In this week’s workshop, my main takeaway was the consideration of writing in role.
“Drama is a method for instruction and learning that involves students in imaginary, unscripted, and spontaneous scenes (Schneider & Jackson, 2000). Through process drama, students can "write in role" (O'Neill, 1995; Tarlington, 1985), enabling them to think differently about the forms and exploring a point of view. This is also a great assessment strategy to get students involved in the story and various points-of-view.
This week’s drama journal is dedicated to writing a 5th voice from the text “Voices in the Park” by Anthony Browne.
Victoria’s Point of View:
Madam decided to take Charles and I to the park this evening. I wagged my tail in excitement to gain her favour, and perhaps she’ll give me an extra treat. I nudged Charles to quickly get dressed. I can’t wait to run around in the park and breathe in some fresh air. I sometimes feel the air at home is a little too stiff. I really want to see Charles smile. Every time he goes to the park, he seems a little more at ease. When we reach the park, I sniffed the air. Another dog asks me to play with her. I readily agree, hoping to set a good example for Charles to make new friends and have fun! I see a girl talking to him! I give a bark of approval. Go for it, Charles!
References:
O'Neill, C. (1995). Drama worlds. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Schneider, J.J., & Jackson, S.A.W. (2000). Process drama: A special space and place for writing. The Reading Teacher, 54(1), 38–51.
Tarlington, C. (1985). Dear Mr. Piper...: Using drama to create context for children writing. Theory Into Practice, 24, 199–204.