Constructivist approach to drama in the classroom
How does constructivist approach underpins what happen in drama?
What is Drama?
Drama is the act of using the imagination to become someone or something other than yourself. It can be done at any place to any period of time. According to Richard Courtney, a professional in the area of drama in education defines drama as, “The human process whereby imaginative thought becomes action, drama is based on internal empathy and identification, and leads to external impersonation”. Courtney believes also that “life is a drama.” Humans are always acting and improvising. When we meet someone for the first time, we improvise our conversation. Life has no script written for us, however, we can use role-play to practice the anticipated situation
What is constructivism?
The term refers to the idea that learners construct knowledge for themselves; each learner individually (and socially) constructs meaning, as he or she learns. Constructing meaning is learning. The dramatic consequences of this view are two fold; we have to focus on the learner in thinking about learning (not on the subject/lesson to be taught)
There is no knowledge independent of the meaning attributed to experience (constructed) by the learner, or community of learners.
As quoted by Benjamin Franklyn, “Tell me, and I 'll forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me, and I 'll understand”. This is indeed a fact for students to remember and understand what is taught, when drama is included. Drama is highly regarded as an effective and valuable teaching strategy because of its unique ability to engage reflective, constructivist and active learning in the classroom as well as enhancing oral skills development. Teachers should definitely incorporate drama in there classroom as this motivate the students that we teach and appeal to a range of learning styles.
Betty Jane Wagner, an internationally recognized authority on composition instruction and the educational uses of drama
What is Drama?
Drama is the act of using the imagination to become someone or something other than yourself. It can be done at any place to any period of time. According to Richard Courtney, a professional in the area of drama in education defines drama as, “The human process whereby imaginative thought becomes action, drama is based on internal empathy and identification, and leads to external impersonation”. Courtney believes also that “life is a drama.” Humans are always acting and improvising. When we meet someone for the first time, we improvise our conversation. Life has no script written for us, however, we can use role-play to practice the anticipated situation
What is constructivism?
The term refers to the idea that learners construct knowledge for themselves; each learner individually (and socially) constructs meaning, as he or she learns. Constructing meaning is learning. The dramatic consequences of this view are two fold; we have to focus on the learner in thinking about learning (not on the subject/lesson to be taught)
There is no knowledge independent of the meaning attributed to experience (constructed) by the learner, or community of learners.
As quoted by Benjamin Franklyn, “Tell me, and I 'll forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me, and I 'll understand”. This is indeed a fact for students to remember and understand what is taught, when drama is included. Drama is highly regarded as an effective and valuable teaching strategy because of its unique ability to engage reflective, constructivist and active learning in the classroom as well as enhancing oral skills development. Teachers should definitely incorporate drama in there classroom as this motivate the students that we teach and appeal to a range of learning styles.
Betty Jane Wagner, an internationally recognized authority on composition instruction and the educational uses of drama
References: Courtney, Richard. Dramatic Curriculum. London: Heinemann Educational Books Ltd., 1980. Franklyn, B. http://www.teach-the-brain.org/forums/showthread.php?t= Lawson, James, R. “Brain-Based Learning.” 2001. http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/brainbased/start.htm Saxton, Juliana. https://is.muni.cz/th/151036/pedf_m/Krivkova-Drama-final.pdf Wagner, Betty Jane. Dorothy Heathcote, Drama As A Learning Medium http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED130362.pdf