David Orace Kelly

Literacy Lesson: To Read or Not To Read

Using the CCSS, the following lesson was created in collaboration between theatre arts and fine arts content areas to incorporate multiple strategies in literacy instruction; the lesson incorporates strategies that are based in constructivist interpretation, visual interpretation, and performative interpretation. (Follow this link to see the evolution of this lesson from a fail to finesse)

LESSON OUTLINE: LITERACY FOCUS – MINI LESSON: TO READ OR NOT TO READ

Title	TO READ OR NOT TO READ
Standard	CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.4Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone
Central Focus (CF)	To interpret the question posed by Hamlet, “To be or not to be…” by using expressive gestural images of actors, the original text written by Shakespeare, and actor created interpretive performances.
Academic Language	Interpret, Gesture, Emotion, Voice, Physicality
Learning Target (LT)	To interpret Hamlet’s question “To be or not to be” by looking at images of actors, and performing one line as a group.
OVERVIEW: LESSON MAP
Lesson Part	Activity description / Teacher does	Students do
GOAL	Introduction of learning target and pre-assessment.	Self-assess on Hamlet’s Question
1A	Pre-reading: Dramatic Expression in Images	Students explain thoughts about images that use dramatic expression and gesture.Students complete worksheet that asks them to interpret then respond to other students’ interpretations of the gestural & emotional images supplied.
1B	Informal Assessment: Presentation of scaffolded syntax sentence.	Students share, respond to and invent further performed interpretations of emotions.
2A	Practice: Jigsaw of Text – Interpret Meaning	Students work in groups to construct meaning by combining collective knowledge of a small piece of the text.
2B	Informal Assessment: Self-assessment	Students share translations with the class.
3A	Extended Learning: Match text to images with a performance of interpretation.	Students create original performances that are matched to a section of the text by selecting voice and physical choices that correspond to the text and their interpretation.
3B	Summative Assessment: Student Performances (group assessment; teacher assessment on Rubric)	Students self-assess their performance on the exit ticket.

