Welcome to the Drama Teacher Podcast brought to you by Theatrefolk – the Drama teacher
resource company.
I'm Lindsay Price.
Hello! I hope you're well. Thanks for listening!
This is Episode 180 and you can find any links to this episode in the show notes which are
at Theatrefolk.com/episode180.
Today, we are talking technology in the theatre classroom. Oh, say that five times fast – "technology
in the theatre classroom."
Hands up, how many of you have expectations put on you to integrate technology? Right?
Right? Hands up. Hands up – lots of hands up, I'm sure. How many of you have no idea
how to do that?
Our guest today, Anna Porter, was in the same boat. Let's find out what she did and how
technology in the theatre classroom is totally possible and totally doable. Let's get to
it!
LINDSAY: Hello, everybody!
I am here with Anna Porter.
Hello, Anna!
ANNA: Hello, everyone!
LINDSAY: Anna, tell everybody where in the world you are.
ANNA: I am currently in Virginia.
LINDSAY: Awesome. Very good.
We're talking today about technology in the Drama classroom. For some Drama teachers,
I think that technology can be – well, I'm not going to say it's a dirty word but it's
a weird word, isn't it? Technology and Drama might not seem on first glance to go together.
ANNA: Yeah, definitely. It's the tool that we want to use but sometimes feels like it
gets in the way.
LINDSAY: Oh, I like that! How does it get in the way?
ANNA: Just in the sense that we're often told we need to be using it but we don't
necessarily know how it works in our specific context.
LINDSAY: Yeah, totally.
And so, the reason I'm talking with Anna is she does a lot of work for Theatrefolk
at the Drama Teacher Academy. She's done a lot of lesson plans for us. She's going
to be doing something on technology in the Drama classroom with some Google tools. We'll
talk about Google tools in a second.
Now, Anna, when we were talking about something else, you let it be known that you have an
endorsement in educational technology. What is that?
ANNA: I'm currently finishing that endorsement right now but it's done through my state
office of education where they are working to try and get teachers to use more technology
in the classroom but I think they've recognized that the more teachers know about how to use
it, the more they're going to do it. And so, a lot of these classes deal with theory
and how to better use technology and how to select technology that works well for our
students and for our content area as well as helping us know what tools are out there
because I think – for me at least – that was the biggest obstacle – knowing how to
use it but what can I use and what resources do I have to do that? That's a big part
of what this endorsement has been.
LINDSAY: Why did you decide to take it?
ANNA: Because I have always wanted to know how to use technology. Whenever I had my review
for my administrator, there was always that question. "How are you using technology
in your classroom?" I would have to say I use my projector." I knew there was more
that I could do.
Also, as I've gotten to know more about how technology works, it's been really exciting
to see how it helps us as teachers differentiate our instruction a little bit more and also
how it helps us reach those individual students that we may not normally be able to access
in our classroom just because of the nature of class sizes or their individual needs and
personalities.
LINDSAY: There is a lot in there that I want to touch on but there's one thing that I
don't want to lose. How do you find technology reaches students that we might not ordinarily
reach because of let's say, for example, class size?
ANNA: For class sizes, I had classes that I've taught in that were normally about
35 to 45 students. And so, if I wanted to be able to assess a student on how they were
doing on articulation, for example, I would have to, in order to get through all of my
students, have them go up in groups.
If I could have students easily do, for example, a short podcast with a tongue twister or two
that they can demonstrate their understanding with that, I now have access to see how that
student is doing and, also, I can provide them specific feedback for them so they can
improve. That's one thing to me that was really helpful.
LINDSAY: Yeah. Is that something – let's talk in theoretically – you would, say,
if they recorded something, they could upload it somewhere? Did you ever use class websites
or something like Google Classroom where everybody could make notes on a specific thing using
the technology?
ANNA: Yeah, there's multiple platforms that you can do that – whether it be the Google
Classroom or I know a lot of schools have invested in Canvas which is also another great
platform for doing that and you can have students upload their work and then you, as a teacher,
can respond right there and they can see your response whether it be that you do your own
podcast and you respond through speaking or whether it be written. There's lots of different
ways in which you can provide that feedback for students.
LINDSAY: Awesome. Let's go back to the endorsement.
What has surprised you the most about taking this endorsement in educational technology?
I'm just going to leave it at that. What has surprised you learning, taking on this
new knowledge?
