This is my favourite studio space at home. A notebook, my phone, a reclaimed wood table from a flea market and a manual typewriter that's as old as I am. There's just something about the clack of the keys that inspires my imagination. It's become a part of my daily routine of mindfulness and wellbeing, too. Facing the blank page for a few minutes and journalling manually, the old fashioned way. Making marks on a surface with ink.
When we facilitate the routines of journalling and writing with our students, it's like exercise for their imaginations. Journalling can be personal and private, but it can also reveal ideas for stories, essays, presentations and productions that have purpose and audience, as well. The process of daily exercise builds strength and strength builds confidence, which results in quality exhibitions of student artifacts, publications, presentations and productions that are visible to their audiences on the page, stage and screen.
So, whether it's on papyrus, parchment, paper or pixels, the best worksheet for developing creative confidence has always been the blank page. It doesn't seem to matter how digital we get, either. Almost every creative project or endeavour begins with some form of scribbling an idea on a surface. Learn more about the Studio Process and visual storytelling with your students in the Rocky View Studio WORKSHOP and this visual lesson, "Create by Writing":
And, of course, when our student writing has purpose and an intended audience, we can publish their work in a variety of ways, as you can see on the Rocky View Studio Bookshelf, which is full of #rvsed examples of publishing with students. This visual lesson reviews how:
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Shifting to online learning with your students means video chats on Zoom or Google Meet. It's easy to make yourself presentable on camera with a couple of simple tips for setting up your video.
First, you've gotta face it, the window is a lamp, not a backdrop. Turn your chair or desk around so the natural light pours in on you, rather than casting you into a silhouette. 
Next, level with your camera.
Steady your device (camera, tablet, laptop, phone) on your table or desk, so that it is pointing at your eye level, even if you have to stack some books under it. So, you should be able to look your camera in the eye, and whoever is video chatting with you will feel like they are, too. 
You can step up your game even more by composing your frame like a photographer would. So, whether you're meeting with colleague, students, family or friends, you can Zoom in with confidence. These brief lessons review how to create inspiring images and pro videos:
Whether we are designing learning at school, at home, online and on the land, we use the design process of Discover, Define, Develop and Document to create memorable experiences for students. The process is illustrated beautifully in the latest episode of the "What Learning Looks Like in RVS" animated series. And if my enthusiasm seems a bit biased, well, I'm not gonna to lie, I'm as proud of this video as ever, because that's my daughter doing the narration, my eldest son on all the drawings & animation, and my friend and colleague, @DMcWilliam on the script!
When I was a younger teacher, I got this great summer job as a writer in the Story Department for three seasons on a popular children's television series called, The Incredible Story Studio. The idea was simple: take stories written by middle schoolers and adapt them into ten-minute movies. You can still see some of the episodes on the Encore+ YouTube Channel, including the one linked below. But honestly, the best part of the work for me, as a creative arts teacher, was getting to run around the school district to lead the Writing Workshops in local classrooms on behalf of the show. There were literally thousands of stories to choose from, many of which poured in from eighth and ninth grade writing workshops from across the country and around the world. We had to read all of the stories submitted to select just the promising few that could be adapted for the series and the intended audience of younger kids on YTV. Leading these writing workshops and reading thousands of student stories was a formative experience for me as an educator, and it's informed how I approach the design of learning for students' creativity to this day, especially the idea of making learning visible with stories that kids create in all subjects for the page, stage and screen. And it reinforced just how important it is in mentoring young storytellers for the teacher to do the project, too, and experience the challenges, pitfalls and triumphs of workshopping a piece of writing from imagination to exhibition. Of course, nowadays, we have such incredible access to imagining, creating and exhibiting our own students' work in online portfolios and our own youtube channels. Back in the day, we had to film the stories on 16mm film with a big crew. Now, all you need is your mobile device and an internet connection to reach a global audience! The Creative Process we employed in those writing workshops is shared with you in the Rocky View Studio Workshop, which contains inspiration, lessons, examples and resources that you can practice yourself and with your students at your own pace, all open and free! Plus you can see numerous examples of teacher and student storytelling for the Page, Stage & Screen on the Animation, Bookshelf, RockyDocs and RockyTalks pages. In the most important ways, the creative process that we engaged in for the tv show hasn't changed much at all for our classrooms today. As teachers, we still design the conditions in our for students to feel safe, mindful and well, and to offer them the opportunity to develop their own voices and creative confidence through cycles of journalling, drafting, feedback, revision and editing with purpose for audience. Then we share work that we are proud of with our audience and the world. Making students' storytelling visible is the best way I know to foster their originality, express their individual voices and build their creative confidence. Okay, so here's the episode that contains the first teleplay I ever wrote, which was based on a short story written by ninth-grader, Amber Smith, who narrates the film: "A Pinch of Fame, a Dash of Ego & a Whole Lot of Imagination" Incredible Story Studio, Season 2, Ep. 9A
Story by Amber Smith | Teleplay by Rick Gaudio | Directed by Alan Goluboff In Rocky View Schools, the phrase Making Learning Visible means designing opportunities for students to imagine, create and exhibit original writing, speaking and representing with purpose for authentic audiences. That is how we foster creative confidence in ourselves and our students. We publish, present and produce their stories on the page, the stage, the screen and the web. The Rocky View Studio Bookshelf is a collection of stories and exemplars that offer inspiration for being creative in your classroom, no matter what grade or subject, nor whether you are learning in person, online, at home or on the land. The process for creating original works remains the same: publish student writing and storytelling to be read, viewed, listened to and interacted with by authentic audiences. Learn more about the creative process in our Workshop and design learning in your classroom so that you can publish original student writing and storytelling on the page, stage, screen and web. And share your learning with #rvsed from your online on your site, channel and social media.  Student artist & author, Macki C., pictured in grade ten with her teacher, Mr Gray, sharing her first published book, When I Grow Up, which began as a class project. Her second book, What Makes Me Special, was completed in the spring, after schools closed, and is now available on amazon.ca!
