MODULE 2

During Module 1 we were given the task of exploring lines of inquiry for Module 2. I personally found this to be a refreshing and exciting experience. I recall skyping Paula way back in September and she told me all about the whole course whilst I scribbled a million notes! To be honest, this part we are about to do is what excited me the most. I was apprehensive before I started this degree and spent a lot of time weighting the pros and cons. I wanted it to be something that was worth my while and not just an exercise of learning information then regergitating it for an assignment. The idea that we were able to explore our own lines of inquiry though filled me with delight. It was also reassurance that I would be able to have the freedom to research topics that interested me personally and that were relevant to my current work. I read Reader 4 and caught up with Paula on Skype last week which really got my creative juices flowing again regarding potential lines of inquiry. I decided to look back at an old blog from last year to revisit my ideas:

- The fear of failure in high achieving wealthy children - why do they become less open as they get older?
- I am passionate about inclusion for all when it comes to drama. Can I open a school in the future that caters for the keen performer but also have links to child phycologists that can refer children to my school for creative drama lessons? Or am I not qualified to do that?
- I really think kids imaginations are inspiring. I've always wanted to write a children's book. Could I create a book with my students and have it published?
- I'm interested in the pressures of Gen Y and what we can do to resolve this problem and the struggles they are having.
- I find the differences between the Asian school system compared to the UK very different but interesting. Could I create a connection between the school I work for in Singapore and a school in the UK. Would it work? Or are the kids too different.
- I teach once a week at a special needs school. The children have autism and ADHD. There has never been any talk about them doing a production. Many of them are high achieving and extremely creative. Why can't they put on a show? Why do we expect the standard to be lower just because they have learning difficulties. They shouldn't be seen as less capable. Could I do a full scale production with them?

I can now see that some of these ideas are not relevant as potential lines of inquiry. I was seeing it more as a project, for example, putting on a show or creating a book with my students. What I now realise is that I need to take all my passions and interests but really whittle it down to something that I can research. I need it to be something that challenges different view points and considers ethics. I made a new list of areas I want to explore:

- Creative drama and how drama can benefit everyone (I work a lot with children who have social and behavioural issues)
- The pressures facing high achieving children (I work in Singapore so I am surrounded by them) and how drama can help them (fear of failure, how students I teach struggle with simple improvisational drama games for fear of getting it wrong) 
- The differences between teaching drama in Singapore compared to the UK (a lot of schools in Asia don't have drama on their curriculum. Why is that?) 

Could I link all of these somehow? I spoke to Paula and she advised this may be too broad and that I need to focus in on one thing. I am passionate about all of the areas mentioned above but need to find a way to either merge them together somehow or decide on my specific focus. I learnt from my last module how I struggle to get to the point sometimes and can go off on a tangent (my essay was 1000 words over when I first did it!) I am going to speak to my colleagues and get their advise on what they think would work the best. I enjoy networking so have many contacts that I already have on a list! I currently feel excited to get started  but frustrated that I can't decide on what I want to do!