Volume 1 Number 32
Hi Folks,
Kim's Drama Blog
Wow, another week gone. The return to school each term always takes a bit of getting used to, don't you think? This term has its own challenges with graduation events for senior students, trying to get those same students to finalise all their academic assessments so they can graduate, dance and drama presentations, art exhibitions, and concerts, the usual array of assemblies and the inevitable assessment and reporting commitments. Add to that the uncertainty of where you will be employed next year and a couple of units in a Master of Education program, trying to organise and plan events for a youth theatre next year, stay on top of personal commitments to other projects (such as newsletters and websites) and you start to get a picture of my world at the moment.
I'm not complaining mind you, I actually thrive on the challenge of meeting all the demands that come my way, and it alleviates the need for such tediousness and sleeping and a social life!!
A couple of highlights of the week - a really good lesson with my Year 10 class, who have proved to be quite a handful at various times this year. Also making some interesting headway with a couple of other lower school classes. Trying a few new ideas I've come up with to really get back to establishing some group cohesion and a focus on significant Drama work. And to cap off the week, I have been invited to Chair a Special Interest Group at the IDEA World Congress in Ottawa next year. The excitement of that was diminished a little when I went to my employers and asked about some support. First response was "Do you have any long-service leave due?", I then went to the personnel section of the department who also advised that there was no support for "that sort of thing" (presumably academic activity and leadership at an international level that directly relates to my employment and brings kudos to the education department), after several other calls it seems I might be able to apply for some sort of special consideration and may not have to sacrifice salary and benefits to be able to accept this prestigious invitation. It was interesting to note however that had I been going off to Athens (2004 Olympics) to run around an oval, then the education department would have no problems in supporting that. An interesting state of affairs in a system that proclaims it is focussing on raising the status of teachers.
LESSONS/ACTIVITIES
I've a few little activities to share this week. Not complete lessons in any sense but they are useful inclusions in introductory classes, or classes that need to refocus on their group dynamics. I can't claim that all of these are entirely original and I'm sure I've poached some of these ideas from various workshops sessions and conferences that I've attended... feel free to claim ownership of any concept you think is your original work.
OK, this one is quite simple, you'll need a bag of balloons and a decent sized space. Quite simply get the students to pair off and give each pair a balloon. Inflate it, and have then just "ping-pong" the balloon backwards and forwards between them. Then ask them to hold the balloon and explain that they are going to hold hands with each other (both hands) and are going to work together to keep the balloon off the floor. Any team that drops the balloon or breaks the grip should sit out and watch the others.
Now start adding complications. They cannot use their arms in the process of keeping the balloon aloft; now they cannot speak to each other; now one person is blindfolded (or closes eyes)...
Now, have pairs join other pairs, they should form a circle and go through a similar process as the pairs, then add the complication of having to keep both balloons aloft.
Now, groups combine to form larger circles... and so on until the entire class is working together to keep multiple balloons aloft. (You might get really kitsch and play that song, 99 Red Luft Balloons!!)
Follow up with some discussion about the nature of the activity, what metaphors are evident about group work, what difficulties and challenges were evident, what solutions were found, are there an aspects that might be considered relevant to drama work, or education more generally?
I have a wonderful book by Edwin Friedman called "Friedman's Fables ". (See details below)
What I've taken to doing lately is using some of these stories as the basis of group activities in class. The class gathers together around me as I sit on a special "story-teller's seat", it is specially set up because "in many cultures around the world, the position of the storyteller is privileged and respected". The idea here is that I begin to establish some regard for listening. I encourage the students to think back to a time when being told stories was especially important to them and to remember what that was like. Then I start to read one of the fables. And it is not necessary to use Friedman's, Aesop's or other tales could be used just as well depending on your student cohort.
I read the main part of the story but stop at a critical point and then the students are charged with working in small groups to enact the end of the story, often having to decide on a solution to a problem, or resolve a difficulty, before they can actually create their small improvised presentation to the class. I give them 5-15 minutes to achieve this depending on the complexity of the story and the ability of the group.
The groups then present their improvisations to the class in quick succession, we don't linger too long on each piece but do stop and discuss if anything really interesting or challenging is thrown up.
Then we discuss the dynamics that were represented in each presentation, looking at the relationships, the underlying values and world views that are displayed, the differences and similarities between the work presented, any interesting assumptions, etc...
Of course the activity normally finishes with me reading the end of the story and a final discussion about any learnings that might help us as a class to develop more effectively as a site for learning and interacting on a meaningful level. The metacognitive and problem-solving elements of this activity are really up to the ability and understanding of the teacher, and the maturity of the class. I've been constantly surprised at the focus that develops during the activity.
There are always going to be those students who find what may seem to be "glib" or "disruptive" endings to the stories, in these cases it is really effective, albeit challenging, to try to reframe the work they present to actually see it as a valid expression. I recommend the book "Reframing" if you are unfamiliar with what I mean.
RECOMMENDED WEBSITES
This handbook on storytelling offers hints to anyone who is interested in telling stories. You'll have to learn for yourself what works for you. You'll need to develop your own storytelling style. These suggestions are offered as a means of beginning your journey into the wonderful world of storytelling.
PROFESSIONAL NEWS
Just to let you know that Juliana Saxton and Carole Miller have
extended the final date for proposals for the IDEA 2004 Congress to
October 20th. This is partly to accommodate us, given the date of our
DA conference. This will enable us to promote the IDEA 2004 Congress
in Brisbane and to talk amongst ourselves about ideas for papers
and workshops for Ottowa!
