workshopping
I had to do a workshop with special needs children yesterday, as a part of my project for Bury St Edmunds. Although I teach at undergraduate level, my teaching experience with sub-teenage children is quite limited, and in consequence I was quite apprehensive.We were investigating sounds, and sound effects, so I suppose I needn't have worried, after all, playing the effect of a toilet flushing can reduce a class to hysteria for several minutes. As the project is all to do with the Theatre Royals' production of Robinson Crusoe, we were choosing the animal noises most suitable for a desert island. I was struck by the very detailed knowledge that the children had; I had slipped in a whole set of sound effects representing the sounds that Dinosaurs might make, not only did they immediately realise that they were Dinosaurs, but they were able to make educated guesses about what species the sounds represented. Thus, our island is inhabited by Tyrannosaurus Rex, which presumably feeds on the elephants, pumas and dolphins which cavort and gamble among the palm trees.
I wasn't particularly informed about the types of special needs that we were dealing with, although it was clear that some of the children were in various ways autistic, all in all they were a delight, the school was pleasant and clean and I think we all had a good time.
Rather reluctantly I had to give press interviews about the project, something that I have never been asked to do before, the questions that baffled me most, although I can see why the latter was asked, were; how old are you? and, do you have any local connections? I can't for the life of me understand why my age would be worth printing. Coming soon, a telephone interview on Radio Suffolk, I believe, better polish up my platitudes.
posted by Lampy @ 11/16/2005 12:24:00 pm
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