Northwestern Oklahoma State University education students performed “Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type” by Doreen Cronin for Enid Public Schools Fowler Early Childhood Center students recently.
The performance was held in the Northwestern-Enid commons area.
“Our students enjoyed watching the animals come to life when the Northwestern students performed,” said Shawna Tanner, a teacher at Fowler. “They loved seeing all the props the students made and enjoyed taking pictures with their favorite characters after the performance. It was a fun experience for our students. We love being able to visit the NWOSU campus with our students!”
The creative activities class, led by Derek Trabuc, instructor of education, presented the showcase. The elementary and early childhood education teacher candidates put together the production as an assignment for the semester demonstrating what they have learned.
The students were able to use the story to create a performance that incorporated a farm scene with all the animals in the story. The story was somewhat adapted to include other animals not mentioned in the story, but the students were able to keep the original storyline of the book. Each student took a role of an animal and acted out their part from the story.
Trabuc said the students wanted to get the preschoolers from the Fowler Center involved in the story, so the “characters” would ask the preschoolers questions during the performance.
“They felt this would add a chance for the students to feel involved in the story and play performance,” Trabuc said. “The creative activities class started from scratch and were able to build a set with an actual barn and farm backdrop that helped create a farm atmosphere. As much as the performance is for the Fowler preschoolers, these future educators gain a positive experience and a sense of what their hard work means to the students as they see excitement and wonder on each child’s face.”
Cast members in the production, their hometowns, classifications, majors and the characters they portrayed include:
Maggie Bellew, Beaver senior, early childhood education, as Sheep; Victoria Caywood, Enid junior, early childhood education, as Chicken; Jasmine Hagemeier, Alva senior, early childhood education, as Duck; Erika Hernandez, Laverne senior, elementary education, as Cow; Donovan Paden, Alva senior, elementary education, as Pig; and Matthew Voth, Alva senior, elementary education, as Farmer.
“The play was my favorite part of this semester,” Paden said. “It was fun to watch all the Fowler students laugh and smile as we performed. This play gave us ideas we may want to use in the future when we read books like this in our own classrooms. It was a lot of work, from building the barn and backdrops to writing our own script from the book, but I don’t think any of us will forget about this experience.”
Photos from this event are available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/nwosu-rangers/albums/72177720307926380.
For more information about Northwestern’s teaching programs contact Dr. Jennifer Oswald, associate professor of edu
cation and chair of the Division of Education, at (580) 327-8451 or jdoswald@nwosu.edu. Additional information about Northwestern’s Division of Education may be found at https://www.www.nwosu.edu/school-of-professional-studies/education.
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CONTACT FOR RELEASE
Erin Davis, University Relations Specialist
eedavis@nwosu.edu 580-327-8480