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My compilation begins with 4 reflections. The first is a reflection made at the very beginning of this course when engaging with an Online Learning
Inquiry about how the Arts fit with children's lives. The second reflection is my reflection about one of my Drama class observations which inspired
me to look further into Student-Lead learning. The third reflection is my thoughts on Marzanos ideas about classroom instruction that works and I
have reflected on how I could implement and adapt these 9 instructional models in drama setting. The fourth reflection is about the value of using
art to express a culture if diversity in the school yard. I plan to reflect on a Malthouse Theatre visit in semester 2.
I have chosen the learning plan with the goal of being able to successfully convey Learning Intentions (LI) and Success Criteria (SC) into my lessons.
Marzano suggests that setting objectives can provide students with a direction for their learning. Goals should not be too specific; and they should
be easily adaptable to students own objectives. (Marzano 2001) This would be apparent in the lessons learning objectives or learning intentions
and gives the students an indication of whether they are achieving the class goals. This is a plan that can be applicable for any subject and once I
have a hold of will hopefully plan more effective lessons. I have included a collection of artefacts and reflections that helped me realise my goal. I
also acknowledge that this process will be ongoing and never truly mastered and am constantly finding ways to improve my verbal and written
communication of the LI and SC. Overall I dont think I was completely successful in this goal because I am still finding out what is the best way to
convey the learning goals and then assess the effectiveness of my lessons.
In the last section you will find a list of resources in my emerging toolbox which would be helpful for a new dramatic-arts educator.
Marzano, R.J, Pickering, D.J and Pollock, J.E 2001 Classroom Instruction that works, Alexandria, VA

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Reflections
How do the Arts fit with children's lives?
After reading this article Reading Awakening the Sleeping Giant: The arts in the lives of Australian families by Margaret S. Barrett and Heather
Smigiel I considered how some of the students thought of art. The common thread was it is not what you do it is how you do it. They also have the
view that the way you think informs art. They describe it as something plain being transformed and also the creating of something from nothing.
Television programs, family, culture e.g. city vs rural and nurturing inform their ideas about what art is and how they view the world. When I was a
child Art was what was in a gallery; things that were tangible and visible. What I found interesting about this article was the students intellectual
responses, the kids point of views that participation was part of the arts and that art is more the action and creation of art rather than the actual end
product. In my experience of school many of my class-time hours were dedicated to the arts purely because it was my interest. Art was there when
you wanted to find it however it could easily be avoided. Art is important to those who seek art but you must give kids the choice by giving them the
opportunity to experience art. Art is important for development, stress relief and expression. I remember art being where I flourished in school. I
liked the hands on approach and the ability to create something different to the person next to me unlike math and science. I think arts should be
introduced early and constantly reinformed. It is something we at times do not consciously choose to engage with and therefore we should give
students the tools to do so. Secondary school is a time of physical, mental and social adjustment and therefore in order to move into the next phase of
adulthood young people need to understand their place in the world. It is important for young people to find a sense of belonging and acceptance
amongst their cohort as well as developing their identity. The 21st Century is an increasingly complicated and sophisticated environment, which
demands more elaborate and complex behaviours (Ackman 2012 p4) and these higher levels of thinking and problem solving can be cultivated
from the arts:-The arts allow us to express our ideas beyond what our words can provide. The arts therefore are a vehicle for self-reflection and
metacognition.... (Ackman 2012 p.4) Once these ideas are expressed students can begin to unpack the reasons behind their choices in art practice.
As Gibson suggests Arts help us understand more about who we areIf we better understand who we are, we are better equipped to develop a
deeper understanding of the world and our role within it (Gibson and Ewing 2011 p.4) This is due to the introspective nature of learning
creativity in the arts. It poses questions that force us look inward and think about reasons behind our art-making with critical thinking. In this way
young people can start to make connections between art and real life. Gibson suggests that many children and young people opt out of formal
learning activities because they cannot see the relevance of it in their own lives, (Gibson and Ewing 2011 p.9) and therefore in order to stay
motivated they need to find individual meaning from what they are learning.
Ackman, R 2012 The Arts in school: Social and Emotional Implications for Students At Risk, Teaching toward a better world: Embracing the
challenges pp.1-9 Olympia, Washington

