So in our tech class, we worked with claymation. This clip is an interpretation of Shel Silverstein's "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out." I had a lot of fun working with claymation. I have always been a big fan. The Sinbad movies--pure genius.
Aside from my own pleasure at the activity, I found myself thinking about how useful it could be in getting students thinking about how to interpret a scene from a piece we are working on, in a fun way. Then, as I am student teaching in detroit, I came to my constant problem: money. Our class needed a camera and a computer with imovie capabilities for every three people. Even if the group sizes were larger, the cost of procuring the technology is simply not an option.
So I started thinking of what options I had. I could have the students create diarammas of scenes. I could have them create progressive scenes in play-doh--essentially creating the steps of claymation, but not having the capabilities to run them together.
I realize that at some point I may not be working in the urban school setting. I also feel like my complaint is becoming an annoying refrain here. It's just hard to see so many interesting possibilities with technology, only to realize I don't have the capabilities to put much of any of them to use in my class. Suggestions, anyone?
1. Your claymation video is awesome. That is so fun!
ReplyDelete2. I share your dismay about lack of technology resources. We have an old school overhead projector and a tv, but that's all. It bums me out sometimes hearing about all these things that my students don't get to experience. Are they being left behind because they don't attend a school with the resources? I guess that puts the extra pressure on us to bridge that gap and bring engaging lessons without technology into the classroom, so that they leave with the same knowledge and creativity as those students with it. And if we end up in a school that is a technology haven - at least we know what to do with it, huh?
All teachers who want to innovate need to become part-time entrepreneurs, writing mini-grants, apporaching lcal businesses and enlisting parents in the enterprise of getting the resources you need to do the kinds of things that you want to do. It isn't fair that teachers at urban schools have to do more of this than their colleagues elsewhere, but you can get where you need to do, Bets...and getting students involved in the process can give them a special sense of ownership over their education that's invaluable. If, for example, I steered you to Lauren Fardig's blog already, I apologize for the redundancy.
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