Knowing, Doing, and Being

Looking at how the methodologies of teaching have changed within the past twenty years, I find it very interesting to see the shift of education to be less about hard facts and figures and slowly begin to incorporate more of the student's knowledge and life skills in their work.

Growing up as a student from the late nineties to 2010, I did not experience the shift of endorsing Knowing, Doing, and Being until reaching university and discussing it in my Drama in Education classes.  Looking back, the style of education was very rudimentary and focused on academic performance and proficiency rather than trying to develop and support the student as a whole.  Despite excelling in this system academically, I tried to challenge the system in other ways which usually ended up being about the way the system marginalized certain groups or failed to take into account the learning styles of others.

The reason I like the Knowing, Doing, and Being system is because it helps provide positive alternative to the utilitarian style of school I attended.  We as educators know that these three methodologies are best utilized in conjunction with each other and doing so will help students to learn more so than just in surface academics.

Being is very important as an educator and as a student.  If a student feels threatened or stressed, that affects the Knowing and the Doing.  Providing safe spaces and celebrating what makes us individuals rather than endorsing that everyone be the same will allow students during the tumultuous teenage years to feel more at ease in their school environment.  Also by offering various options for schoolwork, assessments, and post-secondary pursuits will also help students feel more in control of their education and more relaxed in the school setting.

With the Being receiving support, it is now easier for students to focus on the Knowing and the Doing.  Allowing lesson plans, various projects, and reflective assignments to be flexible for the needs of the student will facilitate this and help each student growin in their own way.

As a theatre teacher, Knowing, Doing, and Being are very important to keep in mind for a class that has plenty of cooperative work and a flexible curriculum.  For my future classroom, the Being will be heavily supported through making the classroom a safe space for everyone, being available in case a student is in need, and creating various formats and forms of assessment for class work, projects or final in-class exams.  By facilitating all aspects of the student, the student will be able to grasp and build upon their work more effectively and help them to succeed.

Traditional and Constructivist Teaching in Dramatic Arts

As a student in the Concurrent Education program at Brock University, I have witnessed many forms of education for secondary level students in regards to the education system itself and education in relation to theatre.

As someone who has studied in many of the Drama and Education classes for my first teachable subject, I have learned how theatre can be used for teaching other subjects but also how it can speak about social issues, society, and how it reaches out to all types of students with different styles of learning and self-expression.

As someone who wants to teach Theatre in the high school classroom, I not only want my future students to learn about the performance art world that Theatre is a part of, I also want my future students to be able to discuss what is going on around them critically and informatively using theatrical tactics to educate themselves on the outside world.  Through verbal and written reflection, scaffolding activities and group discussion and facilitation, I hope to make this possible for my future students and meet all their needs with different forms of assessment and work so that their individual performance matches the requirements of the curricula.  With this, I hope to combine traditional and constructivist theories for the betterment of my future students' education.

Thinking of combining the traditional and constructivist methods reminds me of one method discussed in my first year Drama in Education class where theatre for informing audiences can be done in two ways: it can be constructed as a birdcage (structured and rigid) or a Christmas tree (free-flowing with many clustered ideas).  When we sat and discussed this idea, we all decided that the best option would be a Christmas tree inside a birdcage.  Teaching is similar in that it needs to be structured but also free flowing and compelling for students to be able to enjoy learning and expand their knowledge and interest in the same environment.