drama-education.com
a global perspective
learning in, with and through drama
Volume 2 Number 19 - 24/12/04

In this issue:

  • Kim's Blog

  • Lesson Idea

  • Book Recommendations
Kim's Blog

Hi everyone,

Well this is a last dash effort to get a new newsletter structure worked out and to publish it before the end of 2005. 

I would just like to reiterate my usual invitation for subscribers to make submissions to share with other drama-education users.  If you are a regular reader and user of the website then you have probably gained some assistance from others in the community - isn't it about time you made a contribution?  A simple lesson idea, a new drama game, a scheme-of-work, an article about your favourite drama topic, a project description... anything that will enrich the drama-education.com community.  To those of you who have shared - THANKS AGAIN!!

My year in retrospect...

Regular Drama-Ed subscribers will be familiar with what's happening in my world - but here's a quick overview of the highlights of the past year....

  • Feb - started lecturing at Edith Cowan University in the Drama Education program;
  • Mar - started work on my thesis for Master of Education;
  • Mar - went to Adelaide Festival;
  • Mar - presented Keynote to ECAWA SIGFEST
  • May - appointed as School Based Moderator for Curriculum Council;
  • June - flew to Canada, via Hong Kong for the IDEA World Congress;
  • July - co-chaired the IDEA Special Interest Group on Drama and New Media;
  • July - home via New York and Hong Kong;
  • Aug - established the DramaPlayShop - http://sig7.org;
  • Aug - presented graduate seminar about my research proposal;
  • Aug - converted Drama-Education.com to MOODLE interface;
  • Sept - started writing thesis - "Teacher attitudes to the introduction of learning technologies in Drama Education"
  • Sept - presented to the DOET Connected Learning conference;
  • Oct - presented to the ECAWA "Hands on Learning" conference;
  • Nov - finished and submitted thesis - retitled "Drama and Technology: teacher attitudes and perceptions" (Still waiting on examiners reports as this newsletter is published)
  • Dec - received PhD scholarship offer from Queensland University of Technology (and accepted it!)
  • Dec - advised by Dept of Education of transfer from John Forrest SHS to Rossmoyne SHS

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE - PLEASE COME BACK SAFELY IN 2005!!

Links

Sort of an odd alternative - but it gives some indication of how drama can work within a Buddhist context.

Lesson Idea

  • Getting started in a new year

This is little more than a suggestion - but what better way to start a new academic year than by starting with the end in mind.  Why not begin the new year with a drama activity that looks at how the year will finish up for students?  Have students consider the goals they wish to achieve during 2005 and then to explore them through 

  • a complex process drama;
  • a simple improvisation;
  • a short scripted piece...

Whatever your preference of pedagogy, having well defined goals and using drama process to help students gear for success seems to me to be a wonderful role for Drama.  Have them work "as if" 2005 has finished - what did they achieve, how did they get there, what obstacles did they face...etc 

Book Recommendations

Here are my favourite books (as discovered or purchased in 2004)

First Person - a book looking at New Media, storytelling, gaming and performance - excellent!  This one is likely to underpin a lot of new thinking in the field of Drama and technology.

 

Teaching Literacy through Drama - Now that literacy is a priority in most school systems, this book helps teachers refocus on how to embed literacy in Drama.

 

History of Theatre - I really like this book for both its images and the straightforward yet engaging descriptions of the various phases of theatre history - certainly not in the same league as Oscar Brockett's work but a great book for kids in schools... and teachers who need to brush up a little.

Google

 

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