Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Finding Your Passion

http://aptaujucentrs.com/en/page/pakalpojumi/centrs-diskusijam-un-testiem/fokusa-grupu-diskusijas

Wow, I can’t believe how fast this semester has flown by. As we come to the end of this semester we also come to the end of our blog entries. Throughout this experience I feel like I have been able to learn so much, not just from my personal understandings as a result of reflection, but also from the discussions had between my blog group members. I am so happy that we were able to get together and discuss our blogs in detail, allowing for further understanding throughout the semester. Furthermore, because of this discussion time I feel as though I really have been able to grow in my understanding of different facets of education. As each of our group members comes to the table with different perspectives, experiences and goals it becomes evident through reflection that there is so much more to the process of education than I ever dreamed.



Last week as a class, we were asked to participate in genius hour (a period of time where students were allowed to research and explore anything within the educational filed that interested them). We were then tasked to present these findings to the class in smaller groups. Although I will admit I was skeptical about the use of my class time for collaboration I was so pleasantly surprised by the presentations that we got to see. Just as our blog groups allowed for further understanding in a variety of different subjects, perspectives and focuses so too did this genius hour. By getting to just enjoy some of the research that other class members did, we were able to really immerse ourselves in the learning, understanding and work that everyone brought forth. Furthermore, we got to see what really interested our classmates and where their passions lie.  
http://www.wholeheartedleaders.com/?p=528
After reviewing my own blog from this semester I think this idea of passion is what is evident throughout. I don’t think I fully realized how much I enjoy and love dramatic arts, and how much they really have make an impact on my educational philosophy. In the past, I only thought that drama was useful in a performative aspect; however, in my experiences this semester (both in my drama class and in this education class) I have been happy to realize the other uses for these conventions. Drama truly has become a passion that far exceeds my expectations, and I think this is a large part of 21st Century learning.
Through every exercise and assignment we have completed this semester in EDUC4P19, the focus on 21st Century learning skills has been evident. These skills include following your passions, literacy in a variety of 21st Century technologies and techniques, and finally the shift from the new to the old story in education. I think that for me, one of the main take aways from this class will be how to make learning fun and how to find the balance between the strict confines of the curriculum and the needs of the student.
To end I will include the Ted Talk by Sir Ken Robinson that catapulted my Genius hour last week. This talk focuses on creativity, schools and most of all some of those 21st Century learning skills we have been so focused on.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

Monday, November 3, 2014

The "Merit" of It



                               The Brock Volunteer Group at CODE 2014 (Photo: Rory Vanderbrink)

As we come closer and closer to graduation and in extension teachers college, I find myself constantly bombarded with two central questions. The number one thing that I am asked when I tell someone I am becoming a teacher is “you know there are no jobs in teaching right?” with the second most common being “why did you pick Drama? French or Math would have been so much more marketable.” After almost four years of having to answer about why this profession drew me in, and why I followed my own passions in terms of 
choosing my teachable subjects I really felt like I had had enough. So often am I reminded of the distinction between “academic” and “easy” courses, with this even linking back to my own High School Education? So often was I told by many of my friends that I wasn't taking anything “hard” or “real” when I was following my passions in the fine arts, in the social sciences and in the English Language.  But what constitutes a “real” path in education? What gives one course of field of study merit over another? And how do students end up in this mindset of one area of expertise being more important than another? Too often I myself have fallen into doubts in terms of my own educational abilities, all as a result of the girl that once told me drama “didn't matter”.

On the weekend of October 17-18 I was given the incredible opportunity (along with a few other class members) to attend the CODE 2014 conference in Ottawa. CODE is the Council of Ontario Drama and Dance Educators ( See http://code.on.ca), who organize conferences to discuss methods, merits and technologies to enhance a student’s engagement and learning through dramatic and dance conventions. The conference this year, entitled “Mirrors: A Journey to Identities” featured a variety of workshops, performances and round table discussions that discussed diversity, identity and the place of drama and dance in the Ontario curriculum and beyond. By volunteering at the conference, I was lucky enough to attend a variety of workshops that allowed me also to meet a variety of educators from across the province. In meeting these teachers, I really experienced a moment of epiphany. These teachers full heartedly believed in the merit of their craft, answering to all of those kids in high school “why are you taking only easy courses?” – well because they aren’t as easy as you think! Drama and dance have the possibility for true epiphany and for true learning that goes far beyond a classroom. They do not seek to demerit one field of study but rather promote the positive things about theirs. Furthermore, they acknowledged that sometimes their place in a school may be lonely, but there is really a purpose for them being there.
Now I promise that this blog does connect to 4P19, and this is in the discussion surrounding integrated curriculum. One of the round table discussions that I attended was called “Drama and Dance Initial Teacher Education – Challenges and Possibilities” Led by Michael Wilson. In this discussion, there were a variety of drama and dance educators (both at the University and High School level) who all came together to discuss the 2-year expansion of teacher training, and its relation to Drama and Dance in the curriculum. In this discussion, the notion of integrated curriculum came up in terms of integrating drama and dance into other classes (this was more geared at the P/J and J/I educators). It was discussed that in this capacity, although Drama and Dance are being integrated into Language Arts or French (for example), they are not being integrated adequately. By doing a play in one French class, or one day of dance in Gym many of the speakers feared that this constituted the whole terms grade in respect to these art forms. Furthermore, in doing this many teachers were not feeling prepared or confident to teach drama or dance in their classrooms. Without much support for the arts from administration, it becomes a problem to get any sort of proper arts integration into the classroom as many times these subjects are seen as superlative and not necessary.
http://imgkid.com/original-drama-faces.shtml

I know that I am biased because I am passionate about drama, but I think that there is a lot more merit to the arts than many give them credit for. The arts have the possibility to transform, allowing students to play, try different roles and explore empathy and compassion in a safe, distanced environment. In drama you can explore leadership, power, feelings etc all through a distanced and therefore safe context. I have sen this in my own experiences in drama- even this year. There was a moment a few weeks ago that I was truly able to leave my own context and enter the world of the drama. In exploring an especially difficult topic (in this case it was domestic violence) through the dramatic lenses, our class was safely able to explore power dynamics and roles through a dramatic convention. I have never felt so moved in my life by the roles that were being explored. Never before have I been so into a dramatic play, and seeing how much this one moved me, I then fully understood the ways that Drama can move someone, make someone think or make someone feel. If you are interested in learning about more "Transferable skills" or the ways that Dramatic Arts can inform you in the real world check this out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3DGHtpuV28

So as I come to the end of this blog, I want to call all of those that told me drama “doesn't matter” and let them know, that it has more possibilities than one can even fathom. It is in this “easy” class that a real amount of learning can happen.