İNFORMATİON ABOUT CREATİVE DRAMA

Definitions of Drama

The act of using the imagination to become someone or something other than yourself.The human process whereby imaginative thought becomes action, drama is based on internal empathy and identification, and leads to external impersonation.Wondering, 'What if...?' and then interacting with others in a drama world as if that imagined reality was actual.Drama is characterized by a high degree of spontaneity as teacher and students work to create a fictional world in which they assume roles to explore issues that are of concern to them.

Standards and the Classroom

Today's elementary classroom is very much controlled by the state and is influenced by standards and benchmarks.However, research shows that learning is individually specific and that standardized materials and instruction diminish or inhibit learning.

How to Use Drama in the Classroom

Putting on plays for an audience is not what is meant by using drama in the classroom.Instead, the goal is to teach the core curricular areas using drama.Language arts, social studies, and science are subject areas, which are very successful in using drama.Drama is very effective in making a historical event come alive for students.

Drama is a form of "learning by doing."Imagination is the gateway through which meanings are derived from past experiences that are carried into the present.Creative drama is engrossed by the participant's use of imagination.The curriculum should integrate the imagination or aesthetic world with the cognitive world of the student

The Role of the Teacher in Using Drama

Teachers should use drama to teach the elementary curriculum and to teach the students.The teacher's job is to teach students the curriculum and help students become life-long learners.To become a life-long learner or someone who uses their skills to teach himself and solve everyday problems, the person must acquire some basic social and problem solving skills.Drama is a great way to develop these skills.

Benefits of Drama in the Classroom

Research indicates that using drama in the classroom as a means of teaching helps students learn academically, socially, and developmentally.Educators have recently started to explore the use of drama as an integrated way of learning in elementary curriculum.

Non-cognitive Benefits of Drama

Through drama, students learn valuable social skills, and develop proficiency for continued success in life.Drama, which involves imaginative transformation and reflection on experiences, helps students expand their ability to act out thoughts in their minds.This skill is necessary for organizing thoughts and problem solving situations in everyday life.

Drama can Improve Reading Skills

The skill of playing thoughts out in your mind is also essential for reading comprehension.This is what we do when trying to understand a difficult text.The reader "pictures" what is happening in the text to better understand it.

Drama Improves Social Skills

Drama is beneficial because of how much the participants engage with each other.In order for children to be able to learn, they have to feel safe and comfortable.The engagement with each other in drama builds trust and strong relationships.These ideas parallel that of the Social Cognitive Theory.

Drama Leads to Improved Reflection

Reflection is often a step that is overlooked in traditional teaching methods.Students do not just act in drama-they also reflect on the meanings of actions as they consider the consequences for different people. Reflection is dialog when the students evaluate actions from the point of view of a person affected

Drama is Chance for Practicing Social Situations

Most drama in education is done in groups or with the whole class.Students run into problems where, for example, they do not agree on a solution or action the rest of their group is taking.This type of problem solving helps students become lifelong learners.Drama in education calls for more group work, so students obtain the crucial skills needed throughout life.

Emotions and Learning

Students elicit speech, senses, emotions and motor skills when occupied with a drama activity.Many different parts of the brain are being activated.This generates a much bigger possibility that the students will learn the subject.

Drama Benefits Kinesthetic Learners

Students are almost always moving around and actually creating something using their bodies during drama activities.During drama activities students are involved and actually doing something in addition to just listening.Drama is taking information and creating something new with it, which makes it relevant to the student.

Drama is a Way of Life

Dramatic play helps children prepare for life and cope with growing up.Drama allows children to explore and make sense of the complexities of life without experiencing failure.Since dramatic play is so innate in children, it should be carried on into the elementary classroom.Drama is something that children are very good at and love to do.Children spontaneously engage in dramatic play from as young an age as ten months.

Conclusion

Research confirms that drama is effective in teaching the elementary curriculum.Drama gives educators the opportunity to teach their students in a way which creates a love for learning.Drama provides valuable problem solving, social, and creative skills.The cognitive, effective, and psycho motor dexterity that is gained by using drama create motivated, intelligent, long-life learners.