Networked Learning Project Blog #1

I’ve been challenged to learn something I’ve always wanted to learn using only online resources: the splits. For a little bit of background knowledge, growing up, I took 13 years worth of ballet classes. Throughout all of this training, one thing I was never able to do are the splits. Now I am grown and my pointe days are long behind me, there is nothing stopping me from learning how to push my body and do what I have never been able to. While this activity is not something I can research from a textbook, I can use the stretches I have learned in my previous training and combine them with new instruction from online sources (Bransford et al., 2000). For week 1, there has not been a lot of progress due to travel interference. However, I am finding from using the sources below, I am seeing my hip flexors becoming slightly more flexible.

 

                                    The Dream                                     vs                                    The Reality 

So far, I have used 3 sources to begin my research into how to do the splits. The 3 sources I have used are a video by Blogilates called 9 Steps to doing the Splits!, a TikTok video by ellamaerayner called How to do the splits, and an article from Women's Health Magazine entitled How to do the Splits Without Hurting Yourself. Each of these sources have great things about them, and not-so-great things. To view the pros and cons of each source, check out my NLP Research Spreadsheet.

Throughout the process of learning how to do the splits, I plan to take progress photos about once a week. This way I can reflect on how much progress I have made. I can also use these photos as a formative assessment (Bransford et al, 2000, p.24) to determine if the sources I have selected are helping, or if I need to continue my research.

                                    These photos were taken before I started this project in order to 

                                            capture the growth I make throughout this process.

Track My Progress!

NETWORKED LEARNING PROJECT BLOG POST #2

NETWORKED LEARNING PROJECT BLOG POST #3

References

Blogilates. (2014, October 12). 9 Steps to doing the Splits! [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/GTBB3IekEwY

Bransford, J., Brown, A.L. & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience and school. National Academy Press. http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309070368.

Rayner, E. (2021, February 1). How to do the splits [Video]. TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@ellamaerayner/video/6924270493990243590

Women's Health Editors (2022). How To Do The Splits Without Hurting Yourself In Just A Few Weeks. Women's Health Magazine. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a19941694/how-to-do-a-split/#:~:text=of%20your%20body.-,Start%20standing%20in%20a%20wide%20leg%20position.,to%20stop%2C%22%20Sobers%20says.

Image Credits

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. (2020). Stretching Charlie Day GIF. Giphy. https://media.giphy.com/media/iiKUm9JyB48872dxp6/giphy.gif

Miss America. (2016). Twirl Splits GIF. Giphy. https://media.giphy.com/media/l0HlAQFcTqaglgGVW/giphy.gif