Past projects 2
Dancing In Code to the Rhythm of the Beat
Funded Aug 12, 2020Thanks to your support, I have been able to provide my students with engaging dance content using an extremely high-quality Sonos sound system, which resonates so clearly through Zoom that even though we are in different spaces and places, there is a clear connection through movement and sound, which is evident in the student's participation.
It is powerful to see a classroom of cameras on, which displays multiple squares of students, siblings, parents, animals and teachers all moving and grooving together.
Your heartfelt contribution has helped to connect our essential virtual dance community during a time in history that we will never forget. Thanks for helping me to make a difference in the world one step at a time.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Branch-Scott
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 11 other donors.Cause We Are Dancing in a Virtual World...
Funded May 28, 2020Thanks, so much for your generous donations during this unprecedented time in history. We've successfully been able to create an inspiring, transformative, virtual dance classroom, which focuses on bringing creativity and mindfulness to our youth in Los Angeles. Our students are growing up in this ever-changing technological world. So, with just one click of a button, I'm able to capture their attention, shift the focus and tap into their imaginative and creative minds, with the application of the green screen and the document camera.
For example, as the iconic music from "Superman" plays, with the super heroes virtual image on the green screen, in the background, while students are entering zoom and I'm taking attendance; I see the smiles on their faces and the stars in their eyes as they are eager to get started into the journey of our lesson.
We are exploring being agents of change and how we can each tap into and find our individual superpower poses. We watched the inspiring footage of Martha Graham's 19 Power poses to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment. One student said, "I see that's why you have the superheroes on the green screen, or that's why you were playing that music." Then we created our original 5 power poses.
Utilizing virtual images, and text that not only activate their senses to give peace and calm, but it also allows for students to connect with the lesson from a visual perspective. We've increased our visual and auditory acumen with the use of the document camera, which has a wonderful auto text feature that can translate information in real time onto the screen. Much like the feature within power point that adds the language to the screen as you say it. With the document camera, I'm able to take students through a live creation of a directional movement map in space.
We then shift our focus into a kinesthetic awareness of the material, this helps the student's accessibility, and retention of the information on multiple levels. So, while we are dancing and exploring various concepts, we have those powerful images and text front loaded to help support and increase our learning in our minds, bodies and hearts.
Furthermore, the students are intrigued by the ability to change the green screen's images. At one point we started talking about how to apply a virtual background. I used this as a teachable moment and allowed a very tech savvy student the opportunity to explain how it works for him on his new computer. All of sudden the entire class was trying to change their screens. I shifted the focus back to the lesson and told them we could look at green screens and changing our backgrounds later.
Thank you, donors, for enhancing and transforming my virtual dance class instruction to keep it fun, engaging and interesting to the students each day, especially during the summer of 2020. I could not have done this without your support!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Branch-Scott
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 9 other donors.