5. Drama & Dance - Meeting the Needs of All Learners

Meeting the Needs of All Learners

Source: http://erasmus.ccems.pt/courses/towards-the-inclusive-classroom-special-needs-childrens/

Drama and dance are artistic forms that create positive and inclusive spaces for all learners.

I would therefore like to dedicate this entire post to a compilation of strategies that could be used to incorporate both the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and differentiated instruction (DI). Learning for All (2013) further discusses the UDL and DI models for Ontario classrooms.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_zqX-Stq84

Here is a list of strategies and convention modifications that could be done to help all learners achieve the learning goals of the lesson.

• incorporate partners and group work, to help students develop ideas
• groups could be pre-determined and partners could be switched often
• incorporate individual work, if students are not willing to work in groups
• dim the lights when students are performing
• during warm-ups, have students close their eyes or face the wall if the class is timid
• having a student scribe for another student, in the Graffiti Wall activity, for example
• providing students with materials and expectations ahead of time, so that they are comfortable with the subject(s) and what is expected of them
• having anchor charts with visual aids and/or word walls, so that students could refer back to dance and drama strategies and conventions
• have written instructions of the activity for visual learners
• explain instructions orally, have students repeat back instructions of the activity, so that they understand
• take time to answer questions and be patient with students, use guiding questions
• provide enough time for students to go over their creative process because a lot of the learning comes from students undergoing the creative process
• the teacher could model the activities to show students the expectations
• include technology, for example, PowerPoints and SmartBoards to help guide students through the lesson
• provide video examples for inspiration or video instruction as a modelling activity
• graphic organizers could be used to help students develop and work through their ideas during the creative process
• students with limited motor abilities could remain seated and participate with other able body parts, or they can have another leadership activity to feel included in the classroom (i.e., help the teacher set up the materials)
• be aware of the physical space in the room and any limitations that may exist
• make sure students are comfortable with noise levels in the classroom, especially with playing music for dance or high-energy activities
• for dance, the number of steps could be reduced
• the teacher could pre-determine ideas for students that are struggling to come up with one during their creative process
• provide scripts for students during drama activities, if needed
• students could display their dance or drama in front of the teacher only or in front of a small group of students, for example
• students could pre-record their presentations, using technology
• students could outline and write a reflection of their performance, instead of performing it
• know your students, be aware of their learning styles (i.e., Multiple Intelligences Theory - see post 9) and understand each learner's needs
• if a student has a limitation whether that be cognitive or physical, they can do fewer movements and actually repeat certain steps. Students with special needs should be situated near the teacher to facilitate learning and minimize distractions
• do fewer combination dance moves or just move their legs or arms
• eliminate some of the more complicated dance moves
• if they need modifications, change the movements completely and have them do a different dance move (or none) dependent on their capability or religious beliefs (some might not be physically able to participate - these students could be assigned roles: for example, watching to make sure people are participating fairly, helping the teacher choose songs or change them, sit at their desks/wheelchair and move their hands or feet only, have a student help another student with different abilities, etc.
• students can be paired up with a buddy to practice movements
• teacher can prompt student with visual cues (anchor chart with specific moves to help give students ideas for their routines)
• students can follow at a slower pace
• groups could be made larger or smaller
• music could be changed to be at a slower tempo, if some students cannot handle the excitement and sounds of fast paced music

Source: http://www.usherhall.co.uk/whats-on/inclusive-dance