Week 1 - Intro and Technology Standards

 

Hello and welcome to my blog! 

My name is Paul Scott and I live in Folsom, CA.  You probably know us from our prison and the Johnny Cash song.  We also happen to have a local community college with a world-class theatre program.  As a member of the local community, I have been acting in shows there for about 12 years.  Some of my favorite shows include Macbeth, The Crucible, Spring Awakening, Romeo and Juliet, and You Can’t Take It With You.  Because of those experiences, I have made several good friends on the faculty.  I have been allowed to sit in on some classes and help students with their scene work. 

Years ago, I was a high school social studies teacher and have always missed being in the classroom  with adolescent minds.  My friends on faculty at the local college know this and encouraged me to find a graduate program that would allow me to join them in teaching theatre.  I found it right here at Southeastern Oklahoma State University!  Go Savage Storm! 

When looking at California Arts Standards for public schools as well as the ISTE standards, there are many areas that overlap.  For example, Performing—Anchor Standard 6: Convey Meaning Through the Presentation of Artistic Work states that students should be able to “Present a drama/ theatre production for a specific audience that employs research and analysis grounded in creative perspectives of the playwright, director, designer, and dramaturgy.”  ISTE standard 1.6.a states, “Students choose the appropriate platforms and digital tools for meeting the desired objectives of their creation or communication.” 

These two standards can be met through a basic acting exercise assigned to the students.  First, they must select a scene from a published play that has some meaning to them personally or that conveys an emotion or theme they’d like to present.  Second, using appropriate internet and library resources, they research the play and author to help shape their performance.  Finally, they record their scenes on technology most of them already have: their phones, and post the performance on the class webpage where their peers and faculty can provide feedback. 

According to Dr. Liz Kolb, integrating technology into learning is most effective when teachers analyze their lesson using the Triple-E Framework.  The use of technology should Engage, Enhance, and Extend the learning in order to be effective.  In the lesson described above, the internet is used to engage students.  By researching their selected play and author, they are motivated to make their performance unique and meaningful.  For example, a student might not know that The Crucible is really a parable about the Red Scare and the suffering artists endured because of anti-communist hysteria.  A simple internet search could radically change how the student interprets the play and how they might perform it. 

When filming their performances, the students are Enhancing their learning.  Not only does filming give them a chance to mess up and start over unlimited times, they can also review their work prior to submitting it.  A live performance only lasts an instant; digital video is forever.  Finally, by posting their performances online and inviting feedback, the learning is Extended.  Peer review can be an effective tool not only for providing feedback to one student, but exposes the larger group to many different performances, contributing to their learning as well.