October 27, 2006

Thursday’s class was fun.  We’ve gotten into a routine—one that changes in slight ways over the week.  I come in the room, and written on the board is the schedule for the day.  I ask questions about every part of their day: “Someone raise their hand and tell me what they had for lunch?”, etc.  It has been a way for me to transition into drama and also learn about literally what they have been doing that day & what kind of energy they have in the room.  We also have begun playing the “how are ya/good to see ya?” game—which they are very good at for the most part.  I say we would spend the first 15 minutes of class just getting into it, warming up—which may be too much in an hour long class, but I find it helpful both to me and to the students.

  We began our tv work by reviewing the scenes, and I asked about ways in which we could end the episode.  They did not really grasp the concept of “ending,” because each person’s suggestion was actually a completely different story.  Finally, someone suggested that we have the police come in and capture the aliens after the people in the amusement park frighten them.  I told them this would be good because the next episode could be about them getting out of prison.  Joker said, “Like in Prison Break!”  Genius.  I really feel them starting to make connections with the television they see, and if anything—hopefully seeing it in a very constructed way.  I told them that we would act out all of the scenes from the beginning, and each person could be in at least one scene.  I also told them I would write down the lines this time.  This process was a little tedious—my writing sort of allows for downtime for the rest of the group, but I didn’t think of an alternative.  They would then use the lines as “cue cards” as they acted out the scene.  We got through scene II, and today, I hope to get through the end of the script.  I told them I was bringing in some costume pieces tomorrow, but they would be very simple.  

  The acting has become a highlight—and I think it makes media education courses more fun.  The students really are using their imagination as they create lines and characters—and use different emotions.  One student, playing the character of George, ad libbed some stuff and made a really angry face about the popcorn being stolen, and the whole class cracked up.  It is entertaining, a fact which can’t be overlooked.