You're letting WHO do WHAT?

Ever think a blind kid could run a spotlight? A deaf kid do a sound check? A wheelchair-bound kid run scenery? A Downs Syndrom kid dance on stage?

Ask me that twenty years ago, and I'm not sure what I would have said. Today I can say "yeah, we've done that,"and we've done it with success.

Working in educational theater presents enough challenges for the ordinary director. Working with kids who have no challenges to speak of is enough for most of us. When we're faced with working with kids who have more severe challenges, we're faced with change, and creative thinking, and ... well, I'm not sure what we call it. At times if feels like panic, fear, worry, or anything else but opportunity.

And that's exactly what it is.

In the 19 years that I've been teaching at my school, our theater has been graced by two blind students, not quite a dozen deaf students (some profoundly, others functionally), four students with Downs Syndrome, three kids in wheelchairs (strangely enough, all three with acute rheumatoid arthritis), several with varying degrees of Asbergers ... and we've always tried to give them a shot and doing theater. Aside from it being "the right thing to do," it would often give we directors as well as our veteran theater students the opportunity to work with kids that we wouldn't work with otherwise. We have yet to have anyone come away from these experiences thinking that it was a mistake. 

That's the warm-fuzzy part of this: the kids get a chance to learn from each other. You don't need a stack of research to prove that - it's plainly obvious to even the casual observer. It raises the question, though, regarding what we provide: as instructors, are we doing enough to provide a quality educational experience? 

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for the structure of instruction for those who need assistive learning - whether that is through technology, the help of an assistant, or the use of materials designed to assist. It provides us with guidance and presses us to think through a lot more scenarios than what we're probably used to.

A particularly challenging moment for me as a theater educator was several years ago when a deaf student wanted to help with sound. The mechanical part was easy - you don't really have to hear to make cable connections and flip on switches. The array of lights and indicators tell you when things are plugged in correctly. But how did she know that the mic worked? You have to hear that, right?

Sort of.

With the help of an interpreter, she was able work with another hearing student - but that was his hearing interpretation of the sound, not her deaf interpretation. She really didn't perform the sound check - it was someone else doing it and then telling her the mic was working. So how can a deaf person work in a theatrical sound environment?

Welcome to the 21st Century, and meet industrial designer Frederick Podzuweit. He has envisioned a collar called "Music For Deaf People" (MFDP) that allows deaf people to experience music. It looks something like this:

Podzuweit, F (2010). Music for Deaf People device.

It plugs in to a sound device much like a set of headphones, except instead of the signal running to transducer speakers, it runs to a series of membranes that vibrate, expand and contract with the beat and frequency of the sound source. The neck and shoulders receive the tactile sensation, and therefore create a relationship between the intended sound and the sensation of the collar. This allows a deaf person to experience and sense sound by way of the sense of touch.

Suddenly here is a device that solves the dilemma. By connecting this to a sound output device (a sound mixer, iPod, speaker, wireless receiver, etc) my deaf student could do a sound check alone (or at least without the help of an interpreter.) How would the MFDP be used in the classroom? Here is one possible lesson scenario using my Stage Design class as an example.

(UPDATE: Sadly, this is only a conceptual design and not a reality - yet. If only I were good with tools, electronics and pneumatic actuators ...)

Still not convinced that deaf people can perform in the sound-rich environment of theater? Evelyn Glennie is a fantastic example of how a deaf person can still hear sound and perform music. This is her TedTalks presentation from 2003:

We live in a great age - our technology is allowing for more and better opportunities for students, be it in the arts or the math class. We need to keep looking for ways that allow them to learn better, and allow us to teach them better.

Plagiarism and the Cyber Citizen

Bland, J. (2010) "Ethics"

Many moons ago, I decided to do a report in my high school government class on the ethics of photo journalism. This was when I still had romantic aspirations of roaming the globe with thousands of dollars of Nikon around my neck and in my rucksack, chasing the most exciting stories that came out of the four corners of the earth - so let's say I had a vested interest. The written part of the report was solid, with a good deal of research, but it was missing something. Of course - examples of photo journalism.