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Gibson, R and Ewing, R 2011 The imperative of an arts-led curriculum,Transforming the curriculum through the arts pp. 1-14, Melbourne, Palgrave
Macmillan.
Drama Reflection 30/04/15
I observed a year 12 drama lesson where the students were preparing for their drama ensembles. They are doing their small group ensembles
within the framework of a whole class performance. The theme of their ensemble is a reality T.V show where they will each be auditioning to be on
the show. The class is an even mix of boys and girls. This class they were developing an opening Broadway-style dance. The great thing about this
class was that it was entirely student-led. Two students that take dance lessons outside of school were in charge of choreographing the dance. I was
surprised how enthusiastic all the students were toward this activity bar a few students who felt their abilities were not great and therefor were less
motivated to participate. The students who lead the choreography were well organized and catered to each students needs by working individually
with students, in small groups and then as the whole class. The teacher aided in keeping the classroom disruptions to a minimum and also managing
the behaviour of the students.
I did some research into the benefits of student-lead teaching. One concept of Teach-Me (Pak 2015) seems particularly insightful.

It lets you see where a child needs reinforcement

Teach Me is a way to put the power of learning into the hands of your student/learner
Allows students to be the teacher
Allows, and gets students, to recall in detail what they have learned
Gives them ownership over the learning
Increases a student's verbal communication skills
Gives a student multiple ways to remember and retain information that they have learned (Pak 2015)

Furthermore it can empower a child with their learning; to show off what they know and be the one in charge, to be the one explaining it to you,
their teacher. Its a sense of pride and accomplishment for the student (Pak 2015) as well as improving their oral and communication skills. This
type of student-lead learning ensures the students are taking responsibility of their learning as well as holding them accountable for the outcome of
their work. I can see how this form of learning works very well in a creative setting as it allows for students to take control of where their ideas are
heading. It also puts a focus on the process rather than the content which can be beneficial for learners who are more practical and kinaesthetic. It
worked well in this instance because the teacher had established a positive and welcoming culture in the classroom where all students respect each
other and motivate their classmates to learn. I would like to try and incorporate this style of teaching into my English lessons somehow by maybe
doing
student
lead editing groups or
they can
teach
each other a
skill we
are
all
trying
to
learn.

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Pak, R 2015, Teach Hub. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.teachhub.com/student-led-instruction-strategies. [Accessed 08 May 15].

Reflection 17/05
My mentor gave me a reference for work by Marzano about instructional methods for classrooms particularly arts and drama focused. I have
outlined how they could be applied to the drama classroom.
1. Identifying Similarities and Differences
The ability to break a concept into its similar and dissimilar characteristics allows students to understand (and often solve) complex problems by
analysing them in a more simple way. Use diagrams or charts to compare and classify items. Engage students in comparing, classifying, and
creating metaphors and analogies. In drama we could use this method to analysis characters, set designs, plots of plays, costumes, props etc. by
identifying the similarities and differences.

2. Summarising and Note Taking

Summarising skills promote greater comprehension by asking students to analyse a subject to expose whats essential and then put it in their own
words. According to research, this requires substituting, deleting, and keeping some things and having an awareness of the basic structure of the
information presented. Verbatim note taking is ineffective because it does not allow time to process the information. Detailed (in content) rather
than brief notes are useful, especially as a study guide for tests and exams. Review and revision of notes makes them more effective. Note taking
would be useful if we were reviewing discussing a performance to remember certain dramatic elements and conventions used in the performance.
We could also do note taking at the end of class to reflect on what we have learned and covered for that lesson also if students were developing
performances they could note-take to keep record of their creation.

3. Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition

Effort and recognition speak to the attitudes and beliefs of students, and teachers must show the connection between effort and achievement.
Research shows that although not all students realize the importance of effort, they can learn to change their beliefs to emphasize effort. Directly
teach about the impact of effort; share stories about people who succeeded by not giving up. Marzano suggests to

Have students keep a log of their weekly efforts and achievements, reflect on it periodically, and even mathematically analyse the data.
Find ways to personalize recognition. Give awards for individual accomplishments.

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Pause, Prompt, Praise. If a student is struggling, pause to discuss the problem, then prompt with specific suggestions to help her improve. If
the students performance improves as a result, offer praise.
Maximize the effectiveness of feedback by varying the way it is delivered.
This technique is essential in the drama classroom as students may be vulnerable and out of their comfort zones when asked to perform and
participate in dram-activities. Reinforcing effort and providing recognition would help build self-esteem and confidence in the classroom.

