Why Integrate?
For a long time I considered technology unnecessary in a theatre classroom. I'm not referring to the technology which has transformed and improved lighting, sound and set design and construction, but the technology that I would consider "school" tech.
Teacher meeting after teacher meeting would be designed to get me and my fellow educators to use new and not-so-new technology. Over and over, I would hear about the ways in which Google Drive, Schoology and SMART Boards could help a general education classroom. I had trouble seeing how this technology could support what I consider an anti-technology subject, that of acting and directing for the stage.
With my attitude, each meeting became the same.
Leaving me to feel like...
...And this was how I felt for a while....
But then, as I continued to develop my classes over the years, I started to realize that I needed to find some way to organize and facilitate what was turning into a project-based-learning style of teaching. I was starting to create lessons which required students to produce work for the public and of which they would be in charge of each aspect of their productions. My classes were finally becoming more than just technique training classes, they now included implementation and experiential work.
With the direction my classes were going, I was beginning to fall behind and get swamped in paperwork and the headache of organizing student-led work. Students had trouble meeting and keeping high expectations for each other and I had trouble checking progress. As you may be guessing, this is where I started to see the light. I started to look back at some of this "school" tech and see how it could fit into my classroom. After trial and error, I am happy to state that my students are now able to work and communicate more effectively and I am able to individualize their education more frequently. Below are some ways how I have done this. So please, from blogger to blogee, I implore you to try out some of the "school" tech and see how it could be altered for you.
Management
Theatre classes, for their most part, require quite a bit of group work. It becomes extremely important to be able to organize groups quickly and effectively. Two of the classes I teach are each made up of about 35 students ranging from sixth to eighth grade. Anyone who has taught middle school knows that at this stage of development it is hard for students to work with peers when honest communication is lacking and when various social pressures start to occur. Flippity is a wonderful tool I use to help facilitate student grouping. Flippity is an add-on to Google sheets and is something I am sure to have stored up in my bookmarks. Primarily I use the random name picker template and have a saved bookmark with the names of my students for each class in a different bookmark. Whenever I need to make quick groups I use this random name picker and can organize the students into groups of however many sizes and can move students around as I choose. This template also works for drawing students to share their performances.Another way Google has saved my life, and could save yours, is with Google Docs. Until my work in my master's classes I wasn't aware of how effective Docs could become to my planning. I have created a template for students to organize their work as they are in production and acting as directors, actors and designers. Here is a Shakespearean Play Production Template which has links to different google docs in which the students can fill out their own information for their part of the assignment. The students each have a different job during the rehearsal process. With the template students are able to see each other's work when they have access and are able to communicate effectively with me and each other.
Feedback
One of the simplest implementations of technology but also one of the most effective has been the use of Schoology discussions. While I do use them for online discussion topics with students from time to time, Schoology discussion has been adapted for my classroom. I use the program as a place for students to post performance feedback for each other. I will have a student perform and will have everyone reply under their name that they post. I will put my feedback in the discussion as well. Students now have a way to immediately see their feedback and keep track of it. This is so simple but has drastically improved the way in which my students think about their work.
Resources and More
There are so many resources my students use to enhance their learning in the classroom. Students will use youtube and vimeo to watch performances of monologues and scenes to critique. There are now several sites available for students to stream live productions. There are articles and webinars geared towards different lessons. This is not only a benefit to the students but teachers are now able to use webinars and online lessons to progress professional development. Though it took me a while to see the many advantages of integrating tech into my non-tech classroom I now am grateful that I have since it has made so much more possible.
References
Free Image on Pixabay - Portrayal, Portrait, Crying, Cry. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/en/portrayal-portrait-crying-cry-baby-89189/
Free Image on Pixabay - Yada Yada, Board, Insignificance. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/en/yada-yada-board-insignificance-1430679/
Wonderful read! I love the graphics. I love the mention of flipity for making quick small groups. I could see using this in the math classroom to randomly place students for a group quiz. I like the randomness of it. Wonderful stuff. Keep at it - I love the arts!
ReplyDelete
DeleteFlippity really has helped in so many ways! There are a lot of interesting templates on there, thanks for the comment!!
Bravo for your change of heart and starting to integrate technology in your class! No matter what profession students pursue they will have to understand and use technology. The performance arts are relying more and more on technology. For example, wearable technology and sound design are just two things that come to mind. I am sure you could list much more with your expertise. I am not sure if this would be beneficial to your goals but I am also thinking about Green Screen. There are some great green screen tools out there. I have even used at the elementary level (Do Ink is the app I use). I have seen some of my shyest students come out of their shell when producing green screen videos. Excellent post, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteBrendan,
ReplyDeleteI sure did relate to the "bla bla bla" coming from meetings. I have been guilty about sitting in on PDs and thinking that none of it could apply to me. When all of a sudden, something clicks and you realize that the answer was in front of you all along and you were just too stubborn/ignorant to realize it. I often wonder how much that happens to students too, ignoring the main idea or point of a lesson until they notice that it pertains to them! I love that you have found ways to use "school" tech in your life and I am always interested in how different types of teacher use technology. I am very interested to see where your technology leads you.
You should definitely check out Andrea's Blog (https://ennistechnology.blogspot.com/2019/02/swivl-around-room.html) about a device called Swivl! I can see how would could integrate this into theater to show the students what they look like while acting out a scene!
As an elementary teacher, I am always looking for ways to facilitate student grouping. I am excited to look into Flippity!
Thanks for sharing!
I was going to suggest using a Swivl, but Jennifer beat me to it. Allowing students to watch their performances and pick up on things they may not have noticed could really help your students improve.
ReplyDeleteI like your ideas for using Schoology as a way for students to provide peer feedback on performances. I agree that theater isn't necessarily a subject I think, "Oh, let's incorporate technology!" and I have a similar idea when it comes to math. There is only so much you can do without direct instruction or independent practice, but your idea of feedback is great. I wonder how you could use videos of performances, both good and bad, to have students critique them and write their own reviews. This could allow students to see elements of a performance that needs to improve which could, in turn, improve their own performances.
I often forget about specialists in school because of the emphasis on core subjects, so it's fun to think of ways to use technology in a non-traditional setting.
I saw your blog about the Swivl, it is really interesting! I had never heard of that tech before, I agree having students video their rehearsal could help them to reflect on their progress in the scene.
ReplyDelete