Social Media in the Classroom

When teaching dance of any genre, it is expected that the teacher will show some example or demonstration of what the technique "should" look like. For example, when learning a classical modern technique such as Horton and Graham teachers will show videos that have been produced for the sole purpose of demonstrating each exercise to perfection. 

In order to incorperate technology even further into my classroom, I would like to have my students bring in their favorite dance pictures that were found on social media apps such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Students will be able to observe these images and compare them to their own bodies as they learn more about dance techniques. 

The next step would be to have students take pictures of themselves outside of school attempting dance shapes or positions that we are working on in class. I would like to create a common hashtag like #7thgrademodern, or #8thgradeballet, that way all students in that class can see their classmates progress throughout the semesters. 

Assigning homework for dance classes is always a difficult subject because it is such a physical content area that requires more than written work. My hope is that this small physical task that can be done each day will have a great impact on my student's growth and development in dance. Also I think that students will truly enjoy themselves when taking these pictures and posting them under the hashtags for class. Of course the accounts will be monitored for prevention of cyber bullying but overall I do see these assignments unifying the students in positive, fun, and effective way. 

Remixed Canvas

       Remixing another colleague's canvas is a great idea and very useful tool of collaborative and cross-curriculum teaching. However, remixing the canvas was very tedious and frustrating. I was excited to collaborate and use another lesson's ideas and principles for my own lesson, however that excitement soon died out when I had to figure out a way to attempt to finish this assignment. The website continuously froze which made it very frustrating. Once I clicked the "remix" button all of the information vanished and only the template remained, which made it difficult remix information off of the original canvas. 

      All technological issues aside, I really enjoyed the final product of the remixed canvas. I chose Matt W's canvas which dealt with emotion within music. Since dance is another art form that relies heavily on the emotion found with music, I thought that combining emotion found in music with choosing music for dances. It is a difficult topic that has many different opinions attached to it, which makes this topic very important to teach to prospective dancers and choreographers. In the remixed canvas I showed some two different dances that rely heavily on the music that is being danced to. I find that showing successful dances that are able to portray emotion in a cohesive way, is a great tool to introduce this topic of music in dance. Also educating the dancers with classical musicians and contemporary musicians is an excellent tool to teach dancers that music has had an effect on dance over time and both should content areas should have a general knowledge of the other.

Here is a link to the remixed canvas...

http://www.play.annenberginnovationlab.org/play2.0/challenge.php?idChallenge=2677&mode=edit#network6

Dance Performance/Choreography Footage

For the dance student of today, it is equally as important to be proficient in the use of technology as it is to being an exquisite technician. Art often imitates life and as the world around us becomes increasingly more dependent upon technology so does the world of dance, making the use of cameras and various software such as iMovie an integral part of any dance classroom and department.

The Dance Department here at Montclair State University has realized this recent shift towards tech savvy dancers and has added a Visual Media in Live Performance class to the required curriculum for both BFA and BA students. In this class students learn the ins and outs of a camera, taking a behind the scenes approach to this performance art. Camera angles are emphasized, specifically in the ways in which we use these angle to achieve an overall mood or emotion for a specific frame. As dance becomes increasingly popularized and more readily available to the everyday public it is important for todays dance student to know how to properly shoot dance to achieve their desired outcome.

In this class students also learn how to create choreography and dance reels by using various movie making and editing softwares. Many auditions for both dance and choreographic opportunities will require a video submission of some sort before even being seen in person. Knowing how to use programs is key to the success of a dance student’s career. The use of these dance reels can span anywhere from job opportunity to the creation of their very own websites.

This class also emphasized the use of technology in performance. Many dances require the use of some form of projection. I’ve seen dances were a dancer is interacting and dancing with a smart board of sorts. As the dancer touches and dances in front of the board the board reacts in an array of colors and patterns.

Dance students who seek to further pursue choreography and to start their own companies must often take on the reigns of lighting designer. In order to do so dance students must have an understanding of the different kinds of lights and gels and the moods, colors, and textures that they will cast on the space and the dancers. Being familiar with various command boards will also help open so many more doors to the dancers of today.

Technology has become to incredibly integral in the dance world today. The amount of technology used continues to grow exponentially. The use of technology magnifies what we can do as dancers and artists. This is why it is so utterly important to include technology in dance classrooms. This inclusion of technology would be designed more for a High School or Collegiate level rather than an elementary or middle school level. One way to introduce this aspect of technology in the classroom would be to have student explore photography in dance. If students were able to understand how to photograph and produce albums of dance they would be more likely to understand the daunting task of making a dance or choreography reel in the future. 

Unit Plan Canvas

When first starting this Interactivity, I was very confused and was very apprehensive about the entire assignment. However as I continued on I found that the playground website is an excellent tool to integrate technology in the classroom. The website was very straight forward and organized which help me become more organized when designing my canvas. I especially enjoyed the fact that canvas allows you to open up certain sections for commenting but allows the creator to keep certain aspects unable to comment on. Those restrictions will stop a lot of possible cyber bullying and bashing on other student's canvases. The canvas website it especially ideal for dance education because it allows the student to add dance videos, pictures, and links which are essential for the development of dance education. The only issue that I had, was that the canvas website itself was a little temperamental at times, because every few minutes the canvas would freeze or become distorted which would make it unable for me to adjust. Other than those few instances, I think that this website would be an excellent tool for students of all ages. 

     My Unit Plan dealt with Improvisation and Choreographic Structure. This Unit Plan is designed for an 8th grade classroom. The lesson will introduce the tools necessary for Improvisation as well as choreographic structure. The students should become very familiar with the differences and similarities between these too aspects of dance. The lesson will be fortified by the study of Bill T Jones. Jones is a prominent figure in the dance world and is considered an improvisational and choreographic genius. Generally, all of Jones' work includes both painfully detailed choreography as well as non restrictive improvisation. Students will be able to note the differences and similarities between the two through the study of his work. 

http://www.play.annenberginnovationlab.org/play2.0/challenge.php?idChallenge=2290&mode=edit#network6