Today in drama we were taught a further four conventions: Flashback, Flash forward, Slow motion and Narration. We created dramas based on these conventions and looked at the concept and idea of forum theatre where the audience can stop the drama and offer a way to improve it. I would say that facilitated in the correct way, this convention can empower and inspire our young learners to take ownership and creative responses and reactions to drama.

We also discussed again the importance that ‘teacher in role’ can have in the classroom and in drama – and how in the right way, it can be facilitated to both inspire learners and keep classroom management. We also looked at how drama is a principal way to improve the self-confidence of our learners. To be a Confident Individual means you meet one of the four capacitates of CfE (Scottish Executive, 2004), proving it all the more important to allow young people to explore drama and engage actively in confidence building activities and methods.

Today in music we looked how we can care for our voice and how important it is to preserve this in teaching. We then did a bit of singing with Choon Baboon – a music resource set up by a Scottish musician to bring singing into the classroom in a child and curriculum friendly way.

We then looked at graphic scores as a form of notation – and how they can provide a fun and worthwhile way to have your class playing as a band.

I found this week very worthwhile and thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m really starting to see the commonalities in the arts and how they can be interconnected to form an integrated arts program for our learners.

Reference List

Scottish Executive (2004) A Curriculum for Excellence: The Curriculum Review Group. [Online] Available: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/Doc/26800/0023690.pdf  [Accessed 31 October 2017].