4. Homework and Practice

Homework provides students with the opportunity to extend their learning outside the classroom. Parent involvement should be minimal.

Establish a homework policy with advice-such as keeping a consistent schedule, setting, and time limit-that parents and students may not
have considered.
Tell students if homework is for practice or preparation for upcoming units.

Homework for drama would be useful for individual development of the skill. Any type of study in relation to what we are working on in class would
provide stimulus and inspiration for work made in the classroom.
5. Non-linguistic Representations

According to research, knowledge is stored in two forms: linguistic and imagery-based (mental pictures or physical sensations). The more students
use both forms in the classroom, the more opportunity they have to achieve. It also engages students in elaborative thinking, which can be enhanced
by asking students to explain and justify their representations. In drama we cannot escape non-linguistic representations and the process of learning
through doing and kinaesthetically is essential for the drama room. Not only can students have the opportunity to present ideas physically
themselves they are able to learn through the physical representations of their classmates and performances.
6. Cooperative Learning

Cooperative learning strategies should be applied systematically and consistently, but leaving sufficient time for students to practise independently
the skills and processes that they must master. Groups should be kept small. Marzano suggests that
When grouping students, consider a variety of criteria, such as common experiences or interests. Ina drama performance finding a common
area that students would like to explore could create a motivation and passion to contribute while something out of the comfort zone could
challenge and produce interesting work
Design group work around the core components of cooperative learning-positive interdependence, group processing, and appropriate use of
social skills, face-to-face interaction, and individual and group accountability. For a collaborative drama-classroom we would need to create
a cooperative environment for all students and the teachers in order to produce drama and learn from our practice

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7. Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback

Setting objectives can provide students with a direction for their learning. Goals should not be too specific; and they should be easily adaptable to
students own objectives. This would be apparent in the lessons learning objectives or learning intentions and gives the students an indication of
whether they are achieving the class goals.
8. Generating and Testing Hypotheses

In drama and art subjects we encourage our students to make inferences about what their work and other work is attempting to do.

Ask students to predict what would happen if an aspect of a familiar system, such as a musical or dramatic work, were to change.
Ask students to build something using limited resources. This task generates questions and hypotheses about what may or may not work.
This was similar to the newspaper activity we participated in art class at university

9.

Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers

Pause briefly after asking a question. Doing so will increase the depth of your students
answers.

Vary the style of advance organizer used: Tell a story, skim a text, or create a graphic image.
This would also include the use of ICT and live performance in drama

Adapted from Classroom Instruction That Works by R. J. Marzano, D. J. Pickering, and J. E. Pollock,
2001, Alexandria, VA: ASCD

Reflection 25/05/15
Last week at my placement school they celebrated International day against homophobia and
transphobia. They celebrated all week with every student brandishing a flag pin and awareness

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campaigns in their Advisory Classes. The Visual Communications teacher organised a lunchtime chalk mural for anyone and everyone to participate
in. It was such a simple yet beautiful and effective idea and students responded in mature and thoughtful ways. I loved the idea of expression
through drawings and words and bringing together the cohort through their art. I share the view that Art experiences enable all students to take
part... (Gibson and Ewing 2011 p.11) regardless of their physical and mental capabilities as it embraces a range nonconforming procedures and
exploration of self-expression. Research was undertaken in a Middle-school in Pittsburgh U.S.A on a focus group of year levels six to eight. We
sought to present a direct link between our mural project and the building of self-esteem, personal values, and responsibility... (Turk 2012) They
explored this notion by initiating the creation of a mural that was to be designed and executed by the students of the art club, economically
disadvantaged homes and the Life Skills participants who were all diagnosed with varying levels of learning disabilities, Autism and physical
disabilities such as Multiple Sclerosis. Turk explains how Students were presented with real-world problems such as teamwork, developing the
social skills needed to work with peers of various backgrounds and disabilities, a desire for volunteerism, self-esteem, and school pride (Turk
2012). This aspect emphasises that for young people to appreciate and gain from their learning it needs to be applicable to real life. Turk reports on
the significant positive impact this experience had on the youth especially within the notion of social-inclusion. He tells how students left with a
sense of belonging and self-worth. Interviewers found that students who displayed camaraderie and showed empathy for others felt as if they had
contributed to the greater good or the success of the project through their service, (Turk 2012) demonstrating the possibilities for youth
cooperation through arts because of the successful facilitation. Furthermore Turk tells how a learning-disabled youth that was usually shy and
lacked confidence found the courage to speak about the (project) Working collaboratively and building new relationships with her peers gave her
the confidence to speak about the project (Turk 2012). This notion of effective art teaching for social inclusion is reflective of Coles expression
the best way to revitalize art teaching and enable it to address questions of equality is by finding artists who themselves seek to do that (Cole &
Hill 1999 p.209) and therefor in order to see this social change in the school environment we need more practitioners and art teachers who are able
and passionate about facilitating this kind of collaborative learning like the IDAHOT mural.
Cole, M & Hill, D 1999, Promoting Equality in Secondary Schools, London: Cassell, eBook Academic Collection

