Children's Theatre (2006) Journal Five

To begin with, I’m feeling quite overwhelmed at this moment in time. As funny as it may sound, being given an Australian character to create is not that easy for me. The voice is the hardest thing for me, as traditionally I slur when I speak with an Australian accent; that don’t project so well on stage! That’s why I come across to people as if I have a slight British accent, because I want them to understand what I’m saying; without it, I slur my words.

In the workshop today, I changed my approaches to my accent a number of times. I’m simply getting too close to Katzenellenbogen; even the neurotic nature of Bluey is too close to that of last year character. I’m also finding it hard to work out my stance on stage as many people in the cast have also introduced a ‘squat’ to their physical characterisations. In week seven I started with a squat, accompanied by ‘protruding’ hands that represented wings. Now, this week, I am finalising some better aspects of a fly and ‘Australian-ness’ qualities. I’m going to try to dart my head around a lot, connoting the erratic nature of the fly, and well as stand with my hands on my hips. This not only signifies the fly’s wings, but I feel it also communicates a few important parts of Bluey’s description; Australian, proud, and fearless.

As I complete my reflections in my journal, I feel it is vital that I explain why I believe the third outcome, Arts Response, is so important to me. As I’ve said before, this is the area where students theorise how the information presented is important, and can be used by them. It is also the area that, I believe, needs the most amount of focus in my research. ‘The curriculum is, looked at from a distance, a program designed to promote the development of that broad conception of cognition’ (Eisner, 2002:148). Arts response goes further, asking students to think about the way they think; also known as metacognition. Many people create lesson plans and pedagogies that deal with the first two outcomes; Arts Ideas and Arts Skills and Processes. Even the final outcome, Arts in Society, is constantly explored; my ISC on Shakespeare last year is a valid example. The point is, I find that the response aspect is overlooked, or if not teacher’s are content to solve this through the introduction of a journal assessment or simple question and answer discussions. That’s not to say these approaches are useless, moreover, these ‘response’ assessments should be developed and improved.

There are many reasons that journal or drama portfolios are the most important signifiers in evaluating an ‘Arts Response’ outcome. ‘Every time a teacher designs a curriculum activity, events are planned that have an impact on students’ thought processes’ (Eisner, 2002:151). On the Bloom’s taxonomy scale, each level is vital in analysing how students respond through discussions and situations. Through my first two lesson plans, my approach was to maintain the structure and reliance of a journal-style assessment, however my goal was to develop a different form with which to deliver it to students.

Throughout my journals, I have developed a consistent approach in responding to the Arts process. As I find journals fairly easy, I made it harder by attempting to write weekly journal entries on-line. As a student, I am self-regulating my own learning, striving to improve and achieve higher results. Do not get me wrong, trying to keep the entries up to date is so difficult, especially as this year I am also completing weekly lesson plans. It is also quite stressful seeing that a new baby is just around the corner.

I believe my journals work as they are not just examples of written analysis, they also include a variety of character drawings, my kid’s interpretations of the production and something that I completed last year, my character’s shield. I like the idea of a character’s shield as part of an approach for Arts Response as it encourages students to look at the symbolic aspects of their character. What is important to my character this year? Bluey’s Australianness is definitely the first part of his shield, his species (fly) and his pride. To use this activity in class, students would have to analyse their character, choose important character traits, and create valid ways to symbolically represent them in a drawing.

Although I have not created a lesson plan for this week, I felt it was important to look at why I believe that Arts Response is the outcome most in need of focus in schools. Relevance is important as it addresses why we teach, what our students need to know, and what it means to their world. Even though I have not written up a lesson, I’ve created three checklists that look at the Arts Response outcome. They were created by looking at each of the Elaborations in the first three levels of the Outcomes and Standards Framework. Although these are essentially drafts, the idea is that teachers can mark off when a student has met the appropriate outcome for each level. By dating each box when achieved, accountability is visible. It is also important to list each Elaboration individually so the teacher can see what still needs to be completed to allow students to achieve a higher level. By physically visualising a teacher’s planning requirements on paper, my hope is that more time can be spent on creating valid and relevant pedagogical approaches, lessons and assessments.

[1] Jason Hatchett’s comments on his progress in the semester so far, communicated at the production meeting, Wednesday the 19^th of April, 2006

‘We need a curriculum that encourages an understanding of the high quality literature and not the rubbish’[1]

Mr Howard’s comments this week could not have come at a better time in my research, however it would have been better if they were not said at all. Although I truly understand his point-of-view, it appears that Mr Howard has failed to look at the whole picture. ‘Two of the most important factors affecting students’ experiences in the classroom are the quality of teaching they encounter and the quality of the curriculum provided’ (Eisner, 2002:46). The problem occurs when a real connection is not made between the student and the information being presented.

As I’ve said through this journal, and the focus of my Shakespeare ISC last year, a teacher needs to grab the student’s attention and then convey what the student needs to know. If teachers only taught Shakespeare the way John Howard perceives, no long term connection, or learning for that matter, will ever occur. It would only be short-term learning, with out any long-term effect on their comprehension. Furthermore, if a student is not engaged with the information, or it is not relevant to them, they will not care about it. Would you rather a student ‘learn’ it, or find it ‘fascinating’? The answer is, obviously, you would rather your students have both. For the sake of assessment, students MUST learn it; however the Outcomes Based Education system offers students a way to learn, appreciate and find it relevant to their lives. Perhaps this is a good analogy to describe the problems between the new and old managerialism system?

