1. Improvisation: The Key to 21st Century Learning
Laurel J. Felt
vs INTERPRETATION
Prague, Czech Republic
July 19, 2014

2. 21st Century Learning Cognitive Intrapersonal Interpersonal
Discover. Learn. Teach.
Cognitive
processes and strategies, knowledge, creativity
Intrapersonal
intellectual openness, work ethic/conscientiousness, positive core self-evaluation
Interpersonal
teamwork and collaboration, leadership
The National Academies Committee on Defining Deeper Learning and 21st Century Skills (2012) produced an extensively researched, multi-authored report entitled Education for Life and Work: Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skills in the 21st Century

3. HOW? Discover. Learn. Teach.
What sorts of educational techniques or experiences should we design in order to help learners cultivate proficiency in these domains?

4. My Research Culture Process Master Skills
Discover. Learn. Teach.
Culture
safety, connection, engagement, empowerment
Process
participatory governance, participatory learning, playfulness
Master Skills
Dynamic Appreciation, Resource Engagement, Respectful Negotiation
-the culture we establish in our learning context considerably impacts processes and takeaways
-co-constructed, hands-on, fun lessons are more enjoyable experientially and more effective educationally
-importance of developing proficiency in both NMLs and SELs

5. Improv as Key Discover. Learn. Teach.
improvisational theater facilitates 21st century learning’s ideal cultural traits, processes, and skills. Improvisation’s norms cultivate safety, connection, engagement, and empowerment, its processes negotiate participatory governance, participatory learning, and playfulness, and its practices cultivate 21st century skills. By applying improvisation as a pedagogical model, and also by physically improvising, members of learning communities can enact 21st century learning, which implies more innovative academic work and healthier social functioning.

6. Improvisational Theater
Discover. Learn. Teach.
In the early 1940s, social worker Viola Spolin developed a suite of theater games to stimulate creative expression and build community among Chicago’s diverse immigrant populations. Spolin’s son, founder of legendary theater The Second City, offered his mother's games up to his comedic ensemble; and ever since, improvisers the world over have played them in order to hone their craft.
But here in Los Angeles, since the founding of non-profit Laughter for a Change (L4C) in 2007, these games have returned to their original context and purpose: helping to build confidence and meaningful connections among residents of underserved communities.

7. RFK Community Schools Discover. Learn. Teach. CASE STUDY #1: LAHSA
During , L4C ran a weekly after-school workshop at the Los Angeles High School for the Arts (LAHSA) with 12 low-income, Latino high school freshmen. These students were introduced to the craft of improvisational acting and proceeded to develop their knowledge and proficiency vis-à-vis this art form by playing theater games.
CASE STUDY #3: Fist Bump!
From the winter of 2013 through the spring of 2014, L4C ran a weekly, in-school workshop for nine seniors and one sophomore at the New Open World (NOW) Academy. This workshop consisted of training in improvisational theater, discussions about bullying at their school and in their communities, development of an original sketch show (which included an original rap) about bullying. Members of the ensemble performed the sketch show and an instructional, theater games show for audiences of younger students (6th graders) in order to inform them about bullying and inspire them to stay strong and/or take a stand.

8. KYCC Discover. Learn. Teach. Koreatown Youth Community Center
Over eight weeks during the summer of 2013, L4C ran a weekly workshop at the Koreatown Youth Community Center (KYCC) with nine mixed-income, Korean-American middle school students who had participated in L4C at KYCC’s after-school program. These students honed their improvisational skills by playing theater games, and also used their improv work to inspire and write a 10-minute sketch show, which they performed for their community at the end of the summer.

