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In the first lesson of the year, we were directed to sit in a circle and independently introduce ourselves with our names and any background we had in the arts. It was explained that we were doing this because the unit featured a lot of group work so it would be beneficial to start to learn the names of each other for future reference.

While doing this I experienced a lot of anxiety as I am quite shy and did not like being put on the spot, so had decided I would never make my students do this in the future as I could relate to the immense dread towards public speaking. The main personal learning and development I had in this lesson was stepping out of my comfort zone, as I even learnt about and performed a tableau with peers I had never met before to an audience of my classmates. After further reflection, I thought of the benefits of icebreakers in the classroom such as boosting confidence and easing tensions in the classroom environment.

After further research I discovered there is an array of benefits that drama has for children. The main benefit being the confidence that drama builds as children are encouraged to “express their creative ideas in an interactive, nurturing setting,” (Faust International, 2023) which in turn builds confidence and self-esteem. Team work is also an essential part of drama, and children learning how to work together and collaborate in a creative environment is an essential skill, (Faust International, 2023). Overall, icebreakers is an activity I would incorporate in a drama classroom.

Faust International. (2023). The benefits of drama education for children. Www.faustworld.com. https://www.faustworld.com/the-benefits-of-drama-for-children.asp#:~:text=Drama%20builds%20confidence&text=When%20a%20child%20is%20given

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Teachers TV: Drama: Teacher In Role. Attached is an example of a class using the teacher-in-role technique to demonstrate and direct activities for children.

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In the week four lesson of drama, our improvisational drama experience featuring a teacher-in-Role assignment was introduced to us. First, we sat down in front of the board and went through the assignment outline, where we discussed the outline and requirements of the task and were able to ask any questions we had. We looked at an example of a lesson plan based on the assignment, and then the lecturer demonstrated the lesson plan where they played the Teacher-in-Role, and we were the students.

The activity caused me to reflect on the ways I had not considered incorporating imaginative play in the classroom and developed my overall understanding of different ways I could use a teacher-in-role activity in my future career. Overall, I developed a clearer understanding of the assignment and the ways that a teacher-in-role activity could look in a classroom environment. I liked how the new concept was demonstrated first as it took some of the overwhelming feelings of learning a new concept that has many parts to it.

The lecturer is using the 'I do, you do' method which makes it easy to understand the task through the modelled activity and helped build my confidence in completing the task, which would be beneficial in the classroom environment. If I were to implement this activity in my classroom, I would change the order of the lesson so first we demonstrate the activity then go through the task sheet, identifying the parts that we demonstrated in the activity. After further research, it was confirmed that “demonstrating opens up new possibilities for children’s further experimentation and learning,” and overall benefits children's learning in the arts (Art Play Children's Learning, 2018).

Art Play Children's Learning. (2018). How to use demonstrations to support creativity – art. play. children. learning. Louisapenfold.com. https://louisapenfold.com/demonstrating-childrens-art-education/#:~:text=Why%20is%20demonstrating%20important%20in

CPD College. (2015). Teachers TV: Drama: Teacher in role. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqo_Vf4cK0M

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In the first lesson of dance, the primary elements of what dance is were introduced to us, body, energy, space and time. The acronym B.E.S.T. describes different stylistic choices you can add into a dance to make it more interesting or intentional to create meaning. To create a deeper understanding of the concept the class was split into four groups. After the whole class learned a short, simple dance phrase, each group was given a focus element. The group had to research to understand what the element was and recreate the dance phrase using the dance element. Each group then showed their piece, the class then discussed which element they could be showing, and then the group explained what their element was and how they incorporated their element into their dance.

Overall, I developed a clearer understanding of the BEST elements of dance and the different ways they could be incorporated into simple movements for entertainment purposes. Upon reflection, I thought about the benefits of demonstration in primary school settings especially in art classes. Demonstration benefits students who are kinesthetic learners as the repetition of movement and physical interaction, boosting information retention. A con of this activity included that not every student learns best kinaesthetically, so further activities that included different learning styles based on the new concept would ensure all students were engaged.

According to Myers (2023), there are many benefits to kinaesthetic practices in an art room. This includes strengthening learning and improving memory as well as enhancing student motivation, through students being physically active.

Myers, J. (2023, April 24). How to boost learning through expressive kinesthetic art practices. The Art of Education University. https://theartofeducation.edu/2023/04/apr-how-to-boost-learning-through-expressive-kinesthetic-art-practices/#:~:text=In%20addition%2C%20adding%20dance%20moves

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Children exploring movement of their bodies

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In the Week 7 class of dance, we did an activity called 'Follow the Leader.' This is where one person is sent out of the classroom, while everyone else waits inside. Another individual is picked inside the class to create movements for the rest to sneakily follow. The purpose of the activity is for the external person to return to the class and guess who everyone is trying to copy, while everyone is trying to mirror all of the movements the chosen person is doing. The activity requires peripheral vision, movement exploration and hand-eye coordination.

After this lesson, I decided to research the different ways movement exploration benefits young students and I was amazed to learn the substantial amount of motor skill development it assists with including manipulation skills, balance skills, eye-hand and eye-foot coordination, and spatial awareness. With “developmentally appropriate movement experiences giving children the practice and instruction necessary to refine their movement skills and expand their movement vocabularies. Moreover, if the children have frequent opportunity to experience success in physical activity, it will make movement pleasurable for them, (Pica, 2017).

In this lesson, I developed my knowledge of movement exploration through games. I also realised how many benefits movement exploration, specifically through dance, had on students. I liked this activity because it was fun and engaging, and also built my confidence in exploring different movements through letting my body move naturally. Overall, I would use this activity as a primary school teacher, not only in the arts but could be offered as a ‘brain break’ in a normal classroom environment.

Pica, R. (2017). Why movement matters. Www.communityplaythings.com. https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/why-movement-matters#:~:text=Developmentally%20appropriate%20movement%20experiences%20can

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Stop motion film made in the Media Arts lesson

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In the first lesson on media arts, we were introduced to the element of stop-motion film. First, we watched a stop-motion short movie. We then were told to make groups of pairs and to collectively download 'Stop Motion' on a device. Only one person had used this app before and created a stop-motion film in their own time. We were then instructed that we would have 45 minutes to create any type of stop-motion film using the materials provided which included alfoil, playdough, cardboard and blue tack. Before the instruction, we had not been shown how to use the app but were encouraged to use trial and error to work it out.

The video attached is what my partner and I created. If I wasn't in a group for this activity, I would have felt quite anxious trying to independently figure out how to use the app as well as create the video. Working in a group meant we could share ideas and work together on the task. The activity made me reflect on how children may feel when they don't understand a concept or task and consider how working in a group may benefit their understanding and confidence. I enjoyed being able to collaborate with my partner and share ideas when we ran into a problem or when coming up with new ideas.

According to UNSW Sydney (2023), there are many benefits of group and partner work when learning a new concept. This included students becoming active participants in their learning and through discussions with peers, helps students articulate their ideas, refine concepts and develop interpersonal and communication skills as well as create deeper understanding of course content. Overall, I really enjoyed the partner work in this lesson of the arts activity and is an activity I would use in my own classroom.

UNSW Sydney. (2023). Group work | UNSW teaching staff gateway. Www.teaching.unsw.edu.au. https://www.teaching.unsw.edu.au/group-work