Drama in Education: An Overview

Sobha Kavanakudiyil

EDCE 7700A Drama in Education

The Graduate Program in Educational Theatre

School of Education

The City College of New York

Introduction

CCNY’s Drama in Education Overview

Drama in Education EDCE 7700A is a foundational course for The Graduate Program in Educational Theatre at The City College of New York (CCNY). It is the first class that candidates take along with the co-requisite Artistic Lab I EDCE 7600A. The latter is a course that introduces candidates to graduate school, the importance of building a network, and the larger arts education community in NYC, as well as the pedagogy and practice of Drama in Education. 

It is important that candidates are trained to think about bringing their own identity to their work. In reimagining what it means to provide tools for an emerging practitioner in arts education through a social justice lens, Chris Emdin’s “The Five C’s of Reality Pedagogy: Cogenerative Dialogues, CoTeaching, Cosmopolitanism, Context and Content” has influenced changes in the way the course is taught and how work is assigned. This Open Educational Resource (OER) has been created in response to two primary needs in the field: making sure these resources are accessible and bringing more BIPOC voices into arts education.  The intended audience for the course is graduate level preservice theatre teachers, teaching artists, and anyone interested in using drama as a teaching tool in their pedagogical practice, professors interested in using the materials to teach drama-in-education, another content area teachers using the arts as a teaching tool integrated in their practice. All these stakeholders were considered when designing the curriculum.  

Accessibility Statement

This course allows candidates to develop as artist educators by creating a culturally sustainable learning environment and by making the course’s content accessible by creating multiple types of learning experiences. Candidates will build the classroom culture through ensemble building and opportunities to share their personal histories. They will also receive various forms of formative assessments including co-teaching opportunities, presentations, and writing assignments.  

Course Overview

Course Description:

This course explores how drama and theatre facilitate learning in

educational, cultural, and community settings. It includes an examination of key aspects of the field’s historical development through the work of prominent leaders; the relationships between theories of dramatic art and general education principles; and the main concepts, pedagogies, and conventions of the field of Educational Theatre.

Additional Course Description:

This course will also look at how our field is at the forefront of integrating culturally sustainable practice and artistry in drama in education in the classroom. This foundational course sets up candidates for success both in content and practice by including an examination of what it means to bring one’s own identity into one’s classroom community. The aim is also to integrate values from Christopher Emdin’s Reality Pedagogy, which prioritizes co-teaching opportunities and “cogenerative dialogue” by shifting assignments to accommodate different kinds of learners, including more creative ways to engage in community building and reexamining content to create space for current initiatives in the field. 

Learning outcomes Learning outcomes will include:

• Sparking curiosity.

• Understanding the theoretical and practical development of educational theatre.

•Developing concrete knowledge of creative drama practices synthesizing material and applying it to practical work in classrooms or non-traditional settings.

• Connecting with the field at large.

• Understanding arts advocacy.

• Building confidence.

• Identifying joy in the work.

• Exploring ways to bring one’s own identity to practice.

• Maintaining integrity and prioritizing artistry.

• Realizing how to integrate Reality Pedagogy into the work. 

Using the Arts to Learn

Arts Integration

Arts Integration is the use of arts as a teaching tool or methodology to teach content or when core content is used as source material to teach arts skills. 

In the early 1800’s art was just music with a focus on sight reading and singing. That evolved toward the late 1800’s with drawing which was drawing figures, lines, and geometric shapes. In the late 1800’s Progressivism impacted the content in schools and achieved its impact in the 1920’s.  Writing and English composition at that time was taught through rote memorization and rules of grammar. Literature was a list of classics which many felt was necessary to prepare students for college entrance exams. There was a big emphasis on math and science.  The Social Efficacy movement then impacted curriculum by wanting to make it more relevant to the future of student’s lives and then the Child Centered movement impacted education by encouraging curriculum to look at the individual needs of students, abilities, and interests.  John Dewey recognized that children instinctively sang, wrote, and spoke.  This idea that it was instinctual impacted the arts in that the perspective changed and education was now looked at as not just focusing on the content goals of the subject areas but also on social growth to foster the well-being of everyone which would then in turn encourage learning.   This was looking at “Whole Child” and the arts promoted fostering social growth.  (Remer and Smith. 1992)

There became a clear distinction and divide between teaching of academic subject-based education and then the other side being creative self-expression. The concept of teaching theatre fit into the idea of subject based education where drama as a pedagogy fit into the idea of creative self-expressions which developed into Child Drama as defined by Peter Slade. This focused on child drama as a separate art form than how adults experience theatre. Child Drama included two forms of play: Personal Play (children imitating life) and Projected Play (children imagining). Brian Way impacted it being looked at in two ways, one being Theatre in Education or communication between the audience and actors, and Drama in Education or process-based experiences. (Slade, Peter. 1954)

Drama connects closely with child centered education and the notion of starting with the interest of the child interacting with the environment and problem solving. However, in the 1960’s and 1970’s education again became more focused on math and science, with many arts programs being cut.  

TYA

Theatre for young audiences came out of looking at theatre in education as more product based.  It is important not just to look at process and play but also at the importance of how we practice directing children, introducing children to see theater, and performing for young people.  It is also important to note the importance of skill building and encouraging children to develop a values system around a sense of what beauty is.  Product based theatre can also encourage the development of social skills, build confidence, and engage students in general in the learning environment. 

