Exam / grading system in Ceroc: good or bad idea?

[marty_baby]

You should feel more guilty about that clause construction.

But to answer your question, I was originally talking about the Australian "Blue card" system, relevant to intermediate / advanced (I/A) classes, which has "Blue card lines" and "Non-blue card lines" in those classes.

See here for more details of that scheme.

Good link!

Most off it looks ok - but double spins? For the blokes?!
I think I can do it if led well, and not too fast (That is 2 spins to 1 beat?)...... but double spinning as the lead????

....hhhmmmm

The whole curriculum looks set up already!... I like the idea....

[TheTramp]

but double spinning as the lead????

This is a problem??

I know of several blokes who can do this, or even more than doubles.....

[marty_baby]

This is a problem??

I know of several blokes who can do this, or even more than doubles.....

....um... how do these cards work again?!!?
Is there one for Intermeadiate? Then one for Advanced?

I don't want to get too dizzy to early!


martin

[ChrisA]

This argument reminds me of the debate between education academics in the 60's/70's(?) regarding comprehensive vs. selective schools. Is it unfair on the more able to handicap them in the same classes as the less able? Is it a handicap at all? Do they learn by helping their less able classmates? Is it fair on the less able to segregate them into separate schools (or workshops)?

I don't really know much about current educational vogues, but isn't streaming coming back into fashion these days, with mixed ability classes somewhat discredited?

In the case of dance workshops though, those right at the top of the ability spectrum probably don't suffer all that much, since they get the material so easily that helping their "less able classmates" probably amounts to additional material that they can derive on their own, quite apart from any altruistic pleasure they may get out of it.

But the most able are capable of generating their own learning opportunities in almost any situation - and they're probably in the wrong workshop if the material being taught is that easy for them.

It's the ones for whom the material is about the right amount beyond what they're used to that will suffer the most from people that are miles out of their depth, who will not correspondingly benefit from their hindrance.

So I think asking "is it fair" is a little superficial. It would be a meaningful question if the less able benefited at the expense of the more able, but I don't think they do - they benefit from the most able, who may well not be hindered at all. But unless they are there only to help out or get a lot of untaught benefit from working with the less able, they may end up feeling that it had been a bit of a waste of their time.

[ChrisA]

They would get far more out of something at a more suitable level.

....

Where the benefit balance lies for a given level of class difficulty, and a given student ability spectrum, is one of these unquantifiable things that can rapidly develop into an "angels on a pinhead" argument.

This really shouldn't be about fair/unfair in a particular class, it should be about structuring and making available classes that suit the ability levels out there.

I think a better analogy, as I've drawn before, is that there is no point doing a degree before A-Levels, or A-Levels before GCSEs.

[Baruch]

I don't really know much about current educational vogues, but isn't streaming coming back into fashion these days, with mixed ability classes somewhat discredited?

East of Offa's Dyke, perhaps. That wisdom hasn't reached the powers-that-be over here in Wales yet, which causes problems for me as a special needs teacher, as lots of children who might benefit from being in a small special needs class are plonked into mainstream classes with varying levels of support.

Yes, inclusion works for some, but the powers-that-be seem to have a hard time understanding that there is no one system that works for every child, and that some would definitely learn more in a small class where everything is taught nearer to their level of understanding.

OK, rant over. I feel so much better now

[Jeremy]

....um... how do these cards work again?!!?
Is there one for Intermeadiate? Then one for Advanced?

martin

We use one for Intermediate Advanced (Blue Card) and there is one for Advanced (Gold Card) as well but I've never seen the Gold Card used as a requirement for any class or routine. The Advanced class we have about once a quarter does put together an advanced rotation though - but thats it. The Blue card is used far more.

Oh and while its good for a guy to be able to do double spins in freestyle, the teachers look more at how well a guy can lead a double spin (doesnt over balance the lady, correct hand position, 2 finger lead, fingers pointing down, dont dip the hand while spinning the lady, etc)

[Gadget]

Codes of practice
Found the above thread while looking for something else - discusses much the same thing.


{Edit: actually what I was looking for is in that thread - just on a tangent }

[ducasi]

Codes of practice
Found the above thread while looking for something else - discusses much the same thing.

{Edit: actually what I was looking for is in that thread - just on a tangent }

Good link Gadget, though the assessment document seems not to be there (anymore?) (EDIT: oops, found them linked later on in the thread! )

Also, I like your milestones list – especially as I got a wee round of applause from one of my partners last night.

[marty_baby]

We use one for Intermediate Advanced (Blue Card) and there is one for Advanced (Gold Card) as well but I've never seen the Gold Card used as a requirement for any class or routine. The Advanced class we have about once a quarter does put together an advanced rotation though - but thats it. The Blue card is used far more.

Oh and while its good for a guy to be able to do double spins in freestyle, the teachers look more at how well a guy can lead a double spin (doesnt over balance the lady, correct hand position, 2 finger lead, fingers pointing down, dont dip the hand while spinning the lady, etc)

Thanks for that Jeremy

...hmmm... thats something to work on!... funnily enough, my dance partner was saying we should work on this as well!