Reflection on research
After analyzing the data from the playwriting residency and other arts education strategies I have incorporated in my classroom during the past year, I am reminded of the quote, “When theatre comes to class, the kids show up” (Eyring, 2014, p. 8). Moreover, they not only show up, they also work hard and have fun in doing so. My students this year have impressed me with their high level of participation in arts-based activities as well as their dedication to take ownership in their learning and make meaningful connections to products they create. I have learned from my students that arts education, when incorporated into a high school, Civic Studies classroom, has the potential to increase levels of student engagement both whole class and individually. Additionally, students have fun while learning, create a classroom community that exudes respect, acceptance, and positivity, use their imaginations, and take pride in having original thoughts.
I have learned that each of the common themes that I have documented from my use of arts education in the classroom is an excellent vehicle for students to access content. Whether students want to have fun in their learning, or want to be part of a classroom that supports their ideas, or even need an opportunity to express their thinking in a unique way, the arts provide students outlets through which they can express themselves openly and freely. The beauty of arts education is that there are not necessarily right or wrong answers, but the process that students take can be evaluated based on products that they create. By observing student behaviors and engagement in the playwriting process of reading, writing, and performing plays, I could pinpoint areas in which students are actively learning. In addition, once students have created a product (i.e., a play), I found that it is essential to go back and always ask students the question, “Why did you write this play?” or “Why did you make these choices?” Asking the question “Why?” as a follow-up to any question about personal choice offers the students a chance to elaborate on their learning and thinking processes, thereby engaging in deeper levels of metacognition. This helped me to understand why my students made the choices they did in their learning and gave me insight as to whether or not my students truly deepened their conceptual understanding. The ability for students to elaborate on their learning with a teacher in a one-on-one interview is an authentic way to evaluate students’ application of knowledge. This concurs with the findings of Ahn and Filipenko (2006) in that through narrative inquiry (the process of asking students to analyze artistic expression), students can clarify how and why they chose to make the connections they did, as well as how they relate to their surroundings. This provides students the opportunity to engage in learning that promotes the use of high level critical thinking.
I have learned that each of the common themes that I have documented from my use of arts education in the classroom is an excellent vehicle for students to access content. Whether students want to have fun in their learning, or want to be part of a classroom that supports their ideas, or even need an opportunity to express their thinking in a unique way, the arts provide students outlets through which they can express themselves openly and freely. The beauty of arts education is that there are not necessarily right or wrong answers, but the process that students take can be evaluated based on products that they create. By observing student behaviors and engagement in the playwriting process of reading, writing, and performing plays, I could pinpoint areas in which students are actively learning. In addition, once students have created a product (i.e., a play), I found that it is essential to go back and always ask students the question, “Why did you write this play?” or “Why did you make these choices?” Asking the question “Why?” as a follow-up to any question about personal choice offers the students a chance to elaborate on their learning and thinking processes, thereby engaging in deeper levels of metacognition. This helped me to understand why my students made the choices they did in their learning and gave me insight as to whether or not my students truly deepened their conceptual understanding. The ability for students to elaborate on their learning with a teacher in a one-on-one interview is an authentic way to evaluate students’ application of knowledge. This concurs with the findings of Ahn and Filipenko (2006) in that through narrative inquiry (the process of asking students to analyze artistic expression), students can clarify how and why they chose to make the connections they did, as well as how they relate to their surroundings. This provides students the opportunity to engage in learning that promotes the use of high level critical thinking.