1. How to Begin with Teacher in Role
Why use teacher in role
The teacher becomes the most important source when using drama as learning. Because in learning, it is the teacher who composes, directs and influences student learning. One of the best ways to do that in drama work is to be in the drama.
Teacher as storyteller
The teacher as storyteller has the role to communicate the text to students in an interesting way. The connection between the teacher as a storyteller and the teacher uses drama, lies in the fact that they both use generation imagined reality for teaching. The relationship between story and drama in education is complex and dynamic. This means that known narratives can still be used, knowledge about the narration is not an obstacle to its use. Learning can use drama when everyone knows the story.
Preparation from the role
- Start by getting the class out of the role they want to ask the child and the order of the questions
- Before the drama session, decide what attitude you will take when asked by class.
- Then run hot-seating
- Stop and get out of the role and discuss what they have found.
Teaching from within
Moving in and out of role managing the drama and reflecting on it
We describe the use of roles as 'teaching from within' because of the teacher enter the world of drama, but it is also very important to get out of the role often as long as drama not let it run away by itself. When using TiR, the teacher operates as a manager as well as a participant and must spend a lot of time stopping it drama and moving roles to reflect on what happened and give students have the opportunity to think about what they know and what they want to do
The teacher-taught relationship
To run the drama, the teacher and students must agree. If one of them refuses or does not want to do drama, then drama will not occur. If handled correctly and run wisely, the teacher will get students' attention than their interest and involvement in drama
2.How to Begin Planning Drama
Machine that drives drama requires fuel and that fuel is strong material, creative ideas, and more inspirational than goal-led design. books, literary works, pictures or other subject matter, fiction or non-fiction - will give us one or more good elements drama, role or role, interesting context or dilemma. In this way we can come up with ideas for roles that will provide special challenges for class; we can get a mental picture of certain situations that we want for children to engage in, or an idea to focus the problem based on the original ingredients.
The ingredients of planning:
1.Learning objectives
The learning can be in any of five areas:
-Language Development
-Spiritual, Social, Moral, Cultural, Personal
-Content
-Art Form drama
-Thinking Skills
Objectives
Pupils will understand:
-the significance of legends as a focus for literacy work
-legend as part of historical understanding
2.Strong material
3.Roles for the teacher
4.Roles for the pupils
5.Tension points risks theatre moments
6.Building context
7.Building belief
8.Decision-making key developments in the drama which provide the class with challenges
9.The drama conventions, strategies and techniques
-create context
-build belief in the roles and therefore the drama
-focus learning
-help explore a situation and deepen understanding
-Help to reflect on the meaning of the event.
Drama type
There are two main types of class drama that have developed:
1.Living through drama
Where students face various events with a high level of life in here and now, and
2. Episodic ramad or strategy-based drama
Where the class is led by the teacher in creating situations and events through specifics technique or strategy and where the chronology is more broken.
3.How to Generate Quality Speaking and Listening
Authentic dialogue teacher and pupil talk with difference
What is speaking and listening?
Speaking and listening are the most important forms of communication. used by humans. A very effective speech, the development of speaking and listening, will help students build their language, their understanding, their ability to handle their own world, understand it and who they are in it. It must be an interaction with the other where both parties contribute. When a student speaks and listens correctly, he can see how every contribution arises from what has been said. Speaking and listening properly for learning are effective 'talks', not two separate activities, as the phrase 'speaking and listening' suggests; it is spoken language interaction, which is, at its best, complicated, demanding and truly creative.
Dialogic teaching
Talk, being the center of brain development, must be a priority teacher. Alexander promoted dialogic teaching as the most powerful form speak in class. He identified the key elements as:
Collective: teacher and students discuss joint learning assignments, as a group or as class;
Reciprocity: the teacher and students listen to each other, share ideas and consider alternative point of view;
Support: students articulate their ideas freely, without fear of embarrassment of 'wrong' answers; and they help each other to achieve common ground understanding;
Cumulative: teachers and students develop their own ideas and each other and their chains into coherent lines of thought and inquiry;
Objectives: the teacher plans and directs the conversation in class with special education aim.
(Alexander, 2005, pp. 267)
Drama shares the elements listed above, and promotes students' thinking because of the quality, dynamics and content of speech that can develop. Why is drama so powerful in promoting good talk? It's about having students the desire to speak rather than being asked to speak. Alexander, in examining current research in the use of dialogic teaching, highlights three areas that are important to the achievement of his original essential log but are very demanding and more difficult for teachers to achieve in an ordinary classroom setting. They:
Learn to talk and teach talking - the achievement of understanding what the child's words matter at least as much as what the teacher says.
Does dialogic teaching extend to talk? - Students' answers and other contributions are longer, but does this need to be added to the dialogue?
Form and content - how can we ensure that class talks are cumulative and directed and are collective, reciprocal, and supportive?
