A new issue of the Journal of Russian and East European
Ana M. Shane (anchi who-is-at geocities.com)
Sat, 18 Oct 1997 02:59:35 -0400
Hi everyone!
In the light of the discussion about a need to have a safe place (xgrad) it
occurred to me that this - feeling of safety - is a basic need for a
developmental-learning context. I don't know to what extent an electronic
communication listserv can become a safe place or a community as we imagine
them in "reality" but I do know that XMCA is as near as possible to be such
a safe place(save for the private chat groups of friends who know each
other and have live communication off line) - at least for me.
In fact I have tried to incorporate this aspect of communicational
relationships into a model I have developed on creating, coordinating and
using multiple imaginative (imaginary and fictive) worlds in learning how
to act (as in theater acting).
And that reminded me that some of the people who are interested in theater,
drama and imagination might want to know that the newest issue of the
Journal of Russian & East European Psychology on "Children, Theater,
Education" has just been published. As a guest editor of this issue, I wish
to give you a very short overview.
The collection of articles published in the JREEP, Vol. 35 NO 3 comes from
the conference held in February 1996 in Ekaterinburg (formerly Sverdlovsk)
in Russia. A great number of Russian educators draw their theoretical and
practical orientation from the theories of Vygotsky (theory of human
development), Bakhtin (theory of the dialogic nature of language and
meaning) and Stanislavsky (theoretical and practical system for educating
actors). This issue of JREEP presents four major articles and six shorter
sketches, all of which cover various aspects of using play, imagination and
dramatic techniques in education.
For instance, L.M. Andriukhina sees play as a means of creating new and
different social relationships and relationships to the subject matter in
focus, thereby being a means of complete development of a person. S.A.
Smirnov explores play as a gate to culture and one of the main mediums of
the evolution of human society. On the other hand, N. E. Basina developed a
practical approach to education based on ideas and concepts of Vygotsky,
Bakhtin and Stanislavsky. And V. A. Il'ev examines teachers and their work
comparing it to the work of a theatrical director. Other papers deal with
sensory and emotional experiences in learning, dialogic nature of learning
and play, using play and art to teach science, developing creativity using
computer graphic and animation programs etc.
Regardless of the scope and diversity of topics all of the papers in this
volume deal with the focal issue of how to make school and
institutionalized learning into a significant and meaningful experience
which enables a child to became a full and psychologically rich person.
I believe that there is a whole movement in Russia today to recreate
education on the basis of those models in which thought, language,
emotions, social relationships and socio-cultural environment all act and
interact in a tightly connected way. Play, arts and especially dramatic
arts are seen not only as tools to use in classroom but also as powerful
theoretical and methodological explanatory models.
Ana
________________________________________________________________________
Dr. Ana Marjanovic-Shane
151 W. Tulpehocken St. City of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA 19144 OMH/MR - Research & Information
(215) 843-2909 [voice] 1101 Market St. 7th Floor
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(215) 685-5581 [fax]
________________________________________________________________________
pshane who-is-at andromeda.rutgers.edu
anchi who-is-at geocities.com
http://www.geocities.com/~anchi/
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