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Gibson, R and Ewing, R 2011 The imperative of an arts-led curriculum,Transforming the curriculum through the arts pp. 1-14, Melbourne, Palgrave
Macmillan.
Turk, J 2012, 'Collaboration, Inclusion, and Empowerment: A Life Skills Mural', Art Education, v65 n6, pp. 50-53, ERIC, EBSCOhost

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Plan of: Elise

Goal number

Goal(an aspect of my teaching I want to improve)

Baseline data (my current situation)

Successfully convey Learning Intention and Success Criteria into my lessons. This is a
plan that can be applicable for any subject and once I have a hold of will help me
plan more effective lessons.

Not sure how to plan and implement this but have a brief understanding of what learning
intentions and success criteria should look like.

Performance indicator (how will I know I got there)

Target (where I want to be)

Be using learning intentions and success criteria effectively and maximise student
learning by incorporating it into my lessons.

Using learning intentions and success criteria naturally to help structure all my lessons and
assess student performance in the classroom.

Action

Action 1
How do my
mentor/colleagues use
success criteria in their
lesson plans?
Action 2
Writing learning
intentions and success
criteria in my lesson
plans which are
relevant to the AUSVEL

Personnel

Resources

Responsibility

Start

Finish

Data collection

(Who is involved?)

(What do you need?)

(Who is responsible for what?)

date

date

(How will data be collected and

by whom?)

Myself, Mentor, colleagues

from VU

Lesson plan examples,

examples of how to use
success criteria

I am responsible for finding the

information and asking my mentor
for examples

28/04

05/05

Examples from my mentor, my

own lesson plans

Myself this will ensure I

am covering the correct
content and skills they will
need to learn for their
assessment.

My lesson plans

I will put success criteria in my

lessons

28/04

19/05

My lesson plans

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standards and criteria

and their upcoming
assessments.
Action 3

Myself and the students

The learning intentions and

success criteria for my
lessons

I will continually use learning

intentions and success criteria in my
lessons and measure if it has been
effective in my lessons

28/04

19/05

Measuring students success in

the classroom through their
contribution and work produced
in the class and their overall
results in assessments.

Myself and the students

Student work and reflections

and my lesson plans

Myself monitoring student working

and reading their reflections

10/05

23/05

I will collect student feedback

and reflections at the end of the
class as well as when marking
their SACs I will be made aware
of if they have been engaging
with the LI and SC because these
were based on the criteria of
their assessment.

Communicating the
learning intentions and
success criteria to the
students
Action 4
Evaluating if the success
criteria is something
every student should be
able to measure for
themselves if they have
achieved it and
measuring if they have
met the requirements
in my lessons.
Detailed reflection &
evaluation in relation
to the goal

22/04/15 Conversation with my sister who teaches grade 1 about how she uses Success Criteria in her classroom. She described her Learning intention as
the skill or knowledge that she wants the students to learn that can be applied to multiple contexts not just the subject. The success criteria she described
as how the students are going to achieve the Intention and are specific to the content she is teaching. The success criteria should be a task that every
student should be able to achieve but the capability will vary. Kimberley told me that when she is monitoring the students working she will give them
feedback about their work with using words and statements directly linked to the LI and SC.
When undertaking my observation rounds I noted how my mentor writes the learning intention in a way that is personalised for the student for example I
will know the conventions which I think really works for the students
When developing the unit plan for Montana 1948 I looked at the criteria for their SAC to understand what specific skills and knowledge they would need to