Applied Theatre

Applied Theatre is a term which focuses on working in non-traditional communities typically in an out of school setting.  It is thought of as having more of a social justice and advocacy lens. Augusto Boal impacted Applied Theatre with Theatre of the Oppressed, his practice inspired by Paulo Freire and Bertolt Brecht, ending with a legislative stand. 

Resources

Booth, Eric. (2010/2020). The History of Teaching Artistry.

Gibbon, Peter. (2019). John Dewey: Portrait of a Progressive Thinker. National Endowment for Humanities. https://www.neh.gov/article/john-dewey-portrait-progressive-thinker

History of Education in the US. 2020. Center on Educational Policy. George Washington University. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED606970

Raber, Jessee. (2017). The Arts in Public Schools in the US. (BLOG) A Blog for American History. https://www.processhistory.org/raber-arts-public-schools/

Rodriguez-Velez, Teddy. Applying the Microaggressions Theory to the Theatre Arts and Theatre Arts Education. (2020) Linkedin.

Wisdom, Alex. John Dewey: Experience and Education. (Video). Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwIcl-G93Mo.

Additional Resources: 

Historical perspective edited by Bennett,  Reamer and Ralph Smith

Slade, Peter.  (1954). Child Drama. London: University of London Press.

The Art of Practice

Overview

Pre-service training for theatre education needs to be dynamic. Practitioners need to be confident in their artistry, advocate for themselves and know how to integrate drama into their pedagogical practice. It is important to be clear on a value system and a teaching philosophy built on strong guiding principles.  

Practitioners should think about who they are, who they want to become and who they will want to know, and the kind of discipline needed to start which might also translate into what do you need to stop doing to be a stronger artist/educator. 

Artist Educator

The Artist Educator is used in reference to those who consider themselves artists.  It is not important to have a shared definition of what this means so long as the artist educator has a rationale for who they are as an artist. The Artist Educator are also known as the Teaching Artist or Workshop Leader.

Reflective Practice

An Artist can’t be an artist without acknowledging their own personal evolution. Theatre makers are magicians, taking nothing and creating something so spectacular with the children or communities in which they work. The arts do that. The magic of the arts can be memorable and can live beyond the product. It is incredible to think, for anyone who works in education, they are given such a gift. If you think about it, lives are made up of moments, and artist educators are allowed to impact moments, someone else’s moment, and are lucky to be invited in to share that moment and if they are lucky to have more than one moment, and if they are successful, that moment will live in the memory of those who these moments are shared with. It is important to always think like artists. In thinking back to that teacher who made an impact, did they make magic? Was a space created that had an experience so impactful not only did the learner absorb the content but also were there strong levels of engagement and joy. And while these moments may have been a blimp in ife, they are still so vivid. Now that’s magic.

Everyone has struggles in their lives; how we get past them and work through them is what sets us each apart. It is important to have reflection as part of your practice. A few questions to guide you as you begin: 

What’s Your Why? 

What inspired you to have a career in the arts? 

What is your teaching philosophy? 

What are your core values?

Ensemble Practice

Building community means building trust and it is important to remember you can only move at a pace where you can build that trust when working with others.  You can’t teach what you don’t know, so in addition to learning from your experiences whether in school or at work, give yourself the gift of learning from those who you work with or those who are part of your classroom community. You can only be who you are in the ensemble when working with others and you can only be where you are as an individual. You can’t be anywhere else but where you are at. 

Activation Ideas

Mapping

Establish the map

Set boundaries for the classroom size map this will not be to scale. 

Stand in the middle and establish North, South, East, and West. 

Stand in the middle and establish where that is on the map. 

Ask participants to move themselves to where they were born on this map. 

Ask them to talk with those around them and discuss where they were born, a childhood memory they are willing to share and something special to them from that memory. 

Go back to the center of the map and ask them to move somewhere they’d like to travel to and discuss where they are and why there. 

Go back to the center of the map and ask them to move somewhere else they dream of traveling to and here have them discuss a question connected to the topic. Example: What is drama in education? 

Interview and Introduce

Prep

Ask participants what they would like to know about each other - what are some questions you would ask each other? 

Make a list. 

Divide Class

Have participants paired off. 

Discussion

In pairs decide who is A and B.

First A’s will interview B’s. 

Then B’s will interview A’s. 

Share

Participants will then introduce their partner to the class. 

Mandala

Think

Ask participants to share qualities that make a good teacher. 

Ask each individual participant to select 4-6.

Draw

Ask participants to create a symbol to match each quality. 

Creating patterns on a sheet of paper draw a mandala. 

Share

Share your mandala by placing it on a large table and looking at everyone’s together creating one large mandala. 

Write

On the back of the paper write the answer to this: What is your teaching philosophy? 

Share

Share your teaching philosophy with your partner. 

Share with class. 

Make a list of qualities class believes makes a strong teacher. 

Value Statement

With the class, create a value statement for qualities that make a strong teacher. 

Resources

Gaunt, Helena and Treacy, D.S. Ensemble practices in the arts: A reflective matrix to enhance teamwork and collaborative learning in higher education. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education. Volume 19. (2020).

Gorelov, Lauren. Culturally Responsive Drama. (2022). Arts Praxis. Volume 9 Issue 2.