	Introducing the Learning Target
GOAL	Teacher Does:Write [LT] on board. Teacher Says:FIRST: tell me now if you think you can interpret what Hamlet’s question is. Show me a fist of five. 5 – I have an excellent idea of what the question is and what it means4 – I have a good idea of what it is, but I think there is more I could know. 3 – I have a basic idea, but I’m sure there are bits I am missing 2 – I am unsure about this. 1- I’m more than unsure, I’m lost.	Students Say: FIRST, students silently respond to both the self-evaluation “fist of five” prompt.
	Pre-reading: Frontload with Images (p. 100)
INSTRUCTION (1a)	1. Teacher asks students to divide into pairs. NOTE: Review definitions of academic language organically throughout lesson. When word comes up in discussion, pause to write the definition on the whiteboard. Interpret, Gesture, Emotion, Voice, Physicality 2. Teacher asks – what is emotion? Teacher writes 3 examples on whiteboard. Ask for one emotion example from each pair of students. Then, ask pairs to add an adjective before their emotion. Examples: intense curiosity, overwhelming joy, life-shattering despair, mind-numbing boredom. (Anger, Fear, Confusion, Malice, Revenge, Desperation – These would fit with Hamlet really well). 3. Teacher writes examples of emotions on whiteboard. Teacher tapes 8 images/printouts from productions of Shakespeare plays on a table in a large circle. The images should display a wide variety of emotions that occur within Shakespeare productions. There is a worksheet attached to each image. (see attached). What emotion does the gesture in the picture convey? Give evidence to support your opinion. Do you agree with the previous comment or do you disagree? Write specifically about the gesture of the actor. If you had to perform the gesture in the printout, how would you do it? What would your body look like if you were feeling that emotion?	Students divide into pairs.Students respond with one emotion example per pair. Students invent adjective to make their emotion more dramatic. Pairs choose an image and answer the first question on the worksheet. Each pair to take a couple of minutes to write response to question number one. Pairs then move to another image and take two minutes to answer number two.The same procedure is used to answer number three.
	Group Sharing
INFORMAL ASSESSMENT (1b)	Teacher Says:FIRST, Secretly choose an emotion to perform from the list on the whiteboard. DON’T TELL ANY OTHER PAIRS! THIS IS A SECRET! Now, pretend that you are an actor and are in a Shakespeare play. What kind of gesture would you use to communicate that emotion? Practice that gesture with your partner for one or two minutes. Be as dramatic as you can! Let me model this for you: Teacher models acting out a gesture.	Pairs secretly choose which emotion to perform.Pairs practice performing that gesture for the rest of the class. The class guesses which gesture that they are trying to communicate. If the class cannot guess the emotion, a volunteer can come up, read the emotion and take a stab at performing the emotion.
	Jigsaw and Sketching My Way Through the Text (p. 131)
PRACTICE ACTIVITY (2a)	Teacher Does:Pass out the mini-texts (see attachment at end of lesson). Teacher Says:Read the small segment to your group. Do two things with the segment. FIRST, respond to the small segment by trying to translate the words from Shakespeare into words that you would use. Write out your translation under the text on your page. Pool your collective knowledge to construct an interpretation of the text. SECOND, in three minutes or less, to brainstorm with pictures without judgement, draw an image, or series of images, that you think represents the small piece of text. This does not need to be a professional piece of art. Rather, it should express the idea of the text. Stick figures, cartoon drawings, scribbles, loose sketches, and original artistic interpretation are encouraged. Three minutes starts now! THIRD, match the image(s) that you drew to a similar image from the first part of this lesson.Teacher Does: Observe and work with individual groups.	Students Do: Students collaborate to pool collective knowledge and understandings to find language that is accessible for all students. Students quickly sketch a pictorial representation of their translation. Students match the images
INFORMAL ASSESSMENT (2b)	Teacher Does:Pass out full text to class with indicated jigsaw pieces and space to write out the translation from each group. Teacher Says:FIRST, we will now share out our text, I am passing out the full text that the class has examined in pieces. Next to the original text, there is space for you to write down the translation. SECOND, each group will share their translation with the class. We will go in sequence so that we can hear the text in full. I will read the original and a representative from your group will read your translation. You should write down the interpretation of each group as we go. Be sure to speak slowly so that everyone can catch every word you say. THIRD, after the readings, we will have a quick period of time for group comments and questions about the text or translations. FOUR, Now that we have practiced interpreting, tell me now if you think you understand what Hamlet’s question is. Show me a fist of five. 5 – I have an excellent idea of what the question is and what it means4 – I have a good idea of what it is, but I think there is more I could know. 3 – I have a basic idea, but I’m sure there are bits I am missing 2 – I am unsure about this. 1- I’m more than unsure, I’m lost.	Students do:Students share their work with the class as directed. Students discuss. Students self assess with a fist of five.
	TEXT TO IMAGES and DRAMATIC ROLE-PLAY (110).
EXTENDED LEARNING (3a)	Teacher Says:FIRST, Now that we have created a translation, you have the opportunity to perform your translations for the class. Please work as a group to speak your section of the original text. As you speak select one or more vocal choices to perform (pitch, quality, tone, prosody) SECOND, Students will identify one or more gestures and or movements by looking at both their drawings and the images from the first part of the lesson. THIRD, Practice presenting the text as a group. You should speak and move in unison.	Students Do:Students prepare as directed.
	STUDENT PERFORMANCES
SUMMATIVE AND FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT (1b, 2b, and 3b)	Teacher Says:FIRST, We will now observe group performances. After each performance, please give a clap of respect, on my cue, to each group. SECOND, Following the performance you will complete a group-assessment, on your exit ticket, of your performance; you will also receive teacher based summative assessment. Each assessment will utilize the same rubric.	Students Do:Students observe and perform as directed.

4. Supporting Development through Language

a. Language Function: What verb appears in your learning target that represents the language function?