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be successful for this assessment. These specific criterions were linked to the AUSVEL and curriculum standards for year 10. I designed each lesson around
these criterions and these became the basis for the LI and SC. I would follow the same method for designing a unit for Drama and use the criterions for a
drama assessment to understand what I would need the students to learn for that unit and these too would become the basis for my lessons.
28/04/15 Attempted us of learning intentions and success criteria in my lesson. My Mentor commented how I had clear expression of LI and SC and I was
monitoring student progress and their capabilities of the SC by roaming around the room. I try to give feedback to students through the expression of the
LI or SC so they know they are on track. This way they are linking their work specifically to the LI and SC.
29/04/15 I am developing the clear expression of Learning Intentions and success criteria and my mentor commented how the LI is actually
connected/linked to previous lesson which is great for students measuring where they are and being able to see how our lessons are progressing. This is
also a form of scaffolding and gradual release of information.
05/05/15 Use of timer and quick writes this was great review tool, writing to learn this was also connected to the learning intention of expanding their
knowledge on the themes we had been discussing. This technique could be used in a drama lesson to brainstorm the previous lesson ideas.
06/05/15 I distributed Entrance and Exit slips which asked the students to reflect on previous lessons and show if they have learnt what was intended and
what I need to work on conveying next lesson. This is a reflection device that could be applied to any subject because it gets the students thinking about
what they have learned in previous lessons (engaging with previous LIs) as well as helping me measure if they have engaged with the current LI and SC and
also what I should endeavour to include in upcoming lessons.
11/05/15 Use of sticky note reflections, something they learned something they are unsure about this was similar to the above idea but was efficient and
snappy really told me if they understood what the lesson was about.
13/05/15 After explaining the learning intentions and success criteria which was a general statement for the students to write their essays, I asked the
students to each write down 2-3 goals for that session in relation to the LI and SC. During one-on-one time with students I asked them what their goals
where and how we could work to achieve them. This was a process of differentiating my teaching for each student and catering the individuals goals for
that lesson.
I think that it would be beneficial for the students if I wrote for the SC on the board To be successful this lesson I need to and maybe a form of
measuring like If I do this Awesome! If I do this Good! If I do this- On track

Template based on: Commonwealth of Australia. (2010). What Works: The work program. The workbook tools. Retrieved September 27, 2010 from
Shttp://www.whatworks.edu.au/dbAction.do?cmd=displaySitePage1&subcmd=select&id=402

Assessment 3

Learning Intention
14/04

2 22/04

1
2
3

Today I will be able to identify the motivations of Hektor

I will have a deeper understanding of Hektors Death
I can describe and critique representations of characters

Elise Garro 4526395

Success Criteria
What are the key concepts and how can you identify them?
Representations of characters?
Further development of the representation of heroes

Today I will know how to respond critics opinions of Montana to further develop
my own opinion of the text
Today I will know what is expected to write a high quality Text Response Essay

3 27/04

4 28/04

5 29/04

6 4/05
7 05/05

8 06/05

9 07/05

What are some critics views about Montana?

What are my own views about Montana?
What do I need to do achieve high for my Text Response essay?
What are the criteria for the Sac asking me to do?

Today I will be able to identify and have an understanding of the ideas and themes
constructed in a text

What are the key themes and ideas in Montana?

Today I will build on my knowledge of themes, ideas and context constructed in a

text

Ability to identify and use metalanguage when talking and writing about
Montana 1948.

Today I will be able to identify metalanguage and understand how the literary
devices are used in a text

I will be able to construct a piece of writing about the use of literary devices in
Montana 1948 with examples to support my ideas.

Today I will build on my knowledge of themes, structures, features, conventions and

characters used to create meaning in a text.

I am consolidating my thoughts and ideas about the themes and characters

presented in Montana 1948

Today I will know how to write a key-scene analysis

I know how to identify literary devices in Montana 1948 and how to write about
them

Today I will know how to write a text response essay plan

I can produce an essay plan for a Text-Response Essay.

Today I will present my key scene analysis

I can form an opinion in response to a question.

Today I will be able to write an introduction and main body paragraph for a textresponse essay

I can write a response to a question about Montana 1948

I know how to improve my writing.

