Dear All
Gassho
It's been a while since I threw a hand grenade into the fray but I couldn't resist this one and I would hasten to clarify that it's meant to start dialogue, not a war.
For the past 6 weeks I've been on a very theory heavy teacher training course.
In order to relieve the boredom, and as a way of actually learning the subject matter, I've been applying the various theories and models to my Shorinji Kempo practise and instruction.
It's been postulated that there are 7 various levels of acquiring a physical skill explained as:
1. Perception (Attending to a stimulus)
2. Set (Preparing for action)
3. Guided Response (Responding with assistance)
4. Mechanism (Responding through habit)
5. Complex Response (Responding with a coordinated series of actions)
6. Adaptation (Changing responses to fit new situations)
7. Origination (Creating new actions)
Which I've compared and contrasted to Shu, Ha, Ri.
Your thoughts?
Secondly this same taxonomy states that we learn a motive skill best when It's instructed through 4 distinct cognitive stages.
Explanation, demonstration, imitation and pracise.
I am now aware that I, personally, have been missing the imitation stage out when teaching and intend to experiment with this new formula to examine the results.
I'll keep you posted.
But I would say that if we're seriously questioning about why we're not that successful at recruiting, training and retaining students, then we do need to analysise how we teach what we teach.
And Shorinji Kempo clearly falls into all 3 domains of learning including the psychomotor.
Hope you're not too bored.
Adrian
(2 more days of hell to go!)