In our drama workshop, we began by discussing our own experiences with drama as a learner and our thoughts on teaching the subject as future teachers. The general consensus was negative and most people found the thought of teaching drama daunting. However, we were open to learning and improving our confidence.
We explored techniques including teacher in role and freeze frame. I found the first technique – teacher in role – very useful. This is when the teacher can use a prop such as a hat to show the pupils that they are no longer a teacher as such but now an actor. We related the techniques to a story of a dragon flying above a village and acted out our adaptations of a particular scene using the freeze frame technique. Having looked over the Curriculum for Excellence: Expressive Arts experiences and outcomes it was clear to see how the class how the workshop could be replicated in a classroom and tie in with relevant framework. For example, “I enjoy creating, choosing and accepting roles, using movement, expression and voice” EXA 1-12a.
During our morning lecture, we were given a copy of the watercolour painting ‘Windows in the West’ by the Scottish artist – Avril Paton. In our visual art input, we used this painting and a piece of polystyrene to copy a section of the paining. Next, we folded four different colours of A4 paper, covered our polystyrene tracing in paint before printing it on to each sheet of coloured paper. Once complete, we altered our original copy by removing sections of the polystyrene. We then used a second colour and reprinted onto each sheet of paper again. The fact that everybody’s drawing was different could reflect on Eisner’s (2002) 10 Lessons the Arts Teach. One lesson would be that the arts celebrate a variety of perspectives and the other being that there is no wrong answer, only a number of solutions. Below are pictures of Avril Paton’s “Windows in the West” as well as the process of creating my prints.
I found this activity enjoyable but think if it was to be replicated in a classroom environment it would best be covered over multiple lessons as it is messy and would be difficult for primary school aged children to do in a single lesson.
Overall, these inputs have allowed me to better explore the arts by embracing creativity. From the two inputs I am also now of the number of different lessons that can be taught relating to just one Expressive Art lesson.
REFERENCES
Eisner, E. W. (2002) The Arts and the Creation of Mind. London: Yale University Press.
Scottish Government (2017). Curriculum for Excellence: Expressive Arts. [Online]. Accessible: https://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/expressive-arts-eo.pdf [Accessed: 5 October 2017].
