I hope you are finding summer to be both relaxing and rejuvenating at the same time. My summer went immediately into presenting Dance and Technology at the 2016 CEDFA (Center for Educator Development in the Fine Arts) Summit followed immediately into presenting similar material at Encore Productions Officer Camp in Frisco, TX.
These last few weeks have been preparing materials for teaching at the TDEA (Texas Dance Educators' Association) Summer Workshop as well as designing the training for the 2016 Arts and Digital Literacy Institute.
And did I mention, I have 2 kids with swim lessons, golf camp, sports camp, art camp, dance class, tumbling class and a ton of summer energy...?!
Hence, the super long-overdue final blog to my school year. The wrap up of a huge cross-curricular multi-class, multi-department PLB. Too much greatness not to share, even if 2 months late! :)
Let's start with a re-cap from the last blog and peek at our final work!
I am happy to share full post dedicated to: Look. Listen. Create.
Project Summary: Music theory kids have created student-composed pieces of music as part of their curriculum. That music was then played in Art classes as the inspiration for the students to create their artwork. That artwork has now been passed to the English department who are currently creating student poetry. That poetry went to the dancers to create their student choreography projects. Although all VPA Jazz, Ballet, and Dance & Media classes participated, NextGen classroom students had additional steps along the way and following the project as documented below. Select pieces from the choreography projects were presented on stage at our annual Student Choreographers' Showcase which is open to both the public and the school. Student creation and collaboration at it's finest!
STEP 1: ARTWORK
While we had our PIE grant yoga mats out, the students continued to rotate through different stretches while we did some role reversal to put ourselves into our fellow students shoes and think about their creation process. We downloaded 2 apps: Brushes Redux and Drawing Desk. I then played 1 of the student-created music pieces. Students then drew/sketched their own digital art. We repeated the process with a 2nd piece of music to show how we don't just draw the same thing, we can be inspired in different ways be different sources.We are NOT trained in art but I was so excited at how they came out and the students really enjoyed the activity!
When we finished, we loaded our art work into a student-portfolio app, SeeSaw, and wrote a reflection on the experience and the outcome.
These last few weeks have been preparing materials for teaching at the TDEA (Texas Dance Educators' Association) Summer Workshop as well as designing the training for the 2016 Arts and Digital Literacy Institute.
And did I mention, I have 2 kids with swim lessons, golf camp, sports camp, art camp, dance class, tumbling class and a ton of summer energy...?!
Hence, the super long-overdue final blog to my school year. The wrap up of a huge cross-curricular multi-class, multi-department PLB. Too much greatness not to share, even if 2 months late! :)
Let's start with a re-cap from the last blog and peek at our final work!
I am happy to share full post dedicated to: Look. Listen. Create.
Project Summary: Music theory kids have created student-composed pieces of music as part of their curriculum. That music was then played in Art classes as the inspiration for the students to create their artwork. That artwork has now been passed to the English department who are currently creating student poetry. That poetry went to the dancers to create their student choreography projects. Although all VPA Jazz, Ballet, and Dance & Media classes participated, NextGen classroom students had additional steps along the way and following the project as documented below. Select pieces from the choreography projects were presented on stage at our annual Student Choreographers' Showcase which is open to both the public and the school. Student creation and collaboration at it's finest!
STEP 1: ARTWORK
While we had our PIE grant yoga mats out, the students continued to rotate through different stretches while we did some role reversal to put ourselves into our fellow students shoes and think about their creation process. We downloaded 2 apps: Brushes Redux and Drawing Desk. I then played 1 of the student-created music pieces. Students then drew/sketched their own digital art. We repeated the process with a 2nd piece of music to show how we don't just draw the same thing, we can be inspired in different ways be different sources.We are NOT trained in art but I was so excited at how they came out and the students really enjoyed the activity!
When we finished, we loaded our art work into a student-portfolio app, SeeSaw, and wrote a reflection on the experience and the outcome.
STEP 2: POETRY
Next, it was time to step into the shoes of the English students. My students got to complete a "gallery-walk" of student art work (as created when listening to the student music). They chose a piece that spoke to them and were instructed to write their own poem. The had the option to use apps such a Theme Poem, Haiku, Diamante, or Poetreat to help them or create their own. They found this activity even harder than the art creation. Then in SeeSaw they loaded the artwork they had chosen, the poem they wrote, and a reflection of the experience and the outcome.
STEP 3: POEM SELECTION & PHOTOGRAPHY
Dancers then chose the groups they would be working with for student choreography. I had loaded all of the poems written by both English I and IV students into a collaborative Google Folder for all groups to access. After reading the poems, they chose one that they would be analyzing and creating a dance around. Since dancers are more comfortable using their body to story-tell, they were then instructed to create dance photography that could represent parts of the poem. Using various photo editing apps and Text on Photo, they add text from the poetry to the photographs. They were on display at the student choreography showcase. These were also loaded into SeeSaw.
STEP 4: CHOREOGRAPHY & SLIDESHOW
Students chose and edited music and costumes, and worked to have their dance meet the requirements of the dance rubric. Level 1-3 Jazz did small group projects, Level 4 had the option of group or solo projects. These projects were then presented in class in front of their peers. Their peers then voted on their favorite pieces for a chance to represent their class in the Student Choreographers' Showcase. Students in the NextGen Class had to create a slideshow in Google Slides with the artwork, poem, and concept of their dance before they danced.
STEP 5: SHOWCASE
The chosen dances performed during the last block of the school day to friends, families, teachers, administration, and classes from the school. An audience of over 200! Theater tech students helped prepare and run the lighting as well as using a special program to project images on hanging canvas behind the dancers. The images represented Music, Art, Poetry, or featured their own dance photography. During the arrival of the guests, their was a video slideshow of the student art work synced to the student music. Artwork and poetry was also displayed on music stands around the front of the stage for students to browse/read during the day leading to the performance. Here is a link to the folder of dances from the Showcase: VPA Student Choreographers' Showcase 2016
STEP 6: Reflection
Non-NGDC classes, watched the video of the showcase to complete self-evaluations. My NGDC students had another final step to complete. They loaded their choreography into their SeeSaw portfolio to go along with all of the art and poetry that had been created and complete a self-reflection. They also used Quick to add music and editing features to their pictures and then app-smashed their dance video with iMovie for a total package deal of their experience with the project. I have included an example of that video below.
What an incredible job that was done by all students involved! Truly inspiring!
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Although not part of the the same project, Dance and Media students used the showcase to present their powerful piece on internet safety called #Cybershadow. It was their transmedia project wrapping up a very successful inaugural year to this course and tells a very important message.
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To finish the PIE Grant, my student took their plotted data of their strength and flexibility data and plotted in on Line Graphs to have a chance to analyze and reflect on their growth this year. A final wrap up video was made to celebrate a great program!
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I look forward to sharing another wonderful year in the NextGen Dance Classroom next year!! I am so grateful to everyone who has been a part of my journey this year. I could not do it without yout support and cheer leading. See you again in September!
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