Performing an Essay Presented by Dr Sarah Lovesy Performing an Essay examines strategies where drama groups are given an essay question to explore through performance and then transfer this knowledge to written essays Format: Face to Face - Individual Audience: Secondary School Drama Teachers
Description Sarah created the Performing an essay methodology a number of years ago and has developed it into a major drama education tool in the ensuing years. In this workshop participants will explore how to teach its conventions and techniques to Stage 6 students. Teaching strategies include a variety of improvisations that illuminate a theatre practitioner's practices and plays in relationship to a rubric. From these experiential and experimental strategies the participants will be given an essay question to explore through performance and, just as in an essay, points or aspects of argument need to be made, backed up by evidence, and acted out in the form of a play. The workshop will explore how to create an assessment task, and how students can transfer their embodied learning to the written essay.
Occurrences There are no occurrences of this format in Australia (NSW) at this time.
Sessions Introduction of trainer and course overview 30 minutes
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Conceptual information
Exploration of how to teach Performing an Essay conventions 1 hour and 40 minutes First Objective: Participants will learn how to teach Performing an Essay techniques and conventions: • Conceptual information regarding the methodology of Performing an Essay o Exploration of how students can experientially and experimentally incorporate the rubric and one play into their initial improvisations. o Research and improvisation o Play reading bites and improvisation o Characterisation o Group writing o Physical learning o Problem solving activities. Morning Tea o Exploration of how students explore the second play set for study o How to scaffold student learning from their first exploration of the play set for study o In-depth analysis of practical exercises, rehearsal methods and plays in performance o Improvised revision into key theories o Improvised revision of rubric o Group dynamics.
Devising an assessment task 50 minutes Second Objective: Participants will examine how to devise an assessment task and the associated marking criteria: o Explore how to plan and develop all aspects of the assessment task o Discussion and debate on what type of question to choose and why o Exploration of how student groups will answer this question by way of performance and an individual written response o Discussion regarding detailed pedagogic criteria by which to assess the students. Lunch
Structuring the practical task 1 hour
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Third Objective: Participants explore how to help their students dramatically structure a Performing an Essay assessment task when they have to merge both plays together: o How to pick the groups o Exploration of how to help students begin the assessment process o Planning through brainstorming/research/improvising o How to create an overriding dramatic message for the audience o How to dramatise each scene/paragraph/moment o Exploration to help groups use evidence to back up their performance essay o Creating a metaphor to provide dramatic coherence o How to check the groups are answering the question in performance o Solving difficulties.
Writing the essay from embodied learning 1 hour Fourth Objective: Participants are introduced to how students experiment with writing the essay from their embodied learning. • How to help students have a real sense of their classroom workshops, personal explorations and performance experiences in their individual drama essay. E.g. How can students use their logbooks and memories to discuss dramatic meaning and audience engagement in their essays. • How to help individual students write the essay. E.g. Exploration of how to write from the first person (I or my), the groups' perspective (we or our group) and from the audience perspective (they or as an audience member). Closure: Reflections, evaluation and course feedback.
http://tta.edu.au
[email protected]
1300 789 961
About the presenter
Dr Sarah Lovesy Creator
Sarah is a freelance drama consultant implementing workshops around Australia. Currently she is working at Wollongong University teaching CAPA. Previously she worked as a Drama Lecturer at the Universities of Western Sydney and New South Wales, teaching postgraduate students to become drama teachers. She worked as Head Drama Teacher at the School of Performing Arts and Santa Sabina College Sydney, and was actively involved with the New South Wales Board of Studies Junior and Senior Drama Syllabus Committees. Sarah's doctoral thesis explored the links between imagination and creativity in the drama aesthetic of playbuilding. With her colleague Dr. Christine Hatton she has published an international textbook called Young at Art: Classroom Playbuilding in Practice (2009 Routledge).
http://tta.edu.au
[email protected]
1300 789 961
Enrol now to secure your spot Limited spots are available. Please enrol online or fax your enrolment to 1300 667 691 to secure your spot. Please note, by submitting this enrolment form you are confirming that you have been given financial approval by your employer to attend this course. Cancellation advice should be given in writing 7 days before the commencement of this course.
Product:
Performing an Essay
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Enrol online at http://tta.edu.au
http://tta.edu.au
[email protected]
1300 789 961
