This was our first drama experience today, which I was really looking forward to as I have a background in drama. However, the general consensus from our class was that many people didn’t feel confident in drama and were dreading it.

We explored four drama conventions that we could use in a classroom – such as teacher-in-role and freeze frame and linked them into teaching the story of The Dragon. This was thoroughly enjoyable, and I really feel I picked up on how to teach drama to younger children.

In art, today we made prints based on Paton’s Windows to The West. We were to take an idea of the concepts found within the painting and transfer it to print. This activity took time, patience and a little bit of skill. This activity could be transferred to a classroom situation; however, you would need a high tolerance for mess. I don’t think it is a lesson I would be able to teach as I found it very challenging.

This week I am starting to see that the practices for the arts can be transferred into the classroom by exploring a concept. In relation to Windows to the West, we can print a concept, or explore the concept of the people or the environment through drama. Similarly, we can explore the story of the Dragon or we could print an idea or theme from the story. Going back to my findings from last week, you don’t need skills in the arts to be able to explore an idea or concept surrounding a topic using Drama, Music, Art or Dance in any combination or variation. ” Overall, Arts Across the Curriculum has; enabled pupils at primary and secondary schools to experience both the richness of the arts and enhanced learning opportunities” (Scottish Arts Council, 2009). This can be easily achieved if all teachers get the opportunity to experience this learning curve themselves.

References:

Scottish Arts Council (2009) The Art of Learning [Online] Available at: http://www.scottisharts.org.uk/resources/publications/education/pdf/Arts%20Across%20Curriculum%2015_4.pdf (Accessed 5th October 2017)