About Drama Education Network
Drama Education Network is located in Los Angeles, California. We offer standards-based products, teacher staff development, and online resources in arts education and literacy for PreK-12 teachers. Products include The Drama Game File curriculum program. Services include staff development in arts and literacy techniques for schools and organizations. Online resources include free drama lesson plans, theatre games, arts advocacy, research, and more. DEN was founded by award-winning teacher and author, Mr. Jonas Basom. All of our products and services are based on extensive research and classroom experience with students and teachers from preschool through college.
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Mission
Drama Education Network's mission is to spread the magic of drama education to inspire children of all ages and transform the art of teaching. We promote the understanding of drama techniques and their profoundly positive impact on a student's social, emotional, cognitive, and physical
development.
To accomplish this mission, we are committed to:
- Persuade educators,
parents, administrators, and policy makers that drama should
play a vital role in every school's programs.
- Promote the use of drama as
a teaching tool in all subject areas to improve
motivation, comprehension, and retention.
- Create high-quality teaching materials that make drama and theatre arts more accessable and effective for schools, organizations, and families.
- Demonstrate how fun, easy, and effective drama and theatre arts can be for non–theatre teachers in all other school subjects.
- Expand educators' and
society's understanding of intelligence by supporting the Multiple
Intelligences approach to
education.
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What is Drama Education? printable version
The term "drama education" is an umbrella term that incorporates the various disciplines, forms, and applications of drama, creative dramatics, creative drama, and theatre arts for educational purposes. It balances "process" (creating, exploring, learning concepts, drama games, theatre games, and standards-based lessons) with "product" (performances, shared group creations, plays, and final productions). The definitions below come from The Drama Game File.
Definition of Drama
Drama is an art form that
explores human conflict and tension. It generally takes
the form of a story presented to an audience through
dialogue and action. The story is conveyed using the
elements of the theatre: acting, costumes, props,
scenery, lighting, music, and sound.
Drama has an emotional and
intellectual impact on both the participants and audience
members. It holds up a mirror for us to examine
ourselves, deepening our understanding of human
motivation and behavior. It broadens our perspective
through stories that portray life from different points
of view, cultures, and time periods.
Definition of Drama Education
Drama education uses the art
form of drama as an educational pedagogy for students of
all ages. It incorporates elements of an actor's training
to facilitate the students' physical, social, emotional,
and cognitive development. It is a multi-sensory mode of
learning designed to:
- Increase awareness
of self (mind, body, and voice) and others
(collaboration and empathy);
- Improve clarity and
creativity in communication of verbal and nonverbal
ideas; and
- Deepen understanding of
human behavior, motivation, diversity, culture, and
history.
It also employs the elements of
theatre (costumes, props, scenery, lighting, music, and
sound) to enrich the learning experience, re-enact
stories, and mount productions. Students gain experience
in the various roles of actor, director, writer,
designer, and audience member.
Drama education encompasses related
disciplines and art forms such as pantomime, clowning,
drama games, storytelling, radio drama, melodrama,
puppetry, improvisation, mask theatre, public speaking,
playwriting, directing, and play productions.
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Teaching Philosophy printable version
We believe that school should be fun, engaging, and inspiring. More than the transmission of information and knowledge, great teaching should spark a love of learning and develop skills for success in school and life. Drama education can provide that spark.
Our products and staff development trainings are based on the following educational and philosophical concepts:
- Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences is a practical tool for teaching the whole child and including the arts for children of all ages.
- Quality products and teaching strategies are standards-based.
- Effective classroom management is essential when using drama; it should balance and maximize creativity, focus, and safety.
- Drama develops invaluable skills for success in school and life.
- Drama is an effective teaching tool in all subjects, especially language arts and literacy development.
- Drama education is much more than putting on a play.
We believe that every school at all grade
levels should have a drama specialist offering
explicit instruction in theatre arts as well as other teachers
using drama in their own classrooms as a regular teaching
method in all subjects. Schools should attempt to balance both methods of bringing drama education to their students. Our teaching philosophy for drama education is comprised of two core concepts and five guiding principles. This information is excerpted from The Drama Game File.
Two Core Concepts
Theatre arts class is core curriculum and part of a basic education.
The United States Federal government identifies the arts (theatre, dance, music, and visual arts) as core curriculum. No Child Left Behind reaffirms the arts as part of a basic education. Most states have adopted content standards in the arts, generally based on the national standards for the arts. Theatre belongs on the main menu for all schools, not limited to a side dish of afterschool, weekend, and summer classes, which cannot provide equal access to those of lower socio-economic status.
All students should
receive regular, explicit, and
sequential drama classes starting in preschool and
progressing in knowledge and skills every year all the
way through the end of elementary school. Secondary schools should offer a comprehensive and accessible theatre
arts program that provides students a variety of classes
and performance opportunities. School
administration should provide the long-range planning and
consistent budgetary support needed for
a thriving theatre arts program for all grade levels.
Drama as a teaching tool is integrated into all other school subjects.
All teachers, especially in elementary schools, should
use drama games, techniques, and strategies on a regular
basis to teach classroom material in all school subjects.
When integrating drama into classroom content, teachers
should have clear theatre goals and give them equal
emphasis as the goals for the subject being taught. For
example, theatre standards, drama vocabulary, and skills
of creative expression should be incorporated into and
assessed in arts integrated lessons.
In order for
teachers to be more effective using drama as a teaching
tool, they need to acquire further knowledge and training
in arts education. The school administration should
provide the long-range planning and consistent budgetary
support needed for materials, resources, and staff
development for drama education. Colleges and
universities should provide high-quality theatre arts and
drama courses that prepare teachers for effective methods
of using drama as a teaching tool.
Five Guiding Principles
•100% participation
maximizes the benefits for all students
All students are
included, regardless of levels of experience, ability,
or language. Drama is not used as a reward or punishment for behavior in other classes. The teacher participates with the students as much as possible.
•Creative choices maximize the use of mind, body,
and voice
There is no right or wrong answer in creative expression. Players respect each others' choices and interpretations. Frequent challenges and variations develop a wider range of creative flexibility.
•Noncompetitive play builds
classroom community
There is no winner or loser in drama; everyone is an equal player. Everyone helps each other to succeed as individuals and as a group.
•Structured play promotes safety,
commitment, and creativity
Drama rules and consequences are clearly established and consistently reinforced. High expectations and a clear purpose make drama more effective and fun.
•The process is more important
than the product
The goals are to develop drama skills, learn vocabulary, and teach theatre standards. The quality of the process (teaching) affects the quality of the product (performances.)
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Benefits of Drama Education printable version
Research continues to reveal the positive impact
of drama on a student's physical, emotional, social, and
cognitive development. There are three places on DramaEd.net to find helpful material to advocate for the importance of starting, maintaining, or expanding a drama program.
1. Free sample Benefits handout from The Drama Game File.
2. Links section includes sites with useful research studies and advocacy material for drama, theatre arts, and arts education.
3. Go to Why Drama Games? to learn more about the educational and practical advantages of using drama games or theatre games as a teaching tool.
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