Third-year Medicine Hat College education student Tianna Watt stars in the student-led production Journey of the Noble Gnarble.--NEWS PHOTO KENDALL KING
kking@medicinehatnews.com
Students in Medicine Hat College and Mount Royal University’s collaborative education program are learning key skills through a student-led production of Journey of the Noble Gnarble.
Based on the children’s book of the same name, the musical production tells the story of a small deep sea fish – the Noble Gnarble – who dreams to one day see the sky. To fulfil her dream, the Noble Garble sets out on a journey to the surface, encountering challenges, along with an array of colourful sea creatures along the way.
The production itself is part of the third-year students’ Arts Integration in Elementary Education course, which introduces students to different aspects of the arts and teaches them how to incorporate such into core curricular subjects, like math, science and social studies.
“We’ve found through research that integrating arts into the teaching of core subjects helps in the learning of the core subjects and of the arts as well,” MHC education co-ordinator and course instructor Colleen Whidden told the News.
Having taught Arts Integration for several years, Whidden has found one of the best ways for students to absorb course concepts and expand their understanding of the arts is through first-hand experience – especially students who have no artistic background. And so, Whidden tasks students with organizing, leading and starring in their own stage production.
“They’re learning a lot of these skills right from the foundation up,” said Whidden. “They have worked on memorizing lines, setting all the choreography, learning the dances (and) making the set pieces and costumes.”
While most students are on stage, there is also a small group working behind the scenes on lighting and sound.
As well as expanding their knowledge of arts integration through the production, Whidden believes students also develop skills integral to teaching, like confidence, communication, collaboration, etc.
Student Ashley Thakurdeen – one of the show’s main choreographers – agrees, saying the experience has taught her a lot about leadership.
“It’s allowed me to take on a leadership role,” Thakurdeen said. “And I know I’ll be doing that in the future as a teacher, so having that chance to lead people now is really helpful.”
Dual roles producing and acting in the show has offered student Tianna Watt – who stars as the Noble Gnarble – to experience the production from both a teacher and a students’ perspective.
“I was the vocal director for this show, so I also taught all of the music,” said Watt. “That kind of gave an interesting perspective knowing that some (students) don’t normally do this kind of stuff. (That taught me) how to work with kids who do not usually do this stuff – like how to get them happy and participating.”
Student Shay Samson is anticipating the production’s one-time public performance, which he and his classmates have been preparing for now since mid-September.
“I hope the audience takes away that it’s OK to be uncomfortable and do stuff that is not in your regular comfort zone,” said Samson. “I think for the most part, going into this, not many of us had been artsy people, so it definitely pushed us out of our comfort zones. But the biggest thing (I learned) is that you don’t have to be an arts expert to be in an arts play or teach arts. I think it’s more just about being comfortable and being present.
Students will perform Journey of the Noble Gnarble Nov. 4 at MHC’s Cultural Centre to an audience largely comprised of family and friends. Tickets are not available for purchase at this time.
