Technology Integration Plan

           My Matrix was created off of a recent lesson plan I had created for a second grade dance class on Non-locomotor and Locomotor movement. My lesson is made to increase my students ability and understanding of Locomotor and non-locomotor movement. I want my students to understand the literacy behind the vocabulary and also be able to create there own movement sequence using the the two movement types. This lesson plan will take place over four different class periods, I will introduce the lesson, then have them use improvisation to figure out ways they can incorporate locomotor and non-locomotor movement into their own body language. I will use youtube videos to provide examples of the two types of movement, along with a smart board presentation, and music. I will use a video camera, and a recorder as well so the students can see themselves dancing, to then truly differentiate the difference between movement that is taking place in ones personal space, and movement that is traveling through space. I will ask my students to support their intention of the phrase they will produce by supporting there choices of movement with technological embellishments. I will stress to my students the importance of using technology in a way that supports their intent, and not just use random youtube videos that do not help support there ideas. Throughout the project I will give them time working with their partners to research using the internet, video taping and recording each others movement to then create some type of collective presentation. Keeping in mind that this is a second grade class, I will be open to many different idea that my students may come up with when incorporating technology into there presentation. The use of technology will be fairly new to some students who are in the second grade so I plan to be extremely encouraging and supportive of all there ideas.

          The first section of my Matrix is the introduction to my lesson plan. The first standard that covers my lesson plan is Identifying the elements of dance in planned and improvised dance sequence. This will be the access part of my lesson, to get my students involved and interested in the lesson. I will identify and introduce the lesson plan by showing youtube videos on examples of locomotor and locomotor movement. I will also show a smart-board presentation explaining the lesson in detail. For this part of the lesson my students will simply listen and understand the lesson. The second row of my Matrix will be the analyzing and the creating part of the lesson, now the students will get involved. The standard that supports this part of the lesson is the students working in small groups creating and performing improvised movements using locomotor and non locomotor movements. For this portion of the lesson I will film the students, and have them watch themselves dance. The third part of the lesson will be the analyze and creating part. The students will further their research by trying to incorporate technology into their movement. The students should create their own sequence of movement using technological embellishments to support the intention of their phrase. The next section of my matrix will be the performance part of the lesson. This will be the most important part of the lesson so the students can execute the movement phrase they produced with technology to back it up. This is most important because this is the part where I can assess the students understanding of the material that was taught for the lesson. Performance is very beneficial in dance because when students are learning material the best way to see if they are understanding what they are learning is to physically do the movement with their bodies. When students are capable and comfortable physically articulating the movement, it then becomes natural when language and literacy becomes involved. Students can then explain what they did because it is embedded in their body language.

            An ideal presentation I would expect to see from my students may be a video presentation of themselves doing their movement phrase and then actually showing it in person. This would be a good way to critique themselves and compare and contrast the video to their live movement. Another potential project a student might present would be a smart-board presentation of photos of they found on google of examples of locomotor and non locomotor movement, and then pictures of themselves duplicating the shapes they found on the internet. I feel this lesson plan is very exciting and will increase my students understanding and ability of technology and dance. It will give them a way to create their own phrase that incorporates technology while using dance at the same time. This lesson plan has opened up my eyes to new ways that technology can be naturally incorporated into my lesson plans without force. I am really excited to see where my future takes me with teaching and am thrilled to find ways to incorporate the use of technology.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AtTz1mNYo61vdFp6LTJnVFhYOXJ3aU83aW92cU1LRlE&usp=sharing

Relying On Technology

              In one of my dance classes I am required to take for my major, my teacher assigned us a day where we had to teach the class using the Horton technique. I teach dance on daily basis and have a set playlist that I choose directly from my itunes library to then use for my classes. I literally hook up my phone to the sound system in the dance studio I teach at and teach my class relying on my iphone. This past week when I was teaching in my dance class at school, we were using live music as our accompaniment. I was excited by the opportunity of finally having to work with a live musician rather then simply pressing next on my I pod when a specific song I needed wasn't working with the movement that I was teaching. Working with a live musician was much harder than I thought it would be. I had to thoughtfully prepare my movement and count it out so the musician could understand and then play it as we danced. Since I am constantly relying on the technology of my ipod and the sound system in my studio, I never really have to count my movement out because I can just change the songs on my ipod until I find the right song that works for the combination I am teaching. Since I am constantly relying on technology for music purposes it was extremely difficult for me to adapt to a live musician. I would like to further my education working with live accompaniment and learning how to adapt and function without using an ipod or sound system. I never realized how much I rely on technology for musical purposes that I lost touch with my interaction with live music. It is extremely important to be versatile and adapt to anything that is being thrown at me when it comes to teaching. Technology is not always the way.