Language Function: To InterpretStudents will interpret the text in multiple ways. Interpretation includes a background understanding (identifying what students know), an applied understanding (accessing learning through what the students want to know), and personalizing the interpretation for individual meaning. To break the task down further, there are several sub tasks to interpreting:

Gather and observe associated information:

Students must closely and mindfully look at a gesture and identify the emotion associated with it; they will use images that represent what an actor may do while performing the text to understand how actor expression influences the meaning of any text.
2) Translate the text into modern language and construct meaning through group definitions:

Students must pool collective knowledge and understandings to find language that is accessible for all students. They must build a mutual understanding by defining words, discussing meanings, and brainstorming associated ideas. Doing this will enrich the experience of both watching and performing the original text.
3) Personalize the text through creating images and performances

Through performances, students can express their interpretation by using vocal (quality, tone, pitch, and prosody) and physical choices (gesture, movement, body position) that convey deeper meaning.

b. Language Demand: What learning activities or products will students write, speak, or do to represent the language demand and an opportunity to practice the language function?

This lesson uses multiple strategies for students to practice interpretation. First students will frontload with images (1a). This tactic will allow the vibrant and powerful images of actors in performance to inform what the reader might imagine or look for when interpreting the text of “To be or not to be.” This visual hook will serve as an anchor for students to use as they tackle this difficult text.
Second, students sketch their way through a portion of the text (2a). This allows them to access both multiple intelligences and avoid being caught up on the large portion of new words and, essentially, a new language for them to translate. Using the jigsaw approach, students can interact with the text in a way that remains accessible.
Lastly, students perform their understanding (3a and 3b). This dramatic role play allows students to express their understanding of the content in the way that actors would also present their understanding of the content. This is a simple performance that the students can create of a master-text. By engaging the entire class in this exercise the students are both connecting with the entire text and they are making the text personalized to their own experience.

c. Additional language demand: How will students practice content vocabulary words shown in the learning targets?

In addition to the strategies described in the previous response, throughout the lesson, students turn and talk (1a, 2a, 3a). This strategy gives students the opportunity to practice and check their understanding of the lesson content and language demand of interpreting the text. By using this strategy, students can review key elements of the lesson, identify points of personal connection, and allow multiple students to work with multiple partnerships.

d. What learning activities enable students to practice using symbols or abstract representations of information (syntax), if these are part of the lesson?

I am choosing to respond to this question by focusing on how the teacher will clearly explain the discourse rules. During (1b), the teacher will explain that the students are to stay with their pairs and secretly choose an emotion to perform. The teacher explains that the emotion does not have to be the one that they originally invented. The students are told to keep this emotion secret and to practice it for a minute or two. After the teacher models a performance, the students are then asked to perform their emotion. The class votes to choose which emotion is being performed. If the class does not correctly guess the emotion, the teacher will ask for volunteers to take a stab at acting out the emotion. This will continue until the class is able to guess correctly. The steps/rules to this discourse game will be posted on the white board as a semantic map.

e. How is discussion (discourse) structured in activities?

Discourse is structured in a variety of ways in the activities. This entire lesson can be thought of as almost all discourse between students as a large group and through working/responding/interpreting/creating in pairs. Some examples are: (1a) invention and descriptive dramatization of emotions; and completion of discourse worksheets, (1b) Creation and performance of emotional gesture; whole group (1b) – acting out gestures in front of class and class responding to whether they understand emotion being performed. Further discourse is created by the whole class guessing the emotion as well as fine tuning performances when gesture does not communicate clear emotion, written response and reflection (1a) completion of worksheet where students interpret images and respond to each other’s opinions. (2a) Students collaborate to pool collective knowledge and understandings. Discourse is also structured in a less conventional way by having the students communicate with the class through the performing of gestures to express understanding of the academic language function (interpret) and response by the rest of the class of whether that language function was achieved. Students can further the discourse by performing the emotion for the original performers (in front of the class) as a communication/model of a deeper understanding of the language function. This further builds their skills necessary to interpret Shakespeare passages.

f. What other writing or speaking activities enable students to practice vocabulary and the verb shown in the learning target?