Additional Resources

Hooks, Bell. (2003). A Pedagogy of Hope. New York: Routledge.

Love, Beinna L. (2019). We Want to Do More Than Survive. Boston: Beacon Press.

Robinson, Ken. (2009).  The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything.  New York: Penguin.

Arts Education Today

Advocacy

It is important to consider that arts advocacy does not just have to be on a national level or a state or city level but can also be a teacher advocating for their students or a teaching artist advocating for themselves. 

It is important to recognize that the most compelling argument are the ones that are most personal.

Organizations

There are different types of cultural organizations that may include arts integration work, skill building, performances, and social justice organizations. Create NYC is the cultural plan. 

Resources

58 Arts Organizations Deepen Their Racial Equity Work. (Video) Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZRwPa9ebMI

Rodriguez-Velez, Teddy. Applying the Microaggressions Theory to the Theatre Arts and Theatre Arts Education. 14 June 2020. (Video) LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/applying-microaggressions-theory-theatre-arts-teddy-rodriguez/

https://www.americansforthearts.org/by-program/reports-and-data/legislation-policy/legislative-issue-center/advocacy-toolkit-for-individuals-and-organizations

Villaneueva, Catalina, and O’Sullivan, C. Drama in Education as a Form of Critical Pedagogy: Democratising Classrooms in Chile. (2020). Arts Praxis Volume 7 Issue 2b.

CREATE NYC https://createnyc.cityofnewyork.us/the-cultural-plan/intro/

Additional Resources

NYC Blueprint for the Arts: https://www.weteachnyc.org/resources/collection/blueprint-for-teaching-and-learning-in-the-arts/

NY State Arts Learning Standards https://www.nysed.gov/curriculum-instruction/arts-standards-implementation-resources

Danielson Framework for Teaching: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/danielson-teacher-rubric-2013-instructionally-focused.pdf

National Core Arts Standards: https://www.nationalartsstandards.org/

What is Drama in Education?

Activation Ideas

Alphabet Race

Set up

On large chart paper write out the alphabet in columns leaving enough room to write out a word using the alphabet letters as the first letter of the word. 

Example: 

A

B

C

Teams

Divide class into two teams. 

Have each team stand in two lines. 

Denote a starting point. 

Hand two markers to the first two people. 

Explain that when you say go one person at a time from each time will walk up and write a word associated with Drama in Education. 

Example: 

A acting

B blocking

C creativity

Reflection

First team to complete the alphabet wins the first part. 

Everyone will review the alphabet asking the team who completed the first task to give a rationale for words that are questionable. 

Repeat for the team who completed the activity in second place. 

Modification - Graffiti Wall

Students sit in groups.

Each group has large paper and markers. 

Ask groups to go through the alphabet and ‘graffitti’ words associated with Drama in Education.  

Share the walls with all students. 

Questions

Which words jumped out at you? 

Which words surprised you or had you not thought about? 

What do you think Drama in Education is? 

Gallery Walk

Quotes

Find quotes from practitioners, past and present, who have influenced or continue to influence Drama in Education. 

Post them around the room. 

Students will walk around and look at them and eventually stand next to one that resonates with them.

Tableau

In those groups discuss why that quote resonates with them. 

Create a tableau showing us when that is happening and works well in a classroom. 

Create another tableau showing us when it is a challenge in a classroom. 

Rehearse morphing from one to the other. 

Give it a title. 

Reflection

What does Drama in Education mean to our practice? 

Drama Strategies

Creative Drama/Process Drama

Activation Ideas

What do we want to create a story about?  

This can also be replaced with pretext. For example: A period in history or a text. Cecily O’Neill uses pretext often.  

You may want to ask students what they want to create a story about. 

To draw out what it could be about, think of a question that they can answer. Ex: What is something you dreamed you could do but have been too afraid to do it? 

Statues

Have students line up in two lines.

Name them A & B

Tell A’s they will be the artist first and B’s they will be the statues. 

Ask A’s to walk over to B’s and ask them to show how they would like their body positioned in a way that represents an answer to their question in the form of a statue. 

A’s  must title the statue and then share. 

Then switch roles.  

From this activity, the facilitator should be able to solicit ideas for the drama. 

Transform the space using: 

Tableau

Sound scaping

Physicalize with movement

Facilitator should have students create a still image using the theme. 

Students should be still and add sound to their tableau. 

Students add slight movement. 

Mantle of the Expert

This is a Dorothy Heathcote technique that can be used to put students in the role of researchers. 

This is also a way to edge into the story as Dorothy Heathcote calls it. 

Explore who are experts who would know about this topic.  

Students can take on the role of this expert. 

Students will research what the role is. 

Students will create a role signifier. 

Students will create a distinct physicalizing of the role. 

Students can report out what they learned about the topic. 

Writing in Role

This is a good activity to create scenes, to look back at what could have happened and to look forward to what could happen in the story students create. 

This is also a way to build belief as Dorothy Heathcote calls it. 

Students can take on the role of a character and write in role. 

Facilitator should give a prompt. For example, “I remember when…”

Guided Imagery

Guided Walk

Students stand up and close their eyes. 

Students take a deep breath in and out. 

Students then visualize the setting of their story. 

Students can then partner up.

Decide who is Student A and who is Student B. Student A can walk around and give Student B a tour of their setting. Then they can switch. 

Teacher in Role

Dorothy Heathcote often uses a role signifier. 

