"I am certain of nothing but the holiness of the heart's affections, and the truth of the imagination."
- John Keats
- John Keats
For me, this week highlighted the power of drama in education, both as a subject and a tool. As well as academic benefits, social implications include a heightened awareness of self and others. An extension of play, trusting relationships and a 'safe' atmosphere are essential to explore ideas, feelings and experiences, absorbed from the 'outside' and expressed from the 'inside'. As Bird et al. (2012) suggest, drama is an invitation to negotiate "meanings for the real world through the lens of the imagined world" (p. 67).
 |
| Costumes can be fun but a simple prop can equally transform either a person or a space. |
 |
| A sixteenth-century cannon becomes a see-saw on the Island of Sark, reflecting the critical relationship between drama and play. |
Such an example is the Fox workshop which raises issues surrounding trust, loyalty and betrayal. 'What is friendship?'; 'Who can be friends?' are questions that might intrigue a primary class.
 |
| www.readings.com.au |
In the context of my own work with Ngaanyatjarra children from the Gibson Desert, this tale has features that resonate with local dreaming stories (tjukurrpa): reinforcing cultural connections, these tend not to end well either!
For younger grades, a less confronting text exploring unlikely friendships is Libby Gleeson and Freya Blackwood's Banjo and Ruby Red.
 |
| www.readings.com.au |
Engaging, inclusive and intrinsically motivating, drama enables students to actively construct learning in an innovative way that shifts classroom power relations and extends conceptual thinking.
Further Questions...
How to put the very shy at ease?
How to encourage the prosaic to 'suspend disbelief'?
Vikki
References:
Bird, J., Donelan, K., Freebody, K., O'Toole, J. & Sinclair, C. (2012). Drama: Social dreaming in the 21st Century. In C. Sinclair, N. Jeannert & J. O'Toole (Eds), Education in the arts. Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press.
Blakemore, L. & Grainger, T., (n.d.). Drama in the classroom: Improving reading and writing through the use of drama. Retrieved from http://www.creativeeducation.co.uk/video/525
Gleeson, L. & Blackwood, F. (2013). Banjo and Ruby Red. Richmond, Vic: Little Hare Books.
Wild, M. & Brooks, R. (2010). Fox. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin.
Hi Vikki, I really enjoyed reading your post, and like you, I am very intrigued (and excited!) about the prospect of teaching maths through drama! As a child (and at times an adult) who was not naturally confident in joining in with role play activities in school, I have also wondered about how the introverted/shy/anxious child could be encouraged to enjoy participation in such activities. I read in Chapter 7 of Sinclair et al. about the use of puppets and masks during role play as a means to provide some comfort and also to build confidence. This makes sense to me, what do you think? I also think if drama is introduced and incorporated in everyday learning from a early age, children would be more at ease with it later in life when they are prone to be more self conscious.
ReplyDelete