Brainball

Teaching Inquiry Theater as a Team Sport

By (author) Mickey Kolis, Benjamin H. Kolis, Tara Lorence

Publication date:

29 March 2017

Length of book:

180 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9781475834697

This volume of the Brainball series gives the theater classroom teacher an intentional, sequenced process for creating inclusive theatre pedagogy that maximizes students’ learning. In addition, the Brainball technique offers concrete forms of meaningful assessment applicable to the theater classroom, and connects easily to our newly published national standards in theatre arts education.

Brainball is a purposeful and process-driven set of teaching strategies that gets students to “express their human experience through representative actions.” The book focuses on creating experiences that allow students to grapple with what is going on in their lives – and then work through the joys and pains through role-play activities. This book is also an excellent resource to help guide teachers in intentionally planning to get students to develop positive dispositions, collaborative teams and supportive communities where everyone contributes and everyone has an important role.
The Brainball technique and theater are a natural fit. As a collaborative art form, theater relies on effective group processes that value individuals’ strengths and contributions. This volume of the Brainball series gives the theater classroom teacher an intentional, sequenced process for creating inclusive theatre pedagogy that maximizes students’ learning. In addition, the Brainball technique offers concrete forms of meaningful assessment applicable to the theater classroom, and connects easily to our newly published national standards in theatre arts education.