9. Culture
Discover. Learn. Teach.
Safety, connection

10. Culture Discover. Learn. Teach.
Engagement, empowerment (for the 6th graders too)

11. Process
Discover. Learn. Teach.
“I wanted to learn how to face the audience and to face my fear.” –KYCC Participant #2
“Improvised scenework… initiating scenes in diverse locations/contexts.” –KYCC facilitator Marion
FistBump! RAP
Participatory governance
Participatory learning
-Said Ed, “They [the participants] had to listen to each other, be on the same rhythm, do the same thing, share the space with everyone -- it was our group piece, everybody was on stage. It demanded that everybody support everybody else.”
Ruth: [She was] so quiet, on the first day her hair was covering half her face. For the first couple of times, that’s how she wore her hair… We were rehearsing on the stage, doing exercises to show them how loud they had to talk. Karli said, “I’m a very quiet person.” She was nervous and reluctant. But for the show, she did it. After the first show, to finish it off, she took it upon herself, came down to fist bump the audience members! Everyone [the whole cast] joined in. I would say that definitely it helped her confidence.
Ed: She did talk about being bullied as a small kid, small and skinny. …
Ed: I think Karli found her voice from the solo she did [in the Fist Bump! rap].
She volunteered. Her mother thought this was really good for her.
Karli’s autonomous decision to step into the audience and begin fist bumping audience members was significant on a group level as well. As an audience member, this act brought a huge smile to my face; as an educator, I whole-heartedly approved. Fist bumping provided a warm, affirming, and thematically tidy way to close out the show. I had no idea that Karli was behaving spontaneously – her teammates quickly followed her lead and everyone seemed to enjoy the opportunity to directly engage, especially the 50 or so 6th graders in the audience.

12. Process
Discover. Learn. Teach.
playfulness

13. Master Skills Discover. Learn. Teach. Dynamic appreciation
Kristina again displayed her newfound bravery when she chose to play a male character, and a sexist macho man at that. That was especially remarkable because improvisers of all ages and experience levels commonly choose to play characters of their own gender, and the precedent set by other students in the workshop certainly followed those norms; only when compelled by the structure of a game would participants “gender bend.” It’s not hard to understand why improvisers tend to make this choice; not only is it easier to identify with characters more like yourself, but when you play them, you also avoid appearing “unattractively” and/or “inappropriately” masculine or effeminate. For adolescents in particular, who have a pronounced need for peer acceptance (Erikson, 1959), jeopardizing image is a serious matter. Yet in her guise of a chauvinist behind the wheel, Kristina boldly ogled Helena’s character, a girl working at a car wash. Whether Kristina’s choice solely indicated her self-confidence or also expressed an interest in gender hierarchies, sexual power, or identity exploration is impossible to say. It may even have demonstrated what she had learned about comedy performance—specifically, that playing the opposite sex virtually always amuses the audience. In any case, Kristina reaped the rewards that her originality deserved: appreciative laughter.

14. DOG vs CAT Master Skills
Discover. Learn. Teach.
“One thing I like about L4C is that we can express our imagination and be creative. Even though it’s embarrassing we can be silly.” –KYCC Participant #7
DOG vs CAT
Resource engagement
Several of the show’s best jokes -- a dim-witted dog eating a rock, the dog protagonist having a profile on Dogbook, the parents catching a cheetah in Africa, the dog trainer commanding the protagonist to get on a treadmill and do push-ups – all came from the students.
The script for this show came from merging separate stories that two participants had written during a summer writing workshop, inviting participants to get up and perform each scene, discussing what might add to the story, pitching jokes and theatrical devices, and continuously welcoming improvisation along the way.
The story featured a dejected dog whose parents insisted that, in order to come of age, he must catch a cat. Drake volunteered to play the cat – a principal role – and hilariously embodied his feline character as arrogant and social media-obsessed. Reflected Maggie, “I think Drake became more comfortable about getting up. The last several classes, when we’d say, ‘Okay, somebody get up,’ he’d do it. Or they [his peers] would be like, ‘Drake, you do it,’ and he’d be like, ‘Okay.’”
Ruth added that two KYCC administrators specifically commented after the show on Drake’s performance: “Ernie and Vicky both said that he’s usually in his shell. They were so happy that he ‘broke out of his shell.’” Neither Ruth nor Maggie had ever thought of Drake as somebody in his shell, and both said that they appreciated never knowing that Drake was someone who others regarded as such.

15. Master Skills Discover. Learn. Teach. respectful negotiation
Conducted Story

16. Play’s the thing
Discover. Learn. Teach.
Conclusion

17. Laurel Felt laurelfelt@gmail.com laurelfelt.org Questions? Comments!
Discover. Learn. Teach.
Questions? Comments!
Laurel Felt
laurelfelt.org
-it has been a genuine privilege. Thank you!