Dynamic Education Through Drama

Applied Theatre Consultants Ltd

Applied Theatre Consultants Ltd

Dynamic Education Through Drama

Waiting for the first day to begin

Carole Miller and Juliana Saxton

Applied Theatre Consultants Ltd

PO Box 38444

Howick

Manukau 2145 New Zealand

E-mail: atco@appliedtheatre.co.nz

To contact us:

Recent Workshops

On the first day we all enjoyed working with Josepha: a prairie boy's story by Jim McGugan, which made us think hard about different learners' needs (especially immigrants') in relation to schools' agendas, safely distanced around 100 years ago. 

We spent that afternoon working with The Composition written by Antonia Skarmeta and illustrated by Alphonso Ruano.  This is an award-winning book (Americus Book Award, and the Jane Adams Award for the best picture book promoting peace and justice) that formed the basis of a strong drama to develop literacy and critical thinking in students of many ages.

On the second day, with a primary focus, we got 'into the story' of The Very Best of Friends by Margaret Wild.  This book won the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Picture Book of the Year (1990) and the illustrator, Julie Vivas, has become known for her portrayals of adults and children.  Many of us enjoyed the opportunity to be a cat for a while; others enjoyed the opportunity to work out how to portray belonging... friends... the farm... or outcast.  

Later that day we caught A Train to Somewhere by looking at an excerpt from the 1996 book by Eve Bunting.  This very short extract was used as the basis for us to begin developing our own story dramas.  We looked at a wide range of suggestions made by attendees, which showed us each how many directions we can go in from such a short piece chosen from a children's book.

The third day focussed on 'Questioning'.  Moving beyond Bloom's Taxonomy, we were introduced to 'Ann Graham', a drama from Nora Morgan and Juliana Saxton's (1991) Asking Better Questions (2nd edition).  As we hotseated characters, scribes wrote down the many questions that sprang from the very short paragraph that provided the pretext for the drama.  It was extraordinary how many questions arose in a very short amount of time.  (We might have found out who discovered Ann's body, and a range of reasons why she died, but we still don't know 'who did it'!)  

We then went on to look at our questioning using an excerpt from Witi Ihimaera's Bulibasha.  The warmth in the room from the Mahana family was felt by all...  

Overall, the workshops were a highlight in professional development for many attendees.  Now we just have to work out how to convince Juliana and Carole to make another trip down under...

The fourth day in Hamilton was again with a primary focus.  A new group of teachers and practitioners from around the Waikato enjoyed finding out what is 'Better than Bedsocks' (again, from The Very Best of Friends by Margaret Wild).  This drama on Tuesday had taken around three hours to complete - on Friday, it took nearly five!  The slow and deliberate unpacking of the story, along with different examples and readings - as of course will happen with different people - allowed us all to experience rich and varied literacy through drama strategies.  Juliana and Carole spent the last part of the day showing us some of their collected story books, and how some lend themselves to successful story dramas whilst others, surprisingly, do not. 

Together Carole and Juliana wrote Into the Story: Language in Action Through Drama for generalist and pre-service teachers.  Piloted in classrooms of all levels over six years before being published by Heinemann, the text became the American Alliance for Theatre and Education’s Distinguished Book of 2005.

Ah, the bliss of warm feet down on the farm...

 

Carole Miller is associate professor in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction, Faculty of Education, University of Victoria.  A co-author of Learning to Teach Drama: A Case Narrative Approach and recipient of the Faculty of Education Award for Excellence in Teaching, her primary area of research is the relationship of drama to learning across the curriculum and helping generalist teachers become comfortable, competent and confident drama practitioners.  

Juliana Saxton is professor emeritus, Department of Theatre and adjunct professor, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Victoria.  Co-author of Teaching Drama: a mind of many wonders and Asking Better Questions (now in its 2^nd edition), she is recipient of the University of Victoria Alumni Teacher of Excellence award and serves as deputy University Orator.