How is high quality listening taught through drama?
Drama is the creation of meaning in action and students must struggle all time to understand what is happening around them so they can be involved with that. They must understand the fictional situation that is developing. Unless if students listen they don't know what's going on. Teachers can provide surprises, challenges, people to meet in the form of teacher roles; students can provide models of language use for each other because they lead students start to take initiative and provide input. In drama we can get a new level of listening because of students' interest problem solving from the drama itself. Focus problem or dilemma that the student's face embodies the nature of language. To do all these speaking activities, they of course, develop them listen and we see this in all powerful and active modes, listening namely: open, sensitive, reflective, receptive, supportive, attentive, collective, and creative. This is because every student must understand what the teacher and the rest are students gradually build around them. Students feel valued in the drama and consequently believe more in what they want to say and show more respect to what other contributors are for drama say. For the drama to work, the teacher must also listen very carefully see where students are, to take what students are offering and use it in the drama.
4. How to Use Drama for Inclusion and Citizenship
What can drama offer in terms of inclusion?
Drama offers 'new opportunities to students who may have experienced difficulties before' (Ofsted, 2006, p. 7).
Drama takes into account a variety of student experiences and life needs by using the context and role of fiction that allows students to explore the underlying problem safely.
For some students, drama can offer a different experience than what they have experienced experience in the real world, for example taking on the role of an outsider or responsible role.
The concept of drama and keeping pupils safe
There is a perception of drama dealing with issues in a safe way because it uses fictional contexts. The principle of protecting pupils from humiliation and embarrassment remains inside and outside the fictional world of drama, in fact, it underpins good teaching and helps raise the social health of the class by modeling positive ways of treating each other.
Gavin Bolton makes an important distinction when writing about pupils and emotion in drama
I cannot stress enough how important it is for teachers to realize that because drama is such a powerful tool for helping people change, as teachers we need to be very sensitive to the emotional demands we make on our students.
He suggests three ways to deal with a topic indirectly
The drama teacher plans dramas with these devices in order to shift and adjust the emotional proximity of the class in relation to the social event they are examining. We can illustrate this by looking at a drama without structured protection by the teacher and then comparing this with the same drama with devices planned into it. This living-through style of confrontational drama with its raw emotion can be received with derision and light-heartedness by pupils.
Let us draw an analogy with the social ritual of the funeral services in
If in drama we are dealing with a potentially emotionally charged topic or one where the cultural taboos of our society are to be examined, we need to take the class there very carefully. When doing this drama in school we were not surprised when a child with autism asked Christophers Mum whether she thought he might be autistic? Another example of a powerful and demanding moment occurs in the Macbeth drama when the servants are meeting to discuss what to do.
It is prevented from becoming too threatening for them
In both of these cases the class is protected by the fiction and if necessary the teacher can go OoR to negotiate what to do, so that the class is never in any danger from the moment of anxiety.
Having a voice in society
Students have the confidence to discuss opinions in drama lessons. There is a match between what we choose, what we say and what we do and these factors must be seen against the background of the community in which students live and the events of their lives; they drama in the dimensions of the lesson. Their self-esteem will also be important factor; students who are more confident with a very advanced sense themselves will be better prepared to read their point of view.
` Having no voice on society
Student voice is not heard. What students think, say and do often has no connection with each other. They are alert come to drama lessons to say what they think and are reluctant to do and expressing views or making suggestions that may be challenged by the majority or dominant group. We cannot leave ourselves in the real world outside the classroom and doors as a result there is a dynamic relationship between the way we think and behave in the fictional world of drama and how we think and behave real world.
The relationship between inclusion and citizenship
If drama with highly operational values is an inclusive and if work method the contents of several dramas are within themselves examining the nature of outsiders, so Citizenship and PSHE are an integral part of the drama experience.
The QCA Booklet on Citizenship for the primary age group defines the area as follows: The PSHE and Citizenship framework consists of four interrelated strands which supports the personal and social development of children. The strands are:
develop confidence and responsibility and make the best use of their ability;
prepare to play an active role as a citizen;
develop a healthier, safer lifestyle; and
develop a good relationship and appreciate the difference between the two people.
(QCA, 2002, p. 4)
Drama as citizenship in action
How does the drama method promote this learning? The process of drama itself is democratic in nature. The underlying rules of drama embody key democratic values. These are:
that the class work as a whole group, dividing into sub-groups for some tasks, but experiencing their class as a democratic community
that every member of the group may speak and contribute to the development of the drama;
that all members of the group must respect the other members – their opinions and viewpoints;
that we stop the drama at any point to consider and discuss what is happening and what it means so that everyone may clarify their understanding and therefore have a greater chance to make a contribution
that when group decisions are to be made, debate may happen, but it is the majority view of the group that will be taken;
that we reflect together on the meanings we are forging and that together we are stronger in that creative act
5. How to Generate Empathy in a Drama
Empathy
Empathizing does not entail just the cold calculation of what someone else thinks and feels Empathizing occurs when we feel an appropriate emotional reaction, an emotion triggered by the other person’s emotion, and it is done in order to understand another person, to predict their behavior, and to connect or resonate with them emotionally. (Baron-Cohen, 2003, p. 2)
The components of empathy
The idea of a cognitive stage and an affective stage in the empathetic process is taken from the writings of Alan Leslie in his work at London University, as summarized by Simon Baron-Cohen (2003, pp. 2930).