Students are asked to invent emotions and interpret them gesturally as a way to show evidence of understanding of the academic language. Students are also asked to complete worksheet that prompts them to explain their understandings of the academic language. Students work in groups to construct meaning by combining collective knowledge of a small piece of the text. Students verbally share translations of the text with the class. Students create original performances that are matched to a section of the text by selecting voice and physical choices that correspond to the text and their interpretation. Students self-assess their performance on the exit ticket.

Personal Performances that are Developmentally Logical and Abstract, Reflection

Teachers should plan for and adapt a curriculum with a learner-centered strategy that engages students in a culturally responsive and developmentally appropriate way.

When it comes to developmentally appropriate instruction, planning can be informed by the study of the fourth phase of Piaget’s stages of development, the Formal Operational Period. As a part of this study I researched the importance of this important stage of development. As a part of coursework, I wrote, “students at the age of 11 are starting to think about the world in a way this is broader than themselves.”

Screen Shot 2015-04-28 at 10.59.23 AM — Course Research into Student Development: Piaget (https://davidoracekelly.com/2014/07/16/learning-drama-in-the-face-of-the-learner-paradox/#more-87)

As Piaget’s fourth stage of development suggests, drama can help students to think both abstractly and logically. By studying a script they must both analyze the meaning of the text and interpret the meaning that is personally relevant. One example of this is a lesson I completed in the eighth grade. Students had to study a neutral scene and interpret the text by adding personal meaning in the performance. Students created a range of performances. By identifying the who, what, and where of the scene, students created a unique world from the abstract idea that was logically created. Student work included a daughter (One) and a mother (Two) after the daughter came home late from a party; another performance had a boyfriend (One) getting dumped by a girlfriend (Two); lastly, the most memorable performance was a rock-star (One) meeting a fan (Two) as the rock-star left a performance and unfortunately the rock-star disappoints the fan by not being everything the fan thought they were.

In this lesson, students had to imagine a situation that both logically fit the text and fit their own personal interpretation of the text. This exercise met both conditions found in Piaget’s fourth stage.

In summary, I have presented this lesson in the past. What changed this time was the insertion of personal meaning into the text. Students had to place themselves into the concepts that they were creating. The resulting performances were filled with significantly more meaning and emotional impact than I had previously seen.

Student learning in drama must include personal meaning. It is through this concept that students can personalize the work and create authentic performances. While this is typically a high-level skill that college students pursue, it is achievable in the middle school classroom through this tactic.

I propose that more of my work with text include personal meaning in performance. I will even add it to my evaluation rubric as a self-assessment component for all performances. I often talk about the symbiotic relationship between text and performer. This will bring that idea into reality; the performer must put their opinion into the text and bring it to life in a way that only they can. This key idea brought out new talent that was previously un-tapped by the students. These changes will both increase the artistry that the students produce and, more importantly, increase the student ownership of the work in drama.

You Should Champion the English Language and not Rant about Change

Every generation has cried out about the writing degradation of the next generation. Test scores are lower than ever, a critic may cry. But tests are biased ad are discriminatory to different populations depending on the content that the test asks about (Daniels, Steineke, and Zemelman, 2007).

The critic may try to expose the monumental outbreak that is assassinating the English language. “OMG” “LOL” and “BRB” are tearing apart our language. But, are they really? Language evolves with the people that use it.

What about “OK?” Historians cannot agree on the origination of the word. However, one dominant origination is from the phrase “orl korrekt” an alternate spelling of “all correct,” that was used in the U.S. during the 1830’s (for more explanation see http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/words/what-is-the-origin-of-the-word-ok).

From the birthplace of the English language, one of the greatest geniuses of all time, Shakespeare, made up more than 1700 words used in the common English of today (Mabillard, 2000). These words include, “exposure,” “birthplace,” “rant,” “dishearten,” “critic,” “monumental,” “outbreak,” “assassination,” and “champion.” There would not be a champion for the English language to rant about the disheartened critics, without Shakespeare.