It was inspiring to meet Corban and Carter when they were in eighth grade and learn about how they designed the Choose To Care recycling program at their middle school. This little RockyDocs story shares the details: So it came as no surprise when this story showed up on CBC this summer to share how Carter started his own business called The Detail Lab after graduation! This RockyDocs story features the students and teachers from Banded Peak School in Canada and Heiðarskóli in Iceland who are all part of the CONNEX exchange program, which stands for Community, Outdoor, Nature, Nurture, Education and eXchange. The project aims to reimagine the schools' connections with community and enhance their passion for the outdoors, by intentionally engaging seniors, fostering meaningful connections with the nearby Tsuut’ina Nation and opening the “Back 40” to community walks. Enjoy the experiences and perspectives of the participants as they host one another in their communities and the natural world.
Exhibit your students' stories, essays, speeches, presentations and artwork on video and share the projects on your rvschools youtube channel. It always begins with the writing process, where students are scaffolded through drafts, feedback and revision. Trying to get the words or the script just right. Then the recording, using whatever they have at hand, even if it's their mom or dad's smartphone. Younger students can even have their presentations recorded by their teacher in Zoom or Google Meet. With consent, the edited videos can be shared on a teacher's or school's youtube channel and organized into playlists that serve to connect with community by exhibiting student learning. Take a closer look at the storytelling process and practice guide for sharing student work in the Rocky View Studio Workshop! In the meantime, check out these examples that have been created in #rvsed during #RVSedLearningFromHome with many more to come in the final weeks before summer! You can see dozens more examples of student video projects in the #rvsed Student Showcase and the RockyTalks Online Exhibition on the RVS YouTube Channel!
 Every year, Rocky View Schools classrooms share their learning stories through RockyTalks, and this year of Learning From Home will be no exception! In June 2020, the Rocky View Schools YouTube Channel will host presentations from all over the #rvsed community, from teachers and students in every grade, from every corner of the district and share them publicly in the RockyTalks 2020 Online Exhibition! RVS Teachers can share their YouTube playlists of RockyTalks videos that their students created at HOME, in any subject or format including speeches, essays, position papers, opinions & editorials, learning stories, numeracy/literacy/design, Arts & CTS, creative writing, poetry & spoken word, and more! Follow the Practice Guide to share your students' presentations playlist in the RockyTalks 2020 Exhibition!
Produce Your RockyTalks!
 Despite the cancellation of large live gatherings at the end of this school year, there are still ways for us to connect with our parents, students and teachers by creating and sharing our exhibitions and celebrations virtually! Many teachers and entire staffs are creating messages and videos for their learning communities and sharing them on YouTube and social media. It's fun and joyful and wonderfully important to connect with our students.
As the school year approaches summer, schools are going to be creative in how the celebrate and exhibit the learning from the year, especially learning from home! In order for us to design engaging programmes for our communities in #rvsed, we recommend a workflow that invites home-made videos from the community, such as speeches, presentations, addresses, testimonials & performances, then assembling the content into a video programme, and sharing the virtual celebration on school YouTube Channels and social media. Check out the Practice Guides here on RockyView.Studio that can help you create meaningful and purposeful virtual video programmes to share with your audience:  Grad 2019 at WG Murdoch Many in our #rvsed learning communities were disappointed by the cancellation of commencement events this spring, but there are still ways for us to connect with our parents, graduates and teachers by creating and sharing our celebrations virtually!
In order for us to design engaging programmes for our communities in #rvsed, we are forming a Community of Practice to share ideas and workflows to crowd-source videos from the community, such as valedictory addresses, testimonials & performances, to assemble the content into a video programme, and to share the virtual ceremony on school YouTube Channels and social media. Click below to check out the Virtual Grad Practice Guide on Rocky View Studio: When the latest survey results came in, families said they loved it when teachers created a personal video message for them each week that put their Learning Plan into simple terms. Share all your videos on your RVSchools YouTube Channel to connect your learning community and inspire others toward Creative Confidence!
