The Value of Drama Class
Have you ever attended a musical or play and left in awe of the brilliance and captivation of the performance? Imagine the exhilaration felt by the performers on stage. Recall the emotions it stirred within you.
Such experiences are not just moments of entertainment but powerful demonstrations of drama’s transformative impact. Introducing drama in schools makes these experiences possible, fostering a love for performance from an early age. However, with education increasingly shifting to virtual platforms, there is a concern that drama classes may lose their prominence.
It is crucial to recognize that the arts, including drama, offer students myriad benefits beyond the classroom. These benefits include higher engagement and participation in school, a more vital determination to succeed, improved academic achievement, and higher graduation rates.
Drama, in particular, provides these advantages and more, making it an essential component of distance learning. Drama class serves as an outlet for creativity, engagement, cooperation, and expression for every student involved. Moreover, drama is inherently enjoyable!
With many students learning from home, the need for interaction and collaboration has never been greater. Physical separation from friends can be challenging, and feelings of isolation can lead to various health concerns if not addressed.
Drama can help mitigate these issues by providing a sense of stability and a means for students to engage with one another despite physical distance. It also helps recreate the aspects of school life that students miss while learning remotely.
Drama class lets students stay connected with their classroom community, see their friends, and collaborate on fun and creative assignments.
Strategies for Transforming Drama Class for Distance Learning
As education increasingly relies on virtual methods of instruction, it is essential to adapt the aspects of drama class to better serve our students and deliver the myriad benefits associated with this creative field.
Drama educators can continue to foster creativity and student engagement in a distance-learning format. Here are a few strategies and ideas for transforming drama class for distance learning to keep students excited and involved:
Record Scenes
With distance learning, students cannot perform a play or musical using the traditional in-person approach. Instead, this strategy requires students to record themselves performing specific parts or scenes assigned by the teacher.
Students can perform these alone or, when necessary, can record themselves acting out the required scene while on a Google Meet or other video conferencing platform. The teacher then pieces together these videos for the entire class to watch.
As an extension, older students could provide performance feedback to one another during a class discussion or through email conferencing. Student feedback could include two reinforcement items (what the classmate did well) and one refinement item (what could improve the performance in the future).
Improvisation Activities
One of the most exciting components of drama is improvisation, which grabs students’ attention and keeps them on their toes. The great thing about improv is that students only need to participate, making it an excellent activity for distance learning.
Incorporate improvisation during whole-group virtual meetings. Give the group a scenario or scene starter and assign each student a character. Then, let the students act it out without dialogue or a script. Students will enjoy making things up and collaborating with their classmates.
Storytelling or Monologue Session
Storytelling is another activity that can be easily adapted for distance learning. Students can select a short story, or the teacher may assign a story to each student. Students will record themselves telling the story on their own time, incorporating the components of good storytelling—intonation, inflection, body movement, eye contact, and emotion.
The teacher will use the recorded videos to evaluate each student’s performance and share them during a whole-group meeting. This same process can be applied to monologues. Assign each student a monologue and give them the task of memorizing and performing it on video.
Utilize Breakout Rooms
Breakout rooms are an outstanding feature of many video conferencing platforms, such as Google Meet and Zoom. Teachers can create breakout rooms to divide students into small groups. In these groups, students can complete various activities such as practicing scenes, performing individual work for one another, creating their script, or running a short skit.
Copycat Game
During a whole-class meeting, students can participate in a copycat game. This activity serves as an excellent warm-up or main focus activity. The teacher selects one student to silently act out an activity (e.g., baking, gardening) for the class. The teacher can preselect the activity or allow the student to choose their own, but the student cannot speak or make sounds while performing.
After one minute, the teacher will select a different student to reenact what was just observed. Students can then discuss the activity and how the performance could have been more precise or detailed. They should also discuss what made the performance fun and engaging.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can drama classes be practical in a remote learning environment?
Drama classes can be highly effective in a remote learning environment by leveraging digital tools and creative strategies. Virtual performances, digital storytelling, improvisation, and monologue sessions can keep students engaged and foster creativity. Using video conferencing platforms for real-time interaction and feedback also helps maintain drama’s collaborative and interactive nature.
What equipment do students need for remote drama classes?
Students typically need a computer or tablet with a camera and microphone, a stable internet connection, and access to video conferencing software like Zoom or Google Meet. Depending on the activities, they may also need simple props or costumes from around the house.
How can students perform scenes or plays virtually?
Students can record themselves performing specific parts or scenes assigned by the teacher. These recordings can be done solo or in groups using video conferencing platforms to simulate interaction. The teacher can then edit and compile these recordings into a cohesive performance for the class to watch and discuss.
How can improvisation activities be conducted online?
Improvisation activities can be conducted during virtual meetings by providing students with scenarios or character roles. Students can act out these scenarios without a script, allowing for spontaneous creativity and collaboration. This can be done in whole-group sessions or smaller breakout rooms.
What are some practical ways to provide feedback on student performances remotely?
Feedback can be provided through virtual class discussions, email conferencing, or online forums. Teachers can set up structured feedback sessions where students give and receive constructive critiques. For each performance, this could include two positive aspects (reinforcements) and one area for improvement (refinement).
How can storytelling and monologue activities be adapted for online learning?
Students can select or be assigned short stories or monologues to perform. They can record their performances, focusing on intonation, inflection, body movement, eye contact, and emotion. These videos can be submitted for teacher evaluation and shared during virtual class meetings for peer review.
How can breakout rooms be used effectively in drama class?
Breakout rooms can divide students into smaller groups for more focused activities. In these rooms, students can practice scenes, create scripts, perform for one another, and collaborate on skits. This small-group interaction fosters closer collaboration and more personalized feedback.
What are some engaging warm-up activities for remote drama classes?
Warm-up activities like the copycat game are practical for remote drama classes. In this game, one student silently acts out an activity while the rest observe. Another student then reenacts the activity, followed by a class discussion on the performance.
Conclusion
Adapting drama classes for remote learning presents unique challenges and exciting opportunities to engage students in new and innovative ways. By utilizing digital tools and creative strategies, educators can continue fostering drama education’s essential elements—creativity, collaboration, and expression. Virtual performances, improvisation activities, digital storytelling, and interactive workshops ensure students remain engaged and connected, even when physically apart.