The English language has been changing with every generation because of the way that people communicate. Perhaps today, the change is even more rapid. A teacher may say that their students hate to write; in reality the student may simply hate to write what the teacher wants (Daniels, Steineke, and Zemelman, 2007). However, students are not writing well for academic purposes (Daniels, Steineke, and Zemelman, 2007). This impacts the path of the student throughout life as they may struggle to learn advanced content in any given subject matter, as they work to meet state standards, as they seek out advanced education and take high-stakes testing such as the SAT and ACT, and as they seek out employment.

How should a teacher go about teaching writing? One strategy is Writing to Learn so that the teacher is not simply teaching “how to write;” the teacher should teach students how to learn through writing. Therefore, teachers should use writing in the following formats so that writing becomes part of the learning process: short, spontaneous, exploratory, informal, personal, one draft, unedited, and ungraded. These writing styles exist in every subject. From the quick notes that a science student makes about an experiment to the brainstorm “word cloud” that goes into writing an essay in English. The idea of ungraded work may be a novel approach in a school. But, a comprehensive correction of student writing does not and never has worked to teach writing (Daniels, Steineke, and Zemelman, 2007). Writing can be used instead to start discussions, feed small-group work, and review key ideas. From this point, the teacher can help the student act upon their writing impulses and guide the students to an academic voice in their writing.

Writing will always evolve and inform culture; if writing is also informed with an academic voice, it will change society in a way that is powerful and lasting (just as Shakespeare has done). As Gandhi said, “you must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Teachers take note and champion the change in the English Language because change will happen with or without your influence.

References:

Daniels, H., Steineke, N., & Zemelman, S. (2007). Content-area writing: Every teacher’s guide. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Mabillard, Amanda. Words Shakespeare Invented. Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2000. http://www.shakespeare-online.com/biography/wordsinvented.html .

Content Area Reading Strategy: Academic Lanugage Focus

Secondary students struggle with content area reading because they do not understand the words on the page. What should a teacher do about this? One strategy is to focus on academic vocabulary. Students need to make personal connections to what they read and cannot do this if they are stuck on phonetic decoding. By breaking out the vocabulary acquisition into three tiers (Daniels and Zemelman, 2014) both teachers and students can strategically approach the instruction. Tier One includes vocabulary that the student already knows; teaching these words will help the student activate their prior knowledge. Tier Two words are important over many years in many disciplines both your own and others; examples include parallel, theme, and base; teaching these words will help students make connections to ideas outside of the content and reinforce the meaning in the content. Tier Three words are technical with narrow definition; these words should be taught for the lesson and looked up for further clarity; a student will engage the text at an analytical level. Teaching with vocabulary in mind will help with pre-reading, accessing previous knowledge, connecting to personal experiences, and reading for deeper meaning in the text; these are all proven reading strategies.

Reference:

Daniels, H., & Zemelman, S. (2014). Subjects matter: Exceeding standards through powerful content-area reading (Second ed.).

What’s the problem with American textbooks and how can this problem be overcome?

THE PROBLEM: The problem with American Textbooks is that they are often bland and outdated. The textbook replaces the standards that the teacher should use to derive original and refreshing lessons that are relevant to the student population. A textbook is a homogenous text that is made for universal appeal. With a mandated textbook, teachers are left to either follow the textbook in full (which is hardly teaching) or assemble their lessons around the required components. A textbook, when used as a primary or exclusive teaching device, is equivalent to letting another teacher (the author of the textbook) into the classroom and puts the primary teacher into a position of student management monitor.

THE SOLUTION FROM THEATRE AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS: Fortunately, both of these subjects have a broader range of choices than the average science or math class. These highly structured fields contain a set sequence of information that the student must master from one year to the next (Daniels and Zemelman, 2014). However, with English Language and Theatre Arts, the instruction has a spiral structure (Daniels and Zemelman, 2014). Students are required to build on past (and similar) learning experiences with the same structure and processes from one year to the next. In English Language Arts, students read texts (ideally in a wide array of genre) and respond to those texts through writing and other interactive activities (such as group discussions). In Theatre Arts, students study a new play each time they go through the process of performance; the text is always changing and the skills build upon the past experience of the student. Both of the subjects are focused on the personalized application and interpretation of the content.

