Initiative started? Vodcast #2

Well, I enjoyed the process of making a Vodcast the first time, so I have made another. It is the second in a series entitled “The Benefits of Arts Education,” and is a recording of a Google Hangout with myself and Wayne Toews.

I received such a large amount of support and interest from the first video that it seems that I have started my own personal initiative – which I think will be a good example to my future students as well. If you are passionate enough about something, go ahead and speak up in a way that others will listen and be moved. Take full advantage of your personal networks and outside connections so that you get well-founded, respected support for your ideas. This process is definitely one I would use for my students because it provides a forum for expressing ideas and for future debate.

On the subject of Arts Education, I have enjoyed expressing my ideas and my passion. I hope that others can see the importances of the arts and that they speak up to support them. I also hope to find more enthusiastic people to interview on the subject.

The Benefits of Arts Education – Vodcast

Take a peak at my very first vodcast! This vodcast was done as an assignment for ETAD 470 at the University of Saskatchewan.

The subject matter is one that is dear to my heart, the benefits and impact of Arts Education on the student. In this climate of financial worries and economic cutbacks and shortfall, the arts is often the first thing on the chopping block educationally. It is imperative that we start to view Arts Education as subject matter that is just as important as any core subject on the development of the student as a whole person. There are profound long-term benefits to studying the arts, and there are noted cross-curricular advantages as well.

I was fortunate enough to be able to interview Caroline Howarth, Assistant Professor of Drama at Concordia University College of Alberta, founder and Co-Artistic Director of Concrete Theatre, and freelance director at Concordia, University of Alberta, Citadel Theatre and Opera Nuova. Her work in Drama education has involved theatre for young audiences and has explored social issues and experiences that affect youth. Our interview took place March 2, 2013 in Google Hangouts with me at home in Saskatoon, SK and her at home in Edmonton, AB. The file was then edited in iMovie and uploaded to YouTube.

Drama online? Absolutely.

I’ve been thinking about the possibilities for doing drama activities online, and what kinds of activities or exercises would be practical. I think that the following activities would be practical online; many involve videotaping, podcasting, or vodcasting and a few research-related activities.

Monologues – Monologues could be uploaded to YouTube as a means of showcasing abilities within a class. The act of viewing themselves and their fellow classmates can help drama students improve their skills because they can see flaws and areas of strength.

Storytelling/oral interpretation – The animation site, commoncraft.com, offers some great opportunities to transform a story in an interesting way with little drawing ability. The telling of the story revolves around the voice and the visual to back it up.

Radio play – Podcasting is really the modern way of working with a radio play, and can be used for the production of a performance that is based on sound. These effects can incorporate digital sound through the process of editing.

Scenes – Vodcasting of scene-based performances would work well for the purposes of creating a commercial, an “awareness” video (like a public address) or “how-to” video – for example, “How to survive a zombie apocalypse” or “How to create a mask“. There are so many options on what a student could demonstrate in a how-to format in relation to stage/set/costume design. A student could do an assignment on the effects of colour or light and dark on mood. In the study of film, students could collaborate with students in other film classes anywhere in the world to create a documentary or fictitious story. The options are endless and how-to vodcasts could be done as screencasts instead, with instructions or samples in the large frame and the work taking place in the video frame.

Research -Students rarely have opportunities to research performers or performance styles of particular theatres. Digitally there is a real chance to further education into theatrical performance styles. For example, in a Modern Theatre class I had to do a report with video, a Powerpoint and a handout to show to all students in the class. This could be done combining several criteria and media into a WebQuest assignment.

Drama requires a performer, a performance space and an audience – the audience need not be live, but it could be set up like a large video conference where each performer enacts a production virtually or responds with critique as a group. If  a Drama classroom teacher is  looking for inspiration, I would encourage them to look at what Eric Whitacre, a composer/conductor/lecturer, has done with a virtual choir. The website is http://ericwhitacre.com/the-virtual-choir and a video of this was posted in an earlier blog post. Inspiration is out there, if you are looking for it.