Using Personal Narrative and Storytelling To Promote Reflection and the Development of Teacher Voice in Drama Teacher Education.

A collaboration by three drama methods professors (two in Canada and one in the United States) provides opportunities for preservice drama education students to: explore the complex issues found in classrooms; examine their own learning about how to teach drama; and discover their own powerful teaching voices and a sense of community. The faculty members achieve this by encouraging personal storytelling in methods classes and student teacher seminars and through the use and development of student written case narratives. The methods class uses cases written by drama student teachers. Students also write commentaries or critiques of some of the cases they have read. Later, as part of the student teaching practicum, the students develop their own case, which is a narrative description of and reflection on their experiences. This paper includes a sample of one of the cases. The professors involved in the collaboration note three advantages to the case study method. First, the case examples are relevant because they are real. Second, the cases provide examples of reflective practice which the students can emulate as they write their cases. Third, the professors benefit as they discuss the project and collaborate. The major problem that students have with the case writing project is time constraints. Despite any limitations, the professors consider case study and case writing processes valuable components of drama teacher preparation. (Contains 18 references.) (SM) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** Using Personal Narrative and Storytelling to Promote Reflection and the Development of Teacher Voice in Drama Teacher Education BEST COPY AVAILABLE Laura A. McCammon University of Arizona Carole Miller University of Victoria Joe Norris University of Alberta PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. Paper presented for the annual meeting of American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, Feb. 26, 1998. New Orleans, LA.