The Presentation... dun, dun,

So... remember how last week, I said something about how drama was NOT what I thought it was back in high school? Drama was NOT about memorization, or acting. Drama educational, collaborative. It is play-based. It doesn't single you out! It doesn't make you dress up in a silly costume, changing your voice and pretending to be something you are not! Well..... I lied. Drama lied! I have been fooled. Today, we present. Today, I unwillingly and uncomfortably dress up as the infamous Laura Secord and pretend that I am from a time in history - from the time of the War of 1812. Help!


STRATEGIES

Teacher in Role

A teaching strategy in which the teacher provides input into a drama activity by taking a role in the drama instead of commenting from outside the process. For our presentation, this was where I had to dress up as Laura Secord and tells the class the story of her journey and how this impacted some events during the War of 1812. 
This strategy can really be used at any time, in any subject. For science - you could pretend to be a scientist and come in and conduct an experiment, for language - you could be a character from a story and come in an read to the students, or get them to summarize what the book was about. Students of all ages really would love this technique! When I was teaching a day camp, we did this daily! Depending upon our daily theme, we had different counselors come to camp "in role" - for history week we had them dress up and act as cave men, for movie week we had them come in as pirates for the movie Pirates of the Caribbean - it was a fun and interactive way to really make the lesson come to LIFE!

Hot Seat

This is a convention in which students allow themselves to be questioned by the rest of the group. The questioners may speak as themselves or in role (eg. As a reporter). For our presentation on the War of 1812, students were asked to take the “hot seat” as their peers asked them a variety of questions concerning the information learned in class about the 1800’s. Some questions students asked were, “Did you ever feel like giving up when you were running?” “How did you feel after giving the information needed?”
This can be used in language, also, to have students sit in the hot seat as a character. Students can ask this person questions. It will exercise point of view, as well as deepen students' understanding of a character and teach them to empathize.



Soundscape
These are dramatic interpretations of an action or event. The players use themselves or other objects which make sounds to reflect the noises that are being portrayed in a scene. Sometimes these soundscapes can be used to direct and guide a scene where the actors take their cues from the noises they hear and imagine what action should be taking place to make that particular sound. 
Can be used in language - creating a soundscape for a book.

Another activity that we did during this weeks class, was a soundscape to a book which demonstrated how to connect language with drama. A book about nature was read and the students were to make the sounds of the park: chirping birds, blowing grass a buzzing bee. We closed our eyes to picture the park as the book was read. It was a VERY effective tool! This is on of my favourites that I would absolutely love to try in my classroom.

News Reporter
This is a very fun and interactive drama technique that allows students to take the media role in their own hands to discuss a topic or current lesson from various points of view. It can be used to not only show the many view points on a specific event or issue, but also how the press can distort the information to the public.
Can be used across the curriculum. May be a new means of structuring a presentation. Can be used in language for the oral communication strand. 

Theory
This theory really focuses on the many different types of learners that exist in the world.
As a teacher, it is important to remember all of the different learners that you have in your class. Doing this will ensure that your lesson is effective for all people! This will really enhance their learning experience as well as your own personal teaching experience!

Well, I survived the presentation! I actually, surprisingly, had fun with it, too! I never thought that would have happened. Everyone was really engaged with the lesson and with what I was saying and I think a lot of people really appreciated the fact that I dressed up. I hope not too many people could see just how nervous I was! I think my hands may have even been shaking! Now that I have been able to do this in front of my peers, I believe that I could do this for my class - any day! Any subject, any grade! So long as you have a decent costume and so long as you KNOW YOUR STUFF this will not fail you! I think that anyone, of any age would enjoy this! The only thing to be cautious of, is the students who can't get past the past that their teacher is dressed up, and as a result they miss the entire lesson. 

My other, absolutely FAVOURITE strategy, was the sound scape with the book! I cannot believe the feeling I experienced during this lesson. When the book on nature and the garden was being read, and we were creating the sounds it felt like the garden and the birds and the bees in the garden had really come to life. I cannot wait to try this out on my kids - probably as a language/drama lesson! Not sure this would work too well with something like math. I could even see this working in a history lesson! Reenacting a historic event as the teacher reads the events out loud to the class. This would be a very effective means to making history come alive!