Unit 2 Reflection

     Our second unit was titled “Multimodal composition.” During the last few days of this section, we did some activities in class that I thought would work great in the classroom. They were called Process Drama exercises. My favorites were acting out vocabulary words, character testimonials, and extended roleplay. 

    First, during our vocabulary word activity, we were given words to act out and our classmates had to guess which one we were emulating. My group had the word “nook” and we represented it by having one of our members crouched in the corner with a book. I think this is a really creative way to practice vocabulary in the classroom. Worksheets and copying definitions are not engaging to the students. We learn better when we have fun, and these activities give kinesthetic learners the opportunity to learn in the way they do best. 

    After that, we wrote testimonials for different characters in the short story “Story of an Hour,” by Kate Chopin. The idea of this activity is to treat the text like a reality show and write what you think that the characters would say behind the scenes. It seems ludicrous, but it helps students to consider what the characters may be thinking or feeling and the different points of view that the text does not acknowledge. Through doing this the students use what they know about the characters based on what they have read and draw their own conclusions about what they might be thinking. 

    My favorite activity by far was extended role play we did with the poem “The Grocer’s Children.” This was where we put ourselves in the shoes of the characters and created a scene based on how we thought they’d react. First we improvised as the grocer’s children. Some interpreted the children as grateful for their parents’ efforts at providing food for them, and others were upset with them. We then played the grocer and their spouse. Again, people had different interpretations. Some spouses were supportive of the grocer and others were not. Then, we all got to be the grocer and write a diary entry detailing what we thought their feelings were on the situation. My favorite part was the talk show we did of all the characters together. It was interesting to see how the different interpretations acted when put together and how they reacted when conflict arose. 

    Some readings that go along with Process Drama also caught my attention. A section of Rosalind M. Flynn’s article, “A dramatic approach to learning: Teaching in role,” describes the importance of participating in improvisation as a teacher. In doing this you provide your students with an example that it is safe to put yourself out there and experiment with ideas. You can also guide the plot and move ideas into action, however, your students must be the focus of the activity, as it is for their benefit and learning. The article “Engaging Students in Drama Activities,” lists benefits that students can get out of Process Drama, but one that sticks out to me is the immersiveness of the activities. The article reads, “Students then are no longer merely pretending to be someone else or a character, but they are interacting with others about significant concerns that need to be addressed.” Not only are students engaged through improv, but they feel as if they are having real life experiences with the content, though it is simulated. 

    I chose to include this graphic because it portrays the process of learning through Process Drama. First the students might see it as a performance or art, but as they move through the stages on the pyramid, they begin to learn the value of what they are doing. The next step up on the pyramid is Aesthetic Engagement. Here, the students play the parts of the characters, but as they move to the next level, they make conscious choices about their actions and use their words, faces, body language, and vocal inflection to make a statement about the situation from the Lense of their character. This all leads to a transformative experience where the given context, characters, and plot have become much more dynamic and tangible to the participants, deepening their understanding and enriching their experience.

Image from: The Epiphany in Process Drama and Language Learning (p-e-r-f-o-r-m-a-n-c-e.org)