To understand how the structures and features are used by the author to express
their viewpoint of these issues

Understand how to unpack an essay topic and develop a response that stays on

Master the structure of a text response essay but then move beyond its

How are the themes demonstrated and constructed in Montana?

Identify what verbs are positive, negative or neutral.

Contribute to our key-metalanguage posters.

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track and answers all its parts.

mechanical components to develop individuality and interesting writing.

To understand how to write a text response essay and to be able to experiment

with its structure to meet students individual writing style

This table shows the progression of my written Learning intentions and Success
criteria that I display on the board at the start of every lesson. In the beginning of
placement I was a bit confused how to express this and sometimes worded it as a
question but found this limited how I could measure if the student has achieved
this. As you can see as my placement progressed I was able to develop a succinct
way of conveying what I wanted to the students to take from that lesson and began
to develop the expression in a clear and coherent way. In terms of the success
criteria looking back I have developed my expression in terms of noting it should be
a way for students to measure for themselves if they have learned what was
intended now I need to further develop my vocabulary to support this. I realise that
this will be ongoing to master and hope that I find new strategies to explore how to
convey these. Overall I dont think I was completely successful in this goal because I
am still finding out what is the best way to convey the learning goals and then
assess the effectiveness of my lessons.

Develop a text response essay and develop individuality and interesting

writing

Assessment 3

Entrance and exit slips these examples both show how they
had reflected on achieving the learning intention through the
success criteria. I could apply this to a drama class by using
the same reflective technique but having the intention and
success criteria drama-related.

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Sticky-note reflections: I asked students

at the end of the lesson to reflect on
what they had learned this lesson and
something they didnt understand. This
helped me to see if my lesson, LI and SC
were communicated effectively.

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I always have the LI and SC written on the board so

students know exactly what we are covering that lesson.
I encourage students to write these down in their books
if they are doing written work so they can link their work
to the topic for that day. In a drama lesson I could ask
them to write it down but also continue the reflective
process so we know if they are engaging with the LI and
content and demonstrating the SC.

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Emerging Toolbox
Websites

Malthouse Theatre. 2015. Education. [ONLINE] Available at: http://malthousetheatre.com.au/education/events. [Accessed 15 May 15]. This page
takes you to the educational events and support the Malthouse Theatre provides for students. There are tailored workshops for VCE Drama and
Theatre studies along with workshops just for teachers. Any of these resources would be ideal for taking students for an excursion to theatre and
also build on the knowledge of where to find resources for teachers.
Melbourne Theatre Company. 2015. Education. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.mtc.com.au/education/. [Accessed 12 May 15]. This page
provides links and tools for planning a trip to Melbourne Theatre Company as well as teachers notes for prepping students for their visit and
programs ran for drama and theatre students.
Improv Encyclopedia. 2014. Improv Encyclopedia. [ONLINE] Available at: http://improvencyclopedia.org/. [Accessed 12 May 15]. his website
provides games, activities, glossaries and resources for teaching and learning Improvisational skills for a range of levels. It provides resources that
could be made into displays in the classroom such as the 9-Do-Nots of improv, The Ten Commandments of Improv as well as lists of practitioners
and links to their work about the study and performance of Improv.
Drama Toolkit. 2011. Drama Toolkit. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.dramatoolkit.co.uk/. [Accessed 12 May 15].This is a website dedicated to
resource and support for drama teachers, workshopping and practitioners. It has a list of drama games that are grouped into sections about
Character, Concentration, Energy, Getting to know you, Group cohesion, Improvisation, Listening, Plot, Trust and Voice & dialogue. It also includes
lists of strategies for drama activities and delivering content such as Freeze, Hot seating, Meeting, Tableau/Still Image, Teacher In Role, Thought
Tap, Thought Tunnel and Soundscape. Each section has an activity and tips for age range and also extension.
Mark Yeates. (2011). Top Acts 2010 Drama - Mark Yeates . [Online Video]. 21 June. Available from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I809OPIa0iY. [Accessed: 01 May 2015]. This is a Youtube clip of a high achieving year 12 drama solo
performance which could provide insight and ideas on a top performing solo.
Tedx Talks. (2015). Education through drama and theater | Mohammed Awwad | TEDxNicosia . [Online Video]. 22 February. Available from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOLhlQhFFKo. [Accessed: 01 May 2015]. Here is a video to watch when I begin to question why am I doing
what I am doing? Why drama? It is inspiring to listen to his thoughts on arts and culture and the importance of education through drama and
theatre
La Mama. 2015. La Mama Programs. [ONLINE] Available at: http://lamama.com.au/la-mama-programs/la-mama-learning. [Accessed 20 May 15].
This page provides links and education support at the La Mama Theatre.

