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.