The Change of Dance and Evolution

              Dance and technology over many years have worked hand in hand in the process of change and evolution. They both have evolved so much so far and continue to. Dance was greatly effected by technology because now for instance people don't need to go see a live performance anymore when they can just simply go on the internet and see a live performance right there in front of their eyes. This helps to show a dance companies work to a vast audience and communicate more effectively. Although you'll never get the same effect of a live performance experience, through a computer you can still experience a virtual one. This also can be very convenient and cheaper to some. Another great improvement made by technology to help and effect dance positively was the technological advancement of pre-recorded music. Now instead of a live orchestra which many dancers do still work with today, you can replay a song, pause it, or even stop it to add on to a work your trying to create. This also creates an easier and more effective way for dancers to rehearse and practice. Pre recorded music is a technological advancement that is very beneficial when I am teaching. I can literally look up any song that I want and connect it to a sound system in an instant. In conclusion these are just two ways out of many that technology helps and will continue to help advance dance in the near future.

The Impact of lights on stage

       One of the biggest and most important aspects of performance other than music is lighting. Lighting is very important when creating a production. Lighting production is used in both dance and theater. We use lighting for many reasons in dance, the most important factor being is to simply make the dancers look flawless. Lighting increases body appearance from an audiences perspective. Certain colors used on the stage can increase the muscle structure on a dancers body, making one look much stronger then they may appear walking down the street. Lighting is also used to compliment the costuming that the dancers are wearing to support the intent of the piece. Lighting can be very complimentary if used correctly, but can also create conflict on stage when rushed or not planned out. Special effect lighting can also be used to create imagery on stage. In some cases the lights will be flashing to portray the intent that the choreographer is trying to investigate and show their audience. Spotlights are used a lot during performance to focus the audiences attention on a specific dancer or group of dancers. Spotlights can be very effective because it really focuses all the attention on the dancer and distracts the audience from the rest of the other movement happening on stage. Lighting is very important in stage production and makes a big impact on the dancers. Although the dancer is the prime importance on the stage, the embellishments of lighting, music, and other technological media make an extreme impact on the stage. 

 

Remixed Canvas

          After viewing many of my fellow students lesson plans on their canvasses I came across Miles Cody's very successful lesson plan on The Underground Railroad and how it relates to music. This lesson plan he created was very creative and informative. It allows the students to truly understand the history of the Underground Railroad by referring it to the song “Follow the drinking Gourd”. I felt an immediate connection to dance when I saw Miles' canvas and lesson. I felt that The Underground Railroad would be an excellent lesson not only in music but in collaboration with dance as well. Dance and music are very essential to one another. I took the basis of Miles' lesson and incorporated dance. I will begin by introducing the history of The Underground Railroad to my students, I will then introduce dance and music. I will use a dance Piece as the base of the lesson. The dance piece I will be using is called “Revelations”, I will be using a specific section from the piece called “Wade In The Water.” This dance piece was choreographed and performed by the Alvin Ailey dance company. “Wade In The Water” is a piece that holds great symbolic meaning and historical value that relates back to The Underground Railroad. The song and dance both represents a signal sent to the runaway slaves. This movement performed by the dancers represents somewhat of a storyline of the Underground Railroad, in the end the piece is upbeat and high energy representing Freedom. I feel that there is no other way to better represent this extremely important historical event then find symbolism within art. This will get students involved emotionally and physically, while truly comprehending the history behind it. I will also incorporate the song that Miles had chose for his lesson “Follow the drinking Gourd,” I will have the students really breakdown the lyrics and create symbolic movement to the song.

