Final Class Reflections

I've learned so much from this class! I never thought that I could use technology so much in a theatre classroom, mostly because I haven't seen it done before, other than the occasional video watching. I think the most exciting and probably important thing I've learned and will be how to design and use a Flipped Classroom It's so important to be able to work with the students in class on the practical aspects of my content area, rather than just lecture and expect them to practice on their own without help.

The only real change in my attitudes towards educational technology is how much more aware I am of the different kinds of tech that are available for us to use as educators. I've been using technology in some form or other all my life, from playing video games on our old Atari to the latest smart phones and tablets, and I love that I can use that as a way to connect and share with my students on (close to) their level.

I plan to do as much lesson planning, instruction, and some assessments online, by using tools like Google Sites, Forms, and Docs, but I would love to explore some of other technology I've discovered along the way, that we didn't really get to use in class. One of these is Edmodo, that is like Google and Canvas but also mimics social media sites in a way, because it can be used to create calendars, online discussions, submit assignments, share links, and use it on their tablets and smart phones, something that I don't think Canvas has quite managed to do as well. I also think using technology to create a flipped classroom will let most of my students learn the course material at a pace that works best for them, and facilitates their learning in the way that is more natural to how adults learn in the "real world".

I really don't think I could say there way anything that needs to be improved or changed. It has been a very fun, enlightening, and useful class. If anything, I'd say the class should be about four times as long so we could learn even more, but maybe that's just me!

Flipped Classroom Ideas

When trying to meet the needs of our students the demands to meet common core standards, large class sizes, and limited classroom resources can seem like overwhelming obstacles.  Especially for content areas like Theatre, where performance and activity are integral to the learning process, the are simply not enough hours in the day to teach the standards and objectives of our content using the old lecture and rote learning methods of instruction. Not that we would want to be stuck in front of a room of zombies, endlessly droning on like some ghost of the past who'd left their body sitting by a fire when they got up to teach one day.

This is why Flipped Classrooms are so beneficial, and why nearly all of my classes will be Flipped. As an instructor, I love the idea of put the learning materials and lectures online and taking advantage of the bountiful selection of technical tools, instructional media and software available. In edbean.com's Flipped Drama Classroom the author has put together a great list of the activities that have traditionally taken place in the classroom but which I can easily switch to a digital format. For instance, I would put worksheets, examples from video clips, directions for games, assignments and activities, display examples of other students' work, and give quizzes and tests online. This frees up valuable class time for practice-based activities like improvisation exercises and group work while I am there to provide help and feedback.

One of the units/lessons which I would use the Flipped Classroom model to teach would be our script writing unit. I would use my screencast tutorials that to shows students how to how to sign up for free script writing software like Celtx, and how to set up a text document so it meets the layout specifications that are standard in the industry, both for screenplays and theatre scripts. I also plan to include online lessons created with Educreations that help students understand the elements of story structure, including linear and non-linear plots, and ways to organize stories to create interest. To accompany these lessons, I will create a WebQuest that has students explore definitions for key words and concepts, the hero's journey, come up with their own guidelines for what makes a story "good", and create a few "elevator pitches" that they can build on when writing their scripts. To assess their learning during the process, I would have students post responses to an online discussion board, such as the ones available on Canvas, Today's Meet, or Cel.ly, including links to their sources, and complete an electronic quiz through Quizlet or a Google Form. Then we would put what they have learned into practice by actually writing and reviewing scripts during class.

Podcast Ideas

Creating podcasts that read the instructions and description in an assignment can be a great way to differentiate for students, particularly those with reading disabilities or just struggle with reading. They can also be a great way to help students with attention issues or who learn better through auditory instruction
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Using podcasts would also be a great way to allow students to develop an expressive use of of voice, an acting standard that is emphasized at every level of the secondary theatre curriculum. Students could record part of a monologue or scene they are working on each month, and can compare their podcasts from the beginning of the semester to a later one and evaluate their own improvement. Recording of their scenes would also be a quick and easy way for me to evaluate their vocal work in-progress, which would make previewing scenes before an assessment go more quickly.

Podcasts would also be a great way to share examples of different vocal dialects and accents, and either I or the students could share an example they found or created, and information about the geographical origin of the dialect, and even a few examples of plays where the dialect might be used.

Voki Ideas

QR Code Ideas

Using QR Codes in a theater class might be challenging, but would be a fun way to integrate technology by having students create a web site with cast bios and other information about the play that can be linked from a QR code in the programs for the school's theater productions. As a teacher, I could provide students QR codes at the bottom of assignment worksheets that link to supplementary material like YouTube videos of performances or instructional videos. Students could add them as a way to link to source material, notes, or digital content when creating a historical and cultural analysis when we explore script analysis and dramaturgy.

Animoto Ideas

Animoto videos would be a way to have students create a video to show their ability to compare and incorporate different art forms with theater. They could make a short video that combines art images and music to show their understanding of the basic elements and principles of design, such as shape, balance, form, and line. This would also be a fun way to showcase costume, hair and make-up designs for characters in a play. This would show how well they understand the visualization of design by taking information from a text (play script) and finding images that represent their own abstract ideas of the look of different characters. I could also use Animoto videos to show students examples of design ideas from previous shows, or the how evolution of theatrical productions are influenced by different historical periods and cultures.
http://animoto.com/play/fbJCPHX1WQWZr6GCPpLVng