I spent hours sifting through books containing Pulitzer Prize winning photos, and then taking them to the AV room where I spent more hours using the photo copier - which in this case was not a Xerox machine but a stand that held a SLR camera and two lights for shadow-free imagery. I placed the photo on the stand, checked the camera frame, adjusted, checked again, adjusted again ... I was thoroughly into the activity. I snapped about fifteen pictures, then spent more hours in the dark room developing the film and printing the pictures. When the photos were dry, I took them home where I spent even more hours mounting them carefully with those little photo corner holders (aptly named) and re-typing the paper so that the text wrapped around the photos.

(Note that I never mention the terms "computer," "word processor," or "scanning" because this was 1982, which is damn near the dark ages if you ask a sixteen year old today. At least we didn't have to make our own paper.)

Trask, H. (1957) "The Sinking of the Andrea Doria"

I proudly handed it in, a few classmates casting an envious look at my handiwork. If ever there was a slam-dunk A+ paper, this was it. And when you're a sophomore in high school, when you think you're hot, the fall is just that much harder. When we received the papers back, I didn't get an A+. I got a B+, and I was stunned. The research was all in line, the writing was strong, but there was one peculiar note on the paper from my instructor: "These images are copyrighted, aren't they?" Now there were many times in high school where irony was lost on me - as it was and still is for most high school males - but this one didn't miss:

I had committed a breach of ethics on a paper about the ethics of photo journalism.

I felt like a complete dolt. Nowhere in my paper did the word "copyright" exist. It should have, and not just because I boosted about fifty years of award winning photography. Many photojournalists have come under scrutiny for the way they have manipulated photos, and it happens today with more frequency. The age of digital media makes this issue easier to abuse.

How do we teach students the ethics of using other's creative works? Thankfully, we have entities such as Common Sense Media, Power to Learn, and The Copyright Alliance to provide thoughtful tools and instruction to help teachers, students and parents. Creating learning opportunities for the school community is an important way to head off problems that are more plentiful with the advent of sharing digital media.

Go here to view the professional development plan. This is designed for early school year pre-service or half-day inservice
Go here to view the classroom unit designed for 11th and 12th grade Language Arts Students. This is designed to be part of the unit over citing sources and plagiarism.
Go here to view the parent/guardian presentation. This is designed to be presented as part of all of a regularly scheduled PTA meeting

Go here to see a brief presentation that introduces the concepts of copyright and fair use.

Including teachers, students and parents in the discussion regarding ethical use of intellectual property reduces the chances of issues becoming problems, and it significantly broadens the learning base.

There are other issues regarding cyber life, such as Cyber Bullying, Online Integrity, Security, and Privacy. None of these issues are more or less important than the other. If a student is online, then they all are at work at some level.

What do you think are important cyber citizen issues? How do you address them as a teacher? A parent? A student? Leave a comment and let's start a discussion!

They Call it "Stage Technology," But ...

Henderson, Wells. "Wrench." 10/10/2008

But ... how is technology infused into the course?

Let's start by discussing our situation. We teach Stage Craft and Stage Design courses as Language Arts electives at our school. In the past, this has largely meant that these classes have a sizable effort toward putting together the technical requirements for one (or two) of our four annual productions. Basics of scenery building are the bulk of instruction, which includes a healthy dose of theater scene shop safety and instruction. Lighting and sound consoles have become more sophisticated in recent years, so a bit of instruction regarding programming cues is included.

"Tech" in this case means "hands on," which is a given when we consider everything we learn and teach given what our goal is: completed scenery, lighting and sound for a specific production.

