Reflection #7

What:

Something I have learned from creative children's dance is that it is very time consuming. I learned when using dance, I need to set out the proper amount of time and add a little more time to it. The children really enjoy using dance and sometimes make more out of what they are doing which in return takes more time. I realized I can use creative dance in any subject and with any book. Each book has words and feeling that can be used and will allow my students to connect better to the content they are learning.

So what

I will be taking the understanding that there are many books and you can use any book and dance to it. One group did a really great job incorporating a rather long and boring book and made it fun and interesting. I will not be biased to using what only sounds fun but rather make it fun myself. I will be making sure I am organized and prepared because if not the activities can get out of control which results in a stressful lesson and day.

Now what

I realized I enjoyed every type of dance our class used and will try to incorporate different methods and tools when I teach it because then it will continue to stay interesting and entertaining. There are several lesson plans out there and so many different dance activities. I will look for new and fun activities and use them. To prepare that will require research on my part as well as finding a way to keep my students under control and involved. I am not going to limit what I teach but rather find many ways that will be fun and educational for my students as well as for myself.

Reflection #6

What new insights do you have regarding what children's creative dance is and why it is important? What important philosophical and practical things became clearer as you worked in class?

Children's creative arts is more than just teaching them dance moves, it is the freedom and opportunity to let them show you what they think dance is. Creative dance is movements that allows children to be creative and thin. It helps them come up with a unique move that represents something found in a story, poem, song, or instruction. Creative dance also allows children to develop certain functions or movements. If children are struggling with a certain area, dance may be just the answer to help reduce or solve it.
I realized dance is a way of life. People use dance all the time and may not know it. Dance helps children develop skills and it also allows them to use their mind and be creative. I also recognize how easy it is to integrate dance into many classroom lessons, no matter the subject.

So What does that mean for your preparation for next week and for field?
This allowed me to have a wider prospective on what something is (in this instance dance). It helps me to see the way we as teachers integrate learning and being creative together. Children quickly notice there is no right or wrong answer. Knowing this will help me prepare for next week by having the ability to look at any book and use a creative dance tool with it. It helped me prepare by having a wider outlook and realizing art can be found anywhere and in any form. This will help me for my field by integrating and using creative dance into my lessons. This will help me prepare for field by using examples and knowing what keeps the childrens interest are and what really helps.

Now What do you need to do to incorporate this knowledge and skills into your practice?
In order for me to incorporate this knowledge and skill into my practice, I need to research and find many ways and examples that will help both me and my students. Our creative arts book and the book Dr. Escalante showed to us in class has valuable information to incorporate this knowledge and skills into my practice. In order for me to be successful, I need to be willing to try. Even if that means failing! I need to place my mentality on my students level and think the way they do. I also need to look at what will help them develop quicker in other subjects and work with that. In order for me to incorporate this knowledge and skill into my practice I have to actually be willing to embarrass myself and have some fun. I need to just do it!

Reflection #5

What?

I thought developing a Process Drama from text was brilliant. I really enjoyed the connections I found as I prepared my section of the book. I liked how easy it was to think of ideas to use with any book. We looked at a few books and each book was pretty easy to come up with Process Drama to do. I learned that no matter who has what part, anybody can connect all their activities together because we are all using and following the same book. Each Process Drama my team members used tied everything together and helped our audience see the entire picture of what was happening in the book.

So What?

I really enjoyed all of the activities I saw during this week, but there are some that I can see myself using more often and those include, Pantomime/Movement, Decision Alley, Role Play, Machines, Mirrors, and the Interview process. Each of these allowed me to have fun and at the same time allowed me to connect to what was going on. I think my students would also enjoy them and recognize what it was I wanted them to learn.

Now What?

I plan to practice more of the Process Drama techniques and really narrow done which ideas work best with my teaching style. I have realized that I do not have to only use these techniques during art time but I can use them during pretty much any subject I teach. I plan to become more dramatic so my teaching will seem fun and entertaining. I think this will help me connect with my students as well.

Reflection #4

What have you learned?

I have learned that Drama is fun when used in class. It allows the students to visually see and work with the information given. I also learned there are elements and principles that are important to use when doing drama. There are several different ways and activities I can use as a teacher. Theater games help students build connections with others while using creativity.

What are your new perspectives about using drama in your future classroom?

My perspectives for using drama in the classroom has changed. I was never in to drama and thought it was wasn't important to do it. I thought you could use other forms of teaching. My perspective completely change because I got to physically and mentally see how fun it is and how much information I gained. I think this is one of the best ways to keep my students involved. This also builds classroom unity. It teaches them how to work together and how to communicate.

So What kinds of activities do you think you will use most as you begin teaching?

I really enjoyed the machine activity. This allowed us to be creative and to think outside of the box. Another activity I liked was role playing. This allowed me to be in tune with the characters and really assess what I knew. These activities will both be beneficial to me in seeing what my students understood.

Now What - Why do children need creative drama? Why is it important to integrate drama with other curricular areas?

Children need creative drama because it allows them to look at situations with a different perspective. It allows them to have fun and build connections with everybody in the class. Integrating drama with other subjects allows students to build connections among other classes. They can learn better when they are having fun. We want our students to be creative and come up with things on their own. Integrating drama into other subjects will help them build that trait.