‘The public’s pride in the traditional literature is anticipated and expected, but contemporary and currency is something you want. Students need to be engaged and it needs to be relevant to them, lets face it, otherwise why bother learning it’.[2]

On Friday of last week, A Current Affair reported on the debate between both sides on the ‘dumbing down’[3] of the syllabus. Hearld Sun columnist, Andrew Volts, suggested there ‘has been a trashing of literature, I think a lot of kids are being taught cartoons or film posters’.[4] This side of the debate argued a basic analysis of literature based learning through examples like Baz Lermann’s Romeo + Juliet as a shame. I find this odd, as Mr Volts seems to have forgotten, or not realised, the point of Shakespeare’s plays. They were made to be performed, not read. Such an investigation into the text that Mr Volts demands is exactly the last thing that Shakespeare himself wanted. Student learning should ‘identify with students’ concerns in a contemporary context – the ‘now’ is very important to young people’ (Hickman (ed), 2004:91).

What Andrew Volts referred to as a destructive approach is based on students being asked to ‘question everything from a really negative point-of-view’.[5] This is obviously a fair point, but, once again, students need to understand what it means to them. ‘Meaning is not limited to what words can express’ (Eisner, 2002:230). Yes, a video can be successfully used to introduce the topic or play, however after that deeper learning must occur. Andrew Volts suggests it is just ‘giving up, it’s laziness’.[6]

Laziness? It’s hard to say. Where do you draw the line between teaching with a relevant approach or teaching the information at hand? It may take longer, however it is vital that a connection is made. Andrew Volts suggested that ‘our school curriculum has been reduced to what students find entertaining, not educating’.[7] Appreciation, understanding and comprehension are all relevant outcomes of the new system, and are vital in the long-term learning of an individual’s education. We want to teach students at their level, and it is vital that we encourage student’s intrinsic motivation. Perhaps entertainment is the key? It must, however still be connected to the pieces of major assessment and the relevant text.

‘The tools are irrelevant, what’s important is the understanding and comprehension of what’s being learnt in the classrooms’.[8] ‘Trendy’ stuff is a useful tool in the classroom, if it is used appropriately. It is important that the teacher tailors their pedagogy to meet the needs of their students, not the other way around. The teacher’s role is vital to the success of the student’s learning, therefore there may be twenty different approaches to take, but only one may work for the students in front of them at the time. The bit I found most offensive about this debate was the fact that only one of the people interviewed was actually a teacher. If we are going to talk about teachers not doing the right thing, lets at least talk to teacher; not a columnist and certainly not the Prime Minister. I also personally found it quite contradictory that John Howard put down the curriculum system by using the word ‘gobbledegook’, when suggesting that it failed to encourage understanding of high quality literature. How can you put down the English curriculum, and use irrelevant and inappropriate terminology like that?

To slightly change the direction of this discussion, I would like to draw my attention to the first outcome, Arts Ideas. These are perhaps the concepts that most people address in their published or on-line lesson plans. In response, my approach in these lesson plans will focus on a ‘relevance’ spin. As discussed in the above debate, relevance is important as it can encourage intrinsic motivation. ‘The arts can, and often do, play a significant role in cultural and personal identity’ (Goldberg, 2006:14). For this lesson I plan to focus on the importance of warm-ups through a development of student-focused approaches.

Warming up asks students to create their own activity and engage other students in its use. Warm-ups are vital to students as they create focus and follow expected safety aspects of the theatre experience. By asking students to create their own activity, they are encouraged to identify the importance of the warm-ups, and create their own relevant spin. In addition, students become self-reliant on their peers; this means that students can begin to warm-up before the teacher arrives in class, encouraging an appreciation for such a task. Student ownership can be achieved, vital in encouraging further and higher outcome attainment. In addition, ‘when sharing art projects with each other, students gain a sense of themselves and their peers as unique individuals with interesting ideas and skills’ (Goldberg, 2006:24).

Rather that an assessment sheet, I’ve included an ‘affective outcomes’ checklist. As a lot of the outcomes are accused of being ‘ambiguous’, I believe I’ve created a minor solution to the problem. Affective outcomes, among other things, assess the physical interaction of students with the issues they explore. It seems rather appropriate for me to use this as a way to assess the students in this activity. Although this activity is not a major piece of assessment, it can provide the teacher with a progress update, and be used as accountability when needed in the future. It must also be said that accountability should not be the most important use of the sheet; a guide for student feedback is another use too.

Student’s must always be aware of the teacher’s expectation, and know how they will be assessed. Students could receive this checklist before the task, or afterwards as a means to suggest improvement and further focus. My hope is, such a hand-out would enable students to identify how they will be assessed and also how they can achieve a higher level. Why not tell students that ‘the following task is assessing your Arts Ideas Outcomes’. Clear and explicit instructions can allow the teacher and the student to share the expectations and learning processes. In the case of this activity, share the importance and need for warm-up exercises.

[1] John Howard’s comments, seen on A Current Affair, broadcast on network Nine, on the 21^st of April, 2006

[2] Comments on A Current Affair, broadcast on network Nine, on the 21^st of April, 2006

[3] John Howard’s comments, seen on A Current Affair, broadcast on network Nine, on the 21^st of April, 2006

[4] Andrew Volts, seen on A Current Affair, broadcast on network Nine, on the 21^st of April, 2006

[5] Andrew Volts, seen on A Current Affair, broadcast on network Nine, on the 21^st of April, 2006

[6] Andrew Volts, seen on A Current Affair, broadcast on network Nine, on the 21^st of April, 2006

[7] Andrew Volts, seen on A Current Affair, broadcast on network Nine, on the 21^st of April, 2006

[8] Sharon Ronny Canty, seen on A Current Affair, broadcast on network Nine, on the 21^st of April, 2006

View Andrew's 'Integrating Drama and the Outcomes and Standards Framework' journal entries...

...or view other individual lesson plans, draft checklists or completed activities...