Unit 9 Reflection Blog

The focus of Module 9 of Writing for Non-Print Media was Process Drama. I didn't know very much about process drama before this unit. The most "acting" or "drama" I did in class was reading lines from a Shakespeare play. I was definitely a little nervous to start this unit because I'm quiet and don't like talking in class. So needless to say, acting in class terrified me. Surprisingly though, it wasn't bad and I never felt uncomfortable. This module taught me a lot about process drama and it's benefits.

The reading, "Exploring Castles," went into detail of the numerous advantages of using process drama in the classroom. Like most other non-print media tools, process drama increases student engagement. This activity gives them an opportunity to be hands-on with abstract concepts. Process drama in this case included reading, writing, and even science experiments. Students also drew, sculpted, danced, and sang. The author stated that the classroom environment became more multifaceted, supportive, and complex. Students will probably feel more comfortable with each other after doing process drama, as it requires a lot of group work. The article reports that "When students connect their experiences with those of others', then their views of others and of themselves will be changed." In my opinion, that's the point of literature: to experience different situations and learn to be empathetic. Process drama also increases connections with the outside world, cooperative learning, critical thinking, creativity, and in-depth analysis.

One activity we did in class was group storytelling. Someone started telling a story and after a certain period of time, the next person would pick it up. It was relatively stress-free because we were in small groups. You really had to pay attention to what everyone was saying in order to keep up with the story. I enjoyed this because it wasn't scripted.

We also did another activity that I found very interesting. We read a poem about a grocer. We then answered questions from the perspectives of different characters. It required us to really think about what that character was feeling and going through. Volunteers went up in front of the class to play the grocer, spouse, children, social worker, union representative, and neighbor. The rest of the class asked questions. The classmates playing roles had to come up with responses from that character's viewpoint. I definitely saw benefit in all these activities. In my own classroom, I really want to incorporate process drama.