"Tech" in the case of the 21st century classroom has a bit more of a role than just "the stuff that kids can put their hands on. Consider the framework for a 21st century classroom provided below, courtesy of the Partnership For 21st Century Skills:


Core Subjects and 21st Century Themes
• Global Awareness
• Financial, Economic, Business and Entrepreneurial Literacy
• Civic Literacy
• Health Literacy
• Environmental Literacy

Learning and Innovation Skills
• Creativity and Innovation
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
• Communication and Collaboration

Information, Media and Technology Skills
• Information Literacy
• Media Literacy
• ICT (Information, Communications and Technology) Literacy

Life and Career Skills
• Flexibility and Adaptability
• Initiative and Self-Direction
• Social and Cross-Cultural Skills
• Productivity and Accountability
• Leadership and Responsibility

How do you incorporate this material into a class that up untill recently was largely a class designed for kids to get an elective credit for doing something theatrically creative?

Fortunately, we have some tools out there that will help people like me who teach specialized classes. One that I recently used comes from Shaun Holloway, a principal from the Manson Northwest Webster School district in Iowa. Here is my self-evaluation regarding technology integration in my Stage Technology courses using his walk-through evaluation tool. You will notice that I have some work to do.

It's likely that there are many more teachers like me out there who need to evaluate and amend their teaching to take their classrooms - no matter what subject - into the 21st century. What changes do you need to make? What changes would you like to see in your student's classroom? Does this framework for a 21st century classroom provide everything the 21st century learner needs? Share your thoughts.

ITEC 2011: From Mudbogs to Meadows

"Wildflower Meadow on Silver Forest Trail." KW Traveler, 2011

The Iowa Technology Education Connection (ITEC) conference is over; the dust has settled, and once again, there is much to think about. But as opposed to last year, when I compared the collection of information to a mud bog, I feel that this year was a meadow of daisies and wildflowers.

(I realize that this metaphor probably surprises you - and I must admit I'm a bit stunned myself by the overly-sappiness of it as well. Daisies? Wildflowers? Is this really BlamSpot? What's next - puppies, kittens and rainbows?)

Yes, daisies and wildflowers. A bunch of them, all brilliantly colored in the sunlight, swaying deftly in the refreshing breeze, no - and I mean NO - two alike ... and being part of it, if only for a moment, just makes you feel rejuvenated, content, and very happy.  And here lies the theme of this week's posting, because I think we've all been part of conferences that seemed more like drudgery than anything worth while. Here are the BlamSpot highlights from ITEC '11:

http://punya.educ.msu.edu/

Presenter that challenged me most: Punya Mishra presented on the TPACK theory. From his TPACK website: "Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), builds on Shulman’s idea of PCK, and attempts to capture some of the essential qualities of knowledge required by teachers for technology integration in their teaching, while addressing the complex, multifaceted and situated nature of teacher knowledge." While I won't attempt to impart everything that was presented - you'll get a good idea by visiting his TPACK website - it was the rare kind of presentation where you walk in with the attitude of "I don't know anything about this" and emerge with the revelation of "This really makes a lot of sense, and I want to learn more about it." When it comes to theory presentations, that's really saying something. Thank you, Punya, for taking the time to come to Iowa and sharing this with us.

http://lesliefisher.com/

Presenter that had the newest and most exciting information: Once again, Leslie Fisher came in and whirl-winded us through iOS5 apps for Mac products. I caught her act last year, and was wowed by her enthusiasm, her knowledge and her insatiable quest for digital devices and their quirks. This year was no different, especially given the fact that I took the plunge and purchased an iPad 2 right before the conference. Her sense of humor never overshadows the sensibility of the applications or technologies that she is presenting. She vows not to waste any time, and she delivers on that claim. In fact, she had us going to lunch ten minutes late. (I have yet to meet another presenter who can do that without the participants preparing torches and setting the room afire over the fact that they are being kept from sustenance.) My only complaint is that I have a lot of stuff on my iPad that I'm going to have to play with ... damn you, Fisher! (And thanks for coming back to ITEC. See you next year?)

Presenters that made me proud: I'm going to tout the efforts of the UNI Instructional Technology cohort members. These presenters work full-time in education while they pursue their MA, and still had time to prepare for the conference. They were a significant presence at the conference when it came to peer presentations. They included:

Courtesy Lisa Schaa, 2011

Sara Richardson, who had standing room only for her YouTube, internet ethics and educational games sessions. The folks in Fort Dodge, Iowa, are pretty lucky to have this amazing teacher librarian who is not just wicked-smart regarding ed tech, but is generous enough to share her talents and discoveries with those of us who can't be in her school.

