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Looking back - what was your favourite activity in the unit?

My favourite activity was the Readers Theatre activity, it had interesting prompts and was so sun to do with a group, it made me laugh a lot and I though it would be beneficial in a cross-curricular setting.

Has anything surprised you about teaching dance, drama and or media arts to primary students?

How much confidence kids at this age have when participating in these activities. It was interesting to hear our tutors opinion about how primary school students just throw themselves into activities without hesitation whereas university students(our class) found it difficult to engage our imagination and let go.

Which dance, drama or media arts strategy are you keen to try out with a group of primary students?

I would like to try the teacher-in-role activities as it seems like a great way to teach students about narrative and story telling. It would also be a lot of fun for me as a teacher, as I would be moving away from the plain pen to paper teaching style instead immersing myself and my students within a story with the help of a character.

Can you comment on the process of devising a dance, drama and media arts performance as a group?

I would say that having an idea to build off of allowed for a smoother transition to the planning phase. Something as simple as colours was enough to allow for creativity to flourish. Because the performance wasn’t just one aspect of the arts it required a lot of thinking and planning to ensure the storyline made sense. By having worked on each of the areas of dance, drama and media separately it was easy enough to find links between each and create a final product. This process was also made a lot simpler through aligning certain group members with tasks. It allowed for collaboration and cooperation to be developed within the project.

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What do you know about media arts? What technical skills in media arts do you feel confident with?
Media arts can assist in the communication of ideas on a multitude of platforms. This discipline allows for information to be shared among a range of different medians that are engaging and interesting. Media arts allows for an exploration of different technical skills ranging from camera angles to digital design and animation. I feel confident utilising design elements as well as basis photography and filming skills.

How can you plan to develop your competency in media arts education?

I would develop my competency in media arts education by taking up hobbies related to media arts. For example photography and filming. These are two engaging ways that I could incorporate into lessons. It allows for students to find creative ways to engage with the environment around them,

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How do the practical activities and unit information inform your personal understanding of the use of dance as an expressive learning process through which educators can facilitate creativity in primary students?
Through the activities presented within the unit I was able to learn that dance can be used in a number of ways. Communication is the main purpose. Dance utilises your body as a different form of communication whether it be a conversation style or to convey emotions. This means dance can then be utilised as a tool for primary school students to learn how to express themselves in different ways.

What has been the most important personal realisation in the last few weeks in this unit?

To participate in dance, you don’t need to be good at dance. I consider myself a hopeless dancer and I am sure I have two left feet but I found that in this unit I was able to participate fully within the dance experience. I think I engaged well with this module as dance wasn’t just about learning a well choreographed routine but rather using movement to communicate meaning.

Why is it the most important?

It has taught me that dance can be used to communicate anything and you don’t need to be a professional dancer to have fun with dance.

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How did you feel during the workshop?

At first, I felt a little uncomfortable and out of place within the workshop. However, this changed after I realised probably a lot of others were in the same boat. Everyone was very welcoming and encouraging.

What were your most uncomfortable moments?

I mainly felt uncomfortable at times performing unusual activities with people I’m not familiar with. But other than this the class was accommodating and made me feel confident that I could complete tasks.

What were your most enjoyable moments?

I really enjoyed putting the drama elements into practice and having activities such as tableaux to see how certain aspects can be effective within a performance.

What did you discover about how you learnt in this workshop?

By having continuous feedback and prompts to improve upon, I was able to see subtle differences that can make or break a performance. I saw that I am able to take feedback and build upon it to improve performances.

How might primary students learn in drama?

Primary students would learn most effectively through a hands-on experience with drama. However, the activities must remain engaging and fun. Drama is an excellent way for students to engage with their creativity and develop self-confidence.

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Can you reflect on yourself as a learner?
I would say, as a learner I learn best when I'm given a task and know what is required of me. However, in these drama activities this was not the case, we are given a prompt to work with however I'm not given an idea of what the end result should look like. This is  because in drama and improvisation there are no right answers.

Can you gauge your reaction to this workshop, compared to the first?
Within this workshop I felt more at ease as the activities we're centred around prompt that I can see,  read and touch. I also felt more at ease because I knew everyone was in the same boat. This workshop also allowed me to put into practise the drama element but we have been working on in the last two sessions to create apiece of performance.

What do you think is meant by the concept that students learn by symbolically representing their world through drama?
Students can use a number of elements of drama explore the world around them, it also encourages a creative vision to develop within students. For example, not seeing objects as purely what they are but imagining different uses and how they can be manipulates to be something more.

How does drama foster collaboration and cooperation?
Drama is able to foster collaboration and cooperation as these skills are needed within in a performance. Collaboration comes about when individuals work within a group and provide individual effort to achieve a common goal. However cooperation  allowed for individuals to take ownership of their work without relying on others completing their own roles. Cooperation allows for the development of relationships within a group and also allows students to develop teamwork.