Gretchen's learning

 Today we had a go at a 'mini Mantle' type activity with students in Room 1.  I used the planning Tim Taylor shares on the Mantle of the Expert site for Fairy-Tale Problem Solvers . Michelle kindly helped by being the 'adult in role' (AIR) - Mrs Brown, mother of the three little pigs.  She's come to us with a problem because we were the Problem Solvers.  The children responded well to the AIR and were intrigued as to why she was upset.  Drama was a great hook into the activity. The 'building belief' element of Mantle is crucial.  The students need to be a responsible team with a commission for our client. Mrs Brown had left our offices for the moment.  We were attempting to talk about what problem solvers might need to do their job (kids came up with tools, phone number, phone, sign).  I had imagined we might spend a bit of time getting our office ready but I sensed I was losing the kids.  In hindsight I'd gone to big here - should've s...

Leslee recently shared the video below on her Number Agents facebook page.  I'm really interested in how Leslee teaches and admire her willingness to share her thoughts and philosophy.  Leslee is the principal of Kaurihohe School in Whangarei and teaches a junior class.  Her school uses Mantle of the Expert school wide - two of her teachers also attended Mantle Summer School paper I did this year.  I am interested in how she uses and values play in her junior classes. Leslee Allen's Number Agents blog notes from the TedX talk - The Decline of Play by Peter Gray Play is self controlled and self directed - that's what gives it it's educative power. Decline of play - 'schoolish' view of child development - that children learn best from adults.  Spread of fear (by media, experts)- warning us of dangers if children not monitored.  Worse world for children now - decline of play over last decades correlates with increase of depression, anxiety, suicide r...

Term one goals.. I have almost finished a Masters Summer School paper - Drama as Pedagogy - The Mantle of the Expert. I came across this paper after googling to find out who Dr Viv Aitken was.  I'd had great phone calls with her - she was a 'critical friend' assigned to support me with my Grass Roots Initiative inquiry and report .  I came across her website  and was intrigued. I still have much info from the past few weeks swirling around my brain and needing time to settle - and also a planning assignment to finish by Friday.  But what I have learned will impact my teaching greatly. In term one I have set some goals for myself to find out more about process drama ( see some benefits here ) and using some drama conventions in the classroom. I will try using lessons such as Viv's one here  and also explore the resource 'Playing our Stories'.  These will be 'preparatory activities' for teaching a full Mantle of the Expert in term 2.  I will also ...