Carrie Jacobs, who inspired many in her presentation about instilling cultural awareness in teens (as evidenced by the Tweets that were posted immediately afterward) and is an advocate for those students who are so often forgotten: the alternative high school student. West Des Moines has a real gem with her at the Walnut Creek Campus.

Courtesy Lisa Schaa, 2011

She was also part of the Flat Classroom presentation that included Deb Bruxvoort, Brandi Day, Jami Elliot, Cathy Olsen, and Lisa Schaa, who we affectionately call "The Beijing Babes" after their trip to China last spring for the Flat Classroom Project conference. Deb and Brandi aren't classroom teachers, but they bring a unique perspective regarding education to those of us who sometimes get too caught up in our own classroom work. Boone HS, West Burlington Elementary, and Stratford Elementary get some amazing energy from Cathy, Jami and Lisa. Thanks for sharing!

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the great organization and execution of another fabulous event by the ITEC board. Let's not try to imagine the number of hours it took to bring all of this together - we'll just agree that it was probably in the neighborhood of a gazillion. The record attendance of the event reflects the quality of the conference, and I'm plenty happy to extol their efforts. A tip of the hat to them.

Did you attend ITEC? If so, who were the presenters that made a difference? Challenged your status quo? Crammed your head full of neat stuff? Made you proud to be a teacher in Iowa? Please, share your thoughts!

And so, for 2011, it's daisies and wildflowers this year instead of mud. Perhaps I'm just that more in tune with instructional technology this year, or maybe I was better prepared to ingest the information - but either way, I'm better off today than I was last week. Thanks again to all who were a part of it.

Module 4: Integrating Digital Technology

How do you integrate technology?


It's a deceptive question. We may think it's easy to answer, but in reality, there are many different levels to "I use [insert technology here] in my classroom." And while we all want to think that we are technology superstars and are integrating technology at the highest level, you may be surprised to know that "the highest level" may be a very simple integration for some tools.


If you're interested in know where you stand on Planet Integrating Digital Technology, check here the Technology Integration Matrixes: one if from the Center for Instructional Technology at the University of South Florida, and the other is from the Arizona K-12 Center.


For this week's Selection And Integration of Instructional Technologies assignment, I have selected five technologies that we have either used in the past or will be integrating new this year. Here is the link to the original Google document for the five technologies that I use in my courses, using the FSU TIM tool. Below is the one example that I use the most, and for which I have the best understanding:

Google SketchUp. I use this application in my Stage Technology courses to both demonstrate 3-D drawings of stock set pieces in our scene shop, and for students to create digital models set pieces, props, and entire sets for their projects - and our productions.

Age Group: students in the 9th-12 grade in both a classroom setting and in the extracurricular venues

Description: Stage Craft/Stage Technology is a course that is dual purposed: a) to teach students the basics of technical theater - safety, set construction, light rigging, sound design, costume and makeup considerations, and all of the planning that goes behind these aspects - and b) to give them the practical hands-on experience of creating what is planned. Usually one set for a play is the big activity. Part of that planning will require some technology - SketchUp is a great entry-level 3-D modeling tool that gives students practical experience with design. Using the 3-D warehouse where models of basic scenic elements can be found, students will design set pieces, props and other scenery for a play of their choosing.

Outcomes:

• Students will perform the basic design operations in the SketchUp program
• Students will collaborate with other students and designers by contributing to the 3-D Warehouse
• Students will design and edit a drawing of a set piece, a prop or a set desgin for a play that they choose
• Students will articulate and defend their choices for their design, and be able to idtentify which element they collaborated with other students/designers
• Students will cite outside designers/resources used to complet their design.