Cecily O’Neill often pulls groups of students out to create a scene and have the other students watch. 

Facilitator takes on a role of a character that will be part of the drama and participates in a scene in role. 

Discussion

Process Drama and Creative Drama use many of the same strategies, the major difference being that students drive the process drama where a facilitator makes choices and moves the drama along truly by prioritizing listening. It is mandatory that the facilitator be in the role of listening with no plan, which is difficult to do in an in-school setting where lesson plans are necessary to hand in and objectives are needed to be made. The facilitator can also incorporate theatre skill building as much or as little as they would like in that moment. Cecily O’Neill often uses the technique of narration to move the story along and to bridge together scenes and create episodes. It is important for the facilitator to add in tension as in any good story. Process Drama always involves developing social skills as well as literacy skills in addition to the content that is used. 

The question often comes up if you can devise theatre using this technique. It is possible. It is necessary to weave together the beginning, middle and end of scenes created. Dorothy Heathcote also refers to not knowing where the story is going as “Man in a Mess and uses techniques such as “Questioning”, “Building Belief” and “Edging in” to draw out information from students to create the drama.

Dorothy Heathcote also uses a technique called Mantle of the Expert. Mantle of the Expert puts students in the role of the expert but to be the expert they must build the character. They can spend time researching the role and improvising scenes to really get acquainted with the role. Cecily O’Neill also puts students in the role mostly as experts not as children because typically children don’t make choices, but experts do. To truly create a process drama, we need the participants to make active choices to move the story along.

The heart of the process drama comes from the essence of play. Inherently, children play. Children imitate life or use their imagination to create new worlds. This is the heart of using drama in this way. Every good drama has tension and that becomes the role of the facilitator to add in the tension or to be the narrator and move the story along.

Resources

3 Looms Waiting. Dorothy Heathcote documentary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5jBNIEQrZs

Streeter, Joshua Rashon. Process Drama as Liberatory Practice. (2020). Arts Praxis Volume 7 Issue 2b.

Additional Resources

Bolton, Gavin. (1999).  Acting in Classroom Drama. Portland: Calendar Islands Publisher

McCaslin, Nellie. (1999). Creative Drama in the Classroom (7th ed.). NY: Longman.

Neelands, Jonathan. (2004). Structuring Drama Work: A Handbook of Available Forms in Theatre and Drama. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

O’Neill, Cecily. (1995). Drama Worlds. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Spolin, Viola. (1986). Theatre Games for the Classroom.  Evanston: Northwestern University Press.

Ward, Winifred. (1947). Playmaking with Children 2nd Ed. New York: Appleton-Century

Crofts, Inc.

Wagner, BJ.  (1999). Dorothy Heathcote: Drama as a Learning Medium.  Portsmouth: Heinemann Press.  Revised Ed.

Theatre of the Oppressed

Activation Ideas

21 

Adapted from Augusto Boal

Circle up students

Class of 21 needs to count to 21 with each student saying a number, not saying it at the same time as someone else (or you start from the beginning).

Repeat with student’s eyes closed. 

Invasion of the Brain

Adapted from Augusto Boal

Students walk around the space. 

Students should walk without bunching up and with dividing space between them. 

Students freeze. Explain Actor’s Neutral and have them stand like that. 

Explain to them moving forward when you say walk they stop and when you say stop they walk. 

Activate.

Repeat with hands/elbows, name/stand, smile/gasp.

Columbian Hypnosis

Adapted from Augusto Boal

This activity was created to show how oppression can impact a community of people not just one person. 

In pairs decide who is Student A and Student B. 

Student A puts up hand. 

Student B follows hand with face 6 inches away. 

Reflect on the process and switch. 

Reflect again.

Now ask one student to stand in the middle and put hand facing up. 

Then ask two students to put their faces to the hand with their two hands up. 

Then ask four students to put their faces to a hand (continue as space would allow). 

Ask student in the center to move and notice how this impact the others. 

Rainbow of Desire

Adapted from Augusto Boal

Boal used this to create a space where we could learn different perspective. 

Select a character in a story. 

Ask a student to create a sitting tableau of this character. 

Ask what are the different emotions the character is feeling.

With each emotion build the rainbow with students representing with a tableau each emotion. 

Image Theatre

Adapted from Augusto Boal

Boal would not leave an image theatre session without making sure each participant knew what their next step was to accomplish the goal. 

Create an image of a given topic on the ideal situation. 

Create an image of a given topic on how it is. 

Ask students what steps are taken to get from the current situation to the ideal. 

As you create those images representing steps that need to be taken, title each tableau. 

Forum Theater

Adapted from Augusto Boal

Boal intended this to be performed by professional actors and it was intended to be a larger performance to engage audiences or Spec Actors as he called them to think about how to evoke change. 

The Joker acts as the person who introduces the problem, who plays the other side of the issues and who pushes the Spec Actor’s to think about how choices can impact a community. 

This also pushes the Spec Actors to realize the challenges that come with making change. 

Spec Actors are encouraged, after the experience, to not only imagine change but to practice that change, reflect collectively on the suggestion, and thereby become empowered to generate social action.

Students will create a short scene showing us a problem where there is oppression. 

Students will perform for a younger audience or Spec Actors. 

Facilitator will act as the Joker. 

Facilitator will ask the Spec Actors what they saw and discuss the problem. 