Take a closer look at the storytelling process and practice guide for sharing student work in the Rocky View Studio Workshop! In the meantime, check out these examples that have been created in #rvsed during #RVSedLearningFromHome with many more to come in the final weeks before summer! You can see dozens more examples of student video projects in the #rvsed Student Showcase and the RockyTalks Online Exhibition on the RVS YouTube Channel!
After you have connected with your students via a Personal Message from your new YouTube Channel, and you have created and shared one or more video lessons, you may want to organize your channel with YouTube Playlists and Sections on your Channel's Homepage. Not only can you organize your own videos into curated playlists, but you can also add sections of playlists from other channels, too. Check out this new tutorial for curating the content on your Channel: If you haven't started your RVSchools YouTube Channel with a personal welcome message for your students, fear not! You can check out last week's tutorial video How To Launch Your Channel with a Personal Message to get started. Many #rvsed teachers connected with their students this week with personal messages, live zoom sessions, email, classroom and brand-new google sites. Now, it will be fun to create and share weekly lessons, provocations, pitches and projects to students from the channels we have created. And making new video lessons from content we already have is actually pretty easy. This new tutorial video shows you how to take your presentation slides from any software, whether PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides, a folder of images, or even a website, and turn them into a narrated video that can be shared on your RVSchools YouTube Channel. Check it out: If you haven't started your RVSchools YouTube Channel with a personal welcome message for your students, fear not! You can check out last week's tutorial video How To Launch Your Channel with a Personal Message to get started.
Launch Your Channel! Since schools closed, many teachers want to connect with their students in a personal way, and a short video recording is a great way to share a personal message that they can enjoy any time. This challenge begins by recording yourself on your #rvsed laptop in iMovie, then connecting directly to Youtube to launch your channel and uploading your first video to your new Channel! Record Your Lessons! After connecting with your students in a personal message on your channel, the next challenge is to populate your channel with original content. It’s easy to record lessons and presentations that you have already created in Keynote, PowerPoint or Google. The tutorial video about recording your lessons will guide you through the process of recording your presentation as you advance through your slides and turn them into a narrated video that can be shared with your students on your RVSchools YouTube Channel. Curate Your Playlists! After you have connected with your students via a Personal Message from your new YouTube Channel, and you have created and shared one or more video lessons, you may want to organize your channel with YouTube Playlists and Sections on your Channel’s Homepage. Not only can you organize your own videos into curated playlists, but you can also add sections of playlists from other channels, too. Share Your Learning! The Rocky View Schools YouTube Channel hosts presentations of RockyTalks from all over the #rvsed community, from teachers and students in every grade, from every corner of the district, all shared publicly in the RockyTalks online exhibition! This year, RVS Teachers can share their YouTube playlists of RockyTalks videos that their students created at HOME, in any subject or format including speeches, essays, position papers, opinions & editorials, learning stories, numeracy/literacy/design, Arts & CTS, creative writing, poetry & spoken word, and more! Follow the Practice Guide to share your students' presentations in the RockyTalks 2020 Exhibition! With the closure of schools in Alberta, many teachers still want to connect with their students in a personal way, and a short video recording is a great way to share a message with your students while teaching and learning from home. Plus it's also a perfect opportunity to launch your RVSchools Youtube Channel! So, here is a little how-to video to get you started by recording yourself on your #rvsed laptop in iMovie and launching your Youtube Channel by connecting to your RVSchools Google account. Stay tuned to the Rocky View Studio channel for more lessons in the coming weeks. Next will be a tutorial about sharing videos of your Teaching & Learning by recording lessons on your laptop! 
For a long time now, I have practiced the daily habit of handwriting in a journal. There's something about writing on paper for an imaginary audience that never judges and always listens. And it feels especially precious these days during social distancing, when we are in video contact with others, staring through screens all day long. For me, scratching marks on physical paper in the early morning is a reliable time to slow down, think and make something simple, made all the more enjoyable with an espresso.
The habit of daily writing also informs the kind of storytelling that's meant for an audience. It's like doing exercises, in a way. Or warming up before a run. The writing process is often hard work and it feels good to be limbered up and ready to go. The writing process is what drives so many creative and professional endeavours. This little essay features images from #rvsed classrooms in which students use the habits, routines and mindsets that are common across all disciplines that begin with writing with purpose for a real audience:
The transition to teaching and learning from home is upon us and we just don't know how long it's all going to last. This week will be all about preparing for classes to resume, and each of us has set ourselves to the task of designing a home studios for teaching and learning. Thus with great change comes great opportunity! All one really needs is a quiet corner with a little sunlight, som good reading book, a journal or sketchbook, and a trusty #rvsed laptop - the basic tools one need to be creative and productive as we teach, learn and share our stories with one another. Follow #rvsed and #RVSedLearningFromHome on Twitter, visit the brand new RVS Learning From Home website for tools, resources and support, check out the RVS Youtube Channel for learning stories from Rocky View Schools, and of course, stay tuned to the Rocky View Studio channel for new video tutorials and stories about Teaching, Learning & Creativity! Let the journey begin!  |
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