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The presentation of productions as part of the annual VCE prescribed Playlists for Drama and Theatre Studies
After-show forums that include meet the writer and discussions with casts, creatives and crew members
Access to published VCE texts of new Australian plays
End-of-year revision & study sessions for VCE teachers and students
Workshops (and PD days) for teachers and/or students
History of La Mama talks and backstage tours of both La Mama venues, adapted to suit your specific needs and year level of students provided
on demand
Advice and general information to teachers about all La Mama productions as requested
Worksheets

Character analysis worksheet (see Appendix A.) This worksheet would be great for students when developing and creating a character in
performance and also evaluating characters in performance. This work sheet is aimed at a senior level but the same concepts could be simplified for
younger students.

Drama Analysis PDF files (see Appendix B). This pack contains: 1. Definitions for analysing drama, 2. an example of a drama for you to read, 3. an
example of how to complete a drama analysis worksheet, 4. an example of how to complete a written drama analysis essay.
Documents

A-Z of thinking tools (see Appendix C) This document has so many think tools. It can to summarise, unpack and revise ideas and are great for making
visual representations of ideas
THE ELEMENTS OF DRAMA - A toolbox for diagnosing problems with performance (Extract from Curriculum Support for teaching in Creative Arts 712 Vol 5 No 1 2000) (http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/secondary/creativearts/assets/drama/pdf/dramaelements.pdf)
Although outdated this toolbox outlines activities and performances for the specific teaching of the dramatic elements with ideas for warm-up
games and how to identify the elements through the activities.
Blake EducationFun and Easy Drama Activities: Drama Warm-Ups. (http://monkeybaa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Warm-upActivities.pdf ) (See Appendix D) Although the activities are aimed at younger levels the activities could be used as simple yet relevant ice-breaker
games to get the students up and moving. It includes a prompt for each activity so you can simplify and reinforce the instructions and also a
second act which extends the activity to more advanced

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VCAA 2015 Drama Solos (http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/exams/drama/2015/2015dramasoloperf.pdf ) This could be useful to show VCE
students of year 11 to prepare them for what some year 12 solos could look like and getting them to begin engaging with different forms of
stimulus.

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Appendix A: First 2 pages of Character Analysis Worksheet

CHARACTER ANALYSIS WORKSHEET

Play title ______________________________________ Date
______________________
Actor _____________________________ Character
____________________________

DRAMATIC ACTION for the play

Remember that a character is determined ONLY AFTER his actions, not before. First, analyze the
characters wants and desires. What is the characters THROUGH LINE OF ACTION for the entire
play. Looking over the course of the script, what is the through line for each character?

OBJECTIVE (Desire or Victory)

This is a statement of what a character wants most; power, dominance over others, love for
another, elf-integrity, dominance over fear, etc.
Answer these questions:
What do I really want? Why? When do I want it? Why?

OBSTACLE (Other)
This is the person or thing that is preventing him from getting what he wants. What or who is
standing in his way? From whom (in the play) does he want it? Who in the play can help
him? Who in the play can hurt him?
Answer these questions:
From whom (in the play) do I want it? Why? Who in the play can help me? Why?
Who in the play can hurt me? Why? What are my deepest fears? Why?

TACTIC (Will)
This is a characters relative strength in attaining his wants or desires. How can he get what
he wants? How (and whom) can he threaten? How (and whom) can he induce? How strong
or weak is his inner strength? Is it strong enough to push him the full limit, or will he
compromise? Does he have any sense of moral responsibility to others? How honest is he
with others and with himself?
(a characters moral stance will affect the attainment of his wants and desires)
Answer these questions:
How can I get it? Why? How (and whom) can I threaten? Why? How (and whom)
can I induce? Why?