Students will perform again but this time if the Spec Actors are able to make change at any point, they can yell “Stop” and they can tag out the actor and role play the scene. 

Newspaper Theater

Adapted from Augusto Boal

There are several ways to adapt Newspaper Theatre. It is a  system of techniques devised to give the audience a way to transform daily news articles or any non-dramatic pieces to a theatrical performance. The most popular is Crossed Reading which is described as two news items that are read in alternating form, complementing, or contrasting each other in a new dimension. There are also the following ways of using Newspaper Theatre: 

Rhythmic Reading is when the article is read to a rhythm (musical), so it acts as a critical "filter" of the news.

Parallel Action is when actors use mime the actions being read. 

Reinforcement is when actors read the article and it is accompanied by songs, slides, or publicity materials.

Students will read newspaper articles that have opposite points of view on an issue. 

Students will underline important facts. 

Discuss the articles with students. 

Devise a reading of the article or a portion of the articles to show opposing points of view. 

Invisible Theater

Adapted from Augusto Boal

Actors create a scene where there is conflict and other actors intervene to assist the first actor. Those who are watching in public  are unaware that a spectacle is being acted out.

Students can create a scene to perform in a public setting where they can show issues and engage those around them to join in and change the outcome or speak up. 

Discussion

We have an impact. Even when we forget we have an impact, we still have impact. We are not therapists but as facilitators we can create a process that can lend itself to be therapeutic. We are human beings before we are teachers or even artists. It is ok not to know everything but through the lens of being civic minded, it is important to want to learn to make the community stronger. Theatre of the Oppressed can connect the issues that touch the lives of those participating by allowing participants to have empathy, look at things from a different perspective, understand the importance of needing change, how to make that change and why it’s important to be civic minded.

Theatre of the Oppressed creator Augusto Boal’s work is grounded in the work of Paulo Freire and Bertolt Brecht.  He wanted the public to analyze the root causes of situations, that lead to oppression while also creating action steps that lead toward solutions to these problems and to act to change the situation following the concepts of social justice. Boal believed that actors were activists and that those participating in a session should not leave until next steps were realized to change oppression.  It is important to realize as artist educators it is imperative that students are encouraged to be civic minded as well as artistic. Boal’s work encourages the opportunity for students to become activists and it can begin in classrooms and communities. 

Resources

https://www.mandalaforchange.com/about/methods/theatre-of-the-oppressed/

https://www.culturematters.org.uk/index.php/arts/theatre/item/2455-the-theatre-of-the-oppressed

https://dlibrary.stanford.edu/ambiguity/theatre-of-the-oppressed

Additional Resources

Freire, Paulo. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. NY: Continuum

Boal, Augusto.  (2002). Games for Actors and Non-Actors (2nd ed.).  New York, NY: Rutledge. 

Aesthetic Education – Using the Arts Experience in the Classroom

Activation Ideas

Pre (before the artistic experience)

Ways in which you can connect to the arts experience and prepare students can include learning about the artist, learning about the origin of the arts experience, thinking about the theme or how it connects. 

Before students have an arts experience, it is important to realize the value of preparing them, whether for the performing arts or fine arts. 

This is an example of a way to reflect. 

In looking at a painting ask students to do the following: 

If you were to think of a story, what would it be? 

Why did the curator select these photos?

After realizing a theme from the painting ask students how they can connect? 

Share with a partner.

Compare and contrast

Tell the story behind how they go there. 

How are they similar/different?

Students can bring in an object that connects to the arts experience. 

Students can share. 

Arrange the classes objects in a way that they can all be seen. 

Student selects one and sketches it. 

Arrange students in groups and have them bring their sketches and discuss the following: 

What do you understand about the objects partners sketched? 

What connections can infer between the object and the person? 

How can you make sure that comes across with your language in what I’m about to ask you to do? 

Select a theme. For example, home. 

Groups fill in the following I AM Poem and write it out: 

Group 1 

I am (two special characteristics)

I wonder (something you are curious about)

I hear (an imaginary sound)

I see (an imaginary sight)

I hope (something you hope for)

I am (the first line repeated)

Group 2 

I want (an actual desire)

I am (the first line of the poem restated)

I pretend (something you pretend to do)

I feel (a feeling about something imaginary)

I hope (something you hope for)

I am (the first line repeated)

Group 3 

I touch (an imaginary touch)

I worry (something that really bothers you)

I cry (something that makes you very sad)

I am (the first line of the poem repeated)

I hope (something you hope for)

I am (the first line repeated)

Group 4 

I want (an actual desire)

I am (the first line of the poem restated)

I pretend (something you pretend to do)

I feel (a feeling about something imaginary)

I hope (something you hope for)

I am (the first line repeated)

Group 5 

I touch (an imaginary touch)

I worry (something that really bothers you)

I cry (something that makes you very sad)

I am (the first line of the poem repeated)

I hope (something you hope for)

I am (the first line repeated)

Group 6 

I understand (something you know is true)

I say (something you believe in)

I dream (something you dream about)

I try (something you really try about)

I hope (something you hope for)

I am (the first line repeated)

Group 7 

I am (two special characteristics)

I wonder (something you are curious about)

I hear (an imaginary sound)

I see (an imaginary sight)

I hope (something you hope for)

I am (the first line repeated)

Students will finish and come back as a whole class and read them by group one after the other. 

