"Tell me and I will forget.
Show me and I will remember.
Involve me and I will understand."
Chinese Proverb
Show me and I will remember.
Involve me and I will understand."
Chinese Proverb
Integrating Drama @ W.P.S!
Our Drama Specialist teacher Anna Stanton continues to lead the school as Performing Arts Coordinator. Her role as the coordinator allows her to guide teachers in Drama across the curriculum through professional development opportunities. Anna continues to organise 'whole school' excursions and Arts learning experiences for all at Winthrop P.S....So we aren't missing a thing!
Winthrop has continued a strong emphasis on The Arts to engage and enhance our student learning experiences.
School Drama @ W.P.S-2019- Dramatising our Syllabus!
In 2018, Barking Gecko Theatre Company took on this highly acclaimed program to roll out WA's first intake of WA school involvement in 2019. Miss Stanton jumped on the chance for Winthrop P.S. to be the first school to run the trial .
The opportunity to also gain knowledge of students achievement through pre and post testing activities was recognised as an important factor in allowing the program to run at Winthrop Primary School. The workshops seek to extend our students and teachers in their classroom activities to allow our students to really shine academically and creatively through Drama skills and processes.
This exciting initiative is presented by Barking Gecko Theatre Co and has run successfully in primary schools over in the eastern states for 12 years. The School Drama program has been developed and lead by Sydney University and Sydney Theatre Company.
Rather than having Drama as a 'stand alone' subject, we are able to 'tap into' it's skills and kinaesthetic learning techniques (allowing students to be 'up and moving') in our regular classrooms. It allows the students the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of content through a literacy focus and in turn can be integrated throughout other learning areas seamlessly.
After much discussion and planning, the School Drama pilot program in Western Australia was agreed to start in 2019.
Four teachers from Winthrop P.S. were chosen by application to work with actor/educators over a 7 week period to develop literacy programs from picture books, using drama skills and processes as a basis for deeper learning and lesson enhancement.
Our professional learning opportunity was to help inform our school through pre-testing of students and post testing (after the course) to gauge students performance. Our staff seek to enhance grades based on NAPLAN red flags i.e. vocabulary, inferential knowledge and other areas of stagnation.
Current classes involved in the program in Term 3 are:
Pre- Primary 2- Lisa Chamberlain
Pre- Primary 3- Deanne Maher
Year 4- Alison Kelly and Danielle Smith
Year 6- Anna Stanton
THE IMPORTANCE OF INTEGRATING 'THE ARTS' THROUGH THE CURRICULUM
SEE LINK VIDEO BELOW
SEE LINK VIDEO BELOW
Our W.P.S. School Drama Students in Action!
Staff Development with Anna Stanton
Drama Specialist Program- 2016 and 2017
WHY TEACH DRAMA?
There are a number of reasons why The Performing Arts is important to our children’s development.
- Children develop CREATIVITY IN PROBLEM SOLVING, through improvisation and structured play.
- It can CHALLENGE STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS about their world and about themselves.
- DRAMATIC EXPLORATION which provides students with an outlet for emotions, thoughts and dreams that they might not otherwise have means to express.
- COMMUNICATION skills, both verbal and non verbal.
- SPEAKING IN PUBLIC.
- Being PERSUASIVE in their communications, both written and oral (think- NAPLAN!)
- Building a more POSITIVE, CONFIDENT SELF IMAGE.
- Participation in dramatic activity requires SELF CONTROL and DISCIPLINE. Focus and concentration activities help them through many areas in life (think- exams, collaborative tasks and empathy for others.)
- WORKING TOGETHER, to cooperate, to find the best way for each member of a group to contribute and to listen. Accepting the viewpoints and contributions of others.
- NO ART FORM IS MORE TRULY COLLABORATIVE. Drama is an important tool for preparing students to live and work in a world that is increasingly TEAM-ORIENTED rather than hierarchical.
In 2019 and in the coming years, our most important national resource will be human resources. If we are to continue to meet the challenges of the future, today's schools need to develop creative leaders.
This is what we hope to achieve at Winthrop Primary with this EXCITING and ENGAGING specialist area.