Mantle of the Expert: Integrating Dramatic Inquiry and Visual Arts in Social Studies (original) (raw)
Related papers
Teachers’ Views on Using Creative Drama as a Method in Social Studies Education
In today's world, scientific and technological developments are on the rise every day. These changes are reflected on the perspective towards education and lead to radical changes and updates in the education systems. As a result of these changes which are based on the reformation of the elements of the education and teaching processes, new approaches, methods and techniques have come out. Education system in Turkey was re-built on the basis of restructuring approach by being affected by these developments in the year 2005. Within this scope, there were many important changes that took place in social sciences education programs. Within the concept of fields and facts such as history, geography, economy, human's rights, civics, law and democracy, raising individuals that can be aware of their physical, emotional features as well as their interest, need and capabilities as free individuals was determined as the main purpose. In conformity with this purpose, the need to provide the individual with a learning environment, where the individual can feel safe inside, release emotions with control, develop decision making and problem solving abilities has come out.
2019
In the 1980s, Prof. Dorothy Heathcote MBE (1926-2011) developed the 'Mantle of the Expert' approach (MoE) during her work at the University of Newcastle. The basic concept of MoE is that children study the school curriculum as if they were a group of experts: they can be scientists in a laboratory, archaeologists digging out a tomb, a rescue team during a natural disaster, and so on. Together with the teacher they create a fictional world in which they are cast as a team of experts working for an (imaginary) client who gives them a commission. In addition to a strong sense of ownership and intrinsic motivation, Bob Selderslaghs proved during research at the Royal Conservatoire (AP University College) in Antwerp, that MoE also develops artistic competencies in children. During a PhD project, he is currently investigating how MoE can be used not only as a drama in education-tool, but also as an education in drama-method, in order to create a healthier balance between process and product in arts education. Selderslaghs also participates in the research project ART4DEM in which MoE is used in primary and secondary schools to educate citizenship. Because of the different points of view, and because of Heathcote's ingenious system in which every action can be brought back to the value system of the person involved, there are strong indications that MoE can not only develop knowledge and skills, but also important attitudes children so desperately need now in order to be able to reclaim their future.
2010
The big shift is to move from holding the information and doling it out like charity to creating the circumstances where it is imperative to inquire, search out, and interrogate the information we locate. If at present it isn't possible to merge the work of adults and the work of students because we don't value the contribution young children can bring to cultural development of the world's good, we can rely on proven drama systems to create 'the mirror to nature' and harness, through identification and empathy, the life knowledge which children will bring generously to meet us half-way.
Exploring How an Elementary Teacher Plans and Implements Social Studies Inquiry
The Social Studies, 2018
Social studies continues to be marginalized in elementary grades, yet the C3 Framework and its Inquiry Arc offer possibilities for high-quality elementary social studies instruction. However, the C3 Framework requires that teachers possess an adequate understanding of how to implement inquiry within the various social studies disciplines, which we argue is an aspect of the pedagogical content knowledge necessary for effective elementary social studies instruction. This single-case study follows an elementary teacher through her use of the C3 Framework, Inquiry Arc, and a related curriculum approach called the Inquiry Design Model as she conceptualized, planned, and implemented inquiries in her fifth-grade classroom. By incorporating this new knowledge into her existing understanding of social studies pedagogy, as well as her knowledge of her students and specific educational context, the teacher was able to successfully navigate some of the challenges associated with implementing social studies inquiry in elementary classrooms.
Pedagogy, Learning, and Creativity, 2023
Studying local history can be approached in a modern way that encourages young students to utilize the methods and skills of a historian. This includes collecting, recording, comparing, and interpreting data from primary and secondary resources. Inquiry-based and art-based learning are effective frameworks for exploring local history. Students can gain a deeper understanding of the subject by focusing on inquiry, fieldwork, thorough recording, and constructing historical narratives based on critical interpretation of all information, including opposing and alternative views. Art-based learning allows students to analyze the forms and social aspects of artifacts, constructions, events, and phenomena and then express their knowledge and understanding in various multimodal and symbolic ways. It’s essential for children to take the initiative, and be involved in the learning process, and work in collaborative environments that support their free thinking and exploration. This approach is conducive to critical thinking and encourages creativity in learning history. This chapter outlines the conditions that define inquiry and art-based learning environments and offers a tool with practical suggestions for pre-primary and primary teachers to develop their local history lessons. The tool covers four major dimensions: learning interactions, understanding historical times, art-based learning, and practical strategies specific to local history.
This thesis explores a pedagogical enquiry that has transformed the way I think and the way I teach. I used a variety of critical and theatre theories to frame my enquiry and for four years consecutively, visited a non-government organization (NGO) in India that uses theatre as an alternate pedagogical tool. I reflected upon the methodological differences between the theatre practices of the NGO and my practices. I then turned my enquiry inward to consider how my learning informed my teaching practices. I then created an alternate theatre project for some students in the American Midwest with Ashok, an artist from India. Ashok spent twelve days training the students in what I refer to as action theatre, while I coordinated, observed and reflected. This theatre is a form of social activism; it is designed to provide a forum for the students to express their socio-political views and raise individual and collective social awareness in the process. After the training period, the students presented a play using these theatre methods. They engaged in discussion with their audience directly after their play. After the training period, Ashok returned to India. He took on the role of mentor and informant to my ongoing enquiry. My enquiry then shifted from an introspective one to a practical one. Some of the students who wished to do so continued creating plays in this fashion. I took over the leadership of the group at their school. A new theatre troupe was created and I used the concepts learned at the NGO and from Ashok in an American suburban context. The theatre troupe created plays for three years. When I moved back to Canada, the troupe stopped its operations. Some students in the group continued activist work using art as a medium by finding other opportunities. I turned my enquiry inward once again to reflect upon how these processes have changed the way I think and the way I teach.