ANNA: Surprised me the most – I think for me, the biggest surprise was that there are
more opportunities to use technology than what I thought.
A big thing that kept me from using technology was I never felt like I could have the resources
– that I was so low on the totem pole, so to speak, in abilities to get into the computer
lab or get into we had a mobile Chromebook lab but they were always taken by the testing
subjects. And so, I didn't feel like I had the right or I had the preparation to ask
for that.
But, going through this endorsement, I found a lot more opportunities – whether it be
having students bring their own devices that at least at my school they finally opened
up for students to bring the last two years I was there and utilizing that. Or even just
tools that teachers can use on their own that don't involve every student having to have
their own device.
To me, that's been the biggest surprise – that there are a lot of different types
of tools out there that can be adapted for your individual situation.
LINDSAY: I think that's a great point because it keys into the fear that a lot of teachers
have and the resistance that teachers have with using technology in the Drama classroom.
I think you hit it right on the head. "Well, I don't have access. I don't have access
to that lab. Maybe I'm in a school where my students don't have, you know, there's
one-to-one iPad schools and that's like, well, that's great for them but it's not
great for me," and that's something that can turn a teacher off immediately. It's
like, "Well, they say I'm supposed to use technology but it's not applicable to
me."
This idea that, "Hey! There might be apps that students can use or programs that teachers
can use on their own, it's kind of like a doorway, isn't it?
ANNA: Definitely.
LINDSAY: Cool! Let's start with that!
What do you think is a really useful app that teachers can use in their classroom?
ANNA: I think the big thing just depends on what you see and need in your classroom to
be.
I agree completely that you never just want to use technology just for technology's
sake. It needs to be something that fits with your balance in your classroom.
For me, one of the biggest things that I was excited about because I knew this was something
that I struggled with as a teacher – communication with students and my other stakeholders – whether
they be parents or administration. And so, that's the reason why I've been really
excited about the different tools is because I feel like they have been developed to kind
of act as a personal assistant in some ways to teachers for communication and also allow
students to give information back.
One of the ones I really like – and I spoke about this before – is Google Forms because
I felt like I was trying to communicate but that paper trail was just getting in the way.
Google Forms made it so that I could post something or send something or have it on
my website and I knew that students had access to it, that parents had access to it, and
I knew I was going to be able to get that information back.
Google Forms has different ways that you can organize that information. For example, I
would normally send you questionnaires – you know, "Parents, what can you do to help?"
If I got that back, I would have to make my own spreadsheet so I knew who I'd contact.
Well, Google Forms takes that information and makes that for me already. It eliminates
that extra step and also helps me communicate what I need and helps parents communicate
back what they need. That's one of my favorite tools.
LINDSAY: That would be easily used in a rehearsal situation, too, huh?
ANNA: Definitely.
It could be used whether it be for absent request forms for parents or students. It
could be your stage manager does their rehearsal log via Google Forms. And so, there's lot
of opportunities to use that with costumes or whatever it be – lots of opportunities
for that use.
LINDSAY: Let's stay on Google tools for a second. I think that this is something that
we all know what Google is and we all know that it's the search term and I use it,
I have a Chromebook so I use Google Drive and Google Docs. But there is a world of Google
out there that a lot of us don't know.
ANNA: Definitely. It seems like they're coming up with something new each time I go
back and look. It's really great.
LINDSAY: So, Google Forms can really help in communication with students and with parents.
What about something that's happening like an exercise that's happening in the classroom
itself? What's a good Google tool that could help with maybe a scene or maybe some research,
something like that?
ANNA: Possibilities could be you could use Google Photos – whether it be that you upload
a short video of a performance so students can watch it or pictures so they can see these
are what staging looks like, this is why I'm saying you need to cheat out, or even if you
had another group that was watching them provide them the opportunity to see what it looks
like so they have the opportunity to critique themselves.
Or if you are doing some kind of research assignment or characterization even, there
is custom search that you can create on Google. I don't know about anyone else but I got
really tired of having Wikipedia as every report or response I got. Not that Wikipedia
isn't a good starting place but there are ways to create a search engine for your students
to aim them at sites that you may want them to look at more than Wikipedia – whether
it be educational sites or production companies or anything else that you feel would be a
valuable resource. You can create your own custom Google search for them to be able to
go to and find information.
