NUI Galway Conference

Here is a flyer for an exciting conference in NUI Galway on November 15th, 2014. Topics include literacy for the developing child, the arts and how rich narratives can inspire multi faceted learning.

Drama at the Heart of the Curriculum: NAPD Leader article

Here's an article published in the autumn 2014 edition of the  NAPD journal for Irish Principals and Deputy Principals. I wrote it to illuminate how we can use drama for integrating curricula. Drawing on experience in two different secondary school settings it demonstrates ways to activate a variety of learning styles and curriculum content through the revised Junior Cycle schema.

Integrating Curriculum through Drama

POSTER MADE BY A STUDENT
FOR OUR MONSIEUR PRONY PLAY 

Co-devised with 14 year olds as part of an integrated curriculum, we developed this play out of historical themes of revolution, science, language: English and French. Renovating the old school house in Scarriff, County Clare became a community endeavour which gave us a wonderfully stark and spacious warehouse-like performing space. The students gained a certain sovereignty and empowerment in making the space theirs while a family of nesting birds was left in the rafters to sing along.

Following include extracts from student journals which provided materials for an exhibition set up first in the public area of the school and then moved to a display at the performance space.




 

 Below are story-board drawings for
key elements of the industrial revolution.

 

 Below, a diagram of James Watt's steam engine and its realisation in our stage set

 Below, classwork supporting oracy and literacy

A GLOSSARY OF FRENCH WORDS USED IN THE PLAY

SPEECH EXERCISES WE USED TO DEVELOP
PROJECTION AND CLARITY