiring and humbling experience. I saw a whole range of people: from those who were high functioning to those who had profound and multiple disabilities. The one thing they all had in common, apart from being on the autism spectrum, was a love of dance.
My artefact was a film about the making of a duet I choreographed which incorporated dance movements I had observed these young people devising during improvisation sessions. I wanted to do something that would reflect the positive attitude the students had and also celebrate the talents that many on the autistic spectrum possessed. It is very easy to get bogged down in all the literature which presents the many challenges of autism and forget that there are also some bestowed with great gifts.
I am now looking forward to continuing my studies about autism. I have enrolled in an Autism Movement Therapy certification course and am also considering doing the MAPP course.
Good luck to everyone on your final grades and with your future career developments. I have really enjoyed the BAPP course and found out lots about myself along the way. I think the most important thing I learnt was not to undervalue my own opinion. So I will sign off now with the following quote:
image source: http://www.quotehd.com/quotes/james-gardner-quote-life-is-an-endless-process-of-self-discovery
