Embodied Learning: Overview
This course provides tools to inspire students’ creative engagement in learning. It offers culturally responsive strategies that invite all students to engage, regardless of previous experience or proficiency in theater arts.
Through an experiential and interactive online learning approach, teachers will explore how practices taught in the MakeSPACE Foundation Course apply within a theater arts context. Structured uncertainty, metaphor, and reflection remain central to meaning-making throughout the course.
How could you explore and represent complex concepts such as photosynthesis, democracy, metaphor, or algebra using only your body? In this course, we will delve into how theater and embodied learning can increase access to the curriculum and learning objectives in your classroom. You will learn to design and facilitate theater-integrated lessons that support cognitive and affective learning targets. No theater experience is necessary! This is truly a foundational course that will support you to build the confidence and skills necessary to get your students out of their seats and into a collaborative, embodied process.
This course is being developed in collaboration with teachers, administrators, arts integration specialists, artists, and researchers. If you are taking this course, you are a development partner. Your active participation, insights, and feedback are integral to the course design and refinement for future cohorts.
Course Objectives
Engaging in this experiential learning process will provide you with exposure to & practice with:
● Key vocabulary, concepts, and theater forms
● A Collection of warm ups & exercises
● A scaffolded sequence for facilitating theater in the classroom
● Curriculum integration examples & new possibilities
● Science and rationale for drama-based pedagogy and embodied learning
● Facilitation techniques that set safe and effective conditions for creative engagement
● Integration of national theater standards and content specific standards
By the end of this 100-level course, you will be prepared to:
● Understand key vocabulary, concepts, and theater forms
● A Collection of warm ups & exercises
Let's Dive Into a World of Movement!
DIVE INTO A WORLD OF CREATIVE ENGAGEMENT
Theater Arts Integration 101
Let's explore ways to move and express. We'll start with the basics and progress together.
Why study theater practices?
You will learn to design and facilitate theater-integrated lessons that support cognitive and affective learning targets. No theater experience is necessary! This is truly a foundational course that will support you to build the confidence and skills necessary to get your students out of their seats and into a collaborative, embodied process.
Meet Your Instructor
Nate K. Beard
THESPIAN, IMPROVISER AND FACILITATOR EXTRAORDINAIRE!
Nate K. Beard is an Integrated Learning Specialist, drama teacher, and professional development provider, currently building teacher efficacy in arts integration. His work focuses primarily on social and emotional health including skills in communication, collaboration, metacognition, and metaphorical thinking.
SIGN UP TO START YOUR MAKESPACE JOURNEY
Join Theater Arts Integration 101 Today
Reach out to the makeSPACE team today for more information on how to sign up and start your makeSPACE journey!
Contact Us
Contact us if you’re interested in learning more about the current grant opportunity or about the makeSPACE project.