Drama Class with Ellie
Ellie is a clown or an entertainer. She's simply amazing! I was so engaged in her class and I want children who are in my class to be as engaged as I was in hers. She has helped bring a different light towards assessment and teaching- they go hand-in-hand. I learnt a new idea of using drama games to assess children creatively, instead of using assessment tools. More importantly, it helps to save time and effort so that we do not need to plan extra tasks for children's assessment.
I like the game "Tag", where Everyone Is “It.” All are “it,” when you are tagged you sit down. You are up again and “it” along with everyone else, as soon as the person who tagged you sits down. It would also be a good ice breaker for children to get to know one another by recognising faces through the use of their concentration.
Another game that I enjoyed is "Listen to Move (Walk/Stop)". It teaches children to listen, remember multiple facts at ones, thinking and responding in the moment and opposites. The gamemaster will say "When I say “walk,” you stop. When I say “stop,” you walk", which will be tried out a few times. Then, the leader will add on another variation "When I say “say your name” you jump. When I say “jump” you say your name" and more as the game goes. It's really fun playing this in a group. When I was playing this game, I learn to "cheat a little" by look at how others react, so that I'll react correctly as well.
The "Texture Walk" is also fun too!!!! I think it's especially useful in teaching and assessing Science and it requires our own imagination to walk on different texture! I liked it when there's no right or wrong as it is our own perception of how we will walk on different textures. The game goes like this: All will walk around the room and gamemaster says textures that either group is walking on, or that fill the whole space and group walks through. Some textures can be "ice, snow up to the knees, hot sand, pebbles, cool grass, gravel, hot sticky tar, etc" or room that is filled with "water, marshmellow, peanut butter, strong wind,etc."
Another activity, "Silent Verbs and Adverbs" is especially useful for teachers to teach and assess action words and words that describe actions. Since young, I find it difficult to understand these words from the textbook, thus I feel children should move and experience the words for themselves! Children will be able to learning what verbs and adverbs are, comprehend specific verbs and adverbs, learn interesting verbs and adverbs for increase of vocabulary, learn to read words by sight. The gamemaster makes up large signs ahead of time with selected verbs and hold up each verb so all can see, while the players move the way it says to move. Same with adverbs, except the gamemaster decide one way to move for every word—we will always walk but the words will tell us how to walk. The gamemaster can say the words or not, or call on individual children to say each word.
"Color Your Words" is pretty interesting too. It assesses children on their comprehension through speaking and reading. As children in Singapore are required to go through oral examinations in Primary school onwards. Being verbal expressive, clarity and projection (being loud enough) in reading and speaking is important. Moreover, to be able to express through the sensitivity of intonation, projections and pace, children needs to comprehend the words. It also expose children to new words to make writing more expressive. What we did was that we sat in a circle and everyone repeats each word after the gamemaster, who can say the words or just hold up large paper with each word written on it. She will count 1-2-3 and on 3 say the word so that the players express the meaning of the word. [We did not express the meaning with our body, even though we usually do]—this is to exaggerate expression with our voice. Say each word one at a time. Some examples: cold, stormy, harsh, warm, calm, etc.
These activites were an add-on to what Susan Kosoff taught us last semester. I love these ideas that I could try out with children in the future:)