Post (after the experience)

Facilitator should think of ways to connect the experience to core content. 

Discussion

Aesthetic Education is an approach to teaching and learning that engages students in learning about works of art through hands-on inquiry, questioning, writing, and art making. Maxine Greene is an American educational educator and social activist who believes that it is crucial for all students and teachers to create meaning in their lives. She sees humanities and arts as ways to move awareness and conscious engagement in the world. She believes in emphasizing the human experience which includes the living human individual’s emotions as well as thoughts. Greene believes that the teacher’s role in the classroom is to help students find their various paths in life and believes teachers themselves must be deeply involved in their own learning to help their own students. Greene believes that "we must look inside ourselves to discover our own truth and purpose in life".  In 2003, she founded the Maxine Greene Foundation for Social Imagination, the Arts, and Education. The foundation supports the creation and appreciation of works that embody fresh social visions. In 2005, she inspired the creation for the High School of Arts, Imagination, and Inquiry. The school encourages students to expand their imaginative capacities in the arts and other subject areas. 

Maxine Greene was impacted greatly by Dewey.  John Dewey was an American educator and social activist and believes deeply in Progressivism. Progressivism is a philosophy advocating progress and change (as opposed to maintaining things as they are). Progressives work toward what they hope will be better conditions, implement what they consider more enlightened ideas, and try new or experimental methods to facilitate change. Dewey worked to democratize schools. 

One of the major beliefs of Progressivism is that students learn best through social interaction and learning. Examples of Progressivism in the classroom would be project-based learning with a strong emphasis on problem solving and critical thinking and the development of social skills.  Dewey believed in education for social responsibility and democracy and tried to make the students better citizens. His values helped shape the destiny of America and the classroom. 

Lincoln Center Institute which then became Lincoln Center Education, was founded by Maxine Greene. Their guiding principles were clearly stated in their Capacities which included the following: 

Connections

Deep Noticing

Identifying Patterns

Making Meaning

Living with Ambiguity

Their principles encouraged all lesson plans to have an Aesthetic Line of Inquiry as well as a Pedagogical Line of Inquiry. This encourages curriculum to be based in the art experiences as well as core content. 

Resources

Goldman, Karen L., Maxine Greene: Influences on the Life and Work of a Dynamic Educator. (2010). Journal of Educational Controversy.

Gulla, Amanda. Aesthetic Inquiry: Teaching Under the Influence of Maxine Greene. (2018). The High School Journal.

https://maxinegreene.org/uploads/library/imagination_oc.pdf

Additional Resources

Westbrook, Robert B. (1993). John Dewey and American Democracy. Ithica: Cornell University Press

Ethnodrama

Activation Ideas

Discussion

Discuss potential topics with students. 

Create one guiding question. 

Review with students how to do interviews and how to record them. 

Start with small interviews. One question, only need a few sentences to begin. 

Transcribe

Students will take the words from the recording and write them. 

Group work

Students will work in groups. 

Students will share their interviews.

Students identify similarities, differences and lines that jumped out at them. 

Devising

In groups students will work together to create a script using each person’s interviews. 

Students will write script. 

Rehearsal

Students will devise and rehearse. 

Share and reflect

Students will share and reflect. 

Consider if there is a way to combine every group together so that there is one class performance. 

Discussion

There are generalizations made about the below terms, but it is important to distinguish the difference. 

Ethnodrama is dramatized data, meaning when a written play script of dramatized selections of interview transcripts, field note, journal entries, media artifacts etc. are created.  

Ethnotheatre is performing the data, a theatrical performance that is mounted for an audience, a live performance event of research participants' experience and/or the researcher’s interpretation of the data. 

Documentary Theatre explores through investigation of media culture and documents, government reports, interviews, journals, and correspondence. 

Verbatim Performance is the word for word, gesture for gesture, is the precise portrayal of an actual person using their exact speech and gestural patterns as a data source for investigation.

Verbatim Theatre is theatre firmly predicated upon the taping and subsequent transcribing of interviews with ordinary people, done in the context of research.

The distinction is not typically made in the field 98% it is all referred to ask ethnodrama, however more recently Verbatim Theatre has been used. It is important to understand the distinction between qualitative data (words) quantitative (numbers). It is often easier to show cause and effect with quantitative data, but you do see a clearer view when you transcribe what you have observed. However, in education there is always a need to prove cause and effect and to prove validity and reliability with observation is hard to do. It is also important to understand the importance of obtaining clearance for words and many time you may have to present to an IRB.  An IRB stands for Institutional Review Board. The purpose of IRB review is to protect the rights and welfare of humans participating as subjects in the research.

Resources

Cannon, Anneliese. Making the Data Perform An Ethnodrama Analysis. (2012). Qualitative Inquiry.

Glarin, Anna. Whose Story Is It Anyway? (2020). Arts Praxis Volume 7 Issue 1.

Lypka, Andrea E. A Review of Ethnotheatre: Research from Page to Stage. (2015). The Qualitative Report. Volume 20. Number 12.

Salvatore, Joe. Verbatim Performance and Its Possibilities. (2023). Arts Praxis Volume 10 Issue 1.

Additional Resources

Saldana, Johnny. (2004). Ethnodrama: An Anthology of Reality Theatre. NY: Altamira.

