Choreographic notes and observations of children with diverse abilities and their movement at school

Original title: Re-embodying qualitative inquiry: Choreographic notes and observations of children with diverse abilities and their movement at school
Speaker: Coralee McLaren, RN, PhD, Assistant Professor,Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing, Ryerson University; Adjunct Scientist, Bloorview Research Institute
Date: Monday, October 5, 2015
Abstract: Recent neuroscientific research has identified important links between movement and children’s learning, radically calling into question traditional models of classroom design. In this presentation, I discuss how a novel theoretical framework and an artistic-scientific methodology disrupted my understanding of diverse bodies, their capacities and their movement at school. Drawing on key Deleuzian concepts and the work of choreographers Erin Manning and William Forsythe, I explore whether choreographic thought resides exclusively in the body, or whether its mechanisms and principles can be used to rethink ways of knowing, develop procedural strategies and mobilize language. By asking these questions, my aim is to develop a conceptually-derived framework that will inform the design of integrated classrooms and other play-learn environments. I conclude my presentation not with answers but with a set of choreographic notes supporting this goal.