In today's lesson, we discussed a lot about educational philosophies that we can apply in our drama education. These philosophies benefit the children in a way that they are being engaged with, actively contributing and critically thinking. Aside from that, teachers' role are less significant in the classrooms because they are more of facilitators and the students will feel more comfortable. However, it must be exercise with caution and not to the extend where the classroom is in chaos.
The first philosophy is that learning in the classroom should be a dialogue and not a monologue to develop social and personal development. When we engage the students in a dialogue, where the students have greater percentage of talking rather than the teacher talking, they are being constantly being engaged in a topic, bringing them deeper beneath the superficial. As Toole, Stinson & Moore (2009) has mentioned that 'children in social, motivated and supported contexts are capable of moving to levels of symbolic and abstract thought of which they are not capable by themselves.' (Pg 50) Students are given the opportunity to use their critical thinking and argumentative skills to link, relate, mind-map and conclude. This is student-oriented learning because students do the thinking while we as educators guide them to the deeper levels of thinking. We have also discussed about the role of drama in development of language. Through speaking, they gain confidence to express, imagine and debate on issues. Thus confidence also in public speaking. This brings us back to our 21st century competencies where students are active contributor and self directed learner.
The second philosophy is to allow students to embark on self-discovery and creative journey. Drama is a ground, where creativity breeds. In order for creativity take effect, students have to take on imaginary roles. Off course freedom of expression is a need for that because without freedom, emotions and feelings will be limited, which can cause emotional tensions from within. Students who express creatively are able to face struggles and situations more comfortably. Eisner (2004) had quoted from Lowenfold that 'The inhibited and restricted child, accustomed to imitating rather than expressing himself creatively, will prefer to go along set patterns in life.' (Pg 32). This is then against the idea of the SEL(Social and Emotional) model, which deals with self management skills. Discovery brings students into a another realm because they are constantly expanding their boundaries and experimenting as well. It also encourages students to see things at a different perspective, shunning away from narrow-mindedness.
The third philosophy is to build knowledge and also skills of thinking and being. As I have mentioned above that critical thinking skills are being exploited in Drama practices because they undergo deep, sophisticated and philosophical thinking. Because they reflect upon themselves and the community, they gain knowledge and understanding about the values and conceptions in different cultural context. As they discuss and probe deeper, it widens their knowledge and broadens their vision about the world.
However, I have always been curious because since Drama education has provided us with so much benefits for the students, the society and the people, why then does education deem Arts as unimportant? Arts are often referred to as non-academic subjects but why do they even compare arts with academic subjects when both are beneficial to the students on different areas? I personally feel that both are equally important to the child and both should not be on the option list because both the Arts and Academics provide not only intellectual knowledge but also social, emotional and personal development.
References
Eisner, E. W. (2004) The Arts and the Creation of Mind. New Haven & London: Yale University Press.
O'Toole J. , Stinson M. & Moore T. (2009). Drama and Curriculum. USA: Springer.
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