The cognitive stage
The first stage of structuring for empathizing is the cognitive stage. In the example given it have three components:
The role Martha represented by a pupil walking down the conscience alley.
The attitude of Martha as negotiated and agreed with by the class and teacher.
Marthas purpose to enter the workhouse and save the baby
This representation of the cognitive stage of empathizing has been contracted with the class before the strategy is enacted. Its success is generated by the constraints imposed on the roles, the context and the events leading up to Marthas approach to the doors of the workhouse, in other words, the pre-text.
The role First, empathy is generated by Martha and this is reflected by the pupils as the voices of Marthas thoughts. Empathy here is a response to the attitudes of the roles they have met. Crimmins – uncaring, deceitful – and the Workhouse Master – cruel, untrustworthy, manipulative and finally the low status role of Martha, vulnerable and limited in the choices she can make on her own.
The context If we then put these roles in the context of a workhouse dangerous, forbidding and the last resort of the poor while at the same time requiring the class to make judgments and a report about the workhouse, we are giving them power to take action.
Events leading up to her approaching the workhouse The pre-text to Martha approaching the doors of the workhouse involves her poverty, vulnerability, the symbol of a baby giving her little choice but to go the workhouse.
The affective stage
The second stage of structuring for empathising is the affective stage. The three components this time are the pupils role, the context in which they find themselves and their witnessing of Marthas treatment by Mards, the Workhouse Master.
The roles First the pupils role as commissioners is high status, fair-minded, responsible, not easily fooled and trying to make the world a better place.
The context If we then put these roles in the context of a fact-finding commission with the power to change practices, we give them the opportunity to take action.
Events leading up to their debrief of the Workhouse Master The pupils share the experience of witnessing the induction of a new inmate.
Can we plan for generating empathy?
We can generate empathy through structuring roles and creating drama frames where it might happen. There are three parts to this process: roles the teacher, the student's role and the frame in which they are placed.
The role of the student
While placing students in positive roles, problem solving and high status (Government commissioner) gives them the power to make judgments the state of people from a positive perspective, also makes possible to arouse empathy for those who are dispossessed
. The role of the teacher
Like the role of students, the role of the teacher is also important in the generation of empathy; the relationship is interdependent. Student role need in the first place to become a community so they see the situation from one point of view and not divided in their attitude. Same as role students give them a perspective from which they can empathize, roles your plan for the teacher is also part of structuring your empathy response.
6. How to Link History and Drama
There is a tension between history and drama but they can be resolved with adopting a clear conceptual framework about learning intentions
Research is a key element in planning the role of history
Using various sources helps to support the validity of the work
It is important to clarify what you mean when you use the word empathy in relation to historical drama and teaching
Using markers, not complete costumes, when playing a role allows you to enter and out of role
References to modern parallels allow you to make connections past and present
7. How to Begin Using Assessment of Speaking and Listening (and Other English Skills) through Drama
What is assessment?
The primary aim of assessment is to provide information about the development and achievement of those involved in the teaching and learning situation. Assessment records evidence related to students' abilities, both actual and potential, and charts their progression. The intended audience of assessment feedback should always include the students themselves. (Clark and Goode, 1999, p. 15)
Whatever the difficulties, we must consider assessing speaking and listening for very good reasons:
How do we promote better speaking and listening unless we assess and reflect on the changes in pupils handling of the medium?
Are we being fair to those pupils who demonstrate ability in this area if we do not honour their abilities, especially if they lack success in other areas?
What do you look for?
Jim Clark and Tony Goode identify key ways that drama promotes speaking and listening:
Drama as a context for speaking and listening
Negotiating and co-operating with others in the creation of drama work and the roles within it
Expressing imaginative ideas when contributing to the drama work development
Taking and using effectively the opportunities within the drama that require oral and aural communication
Modifying, selecting and relating language and vocabulary to the changing roles, moods and situations in the drama work
Controlling effectively oral and aural communication particularly in challenging sequences of drama work, e.g. questioning, dilemmas, unfair or emotional situations
Responding with enjoyment and enthusiasm to the exploration of speech, gesture and sound
Contributing effectively to critical evaluation of their own work and that of others
(Clark and Goode, 1999, p. 22)
What is the purpose of the assessment?
To:
give feedback to the pupil
report to another teacher
report to a parent