THE QUESTION FOR EDUCATORS: Where does the information for your field live? Suggestion, take a cue from the humanities. Knowledge lives in the student; by capturing the student experience as they interact with the primary source of information, knowledge is formed. A textbook in science can be a reference tool for an educator because it contains the “required information” for the grade level. However, a textbook in Theatre Arts does not exist and a textbook for English Language Arts is seldom used. Further, students will learn and retain more information when the teaching is not exclusive to information processing (a.k.a. regurgitation). Information is retained through a personalization of the information – that is how it turns into knowledge. Lastly, this is how literacy can be build, across the subjects. Literacy must include the ability for one to personally translate, utilize, and generate information within the content. That cannot happen if the information is merely being read, memorized, tested, and forgotten.

Reference:

Daniels, H., & Zemelman, S. (2014). Subjects matter: Exceeding standards through powerful content-area reading (Second ed.).

Meta-Reflection: Teaching With Technology

Technology is becoming ubiquitous with everyday life. Students and teachers should use technology in a way that is effectively integrated into the classroom so that learners and teachers are technologically proficient.

Through an investigation of the ISTE standards I have brought multiple avenues of potential development to my classroom. Integrating the arts and technology together in education is a difficult thing to do. Many other subjects have pre-loaded content, websites, and platforms that are dedicated to the education of students through technology. However, the arts do not have parody with these resources.

My existing work with technology in teaching supersedes the work that many of my colleagues are doing. One example of this is my development of a flipped classroom. This approach allows me to deliver lecture, collect survey/test data, and support class content through a use of my website, screen casts, and the Google Platform (including Google Docs, Google Forms, and other associated Google Apps).

Screen Shot 2015-03-14 at 2.22.55 PM — Linked to ISTE1 Blog Post

Given that I already deliver tests and assessments online, I wanted to verify the validity of self-administered testing and self-assessments through technology. I found that testing through technology provided valid and reliable data; surprisingly I also found that self-assessment through technology provided increased learning. I intend to engaged this approach in my future teaching be integrating more self-assessments through my web site.

Screen Shot 2015-03-14 at 2.27.13 PM — Linked to ISTE 2 Blog Post

For ISTE 3 I was able to find an app, ScenePartnerApp, that would assist me in modeling digital age learning in my classroom and content area. Students using this app will be able to upload their script and use the text reader as a scene partner when memorizing their lines. This technology provided the discipline specific resource I needed to teach with technology.

Screen Shot 2015-02-14 at 1.46.16 PM — Linked to Blog Post on ISTE 3

Given the lack of resources that I found that are discipline specific I leave my research with two action points that I intend to pursue. First, I will continue to integrate screen casts and self-produced material in my classroom. It has proven to be, and I believe will continue to be, an effective pedagogical tool. One new aspect of this will be teaching students about digital citizenship.

Screen Shot 2015-03-14 at 2.15.29 PM — Linked to Digital Citizen Post

Second, I will use online communities (such as LinkedIn) to connect with teachers from across the globe. I have already started to do this through LinkedIn; the results of this outreach have been effective. Not only have I been able to ask questions of teachers in multiple disciplines, including theatre, but I have been able to present my research to these groups and offer my expertise to other teachers.

Screen Shot 2015-03-01 at 10.10.46 AM — Linked to ISTE5 Post

By using technology in my classroom I am providing the needed tools to my students so that they can participate in a digital future. Teaching digital literacy and citizenship is the civics class of today and a needed part of every classroom.

Lastly, I plan to create a theatre curriculum that is entirely supported online. I would like to pilot a remote learning theatre program that will allow students from across the globe to connect through theatre performance. This would go a long way towards providing the resources – to other educators – that I struggled to find for myself.