EXPECTATION (Resolution)

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Every character has 5 basic Human Needs. These, in one way or another, ultimately become
what the character expects to get. What does the character expect in the end? Why does he
expect to get it? Why does it excite him? What will he do when he gets it?
1) Winning
2) Survival
3) Validation
4) Love 5) Happiness
Answer these questions:
Why do I expect to get it? Why does it excite me? What will I do when I get it?

DRAMATIC ACTIONwithin a scene

1. What do others say about this character?
2. What does this character say about others?
3. What discoveries does this character make?
4. How does this information affect each character? Does it change their behavior, way of
thinking, needs?
5. Does this information signal a victory? a defeat? a reason for reevaluation?
6. Characters objective, obstacle and tactic
7. What is the characters subtext
8. Character-mood-intensity upon entering the scene (this is the physical or body-state of the
character)
* heartbeat: rate * perspiration: heavy, light, etc. * stomach condition
* muscle tension * breathing: rate, depth

CHARACTERIZATION
INTERNALS
1. Background (culture, childhood, upbringing, special memories)
2. Mental (intellect/common sense, right/left brain)
3. Spiritual (religion, beliefs and values)
4. Emotional (calm, angry, gentle, .. when and why)

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Appendix B: Excerpt from Drama Analysis PDF file. This pack contains: 1. Definitions for analysing
drama, 2. an example of a drama for you to read, 3. an example of how to complete a drama
analysis worksheet, 4. an example of how to complete a written drama analysis essay.

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Appendix C: Excerpt from Blake EducationFun and Easy Drama Activities: Drama Warm-Ups.

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Appendix D:

An A to Z of Thinking Tools
Active listening
An instructional skill where group members ;
listen to the speaker as if they are walking in their shoes
listen with all their senses
let the argument or presentation run its course without interruption
encourage the speaker's train of thought
actively respond to questions and directions
use their body language to show they are listening.

Affinity Diagram
The Affinity Diagram is designed for groups of students to collect data and to sort it in a short period
of time by looking for similarities and relationships.

Backward Mapping
Backwards mapping is where you start with the desired outcome and work out the steps, or what
needs to be done, to get there. Similar to the Morphing process.Often a good way to plan a narrative
text.

Bloom's Taxonomy
A tool for categorising the level of abstraction of questions. Blooms Taxonomy is used for teaching
critical thinking skills. Questions are categorised according to six levels:
1. Knowledge
4. Analysis

2. Comprehension
5. Synthesis

3. Application
6. Evaluation

Brainstorm
An instructional tactic used for group problem-solving that involves the spontaneous contribution of
ideas from all members of the group. Also see DOVE
Darryn Kruses rules for Brainstorming ;
R
Record all ideas
O
Original or way-out ideas are useful
P
Put off judgment
E
Expand the list by piggy-backing

Bundling Placing ideas into categories

Uses inductive thinking and is a tactic in which ideas or responses are grouped or 'bundled' into
various categories decided upon by the students or participants. Often good to use post-it notes to
put the ideas up they can then be discussed & the category they have been placed in reviewed.
Similar to Card Cluster see below.

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CAMPER
This is a set of questions which can be used as a generator of critical thinking
Consequences Consistency
Assumptions
Accuracy
Meaning
Main Points
Prejudice
Point of View
Evidence
Examples
Relevance
Reliability

What are the consequences of believing this ?

How consistent is the information ?
What assumption have been made here ?
How accurate is the data or information ?

What is the meaning of this ?

What are the main points ?

What prejudice is being shown here ?

What other points of view could be expressed ?

What evidence is there to support the position or claims ?

What examples are there to back-up the position or claims ?

How relevant is the position or claims ?

How reliable is the information, writer or source ?

A Hamilton &Bowkett production for the Bentleigh Schools Cluster highly indebted to references noted
References and excellent resource Web sites
Gresswell Middle Years Cluster Web site
www.gresswell.vic.edu.au
Lots of great information about Thinking tools and planning.
Mordialloc Cluster Web site www.mordialloccluster.vic.edu.au/html
Excellent compilation of Thinking tools, planning guides and a fantastic Glossary.
Graphic Organisers www.graphic.org/goindex.html
Making A Difference Research Guide CD (Lesley Burgess & Shirley Melissas)
Tool Time : Choosing & Implementing Quality Improvement Tools.
Langford International Inc.
Karen Green