TIM Cell: “Active - Adaptation”

Explanation: At first, I thought that it would be better suited for the Active Adoption, but as I review how I use the technology in the projects, it’s clear that there are opportunities for collaboration. While SketchUp is not set up for collaboration, it does allow for sharing files and projects to its 3-D Warehouse. Students can give and take as they need. 

Fitting into teaching: While there are few programs that allow for 3-D modeling at what I would consider entry level, SketchUp is about the only one that is available to students for no cost and allows for give and take in terms of completed models. For it to be truly collaborative, an additional tool is need for information exchange/communication (such as Google Chat, Twitter/TweetDeck, etc.). The program allows for student to create sets from scratch, borrow stock set piece drawings, download drawing of objects that can be used as props, and tap into a collective of SketchUp users to answer questions that will assist students when they come to a more complicated task or run into problems.

BAM! (Taking it to the next step): Taking this to “Active - Infusion” would provide for the lack of direct communication that is outlined above. Rather than wait for a more interactive version of SketchUp, taking this to the infusion level would be making available to students access to communication tools that they would select as they see appropriate.

How do you integrate technology? Take a look at the TIM links, and consider how you integrate various technologies. Then, using the language of the TIM, share with the world.

UPDATE: Deskless in Cedar Rapids

At least two people have requested that I update my blog after going a few weeks without a desk. So, I guess I can honestly say that there are people waiting with baited breath to find out how the grand experiment goes.

Lammers, B. (09/09/2011) "Look Ma, No Desk!"

Here to the right is a picture of the space that was formerly my desk. Making use of bookshelves, I have arranged my computer workstation, and the essentials that I need for my class. The plastic bins along the top right of the shelves contain the student supplies that had been garrisoned in my desk. They are there for the students to use, whenever they need. Easy access, and so far, no one has abused the system to open their own black-market office supply operation. I've noticed that the use of highlighters has increased now that students can retrieve them on their own. The most essential paraphernalia is housed in the plastic bins below the computer - again, formerly housed in the hallowed space that was the center top drawer of my desk. There is space for additional shelving, and I am still reconciling what I will do with that space. So far, though, that corner of the room is far more organized, far more neat looking, and the function is right up to speed with the form. This photo would suggest that this experiment is a raging success.

Lammers, B. (09/09/2011) "I Swear, Ma - I don't know what happened"

Until you see this picture at the left, which is the opposite corner of the room. Yup. There is still some work to do, and this is where the experiment is not doing so well. Immediately you will notice that there is an object that looks remarkably like a desk ... with a computer atop it ... surrounded by papers ... and stuff ... lots and lots of stuff.

Damn.

This WILL be a student workstation. It will, I pledge this to you here. Right now, it is a place where my paperwork is backing up after a week of Homecoming activity, set building, and InstructionTechnology study work. There are piles both on the shelves and the floor. This kind of organization was once the exclusive domain of the desk - and I have yet to weed through the chaff, so to speak. The upside is that I do have a great deal of file drawer space now, so there's at least the opportunity to develop a new routine where papers will land with a sense of order. The downside is that right now, the top of the cabinets is home to a bunch of stuff - crap, if you will - including an eMac that needs a new power supply. In addition, on the workstation desk there lies:

• a plastic spoon
• a broken CD case
• two flash drives that went through the washer/dryer
• a light bulb (maybe it works, maybe it doesn't )
• a bottle of Simple Green (with a creatively amended label)

Lammers, B (09/09/2011) "Green Cleaner."

Some habits die hard, and it appears I need to work on really getting rid of the bunker mentality. However, the positive goals of this exercise are coming to fruition. I move around the room and interact much more than I have in the past. I am doing less on the computer during class time - although I do find that silent sustained reading really is a good time to take care of the essentials (take attendance, respond to parent emails, update calendars and class blogs, etc.) I don't see this part as a failure, but as separating the essentials from the non-essentials. So, the work will continue.

I'll update this grand experiment at the mid-year point. Who knows - by then, I'll either have the shelves in "Amen Corner" cleaned, or the desk will be back and I will have succumbed to my erstwhile ways. But, so far, so good. Is there anyone else out there who has taken on this unique challenge? If so, post a comment or response.