Overall this time around remixing Miles canvas was much more difficult then when I created my own.               The PLAYground application was not cooperating at all. It was not allowing me to publish the canvas until I continuously retried. It also would not allow me to rearrange where I wanted each text box. It would not allow me to drag any of the widgets, so unfortunately I had to keep the current format with no change. Although remixing the canvas gave me a lot of trouble, I feel that Miles lesson really opened up my eyes to ways that I can incorporate the history aspect of dance more into my future lessons.  

Here Is my remixed canvas

http://www.play.annenberginnovationlab.org/play2.0/challenge.php?idChallenge=2730&mode=edit#network6

Incorporating Technology in choreographic work

             I have been extremely motivated to create a choreographic work using technological additives to support the intent of the piece I am creating. I feel that my ideas will be very beneficial in supporting the intent of my piece. I have been working on a dance piece I will be setting on a group of high school dancers. My idea behind the piece is Hurricane Sand. I was really emotionally touched by the tragic event that happened a year ago and decided I wanted to do something with it. The hurricane really put a strain on my family because we lost a house, and I was inspired and motivated to create a dance piece with the idea of Sandy. I really want to incorporate the event throughout the dance piece not only through movement but with actual footage of the hurricane. I have been doing a lot of research on the internet and on youtube and have found some video clips of the event that I would like to incorporate on a back drop as the dancers dance in front of the screen. I want the back drop of the footage to be in silence and just simply be a slide show of tragic footage of the storm. I feel this will an an embellishment and background for the dancers to feed off of. I also want the sound to be an actual record of the storm. I have been using garage band and playing around with different youtube videos of families telling their stories during the storm along with the different news reporters updating the world with what is happening. I am trying to create a soundtrack by cutting and pasting different youtube footage to be the actual soundtrack of the piece. Since Sandy was such a devastating historical event it is important to be reminded of what we have overcome. I feel that I need to use technology within this piece to really get my audience emotionally involved. For this piece I think the use of technology with the sound and the backdrop of actual Sandy footage will be very beneficial and serve my intentions well. In most cases dance is very much about the movement that we create with our bodies. For this piece I am in the process of creating I want the movement to be simple so that the footage in the background of the piece of and the recording being played throughout doesn't seem to complex. I think each of these elements will cohesively blend and support the idea of the piece.

Unit Plan Canvas

        My Unit plan was for a second grade class and was on locomotor and non locomotor movement. I want to have my students explore both types of movement using their bodies. I really liked using the PLAYground and creating my canvas. I felt like I could really use my own creativity and ideas, to create a formatted type lesson outline for students. The canvas is an extremely interesting and beneficial way to get not only teachers involved with technology but can really help students at a young age get involved with the idea of technology. I was very intrigued by all the applications that PLAYground has to offer. It is extremely creative and hands on for all types of learners. I feel it can be very beneficial to all types of learners and can be used throughout all content areas. It feels like a very kid friendly website for all students to learn and research a unit.  I also feel like this website can be a breakthrough into the arts. I have been having a lot of difficulty trying to find ways to integrate technology into my dance classes, other than using music. This is an excellent way for dancers to view videos of dance companies and comment and research on what they observed. This website provides video clips, photos, and links to continue ones research. It is very straight to the point and can be a great way to begin integrating technology into a younger age group such as second graders. The only problem I was facing was that the website would freeze and I would have to log in and out of the canvas multiple times. It was very frustrating and time consuming. Other than the slight problems I was facing creating the canvas, I feel that viewing the canvas will be very straightforward and easy to use for just about any grade level. I am extremely excited to use this and integrate this application into my curriculum and future teaching. 

http://www.play.annenberginnovationlab.org/play2.0/challenge.php?idChallenge=2292&mode=view#network6

