Hello, I will be starting my second year of teaching this August, teaching at an inner city, urban middle school in Ohio. I will be introducing 6th, 7th & 8th graders to the wonderful world of theatre.
Drama at the middle school level was cut in 2006 in my district. After a 3 year hiatus, it is coming back thanks to our wonderful taxpayers, who voted in favor of the school levy. Because of this gap in the department’s use, the resources are almost non-existent and there is no budget. The department will obviously need to be built up but I am essentially starting the program from nothing.
Most of the students at my new school have never taken drama. A camera would be valuable to document their dramatic progress and give them something to show off their accomplishments and growth.
Drama happens to be the type of class that students can try something new and hopefully feel confident enough to be themselves. Middle school can be tough time for even the most self assured student, and this insecurity can either be approached as a wall or a challenge to overcome. I want to reach my students in a new and exciting way. In an age where it is more likely that they have gone to the movies in the last month than a play, in depth study of the art of film would be very meaningful.
My approach as a drama teacher is to expose the students to as many facets of the theatre arts as possible, in as many different ways possible. Students will be more well rounded and successful if they are given the opportunity to experience what they are learning about rather than passively read about it. And so if my students can see a live play, learn to build sets, or learn about the structure of a play and then write their own, they will learn more. This hands-on approach makes the classroom an exciting and thriving learning environment. These real experiences solidify the information they are learning in a way that cannot be matched by reading about theatre in a textbook.
I have found that a video camera is a tremendous way for students to not only learn, but to fully commit themselves to a project. The excitement of being able to watch themselves on film and be in a “real movie” fueled their academic drive and was contagious. During this first year, my students and I created 10 original movies, which ranged from 5-50 minutes long. They spanned such subjects as interviews with Ellis Island immigrants (3rd grade Social Studies) to political commercials in honor of the election (5th grade Social Studies) to exploring what they want to be when they grow up (Kindergarten).
Now that I am moving to a new school, I would like to continue with projects like these. However, this is impossible without a camera.
As I move up to the middle school level of acting, a camera would be a valuable tool that the students would be able to use in many different ways. It can be used for any actor who wishes to improve their craft through constructive self and peer criticism. It is also a tool for those who prefer to stay behind the camera. Eventually, I hope to have a program where students could direct, cast, shoot, edit & produce their own original movies.
Thank you for taking the time to read this request. If you choose to donate to this worthy cause, you will be giving the students the resources and the opportunity that they may not have otherwise. Any help that you could offer the students would be greatly appreciated. Most of my students don’t come from much, but they are hard workers and they deserve this opportunity.
Thank you in advance for your help!
P.S. Upon request, I can provide a sample of one of the projects made by my elementary students as an example of the validity of these projects.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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