Conclusion
'Every talent is a measure of gold' - Dr Eugene, I. from NIE, Improvisation lesson (Music)
I totally love this statement because we are all given talents that we can invest in the lives of other people. We are blessed with talents that are considered gold. When we invest our gold in other things, we see multiple of it. For eg, investing gold in a bank may reap more gold. However, some times our investment might not reap back what we expect. It may be lost but it is not wasted. Investing our talents are never wasted because it is a learning experience. Talents should be driven by love and the passion to want see social change. If talents are driven by fear or selfishness, it is like a dull piece of metal with gold coating. It is not pure and it only looks good on the outside. Same for this project. When we invest our talents in our students, they gain. We do not know the exact dynamics of our success, but it definitely changed something in them for the better, and we are really satisfied with it.
What I would do if I had more lessons in future with them
The process of 'naming of the world' as what Friere (1970) described has to involve everyone and that 'it cannot exist with love, faith, humility and critical thinking. (Pg72) It is a dialogical process where everyone is communicating, providing, interlocking and discussing their ideas with each other. Through actions and dialogue, we can create and change the world. I believe that we should move into more discussions where their critical thinking skills are being challenged. Through critical thinking, they are able to understand and develop empathy for each other. It doesn't just stop here. They then work and collaborate with each other towards social change. According to Govan, Nicholson& Normington (2007), they stated that 'collaborations between professional theatre practitioners and community-based participants are often intended to improve the lives of the participants, to extend cultural democracy and contribute to the process of social change.' (Pg 73) They desire for social justice and change in this world so that the world will become a better and more beautiful place to live in. Not just for themselves but for the people around them as well. The reflection process helps them to think of their actions and consequences.
After every drama activity, I will do a reflection discussion where they have to think why they did that and how they can improve the situation from there. It is very much like Boal's theatre of the oppressed. I would like to work on drama conventions and forum theatre with these students to expand their creativity and imagination skills through exploration and experimenting, because it was evident when they did still images in week 3! Things that we did not expect them to do, they did it out of their own imagination! The results were amazing. I believe that when we do forum and process drama, they can change their perspectives and in turn be the life changers of society. Because when they do these drama activities, they identify problems and issues of everyday life and experiment in these issues to uplift the oppression.
If I ever had the chance to work with students again, I will be gladly to take up that position because I find joy and satisfaction educating them and seeing transformation in them.
Bibliography
Freire, P. (1970) The Pedagogy of the Oppressed. England: Penguin group
Osterman, K. & Kottkamp, R. (1993) Reflective Practice for Educators: Improving
Schooling Through Professional Development. Newbury Park, California:
Corwin Press
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