2012-2013

What we will do next year
Thinking about those three parts of Fine Arts (the blog, GarageBand, and the Talent Show), there are many ways we can use technology to help us improve and expand our learning. Below, I've listed some of the ways I think this can happen, but I want to hear from you too! Feel free to stop me in the hallway, stay after class, or send an email.

The blog


Right away, I can see I need to change the title of this blog. It's not about me! I'll be changing the title to read "Webster School Fine Arts."

In 2012-2013, the intermediate students will be getting Google IDs during their homeroom classes. In Fine Arts, we will take a look at your Google profile, what it says about you, and how you can make it more personal. . . while still being appropriate for school, of course. With this Google login, you will be able to comment on the Fine Arts blog and some of my assignments will require you to do this. I also plan on putting more of your work on the Fine Arts blog. I will make sure to edit photos and video so that no one is recognizable, but we can put up videos from puppet shows, photos of your artwork, dance sequences performed by the marionettes, and mp3s of the songs you sing and write. Most of the content on the blog last year was stuff I wanted to share with you. This year, the blog should be about you sharing your stuff with each other - and the wider world.

GarageBand
There is so much more we can do with this program - we barely got started last year! The songs did not leave our classroom and I think they can be used in many ways:
 * 1) We can use your songs to make slideshows, movies, and music videos that we can play at school spirit assemblies.
 * 2) With your permission, I can have other classes choreograph dances to your music. These classes could be in our school, or anywhere in the world.
 * 3) We can email your song to a buddy class somewhere else in the world and have them add to, remix, or mash up your song.
 * 4) We can post our songs on SoundCloud and invite people to comment and share.

Talent Show


Did some of your parents miss our first-ever Talent Show because they had to be at work while you were up on stage for the first time singing and dancing and shaking maracas? Well, we can fix that. Do your parents have a computer, cell phone, or iPod that they can Skype on? In June of 2013, I will put a notice in the school newsletter inviting any parent who can't attend our Talent Show in person to Skype with us for each number that their child is in. Any students in grade 6 or 7 who are not performing, an MC, or a stage hand will be responsible for using a school iPad to make contact with the parent over Skype in the hallway outside during the act before that student is to be on stage. The Skyping student will then reverse the camera and move to a location in the gym that they can easily film that specific performance. After the student's number, the Skypers and the performer will meet in the hallway so that the parent can talk to their child.

My two MCs in 2012 did a fantastic job of writing their script for the show, especially because they had to be very independent and there were last-minute changes that they had to figure out. Next year, I will create a Google Doc for the MCs and I to share. The MCs will be able to put their original spin on introductions of performers, and I can help them out when and where they need it. The two MCs will be able to work on the script together even when they are not at school and I can make any last-minute changes to the performer list as things come up. Also, having a script to work off of in 2014 will be very helpful.