Gallim Dance

     The idea of technology and dance is starting to really evolve within the performance aspect of the art form. I just recently saw Gallim Dance company perform at Kasser Theater right on the Montclair state campus. The show the dancers performed was titled Fold Here. I was extremely intrigued by not only the way the dancers moved but the way the show integrated technology in such a beneficial way. The dancers were absolutely phenomenal and at times moved like they were being operated by a machine. This already brought a technological feel to the stage. The piece was based around the idea of a cube. The dance started with an abstract view of the cube, and then evolved into a more narrative feel. It was clear that the company did a lot of research and found many great ideas using technology. Within the process the company developed an extremely creative movement vocabulary. While creating the piece the company members worked with Tal Rosner who is a well known film maker. He helped Andrea Miller the artistic director figure out a way that they could successfully translate the idea they were going with onto the stage so that an audience could appreciate it. There was a screen in the background with visual aids that would change throughout the piece supporting the strong intent Miller was working toward. Another resource that the company used to guide them through the process was the famous photographer MuyBridge. His work portrays the motion in which things happen. His work is somewhat repetitive but beautiful. The company created there own type of picture that MuyBridge may have created at sometime during his career. This show was extremely successful, the company clearly put a lot of work and effort into the show. I was extremely impressed by the uses of technology not only in the show, but behind the scenes and the process that went into it. Andrea Miller and her company are a group of extremely talented dancers that took the simple idea of a card board box and evolved it into an extremely powerful piece. Andrea Miller is an extremely talented choreographer with really interesting ideas. If anyone is interested in the process behind the piece, this link is extremely interesting and explains in greater detail the intent of this amazing piece. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-VVTDsK218#t=167

Technology and Pedagogy

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AtTz1mNYo61vdFg3UEoyUm9SU3o3bi1uNmNvV3dCdXc&usp=drive_web#gid=0

         I felt the lesson plan I chose would be an extremely successful way to teach about the elements of dance within locomotor and non-locomotor movement. Since dance is very hands on and physical it is important to keep the activity filled with excitement so the students are constantly engaged. Within this lesson plan the author uses the theme of the jungle. This to me was amazing because the students are not only being taught locomotor and non-locomotor movements but they are using their imaginations as if they are animals in the jungle. I will use The Lion King DVD to show clips of the movie and the Lion King soundtrack. This will keep the theme of the jungle up and running the entire class period creating a mood for the students. This activity will challenge the students critical thinking skills along with their creativity. There were many core standards within this lesson plan that were covered. The first part of my lesson will be an introduction of the vocabulary and a warm up where the students will have to follow a short sequence phrase. This will challenge students to grasp movement at a quick pace. I will provide students with locomotor and non locomotor movements using the idea of animals in the jungle. The students can explore through improvisation and create their own phrases based off of the vocabulary they just learned. This portion allows for the students to explore their creative minds and use self expression. The last part of the activity is the performance aspect. I will challenge my students to create a movement sequence using the vocabulary within groups of three or four. They will have to portray a jungle animal that we have not used in class. This will challenge the students to work together in groups, share ideas, and create a movement phrase on their own and more importantly memorize the phrase to perform for their fellow classmates. I feel this lesson will be exciting for students and challenge them in many ways. I felt that this lesson was missing certain aspects. I will try to incorporate technology in more ways, then the author of this lesson did. I will constantly incorporate the Lion King Soundtrack, and clips of the dvd. Not only will this be exciting because most students have already seen the lion king, but we can make connections and find locomotor and non-locomotor movements seen in the movie. I also felt that from the start of the lesson the author talked about the theme of the jungle but the warm up drifted away from the theme. I will change the warm up and incorporate the jungle theme. I also feel like she didn't use classroom discussion as much as she should have, so I will incorporate that a bit within each activity. I feel this lesson will reach out to all different learning styles, and overall was an excellent lesson. It is important to make connections to life outside of the classroom, the elements of locomotor and non-locomotor movements not only apply in dance but we use these movements on a daily basis.

Dance and Video

             After reading an article I found online about different ways to incorporate the use of the camera and video camera in the classroom, I have come up with ways that I can use it in my dance classes to challenge my students. I want to work to my best potential to incorporate technology in a beneficial way for my students, rather then just choosing an activity because the curriculum requires the use of technology. The video camera can be an extremely beneficial tool for self correction in the classroom. From my past and current experiences of being a dancer constantly learning and taking classes, it can sometimes be hard to fully understand what it is I am doing wrong and how to fix it. When you are taking a class it can be difficult to stop and self evaluate yourself while going through the motions of class. In my classroom when I teach I will constantly be focusing on alignment and correct posture, therefore I want my students to be able to fully understand the correct placement of their body at all times. I plan to use a video camera once a week to video tape my class doing an exercise pertaining to my lesson. After I video tape the class as a whole, I will have the class sit down with a notebook and pen and take notes on what they need to work on. This is really helpful for students so they can see exactly how they move. Sometimes we don't realize that we were doing something incorrectly, and by simply watching and observing themselves we can use self correction. This activity has always been extremely beneficial for myself because there are times where my alignment is completely off and by watching myself on tape I can self correct my mistakes and begin to really understand how to properly use my body.