ASSITEJ
International World Conference “Number One of Three”
"Theatre arts and the educational system: in harmony or in
contradiction?“
Saturday, September 27 Horn, Vereinshaus
There would be no theatre for children and teenagers without
the institutional framework provided by the school system and other
educational institutions. Theatre for a young audience is performed
at school, provides an incentive for school classes to go to the
theatre, and is often part of the curriculum or of extra-curricular
activities. Often the complementarity of the two spheres benefits
both sides, though their cooperation may also highlight differences
and encourage confrontation. But there can be no doubt that the
combination of school and theatre offers a host of possibilities of
deepening young people’s understanding of life and enhancing their
appreciation of culture(s).
The conference in Horn will focus on these interesting perspectives. The programme includes the presentation of the three “Best Practice Models” and two “Round Table Talks” with international theatre experts.
The conference is the first of three events:
2003: Horn / Austria,
2004: Cape Town / South Africa,
2005: Montreal / Canada
Developers
Conference 2004 (GDC 2004)
March 22-26
San Jose Convention Centre
San Jose California
Game industry growth is radically accelerating, and ever-changing market conditions demand evolution. As risks increase, developers must adopt new methodologies and pipelines, as well as anticipate and meet skyrocketing consumer expectation. To continue to engage audiences, developers must reinvigorate existing genres and properties, and create compelling new ones. The relevance of this to drama will not be lost on the forward thinking members of our collegiate.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
Friedman's
Fables (with Booklet)Teaching by parable has an old and honourable tradition. Ed Friedman, beloved rabbi and noted family therapist, is a great modern master of the art. Friedman's Fables is a delight, of course. These stories are funny, but they are also profound, provocative, even shocking, as they present crucial truths of systemic thinking, vital lessons of family therapy and family life, and a slyly modern, hard-nosed re-evaluation of the wisdom of the ages. Friedman is using these stories to punctuate his lessons, lessons to therapists and to anyone else who expects to deal with people, lessons about human relationships, human suffering, and human integrity.
Books on Reframing
The
Skilled Facilitator
by Roger Schwarz (Author)
In The Skilled Facilitator: Practical Wisdom For
Developing Effective Groups, Roger Schwarz draws on his own extensive
facilitation experience and insight to bring together theory and
practice, creating a comprehensive reference for consultants, peer
facilitators, mangers, leaders -- anyone whose role is to guide groups
toward realization their creative and problem-solving potential. The
Skilled Facilitator provides essential materials including simple but
effective ground rules for governing group interaction; what to say to a
group (and when to say it) to keep it on track and moving toward its
goal, proven techniques for starting meetings on the right (and ending
them positively and decisively), practical methods for handling emotions
(particularly negative emotions) when they arise in a group context, and
a diagnostic approach for helping both facilitators and group members
identify and solve problems that can undermine the group process. The
Skilled Facilitator provides a clearly defined set of basic principles
to help facilitators develop sound, value-based responses to a wide
range of unpredictable situations. It also includes advice on how to
work with outside consultants and facilitate within one's own
organizations, along with a groundbreaking section on facilitative
leadership. The Skilled Facilitator is an excellent addition to any
business or community library shelf.
Communication
Magic
The
Dynamics of Conflict Resolution: A Practitioner's Guide
The
Power of the Tale : Using Narratives for Organisational Success'This book - full of stories about storytelling -
contains some remarkable, real life examples of how story-telling in
organisations leads to learning and dilemma resolution and how it makes
possible the realisation of a vision.' Arie de Geus, Former Head of
Group Planning, Royal Dutch/Shell Group and author of The Living Company
'The real power of narrative is that the threads can be interwoven to
create ferocious antagonisms, happy endings and elegant syntheses. This
is a book for all who would enthral others with their enterprise.'
Charles Hampden-Turner, The Judge Institute of Management Studies,
University of Cambridge. Co-author of Riding the Waves of Culture and
Building Cross-Cultural Competence.
'Tales, of the sort described in this book, are a powerful antidote
to the overly analytical culture that afflicts many organisations today.
Like many of the best business ideas, telling stories is both old and
new. This book develops a new way to use stories to create the elusive
competitive edge - a must for managers in our increasingly complex
world.' DeAnne Julius, Former Member of the Monetary Policy Committee,
Bank of England.
'A gift to story-lovers. After an hour or so, one is entirely
engrossed by this delightful book. Full of rich stories, narratives and
ideas, it will appeal to the scholar, the student and the practitioner,
the story-teller and the listener.' Yiannis Gabriel, School of
Management, Imperial College, University of London. Author of
Storytelling in Organizations. 
Beginning
Drama 4-11
by Joe Winston, Miles Tandy
Updated and revised in the light of the National Literacy Strategy and
the new 2000 curriculum, this text provides an introduction for early
years and primary school teachers who are new to drama and for student
teachers who wish to specialize in the teaching of drama.
It offers step-by-step guidance to help teachers and children grow in
confidence in their use of drama and shows clearly how drama can
contribute to work in English, to learning across the curriculum and to
the broader cultural life of the school.
Teaching
Through Drama: Creative Approaches
by Patrice Baldwin, Kate Fleming, Patricia Baldwin
Based on
tried-and-tested units of work, this book shows teachers and student
teachers how they can engage children's learning through drama.
eBOOKS - Can be downloaded immediately - A full listing of available eBooks.
Kim Flintoff
Copyright © September, 2004