LINDSAY: Oh! That way, you know where your students are getting their information from
and you can see how they're deciphering it and maybe pulling it apart and, you know,
maybe making sure that they're not just copying down what they see on those sites.
ANNA: Yeah. You can even make it a specific assignment because there are different ways
to adjust your custom search. You can send them to an actual activity that they go to.
It just depends on how you want to customize it and what you want to do with it.
LINDSAY: I know just a tiny bit about it. Have you ever used Google Classroom?
ANNA: I have not. I would love to but I'm not affiliated with a school that has it.
LINDSAY: That's okay. We will put some links down in our show notes.
You mentioned a little bit about putting up a scene so that students could maybe watch
themselves and get feedback. What kind of technology is good in the classroom for giving
feedback?
ANNA: Canvas – which I mentioned before – can be a great way for students to upload.
There are also some great collaborative websites. Whether it be something like Padlet where
it's kind of like a message board that students can use that you can also upload videos so
you can have students that upload a preview and students respond. Of course, you would
have to work with your students to make sure that they understand critique and how to do
it professionally and appropriately. A lot of these sites also allow you, as a teacher,
to be the moderator but you just have to look and see what that is as well as prepare your
students for that.
If you have Apple devices, you can utilize them creating their own iMovie and then posting
that to a common site that you have – whether it be you have a classroom website and then
students can go there and you view each other's work that way.
In providing feedback, that's critique-wise from each other, they are able to do that
in a common forum in that way. As a teacher, if you have the ability to – you know, we
talked about Canvas – sending responses that way.
There are also some other assessment tools – whether it be through their taking a quiz
or anything like that – that you can also see how they're doing in real-time and provide
them feedback in that way so there's formative quizzes. We talked about Google Forms – you
can use that for quizzes as well but there's some different opportunities in those tools.
LINDSAY: Do you have any specific assessment quizzes?
ANNA: Yeah!
LINDSAY: What are some assessment quiz apps or software that people can use?
ANNA: Yeah, Quizalize is a fun one. This one can be for if you want students to do it as
a team so it kind of creates a kind of team game aspect to it or individual and you see
the names cross the screen towards the finish line so it's competitive in that way.
Socrative is another platform that you can use for quizzes. You can also use it for exit
tickets. There's this game called the Space Race Game where they can do it individually
or as a group to kind of check and see formatively where their knowledge is and what they're
understanding.
Formative is another one where you can send activities out. You can also send them feedback
immediately. You can add content. For example, you can content a quiz and you have reading
content in there and you want them to respond. They can also draw. If you wanted to have
them draw a picture of a lighting fixture or "Show me what it looks like to create
the stage picture, what would that look like?" or "What are the parts of the stage? Label
it." Formative is a fun one because they can actually draw on that one. It's not
just typing.
Kahoot! is a popular one. A lot of teachers I know use that one and their classes really
enjoy it but, basically, it's game-based and they have their own screen where they
have just blocks that they push and it's kind of like their own buzzer with four options
they can push and the questions just laid on the screen.
Quizlet is another one that I like that's a little bit more individual but you can create
your own flash cards but then kids can also quiz themselves. That's a great way to kind
of give them a pre-quiz or a study guide to help students. We talked briefly about this
being a good way for students to memorize lines even so they can put their lines in,
create flash cards that way, and then they can actually quiz themselves on it through
matching games or filling in the blanks.
One other one, if you don't have one-to-one technology, Plickers is where you basically
print off – it kind of looks like a QR code but each student has their own picture code
and you ask a question and they hold up the card in the way that shows the answer and
you, as a teacher, just have to scan that. You can use your phone, you can use an iPad
– any kind of camera that's connected to the internet and you can scan the room
and you can see exactly what the students' responses were.
Those are some good options.
Also, again, if you have a platform like Google Classroom or Canvas, you can create quizzes
within that tool.
LINDSAY: That was awesome. Of course, we'll put all those into the show notes. It just
seems like, when you were talking about the assessment and the possible applications,
the thing that came to my mind was these would be fun.
ANNA: Yeah.
LINDSAY: And just that notion that, well, technology is not scary for our students,
right? It's part of their lives and it is the thing that makes them most comfortable
and sometimes we're the ones with the issue when it comes to technology in that it is
a hurdle to be overcome. I think, for students, it's the other way around. Technology is
the thing that they're most comfortable with and the Drama classroom is the hurdle
that they have to overcome.