           Another activity I will play with is taking still pictures. So I will put my students in pairs and have them take still pictures of one another, standing in a natural parallel position, and a turned out first position. Each student will take notes on their partner, dissecting what they were doing wrong and ways to fix the position so we can avoid possible injury in the future. I want my students to use their partners pictures to articulate not only with their bodies but verbally express how they can fix their alignment. Talking with peers and getting another persons feedback can be very useful. Then for the second part of the assignment I will have the students take a new set of pictures doing the exact same positions. This time in the same groups I will have the students compare and contrast the picture that was incorrect alignment with the picture that is correct. I will print out these pictures and hang them up around the room, and towards the end of the year or semester do the same exact activity so students can see how much they are growing and learning. The camera and video camera can be an excellent use of technology because students can really learn from their mistakes and self evaluate.  

"Strategies to Incorporate Technology"

           I feel that it is extremely difficult to figure out ways to integrate technology into a dance class. I have been researching and trying to thoughtfully figure out ways to incorporate technology into my classroom. The reality of dance is that the body is the instrument and the tool being used, along with live accompaniment. In my everyday dance classes at Montclair State University I am fortunate enough to have professional dance teachers, and live accompainment. We almost never use music, film, or any other potential technological device. Since I am not given the opporunity of using technology on a daily basis in my classes, I am struggling to find ways to use it when I teach. The upside of this situation is I hope to teach kindergarten through high schoolers and will have to provide my own accompaintment that will not be live. This will give me the opportunity to try and incorporate technology. I feel that even though it is important to incorporate technology within the classroom the idea of using it at home, or in the library can be a great factor.

           After reading some articles on strategies and technology, I came up with some ideas of my own. I feel that the majority of class time should be focused around hands on dance techniques by simply using the body. Wthin my classroom I am expecting my students to be extremely diverse and come from many different financial backrouns. I will not expect my students to all own a computer, but I will provide a way for each student to access a form of technology after school. I will require my studnets to have a technology dance log. Within this dance log 2-3 times a week I want my students to do very minimal research on something they learned in class, or a topic that we are currently focusing on. I will ask them to reflect on something that they observed in class. The format will be: 1.)Simply find a form of technology whether it is a computer, radio, television, and any other forms of media. 2.)To make a comparison about something they learned in class with something they heard on the radio, television ect. This will challenge the student to use creative thinking and try to compare dance as an asbract to something more structured using technology. Their will be no right or wrong within this excersise just simply encouraging my students to further their research using technology outside of the classroom. 

"The History of Technology in Dance Education"

The Radio: Encouraging students creativity and imagination, while stimulating the brain and creating structure.

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/image/3266726-4x3-700x525.jpg

Technology and Dance

Dance and the infusion of technology is a field which is finally coming to a rise. Unfortunately, there are not that many dance departments that offer a strong technology program. Most dance departments focus on dance technique and performance, and not so much the technological aspect of the field. After doing some research, I found a dance department that focuses and provides students with a well rounded technology aspect of the dance world. UCIrvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts dance department was one of the first schools in the United States to have a full time position dedicated specifically to dance technology research and creative work. In 1998 the program gained a motion capture studio which gave their students the first opportunity over any other college to begin researching and gaining experience with technology and dance. The idea of camera, and video within dance plays a huge role in the program at UCI. The faculty in this facility holds high expectations and a very good reputation. These professionals are highly trained and offering the best training to students in this content area. Recently at Montclair State we have gained a new technology program within the dance department offered to anyone interested. I hope to eventually take this course so I can have a better understanding of the integration of technology in dance. As a future dance teacher, I hope to be able to truly understand the way technology plays a role in dance, such as the performance aspect. For example lighting, sound, and background visuals, all incorporate computer technology. I feel these aspects of the dance world are just as important as the technique itself, I just haven't had the opportunity to learn about these ideas. I have taken a stage production course which offered some of the staging technological aspects of the performance world along with the costuming and visual aspect. I do wish to invest my time and learn more about the subject. As a future teach I want my students to be well rounded in all areas of dance. The only problem with dance is that it is a visual, and physical art form and the core of the art is creating movement with your body. The technological tool within dance is the body itself. So when it comes to technology and dance it is sometimes hard to incorporate it within a dance class. It happens to go hand and hand with performance. Within a dance class we focus on technique and vocabulary and not so much technology. Since the majority of my dance classes focus mainly on technique technology does not play a huge role in which I need to try and research on my own time. I hope to try and create new ways and ideas to incorporate it into my classes that I will teach. I hope that more Universities will grow and eventually offer a program along the lines of the UCI dance department. I feel that as a student studying both dance and education the integration of technology within dance can really benefit me as a student and a teacher. I want to incorporate it within my creative work and teachings.

