Introduction
Greetings, my name is Matthew Fowler, I am currently pursuing a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction - Theatre Pedagogy at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in a 100% online format. I hold an Associate of Arts in Film and Video Production from Oklahoma City Community College, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts Performance from the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO). For the past 7 years, I have worked at UCO in the College of Fine Arts and Design, serving as Front of House Manager for Mitchell Hall Theatre, the university's mainstage performing arts auditorium. In that role, I manage a multi-venue, e-ticketing and online sales capable box office that employs 7-9 student workers. I have also been a part-time professional photographer/videographer for the past 14 years. The next step I would like to take in my career is teaching upper level undergraduate in acting for the camera and filmmaking as adjunct faculty at UCO.
ISTE Standard 6d Learning Activity
Creative Communicator indicator 6d asks students to publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences. Students in a high school drama class could address Oklahoma Academic Standards for Fine Arts in Drama/Theatre by creating original micro plays/films to be delivered and tailored to various formats online. Students would utilize online collaborative writing tools such as Google Docs or Celtx to author scripts to film. They would be challenged to come up with alternate versions of the script to fit various online distribution methods. Perhaps a shortened version for promotional purposes for Instagram, a slightly longer one for TikTok, and a longer form edit for YouTube. Students would be encouraged to use any digital tools at their disposal for filming such the video camera on a smartphone. Students could also perform these plays live, while possibly adding video elements to these performances. Students could rehearse and create in person, but also use internet videoconferencing software such as Google Meet, Zoom, Skype, or other messaging software for this purpose when not everybody can get in the same room at the same time.
This activity would take students through the Stages of the Creative Act mentioned in chapter 3 of Make, Learn, Succeed: Building a Culture of Creativity in Your School (Gura, 2016). Students would go through these stages through every step of the project. They would write and rewrite their scripts until they reached a stage where the authors felt creatively satisfied and ready to film. They would need to produce a plan of action for filming by coordinating schedules to come up with rehearsal and filming times. In the editing phase, the project would go through several drafts and iterations before students signed off on a final deliverable product for exhibition and performance. After this phase, students would reflect on how they executed the project, and come up with solutions on how to possibly change or improve their methods for future projects to produce better results.
References
Gura, M. (2016). Make, Learn, Succeed: Building a Culture of Creativity in Your School. International Society for Technology in Education.
Oklahoma Academic Standards for Fine Arts (2020). High School PDF. https://sde.ok.gov/2020-fine-arts-standards