If there's a way to sort of bridge the gap, I feel the more I – and I'm certainly
one of those people, I have certainly dipped my toe in technology but it's a little teeny
tiny toe – I think that, the more that we can use it, maybe the more that we can really
bridge the gap to getting students who maybe are placed in the Drama classroom – not
against their will but because they have been placed there as opposed to choosing it – maybe
technology is a doorway and a gateway and a way for them to use their comfort zone to
kind of get out of their comfort zone.
ANNA: I agree! Throughout this endorsement and also throughout a lot of what we're
hearing in the lingo more and more in education, we hear about 21st Century learners where
they're focusing on the 4 C's – creativity, collaboration, communication, critical thinking.
To me, it's like, well, we've been doing that in the Drama classroom all along! What
are you talking about?
At the same time, as you said before, some of these students that come into our classroom
that need to be there, we are perfect for bridging that gap because we're using those
skills and we can help them work on utilizing them in both interpersonal and in our classroom,
talking to people face-to-face but also how do you translate those skills into the world
of technology which is a skill that they're going to need throughout the rest of their
lives.
I agree; I think that the Drama classroom is the perfect place for us to help prepare
these students – whether they want to be there or whether they are being encouraged
to be there through their councillor or parents. You know, I think it's a great opportunity
for us as teachers to utilize that.
LINDSAY: I wanted to just jump back to what you were talking about with feedback and having
students reply online. I wonder too if that's a really great way to encourage students who
maybe are in their shell to actually interact with and give feedback. I think that particularly
today's students are terrified of doing something wrong or saying the wrong thing
– that whole failure notion is up to eleven these days. I think it's really easy for
a student to not give the feedback and not say something in the general conversation
of the classroom and that maybe this is an interesting way anyway. I think it's a great
experiment. If you've put a scene up, you know, if you've got a platform where you
can post a scene or put up the variety of scenes and say, "Everyone has to comment
on two scenes," something like that, eh?
ANNA: Yeah, there's lots of opportunities – whether it be a silent discussion where
students can remain anonymous. So, using something like Answer Garden where it's limited to
the number of characters they can use but they have to make a comment or you can have
it so it's something like Padlet where they have to be able to say who they are. You know,
you can decide if you want anonymous or not but I agree it's a great way for us to encourage
those students that may otherwise try to stay hidden in their responses.
LINDSAY: Do you have any others? Because you mentioned one of them might be a good one
for learning lines and this seems to be the bane of every human being who cares about
putting p a scene or putting up a play – having students to learn lines.
Are there any other suggestions you have where you can incorporate technology in helping
students learn lines?
ANNA: I've had students that have used Speak It where they can have their text and it becomes
sound. And so, if you have an auditory learner, that can be a good way for them to be able
to hear that and you do have to remind them, you know, you don't want to fall into vocal
patterns, of course, but sometimes they need to hear that line in order to process it a
little bit more.
I did mention Quizlet.
If you have learners that need to be able to visually be able to see what's going
on, you can have them make their own Google slideshow of their scene and have a picture
that reminds them of what's going on and maybe some keywords and they can flip through
that to help them review what their lines are.
You know, just kind of thinking about what is their preferred learning style, can we
access that visually, auditory, kinaesthetically we can do it. Well, maybe a game. We talked
about some of these games that students can play on their own – whether it be through
the Quizlet again or maybe it be through Class Kick and they have to do drawings of whatever
it is – just different things that they can do to engage with their lines – whether
it be game form or just practicing on their own.
LINDSAY: I love the idea of creating a visual for a scene via Google Slide deck. Just come
up with a visual, come up with images for each moment in the scene. It's a really
great way to demonstrate a different type of comprehension. Yeah, totally.
As we're wrapping up here, you are nearing the end of your endorsement. Where do you
want to go with technology? Where do you want to go and where do you see Drama and technology
going off into the sunset hand-in-hand?
ANNA: Well, I would love – at least for my personal classroom – to be able to find
the tools and be able to utilize them and have my students feel comfortable with them
and me feel comfortable with them to be able to communicate more clearly and also help
my students demonstrate what they know better and me being able to give them more clear
feedback. That, to me, is my motivation in continuing this and what I want to see in
my classroom and be able to utilize. I want my students to know that I understand where
they are personally and I have the ability to do that. Also, I want them to know I want
to give them that feedback and I want them to improve and that they can take that and
be able to go in further than what I'm already able to do in my own classroom.