Technology Autobiography

           In my everyday life my iphone is most important to me because I use it for the purpose of communication. I go to school on a daily basis, have dance rehearsals, and work three jobs, so in that case I need my cellular device to keep myself updated. My cell phone helps me keep up with my schedules and any changes that professors make, to communicate with my bosses, and coworkers, and of course my college professors. The most important application that is always being used on my phone is e-mail. This to me is extremely important because I receive up to twenty e-mails a day, some about new teaching opportunities, auditions, rehearsal dates, and assignments and updates from professors. I constantly need to stay up to date with what is happening daily. My I pod is the second most important technological device that I use on a daily basis. I use it for enjoyment, at the gym, more importantly being a dancer and a dance teacher I use it to store all of my music for the classes I teach. I heavily rely on my I pod for these reasons just about everyday. My lap top is the third most important technological device that I use on a daily basis. I am taking many courses and there is plenty of work that accumulates for all seven of my classes. I use my lap top to write papers, research topics, connect to blackboard, check my e-mail, and where I store my music. All of these devices are very important to me in my everyday life. Without them I would not be able to keep updated and communicate with professors, and bosses. I wouldn't be able to successfully teach my dance classes, and without my lap top school would almost be impossible. I wouldn't necessarily say that I learn from these devices more or less I would say these devices help be succeed and get through life. I feel that the iphone is an excellent resource because it allows me to quickly type in a search and within seconds I have found what I am looking for. There are various applications on the iphone such as a planner which helps keep myself organized on the daily. I have to say that I am one of the few people who are not attached to their phone. Most of my generation consists of people who have their phones glued to their hips. As important as technology is I try and use my phone at the minimal and for only the really important things, such as research, receiving and sending emails, and my planner to keep me organized. It is important to be able to have communication and life skills without having to constantly rely on social networking. I feel that I have learned a lot from my lap top. I have to be honest and say I am not extremely technologically savvy, but college has forced me to learn and independently figure things out on my own. I have learned how to use and explore many different applications such as power point, excel, database, different ways to research, and for my own personal interest I have learned how to use garage band so I can create and cut music. This is very important because I am a dancer, teacher, and choreographer and am always working with music. There are endless opportunities to continue to learn and grow from what a computer has to offer. I hope to continue to find different ways to use technology and hopefully infuse it into my teachings.

          Within the video that I watched it is clear that technology is extremely important to each of the individuals in the video. Technology seems to have taken over our society for better and for worse. Similar to today's society the people in the video feel a very close connection to their cell phones. I would say this is where technology has a negative effect on our society. Most teenagers these days cannot communicate verbally to others because they are constantly communicating through a device in which they do not need to actually see the facial expression, or get a direct response from the other person that they are talking to. The only significant difference that I see is that the people in the video were using their phones for texting, tweeting, and social networking, whereas I feel I use my cell phone for significant usage such as e-mail. It is clear that the people in the video have their own personal interests and use technology for different things such as those who use devices like game boys, and game cubes. This usage of technology seems to be more for pleasure than learning experience, whereas I use my computer, my phone, and my I pod for both enjoyment and of course for scholarly use. I feel I rely on technology in many ways and am fortunate enough to own my own devices and use them when I need them.

My name is Taylor Carey I am a Dance Education major. I plan On obtaining my degree by 2014. I have been dancing since the age of three and have been passionate about it ever since. I really enjoy working with children, and my dream is to support and teach children through dance. I have been teaching in a dance studio for four years and am rewarded each and everyday by my students. I am excited to continue my studies and eventually teach in a classroom setting.