Analyse and evaluate a series of 4 hypothetical DRAMA lessons (at key stage 3 in Wales/England) from the standpoint of the devel - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages The beauty of the art of performance is that it can happen anywhere, at any place, for any given amount of time (Carlson, 1996).  Drama hence is a form of fiction that is usually presented on stage, acted in theatres, performed by actors before an audience and usually assumes various modes of representation as either comedy or tragedy. Drama is also the dependence on in depth development of real characters dealing with real emotions that affect all human beings with the main purpose of exhibiting the emotions of pain and pleasure from the audience. (Longinus, 1762) The teaching of drama in grade school can be a complex task in that; the teacher has to consider all the components of drama to help the pupils in understanding all that pertains to drama that will help them in the creation of a performance such as the styles used, themes to be represented, the characters and the choice of each specific character, setting and the plot. While introducing this new topic of drama to the young learners, it’s advisable that the teacher assume that the learners are meeting the topic for the first time, hence breakdown the lessons in a manner that the lesson progresses from very simple content that are easily understood by the learners to more complex ideas. This categorization/breakdown of information makes it easy for the learners to conceptualize what is required of them. According to Jean Piagets cognitive development theory that suggests that children of this age; (11yrs-14yrs), are able to reason in a much more abstract way using systematic logic. If the children are hence left to make a play without sufficient background information to all that appertain to a performance or drama, they will make several mistakes that according to them are relevant. This is attributed to the children’s present cognitive stage. It’s advisable hence to give the pupils a simple skit that they can easily internalize and reproduce at the end of the lessons as a way of evaluating if they indeed understood all that is required in drama. (Piaget, J. 1976). The evaluation process is a continuous process that involves assessment, evaluation and re-evaluation of a work or performance or program activities while it is still in progress (Bhola, 1960). This type of evaluation focuses on the process unlike other forms of evaluations that focus on the eventual outcome. According to BF Skinner’s theory of reinforcement, it is important to reinforce positive behavior, while negative behavior should be punished or ignored. During the performance, the learner’s positive behavior was reinforced through rewards such as appreciation by applauding the pupils which encouraged them to perform better and also acted as a morale boost, while negative behavior was corrected on the spot or the pupils were punished by time out to prevent further repetition of the behavior. Discussion By the end of the four assigned lessons, the learners should be able to create a performance for drama and define all that appertains to theatre such as theater terminologies. The learners will also learn basic skills for acting for their grade level. Apart from academics, the learners are also expected to acquire interpersonal skills by working in ...Download file to see next pagesRead More