LINDSAY: You know what? I think you hit on something that is a question which we should
all be asking ourselves. In today's world, here we are, we are firmly chugging along
into the 21st Century, how students are demonstrating knowledge effective and are the same old tools
useful? You know, maybe we need to find new tools and new procedures to allow students
to – and this is not talking about dumbing it down or letting them off the hook – it's
just what is the format that we're using for having today's students demonstrate
knowledge and is that the most effective?
ANNA: I agree!
LINDSAY: You see! You gave me something to think about. I love that!
Last question. Our listeners are Drama educators. I always get dinged for how I say Drama. Drama
educators and potential Drama educators. What would you say, what is your advice for those
who are still on the fence or their schools are on the fence on implementing technology
in the Drama classroom?
ANNA: I would say think of an area that you have that "I wish…" for. What is something
that you want to do better? I would say that 99 percent of the time, there is some element
of technology that can help you to do that – whether that be for your own organization,
your own administrative tasks that you do as a Drama teacher. We wear lots of hats.
What is something that you wish you could do better with your students? Whether that
be, again, through communication, through reaching that student that seems to just not
engage.
What is one thing that you want to try to do and then pick a tool that you think could
work for that and try it. You don't have to start with this whole, you know, fully
integrated classroom all at once. Find a tool that sounds good to you that you could use
on your own if you don't have technology readily accessible to everybody.
Also, talk to other teachers because they've gone through the same process of finding what
works for them and then adapt it. see what will work for you because you're not the
only one going through this process of transitioning to having more technology and utilizing that.
It's something that teachers are going through all over. And so, learn from what they've
gone through, what has worked for them and what hasn't. But that's what I would say
my advice is.
LINDSAY: Oh, that's a great ending note – that we are not alone and you are not
alone and there's somebody out there and probably quite nearby who feels exactly the
same way that you do. And I think that that's the thing that I find most interesting about
technology. People say that it's very isolating and I find sometimes the exact opposite feeling
– that it makes the world a smaller place and that help really is right around the corner.
ANNA: Yeah, it enables us to break down some of the walls of our classroom that we can
reach outside of our own classroom walls to another community and that's a great way
to use technology as well.
LINDSAY: Awesome!
Thank you so much for talking to me today, Anna!
ANNA: Thank you, Lindsay!
LINDSAY: Thank you, Anna!
Before we go, let's do some THEATREFOLK NEWS.
If you're listening to this in real-time, that means it's April and it's the middle
of April and it's before April 24th and, if all of these apply, one of these apply
to you, keep listening. I want to tell you about a summer special. If it's not that
month and not those dates, stop listening! Just go! Leave! I mean it!
Okay. Are you still here? Are you still listening? Okay. If you are, you are coming to the end
of your school year. That means summer is coming up and I know you. You may take a little
time off but you are also interested in getting better – improving those skills, your reading
plays for next year. You are thinking about next year. I know you are! Don't deny it!
You want something that's going to make you a better teacher for next year. Well,
if you're not going to do any of those things, if you are an "I'm taking my summer and
I'm sitting by the pool" type of person, awesome! Kudos! All the more to you! But you
should stop listening! Go! Leave! I mean it! No judgment. You're sitting by the pool.
I envy you. Let me tell you.
All right, are you still listening? I have to tell you about something great.
This is our Drama Teacher Academy Summer Special where we offer three months for the price
of two. Yes, that's right! Three months for two. For $74.00, you get not one, not
two, you get three months of DTA – the Drama Teacher Academy – which means professional
development courses; that means curriculum – curriculum that's linked to standards;
that means lesson plans; that means resources; and everything is designed for you, dear Drama
teacher – designed for the classroom.
Head on over to DramaTeacherAcademy.com – that's all one word – to get in on this fabulous,
fabulous deal! Or you can click the link in the show notes which are at Theatrefolk.com/episode180.
Finally, where, oh, where can you find this podcast? We post new episodes every second
Tuesday at theatrefolk.com and on our Facebook page and Twitter. You can find us on youtube.com/theatrefolk
and on the Stitcher app. You can subscribe to The Drama Teacher Podcast on iTunes. All
you have to do is search for the word: "Theatrefolk."
And that's where we're going to end. Take care, my friends. Take care.
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