Smith, Anna Deavre. (1993). Fires in the Mirror. NY: Anchor Books.

Taylor, Philip.  (2000). Researching Drama and Arts Education. London: The Falmer Press

Semester Materials 

Suggested Resources

Spolin, Viola. (1986). Theatre Games for the Classroom.  Evanston: Northwestern University Press.

Boal, Augusto.  (2002). Games for Actors and Non-Actors (2nd ed.).  New York, NY: Rutledge. 

Boal, Augusto.  (1979). Theatre of the Oppressed. London: Pluto Press.

Bolton, Gavin. (1999).  Acting in Classroom Drama. Portland: Calendar Islands Publisher

Booth, Eric. (2023). Teaching Artists and Their Role Shaping a Better World.  New York: Betteryet Press.

Dewhurst, Marit. (2018). Teachers Bridging Difference. Boston: Harvard Education Press.

Emdin, Christopher. (2016). For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood….and the Rest of Y’all Too. Boston: Beacon Press. 

Freire, Paulo. (1970).  Pedagogy of the Oppressed. NY: Continuum.

Hooks, Bell. (2003). A Pedagogy of Hope. New York: Routledge.

Love, Beinna L. (2019). We Want to Do More Than Survive. Boston: Beacon Press.

McCaslin, Nellie. (1999). Creative Drama in the Classroom (7th ed.).  NY: Longman.

Neelands, Jonathan. (2004). Structuring Drama Work: A Handbook of Available Forms in Theatre and Drama (2nd ed.).  Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 

O’Neill, Cecily. (1995). Drama Worlds. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Robinson, Ken. (2009).  The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything.  New York: Penguin.

Saldana, Johnny. (2004). Ethnodrama: An Anthology of Reality Theatre. NY: Altamira.

Slade, Peter.  (1954). Child Drama. London: University of London Press.

Smith, Anna Deavre. (1993). Fires in the Mirror. NY: Anchor Books.

Taylor, Philip.  (2000). Researching Drama and Arts Education. London: The Falmer Press

Wagner, BJ.  (1999). Dorothy Heathcote: Drama as a Learning Medium.  Portsmouth: Heinemann Press.  Revised Ed. 

Ward, Winifred.  (1947).  Playmaking with Children 2nd Ed. New York: Appleton-Century

Crofts, Inc. 

Teacher: Length of Class Session: 

Grade: Subject:

Materials Needed:

Unit Title:

Unit Number:

Lesson Title:

Number in Unit:

Guiding Question (Line of Inquiry) 

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to answer this question.

Template: How can a ___ use ___ to _____?

Lesson Learning Objective(s) (Aim of Lesson)

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to name and use a specific skill.

Template: Students Will Be Able To

Vocabulary (Words Necessary for Success in this Lesson)

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to recognize, spell, and use the following words correctly.

Note: Consider when and how you will introduce each word so that it is learned in context of doing

Assessment(s) (Demonstration of understanding)

By the end of this lesson, students will have done or made things that can be evaluated to determine the degree to which they have mastered the specific skill(s) taught. Assessment can be done by the student, peer, or teacher.

Note: Assessment often aligns with grades, but something does not have to be graded to be considered assessment.

Initial Activity and Differentiation Strategies:                    

Time:

Main Activities and Differentiation Strategies:  

Time:

Summary Activity and Differentiation Strategies:

Time:

Next Steps/ Homework/ Further Exploration:

NEXT Generation Standards/

Common Core Standards:

·   

·   

Blueprint Benchmarks/

New York State Arts Standards:

·   

·   

 NOTES:

What went well?

What could be changed moving forward?

Templates

Lesson Plan Template – Sample

Lesson Title:

Teacher:

Grade/Class:

Length:

AIM/ Lesson Objective

At the end of this lesson, Students Will Be Able To (SWBAT):

Guiding/Focus Question

(Line of Inquiry)

At the end of this lesson, students will be able to answer:

Students Prior Knowledge:

(Warm-ups/rituals/routines; previous lesson knowledge)

Materials Needed:

(Handouts, scripts, etc.)

Theatre Literacy:

(What theatre literacy terms are used in this lesson, such as “Action,” “Lights Up,” “4th Wall,” etc.)

PROCEDURE/LESSON FLOW:

WARM UP/ Do Now:

(_10_ Minutes)

Transition and/or Reflection:

Role of Facilitator:

HOOK/ Mini Lesson:

(___10___ Minutes)

Activity:

Rationale:

.

Transition and/or Reflection:

Role of Facilitator:

MAIN ACTIVITY:

( ___20____ Minutes)

Activity:

Rationale:

Transition and/or Reflection:

Role of Facilitator:

Templates

Lesson Plan Template – Sample

Lesson Title:

Unit Title:

Teacher:

Grade/Class:

Length:

Unit Number:

Sequence in Unit:

AIM/ Lesson Objective

At the end of this lesson, Students Will Be Able To (SWBAT):

Guiding/Focus Question

(Line of Inquiry)

At the end of this lesson, students will be able to answer:

Blueprint Benchmarks/

New York State Arts Standards (NYSAS)

 (1-2 per lesson):

NEXT Generation Standards and/or Common Core Standards

(1-2 per lesson):

Students Prior Knowledge:

(Warm-ups/rituals/routines; previous lesson knowledge)

Materials Needed:

(Handouts, scripts, etc.)

