skatingforums
On the Ice => Sitting on the Boards Rink Side => Topic started by: mamabear on March 22, 2016, 12:07:16 PM
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My coach tends to teach me things in pieces-learning a spin before an entrance, focusing on a jump entrance before the jump, etc. Another skater on Sunday was surprised-her coach teaches it all at once saying otherwise you have to learn it twice. I can see advantages and disadvantages either way so I'm curious which way works better for you? And do you tend to practice in bits and pieces or all at once? I know for moves patterns I can get stuck and going over the stuck portion only helps me move ahead.
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Well, you only have to learn it twice if you *really* learned it the first time! But I think it all depends on what you're learning. As for jumps, unless you have correct technique on the jump setup and takeoff, it's useless learning the whole jump (besides, every jump is the same once you're in the air and backward, so it's all about the takeoff).
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In laboratory experiments, piece by piece learning works better. Learning things twice also works better. This usually called "review." In the classroom students will beg for it.
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My coach kindof uses a combination. She'll teach me a spin, but then focus on the part I struggle with in order to teach a piece. Like back scratch: I struggle with where to keep the free leg, so she had me skate backwards on the circle with legs and arms in the correct positions. Once I had that concept, back to spinning and trying to replicate what I just did.
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In behavioral modification it's called 'chaining behavior'. It allows you to gain (and improve) foundational skills that apply to many complex skills. For example you have to learn to skate backwards before you can do most jumps.
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I learn better piece by piece, but skating requires perfect timing and coordination. Sometimes, you can do each part correctly, but when you put them together, something goes horribly wrong.
So for me, piece by piece, then integrate; then repeat for improvement.
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It depends on what I'm doing, honestly. Some things I need the process broken down, but in others I learn better as a whole. For skating, I do best learning the entire technique at once and then breaking it down because that way I can "see" what I need to work on inside the movement.
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My coach always teach/ review the "basics" before doing anything new. So for example, before teaching me backward crossovers, she made me practice loads of backward stroking and backward outside/ inside edges, and once we get to the back cross, it was so easy to pick up. For my current waltz jump, she made me do the jump first, and then the entry, jump, and the exit. I think it works just fine for me :)
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Mostly all-at-once. I hate when someone teaches me to do something, then says it was all wrong. Why did they waste my time on the wrong thing?
But sometimes I am not strong enough, or controlled enough, to do something "right" at first.
It's fine to teach a foundation skill first, then add more to it, as long as I know that is what is being done at the start.
As a very simple example, take swizzles. Done right, with deep knee bends at the start, straightening as the feet come together, deep inside edges, and outwards, then inwards pressure created by properly alignment, they feel nearly effortless. But that is a lot of things to remember at once, and not everyone is strong enough for deep knee bends, and the bend/straighten exercise requires timing. So you have to learn it in pieces - but I think it should all be demoed, right, at the start.
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I've personally preferred piece by piece, only because I find it easier to learn it at a time and then piece it all together. But that's just me.