Family Engagement Plan

Teaching is not simply a one-on-one relationship. A teacher works with the student that is influenced and informed by the families they live with, the community they work with, and the neighborhood they are active with; A teacher should involve, inform, and collaborate with the families and neighborhoods that the students live in. This involvement should inform the educational process, include student cultural identity, and be linked to student achievement and performance.

As a part of my coursework and professional development in teaching I have created a Family Engagement Plan that includes an integration of family stories and community life so that I can know my students and their families better.

Being a community-based teacher is a philosophy and a continual practice that embraced the entire student and their major influences. By following this praxis, teachers can form productive and positive relationships that validate the life of the student both outside and inside the classroom.

To develop my competency and understanding of my student community I met with the Head of School. In doing so, I learned that the majority of students (90%) live in the West Seattle neighborhood, west of Delridge. By interviewing students and the Head of School, I found that the most popular places for students to visit were: Husky Deli, Full Tilt Ice Cream, West Seattle Farmer’s Market, and the Admiral Theatre; other popular locations for students to visit included waterfront parks such as Lincoln Park and Alki Beach.

I took notes of my conversations and consolidated them into part one of my Family Engagement Plan.

I realized and learned that I did not have a strong understanding of the student’s cultural and family identities. For part two of my plan I wanted to create a component that would embrace and include this missing aspect from my understanding. My plan, starting this summer as a part of summer camp, is to pilot a family and community story project that would have student’s bring family and community stories to the stage and integrate them into a performance that would be performed in the community. It would be my hope that the organizations that students identified with would be integrated in one aspect or another of the performance.

I presented my family engagement plan to the Head of School for a pilot program this summer. I have been approved for this work.

It is my hope that future versions of my family engagement plan will be a part of my established curriculum. By implementing a family and community story project early in the year with sixth grade students I will be able to understand the prior history of students along with their present learning environment that they interrelate with outside of school. One last implication of this project would be my ability to integrate meaningful content, that would relate to student culture and family identity, into the remainder of the year’s academic plan.

ISTE5: Arts Teachers Connected By Technology

ISTE Standard 5 states that educators should always improve their teaching through lifelong learning, participating in global learning communities, and reflect on the learning of their students through applications of technology.

How can one demonstrate a continual development and improvement in one’s teaching practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in you’re the school and professional community through the effective use of digital tools and resources?

What resources and tools exist for arts professionals to connect through digital networks so that they can participate in local and global learning opportunities and exhibit leadership in an arts curriculum that integrates technology?

There are many groups geared toward teachers of the arts. Many of these groups can be found on Google+ Communities (Arts Education and Google Art Projects are two such groups). There are also arts education discussion boards on LinkedIn that have proven to be highly valuable (Arts in Technology is one such group). However, arts teachers are not known for their technological resources. The arts are more about human and in-person connections. Teachers in the arts must re-train how they connect with each other. One resource to do just that is Learn North Carolina (http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/7012). This page takes the user, step-by-step, from the in-person conference meeting to building an online PLC. It is not exclusive to teachers in the arts. This resource is valuable for any educator that wants to build a PLC from scratch. Teachers that have been in the field for many years or who have been reluctant to adapt new ways of connecting with other educators may need to receive professional development just to embark into the world of digital networking. Social media and networks can be an essential part in todays workforce to provide educators with the tools they need to succeed in the classroom of today (Transforming American Education, 2010).

Another potential resource is Edutopia. Heather German posited that Edutopia.edu can provide discipline specific resources and connect educators from across the globe. This is a valuable resource for educators in marginalized disciplines such as the arts.

Resource:

Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology. (2010, January 1). Retrieved March 11, 2015, fromhttp://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/netp2010.pdf

ISTE 4: Digital Citizenship

ISTE 4 asks teachers to comprehend the social issues and responsibilities, on a local and global scale, that are involved with the ethical and legal behavior of digital culture.