Theatre Literacy:

(What theatre literacy terms are used in this lesson, such as “Action,” “Lights Up,” “4th Wall,” etc.)

Cultural Connections:

Differentiations/Modifications:

PROCEDURE/LESSON FLOW:

WARM UP/ Do Now:

(_10_ Minutes)

Transition and/or Reflection:

Role of Facilitator:

HOOK/ Mini Lesson:

(___10___ Minutes)

Activity:

Rationale:

.

Transition and/or Reflection:

Role of Facilitator:

MAIN ACTIVITY:

( ___20____ Minutes)

Activity:

Rationale:

Transition and/or Reflection:

Role of Facilitator:

ASSESSMENT:

(Applicable as needed)

Self-Assessment

Peer Assessment

Teacher Assessment

●    

●    

●    

Student Reflection:

(Share out, journaling, Exit Ticket, etc. that relates to the Aim/Guiding Question of the lesson):

●    

Homework/ Extension Activity:

(If/as needed)

●    

Teacher Self-Assessment / Reflection Strategies

What worked well?

What could/should be changed?  Provide suggestions.

●    

●    

Curriculum/Residency Map Template

Repeat weeks as needed

WK

SWBAT:

GUIDING QUESTION

ACTIVITY

Include: warm up, hook, main activity

REFLECTION

ASSESSMENT INDICATORS

MODIFICATIONS

1

2

3

4

Semester Assignments

Classwork

Due date and details will be in the syllabus and discussed in class. 

Teaching Philosophy/Artist Educator Survey I & II

Candidates will complete a survey at the beginning and end of the semester - marking their growth in thinking about pedagogy, practice, and their place in the field at large. 

Classroom Call Board

Candidates will post on the online call board for the class to learn about its ensemble members.  Candidates will select one slide from the google slide deck posted. Requirements: post at least one photo of yourself (there can be more), please make sure you write your name on it and then use your imagination to tell us about you. Consider sharing what brings you joy, what are you excited about, images that show you doing things you love! 

Digital Vision Board

Candidates will create a vision board using whichever platform they would like to use. This vision board will be shared.  

Class Agreements

Candidates will contribute to class assignments. 

Letter to yourself

Candidates will write a letter to their future self and address it and hand it in.  

Co-Teaching Opportunity

Candidates will sign up to facilitate with the instructor and a group of other students in the class. 

Assignments

Due date and details will be in the syllabus and discussed in class. 

Arts Organization

Be prepared to share information about an arts organization in NYC, in the US or abroad.  This is a 2–5-minute informal presentation/discussion with the class.  

Lesson Plan Presentations

In groups you will present a lesson plan, each candidate in the group must participate in the facilitation. 

Final Educational Theatre Project

 This assignment will have three parts. The culmination of each part will total the final grade.

Part I

Candidates will respond to three writing prompts throughout the semester and write a reflective response using. These writing prompts are designed to support the writing of the final paper. Details will be given in class. Part I is 15 points. Each response is 5 points each.

Prompts will include: 3-5 pages in length each

How does Drama in Education benefit schools and communities today?

How do you believe a drama strategy can impact an educational setting?

How has learning about a specific practitioner, past or present, impact your practice?

Part II

Candidates will be put in groups to investigate a problem of practice.

A problem of practice is an area that you identify as an area that focuses on instructional challenges, is directly observable, is actionable, and connects to a broader strategy of improvement using one of the strategies discussed in class. Keep in mind your reflective writing as that should inspire your work. Part II is 20 points total.

Examples are: 

Problem: Challenges in teaching scene study

Idea: Compare and contrast difference variations of process drama to improve scene study in a theatre classroom

Problem: Engagement in the history classroom

Idea: Ideas on how to use Aesthetic Education to integrate into a history classroom

Problem: Persuasive writing in the elementary classroom

Idea: Use Theatre of the Oppressed in a 4th grade classroom to teach persuasive writing while learning about civic engagement

Candidates will then create a presentation in groups sharing with us in the following way: 

Introduce the Problem

Explain the strategy being used and discuss it based on readings and class discussion

Explain the idea how you would use that strategy to support growth in this area

Discuss the rationale on why you think this will work

Execute a sample lesson/or activity

Each group will hand in a google slide. Each slide will have each group member's name on it and one person from each group will submit it. It should be saved as last names separated by a period and Deprotect. 

Part III Ed Theatre Project 

Each person will write their own research paper based on their group's presentation. While you will be using the same content and research from your group, everyone will write their own paper. You are expected to use writing from earlier this semester and integrate it into this paper. Much of your writing has been completed with the reflective responses in Part I. Feel free to change your paper as it does not need to be the same as others in the group but the collaboration should inform your work. Final paper should be 10-15 pages. Part III is 15 points total.

This paper should be organized in the following way following APA format: 

Cover Page

Abstract

Introduction

Include a discussion about Drama in Education

Discuss the Strategy

Describe the strategy

Discuss the philosopher

Introduce the Problem

Describe the problem

Discuss the importance of this problem

Idea

Explain the strategy being used and discuss it based on readings and class discussion

Explain the idea how you would use that strategy to support growth in this area

Discuss the rationale on why you think this will work

Personal

How might you use it one day

If you have used it – share

Lesson ideas

How has this impacted you

Conclusion

Work Cited Page

This entire project is 50% of your final grade.