And so we begin...

I have to say, it's been a minute since I dabbled in the world of blogs! My only experience here was born of necessity. In other words, my friends and I had just wrapped up undergrad and were in dire need of a way to keep in touch that wouldn't break the bank. Long distance phone calls were simply too expensive (remember those?) and social media wasn't a thing yet, but there was LIVEJOURNAL. It was a sounding board and a place for rambling thoughts, but it was also a gathering space that kept our little band of theatre nerds together as we made our way out of undergrad and into the world. All of that is to say...hi, I'm Carolyn. I'm not great with technology unless it's on a stage, so I'm pretty excited to see what this course will bring! What else can I tell you...the short list will have to do! I am...

• born and raised in Massachusetts. I probably fulfill every stereotype you can think of, right down to the Dunkin' coffee that is always in my hand;

• in my 23rd year in a public school setting, during which time I have served as a 1:1 paraprofessional, an enrichment teacher (dance, theatre, art) and a behaviorist. Once upon a time I was going to be a BCBA until I took a hard pivot and decided that I should be teaching drama instead! I currently teach in an urban, Title I school roughly 20 minutes outside Boston;

• the owner and artistic director of a small youth dance collective. We specialize in collaborative, story-driven contemporary movement and are youth-centered/adult-guided;

• always driving down to NYC, always looking for my next cup of coffee, always carrying a book, notebook and selection of pens, always wishing for a magic carpet and always wishing that there was a decent ramen place near my house;

• currently fighting the spring pollen, which seems to have it out for me more than usual!

And there it is! Me, in a nutshell. Next up: ISTE standards.

ISTE Standard 6: Creative Communicator MA Arts Standards: Creating, Performing, Responding, Connecting

ISTE's creative communicator aligns itself in many ways with Massachusetts State Theatre Standards for grades 5-6 and 7-8, making it a natural fit to work with as we begin exploring these new (to me) standards for technology. Standard 6 states: Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals.

For the purposes of this blog, I will be connecting this ISTE standard to a new project that I began to develop just a few weeks ago with my 6th grade students that centers on film-making and identity. I will also connect it to several indicators across the MA Arts Standards, which are quite thorough. In this project, students conduct partner interviews with specific questions. The responses gathered serve as a prompt for students to create a short film about their partner. Below are the strands of standard 6 and some learning activities that can be paired with each tenet. I will be using technological examples that my students have access to, but these could obviously be adjusted or expanded upon as needed.

ISTE 6a. Choose the appropriate platforms and tools for
meeting the desired objectives of their creation or
communication.

MA Creating 1, 2.
Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work. Generate interdisciplinary design ideas that support the story and given circumstances in a theatrical work. (5-6.T.Cr.01)
Organize and develop artistic ideas and work. Develop essential events that make up the dramatic structure in an improvised or scripted theatrical work. (5-6.T.Cr.02)

• For the interview portion of this project, students will use a combination of teacher-provided and self-scripted questions. These conversations should be fun, engaging and a way to get to know their partner. They should also provide enough material to generate a central theme and overall arc for the final film. (5-6.T.Cr.01, 5-6.T.Cr.02) Students may choose to collaborate and record responses using several modes of technology, pending availability, need and personal preference. In order to gather the most authentic responses, video and/or voice recording might be used to capture the stories told. WeVideo features all necessary tools, including video recording, voice recording and collaborative editing, making this piece of tech an easy fit for this indicator. (ISTE 6a)

6b. Create original works or responsibly repurpose or
remix digital resources into new creations.

MA Creating 1, 2.
Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work. Generate interdisciplinary design ideas that support the story and given circumstances in a theatrical work. (5-6.T.Cr.01)
Organize and develop artistic ideas and work. Develop essential events that make up the dramatic structure in an improvised or scripted theatrical work. (5-6.T.Cr.02)

• Film-making is, more often than not, interdisciplinary by nature. Elements of visual art, music and core subjects are constantly peeking through in large and small ways. Students can and should explore adding as many crossovers as possible in order to convey their partner's story. (5-6.T.Cr.01, 5-6.T.Cr.02) A simple and fun way to get this started is to add sound design to the project. For example, the film-maker might choose to record certain footage based on the stories gathered in the interview process and then combine said footage with the film subject's favorite song. Because this project is a film about someone who already exists, new and old material may be combined as long as it is representative of the subject. BandLab and Chrome Music Lab both incorporate composition, mixing and editing tools that allow for new music composition as well as editing and remixing of existing material. If remixing were to be allowed, care must be taken when teaching this piece to students so that digital, ethical and creative integrity is ensured. (ISTE 6b).

6c. Communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively
by creating or using a variety of digital objects such
as visualizations, models or simulations.

MA Performing, 6.
Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work. Contribute to the performance of a short theatrical work with an audience (e.g., acting, writing or supporting a technical element) that makes connections to other disciplines. (5-6.T.P.06)

• Layering in cinematography elements that visually represent the key components of the subject's identity is central to this project. Students can learn about these essential story-telling skills, including use of camera angles, color, light, transitions and overlays by analysis of existing film, followed by their own exploration and experimentation. A sample activity might be a camera angle scavenger hunt, wherein students are given a list of angles from which to record. Once footage has been taken, students can comb through and analyze for deeper connection to emotional meaning and core themes (5-6.T.P.06) WeVideo is once again a solid tool for this activity. (ITSE 6c)

6d. Publish or present content that customizes
the message and medium for their intended
audiences.

MA Responding 7, 8.
Perceive and analyze artistic work. Analyze how the structure of a theatrical work supports the artist's intent (e.g., using three similar repeating events). (5-6.T.R.07) Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work. Use domain-specific vocabulary to identify details about a play or theatre work. (5-6.T.R.08)

• The ultimate goal of a film is to communicate with an audience. In this case, students will be creating films about each other, so communication with the audience will surround their partner's identity. Combining the basic steps outlined above:(interview, sound design, visual editing) with film-making basics (theme/concept, outline, storyboard) gives students a solid chance to create, publish and present their film for the audience of their choosing. It also gives them a chance to connect with and respond to the work of their peers through post-screening conversations and reflections. (5-6.T.R.07, 5-6.T.R.08) (ITSE 6d)