Teacher in role

Teacher in role and the mantle of the expert are both innovative ways the teacher can engage students with classroom content (Ewing & Simons, 2004). By removing the traditional teacher-student dynamic, a whole new dimension is opened up, allowing students to explore and think critically. This strategy can be utilised specifically for drama, or as a way to experience content across the curriculum. The mantle of the expert encourages learning to take place on multiple levels (Heathcote & Herbert, 1985). Asking the students to consider you as the teacher as a new person can be effective for introducing this strategy in the classroom, however teachers and students which are experienced with the teacher in role may not even need this. From there, authentic learning can take place through the teacher accepting the offers students make, and encouraging students to take on their own roles of being knowledgeable about a topic. By letting students know they are now in charge by having higher status than the teacher (Heathcote &Herbert, 1985), they can build up the confidence to communicate their ideas and participate fully in the experience, exploring drama itself or any number of topics throughout the other KLAs. At the same time though, the teacher needs to be one step ahead in their planning of this (Bolton, 2002; Ewing & Simons, 2004) so students are guided in the direction desired for the learning outcomes. 

Introductory speech for teacher in role

From designing our own introductory speeches on absolutely any topic (our group choosing the germination of a seed, pictured above), I began to understand what a broad and fantastic tool teaching in role, or mantle of the expert, can be in exploring content in the classroom, especially when the teacher is able to guide the learning from within the drama (Ewing & Simons, 2004).

References

Bolton, G. (2002). A comparison. In A. Jackson's Learning Through Theatre: New Perspectives on Theatre in Education. Routledge.

Heathcote, D. & Herbert, P. (1985) A drama of learning: Mantle of the expert, Theory Into Practice, 24:3, 173-180.

Ewing, R., & Simons, J. (2004). Beyond the script: take two. Marrickville: PETAA.

Literacy through drama

Drama can be a fantastic resource for both emergent and proficient literacy learners (Harrod, 2002). It enables students to engage with texts in a way that does not intimidate those whose skills may still be developing. We explored this concept using Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne. The first activity we participated in showed an explicit link to literacy - writing down adjectives, similes and metaphors to describe characters in the story. Using strategies like this, both literacy and drama outcomes can be achieved in a holistic and meaningful way (Ewing & Gibson, 2011). 

Writing down adjectives to describe the characters

There are also implicit ways in which drama and literacy can be intertwined. Using activities such role play and narration, students must employ what they know about the dramatic elements - focus, tension, space, role - as well as their understanding of a narrative, in order to create their drama (Ewing & Simons, 2004). Implementing these strategies can help less confident students to build up a better sense of self-efficacy (Harrod, 2002).

Conscience alley

Another way to link literacy to drama is reflection upon the conclusion of activities. Diary entries or creative writing pieces can help a teacher assess the students' understanding of the concepts while allowing students to experience a bit of freedom in their self-expression, and employing the literacy techniques they know. This is also great practice for the student as a metacognitive learner, assessing themselves and their own understanding (Ewing & Gibson, 2011).

Reference

Harrod, C. (2002). Drama and literacies. Drama Queensland Says. v.25 n.1 p.7-11.

Ewing, R., & Simons, J. (2004). Beyond the script: take two. Marrickville: PETAA.

Gibson, R., & Ewing, R. (2011). Transforming the curriculum through the arts. Melbourne: Palgrave Macmillan.

Playbuilding

Using the text 'The Green Children' as a stimulus, we began to examine the role of questioning and dramatic context in creating a meaningful drama experience. 

'The Green Children'

With this particular excerpt, we looked at the way it made us feel, and any information we would like to know about the story in order to better understand it. Engaging in the various playbuilding exercises - e.g. still images, mapping, role walk - showed me the importance of building belief. If students can build belief in the roles and the stories, they can explore concepts in a really powerful way. The other aspect of playbuilding in the classroom is that it is a collaborative process (Philip & Nicholls, 2009), and so allows for students to have some ownership over their work. Building these characters, and the stories behind them, lets students emotionally connect with an issue in a non-confrontational way, as they are inherently distanced from it (Ewing & Simons, 2004). 

Still image from the moment the green children are discovered

Through asking questions and collaborating with peers, playbuilding can be an extremely meaningful experience, and a fantastic way of getting students to engage with content from other KLAs in a way that encourages critical thinking. Reflection is a key part of this process (Philip & Nicholls, 2009), which we participated in during the workshop by thinking about the various characters emerging and what influences their attitudes. Students' reflection can be used as an assessment tool for teachers, as well as allowing students to metacognitively engage with their own learning (Ewing & Simons, 2004; Ewing & Gibson, 2011).

Reference

Philip, R. & Nicholls, J. (2009). Group blogs: Documenting collaborative drama processes. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 25(5), 683-699.

Ewing, R., & Simons, J. (2004). Beyond the script: take two. Marrickville: PETAA.

Ewing, R., & Gibson, R. (2011). Transforming the curriculum through the arts. Melbourne: Palgrave Macmillan.

What good are the arts?

The arts are a vital aspect of student learning and development, and should be infused throughout the curriculum to achieve a more holistic learning experience and the emergence of higher order thinking skills. Research shows that an integrated arts curriculum produces higher student achievement in areas such as critical thinking, emotional wellbeing, self-expression and problem solving (Jay, 1999; Gibson & Ewing, 2011). The arts provide a way for students to access content from other key learning areas (KLAs), as well as learning the specific skills which relate only to the arts. With the new national curriculum soon being implemented (ACARA, 2013), it is more important now than ever to promote an integrated approach to the arts within this somewhat crowded curriculum (Lemon & Garvis, 2013) and for teachers to understand the extensive benefits the arts bring to a classroom. When content is explored in a holistic way, there is much more relevance to students' lives, which leads to more meaningful learning (Gibson & Ewing, 2011). The arts can also help teachers to assess students' understandings of content areas, allowing for them to adjust teaching accordingly.



While there are proven benefits that relate to academic performance in the 'traditional' subject areas - mathematics, literacy, science (Jay, 1999) - we mustn't forget the importance of the arts in and of themselves in assisting students to become well-rounded, creative and expressive people (Gibson & Ewing, 2011).


References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2013). Revised draft Australian curriculum: The arts foundation to year 10. Retrieved April 14, 2014 from http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/Draft_Arts_Curriculum _22_February_2013.pdf

Jay, L. (1999). Dancing through life: A rationale for arts education. (Order No. 1397398, University of Hawai'i). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Chapter 2, pp.9-27.

Lemon, N., & Garvis, S. (2013). What is the Role of the Arts in a Primary School?: An Investigation of Perceptions of Pre-Service Teachers in Australia. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 38(9). 

Gibson, R., & Ewing, R. (2011). Transforming the curriculum through the arts. South Yarra, Victoria: Palgrave MacMillan.