1) Dramatised readings -- I thought Pepper's idea of asking a few students to dramatise a paragraph from Fasting, Feasting while another student narrated was a great idea. I still vividly remember the orange-peeling scene as the dramatisation really highlighted the subjugation and sense of repression found in the text. I think that dramatised readings will be helpful for students who may not be strong readers. As they watch their classmates act out particular scenes, they might gain a more nuanced understanding of the text.
Dramatised readings can also be combined with the tableau idea that we explored in the Drama workshop. For instance, midway through a group's dramatised reading of a passage, the teacher could stop the class, ask the students to "freeze", and ask them to talk about their character motivations at that point. This could deepen the students' understanding of characterisation. It could also help the students understand that an actor's every movement on stage has to be significant and meaningful.
The main difficulty with carrying out dramatised readings is probably the uneven quality of acting. Some students might not be comfortable acting in front of the entire class, or the acting might give rise to unintended interpretations. I think that this is where the teacher has to come in and guide the dramatised reading where appropriate. For instance, to encourage and affirm the students' courage in acting, or to clarify any mis-interpretations that could have arisen due to the acting. Overall, though, I think that dramatised readings are an excellent way of bringing a text to life and I would like to try it out in future.
2) Tuning In Activities -- As mentioned by a few other classmates, I found several tuning in activities such as Andrea's discrimination activity, Samuel's littering activity and Brennan's story of his visit to Gramophone very effective. These tuning in activities were quick and simple to carry out, yet they effectively engaged the students' attention and linked well to the main point of the lesson.
I also experienced the confused state of a non-tuned-in student. During one microteaching lesson, I happened to be away in the washroom and missed the entire tuning in activity. When I returned, the class was deep in a discussion. Although my group members clued me in to what was happening, it was still a struggle to settle into the rhythm of the lesson. I was also quite clueless as to the main point of the lesson, which had probably been communicated earlier. This experience helped me to realise the importance of a good tuning in activity. Yet it is not just about the activity itself, but also about ensuring that the students are all on the same page before moving on to the main activity.
3) Use of Videos -- I liked how people such as Liz, Jodee and Xin Hui included videos in their lessons. Their videos were well-chosen and really made the lesson more interesting. One thing I'm pondering, though, is how much time we should spend explaining or discussing the video. When is it fine to let the video "speak for itself", and when should we go into an in-depth analysis of it? As a student, I may not want my teacher to belabour the point and dissect a video I've just watched until I lose my enjoyment of it. I'm still wondering how to strike a good balance in this matter, but maybe this will come with more experience.
So yup these are my thoughts on the microteaching lessons. Happy Holidays everyone!
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