You're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat

Image credit: Elysia in Wonderland. "Jaws," 2008.

By now, those of us in education likely have a solid week under our belts - or at least here in the Midwestern US. (I know, for some reason, we like to start school in the stinkin' hot part of summer. We're funny that way.) For many of my colleagues in this part of the world, the routine has once again begun, and about now is the time when we figure out if the new activities we are using are working. We're finding out if all if those great ideas we've collected since last year can be implemented. We're finding out if the materials we have prepared and are presenting to our students are going to float.

Do we need a bigger boat?

For me, it's possible. The beginning of the school year is always busy, and with my Technical Theater contract, we hit the ground running with our first production. I'm not swamped yet, but here are the big things that are happening (and perhaps not happening) so far in my classroom so far:

1. No teacher desk. So far, so good, and I'm planning an update after the Labor Day weekend to show you how that's working. For details of what this means for me and my students, see my previous posting.

TM Microsoft, 2010.

2. All school district computers (or at least the vast majority) have been upgraded to Windows 7. While we all feel fortunate that we are now up to the current version that the rest of the world is using, the jump from Windows 2000 has provided the predictable headaches: permissions not being set correctly, incompatibility, older non-Windows files not working as normal, etc. Most of these problems are by our own doing as a district: not all of the previous software has been installed, or newer versions of applications have not been tested for compatibility. We've been told that this will all be rectified by the time we get back after Labor Day (and you'll pardon my lack of confidence with that prediction).

• What this means for me as a teacher: about half of my Google Doc presentations are not working predictably; two critical software applications that I have used regularly have yet to be installed; creating new instruction to teach students how to navigate Windows 7 and Office 2010; communication between my and the technology department are delayed because many others who are having the same issues are also trying to communicate their needs.

• What this means for my students: time lost to me scrambling for plan B when the unpredictable issues happen (and while that's always the chance we take with technology,  this year it's a daily struggle); students not having access to programs they have used in the past; limitations (so far) on using Web 2.0 tools; learning and adapting to Windows 7 and Office '10.

Image credit: lgb'06. "Technology is not technology," 2010

3. District and building directives to - wait for it - integrate technology. Did I pick the right MA program, or what? I am now hearing from administrators a few of the things we've been studying and researching in our IT program - and it makes me smile. Finding ways to connect with students and parents, using emerging technologies for learning, and thinking outside of our antiquated brick-and-mortar box to accommodate student achievement are at the forefront. It's been a slow journey, but it appears to have some momentum

• What this means for me as a teacher: using newly acquired knowledge and materials in my classroom with not just the approval of administration, but their understanding as well; validation for our efforts as a staff; motivation to build upon what we have started.

• What this means for my students: a unified front encouraging technology in our schools (as opposed to hit-and-miss efforts by individual teachers); more opportunities to use technology; the appearance that the school technology is lame, useless, or that we just don't care.

Image credit: Ice Birdy. "Teamwork," 12/31/2008

4. Intensified efforts to increase student achievement. This is nothing new at all, but with each year, there are always some additional steps in our effort. Our PLC efforts have created formative assessments and student learning expectations - and this year, we will continue to implement and develop evaluations for our students and the way we teach. A new and more intensive attendance policy will help us keep tabs on students to a) identify patterns of attendance that directly impacts learning, and b) keep students safer by knowing exactly where they are physically. An intervention pyramid guiding our efforts is at the center of this policy.

• What this means for me as a teacher: concentrating on learning rather than teaching; continuing to build professional bonds with teachers beyond our school walls; pay closer attention to chronic attendance problems and follow the new specific procedures related to the district policy.

• What this means for my students: a teacher that is focusing on their learning and new ways to improve it; specific goals to focus on in each class and - eventually - each unit taught; heightened awareness of absences and why they affect their own acheivement.

What condition is your boat in? What additional things are on board? What has been jettisoned? Please share your thoughts and experiences - and let's hope there isn't a large set of nasty teeth lurking below.