Therefore, because instruction and differentiation are central to good teaching practices, and therefor part of the ethical praxis of a teacher, how can teachers address the societal issue of integrating technology within the classroom in a way that is both grounded in the broader framework of digital literacy for students and instills responsible learning habits for the students (including the understanding of basic copyright and creative commons practices, legal limitations for youth and the internet, individualized instruction and self-assessment, navigating the internet with global etiquette, and developing a cultural understanding of the world at large through the digital interface)?

In exploring this question I came across several resources, articles mostly, that can help a teacher align their priorities and educational objectives when integrating technology in the classroom.

This article (http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/responsible-student-technology-use.shtml) written by Christopher McGilvery (2012) reviews many tech teaching concepts such as: caring for technology equipment; safe sites for learning; copyright law and creative commons; cyberbullying; digital self-image; netiquette; and other essential topics for the technology enabled classroom. McGilvery (2012) includes lesson plan boosters on Digital Literacy, thinking before hitting “send,” and the ‘Facebook’ score and Hiring Decisions.

Here, as part of a LinkedIn group, I found an article (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/technology-sake-problem-samr-lorna-keane) that emphasizes the importance of learning. Lorna Keane (2015) describes the problem with the SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition) model that is often used with technology integration in schools. “Once technology integration alone becomes a goal, we’re doing something wrong (Keane, 2015).” The essence of this article emphasizes independent learning, personalization, student voice, and critical thinking as essential aspect of learning (and that these things can be assisted by technology).

So, how is a teacher to do this? One hurdle may be the digital literacy of the teacher. In this case, there are several resources online that can help a teacher to develop competency with teaching digital literacy and citizenship. DigitalLiteracy.gov (http://www.digitalliteracy.gov/content/learner) has tutorials designed for adults in multiple technology streams. These lessons include: using a computer or mobile device, software and applications, using the internet, communicating on the web, and child online protection.

My colleague Shawn Cudney, is working with an online tool that would be an excellent place for any educator to start. This teen pledge (http://www.safekids.com/teen-pledge-for-being-smart-online/) empowers students to make the right choices online while engaging with educational technology and while they are engaging with technology for personal and social pursuits.

For teachers that have experience with technology Carey (2014) provides an excellent description on how to infuse digital literacy throughout the curriculum (http://plpnetwork.com/2014/03/26/infuse-digital-literacy-curriculum/). Carey (2014) posits that evaluating online content is a research skill, engaging online is a modern communication skill, and that student projects can become digital. Teaching digital literacy does not mean that technology will take over the classroom. However, integrating technology into the curriculum, is an essential 21^st Century skill for every classroom.

Resources:

Carey, J. (2014, March 26). How to Infuse Digital Literacy Throughout the Curriculum. Retrieved March 1, 2015, from http://plpnetwork.com/2014/03/26/infuse-digital-literacy-curriculum/

Keane, L. (2015, February 19). Technology for the Sake of Technology: The Problem with SAMR. Retrieved February 19, 2015, from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/technology-sake-problem-samr-lorna-keane

McGilvery, C. (2012, January 1). Help Kids Become Responsible Digital Citizens. Retrieved February 19, 2015, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/responsible-student-technology-use.shtml

PLCO: Professional Leaning Community Online

I have found a great deal of professional development and engagement through several LinkedIn Teaching Communities.

These communities have provided both the opportunity for an exchange of ideas and an opportunity to showcase my teaching credentials.

One example of my PLCO engagement was through a question I asked in the “Teacher’s Lounge,” a LinkedIn Community that is populated by educators of varied experience.

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Another example of my online participation is through a presentation I created on Parent and Teacher Conferences.

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The comments were highly encouraging and demonstrated the impact of my post and the importance of my message.

Online Professional Learning Communities are a new and highly productive way of developing as an educator; these online communities are on LinkedIn, Google+, and many other platforms. Without much effort a teacher can bring an expert, on a range of teaching topics, to their desk. An educator can also offer their work to for the benefit of the community.