The Konami Code: An Experiment in Dialect Pedagogy

The Konami Code is a tool for teaching stage dialects that I have been developing for the past three years. I wanted a method that didn’t rely on students’ having a keen ear for phonetics; rather one that offered context for each dialect, and presented individual sound-changes as small parts of an easy way to digest the whole. Most importantly, I wanted a process that was portable: a set series of applications that my students could incorporate easily into their actor’s tool-kit and carry with them into the professional world. The Konami Code incorporates kinesthetic and imaginative elements into the study of dialects. This thesis discusses the genesis of the Code, the theory behind it, and my applications of the Code, to date, as both a teacher and a coach. It is a work in progress, and one which I hope you will expand upon even as I continue to do so

Dynamic Composite Data Physicalization Using Wheeled Micro-Robots

This paper introduces dynamic composite physicalizations, a new class of physical visualizations that use collections of self-propelled objects to represent data. Dynamic composite physicalizations can be used both to give physical form to well-known interactive visualization techniques, and to explore new visualizations and interaction paradigms. We first propose a design space characterizing composite physicalizations based on previous work in the fields of Information Visualization and Human Computer Interaction. We illustrate dynamic composite physicalizations in two scenarios demonstrating potential benefits for collaboration and decision making, as well as new opportunities for physical interaction. We then describe our implementation using wheeled micro-robots capable of locating themselves and sensing user input, before discussing limitations and opportunities for future work

A Teacher\u27s Companion For The Emerging Electric Orchestra

Historically orchestral string instruments have been defined as classical instruments. As a result in primary and secondary school programs students have been relegated to playing music by Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart. Those programs and that world is rapidly evolving. A broad range of new electric string instruments and technologies are being introduced into the classroom and everything from pop to rock to show tunes are being played engaging students in new and exciting ways. The challenge for teachers and administrators is how to start such a program in their school. This thesis explores the unique challenges and opportunities that this change represents and provides a guide to the technology and the teaching techniques necessary for building a successful program

Embodying Shakespeare: A Psychophysical Approach to OP Rehearsal & Performance

Original Practices Shakespeare calls for a specific mode of performance exemplifying a strong unity of thought, action, and speech. Sometimes called Living Thought, actors must realize this state within a typically short OP rehearsal process while maintaining tight, rapid pacing emblematic of the form. This thesis examines Living Thought as a state of psychophysical fluency and asks how a psychophysical approach to OP rehearsal practice can enable actors to manifest it. The research demonstrates how Living Thought can be contextualized and explicated through a psychophysical perspective, constructed through a consideration of existing psychophysical performance practices, especially those of Konstantin Stanislavski, Michael Chekhov, Bella Merlin, and Phillip Zarrilli, and the psychophysical work of specialists in vocal performance including Cicely Berry and Kristin Linklater. This thesis establishes the principal conventions of OP Shakespeare and asks how and to what extent an approach informed by psychophysical performance practice can be utilized for OP. This thesis addresses the challenge of utilizing psychophysical practices typically associated with durational training in the context of the short OP rehearsal process. This project operates under the hypothesis that a psychophysical approach will facilitate the realization of Living Thought in performance. A toolkit assembled from existing performance practices and adjusted for the demands of OP is explored in a series of workshops to investigate that hypothesis practically. This toolkit of psychophysically derived techniques for OP rehearsal and performance is presented in complete written form with an analysis of the supporting documentary evidence, including supplemental video footage from each workshop illustrating each technique and evidence of Living Thought in practice

Playing with poetry: Lessons utilizing creative drama techniques to teach poetry to senior high school students

Although much has been written on the ways drama can be used in the English classroom, little has focused on the teaching of poetry using dramatic techniques. This paper provides a thirty-lesson creative drama unit for teaching poetry to high school students. The first three chapters introduce creative drama, review current research, and detail the background of the lessons. The bulk of the paper is contained in the fourth chapter, the lessons themselves. The early lessons introduce students to improvisation, poetry writing, spontaneity, and in-class performance. These skills are refined and used in later lessons to teach areas of poetry, including sound devices and poetic meter and structure. Specific poems are provided for each lesSon In the final lessons the students use their own knowledge and their ability to perform to create original dramatic presentations based upon poetry they themselves have chosen

Drama for Social Justice: Embodying Identity and Emotion in ELT

In this thesis, the author makes the case that drama is a powerful tool for language acquisition because it develops and engages embodiment, emotion and identity, important aspects of learning and communication that are often neglected in traditional language classrooms. The thesis establishes a theoretical foundation for the use of drama in the social justice-oriented language classroom, reviews research on drama for language learning and describes common drama techniques. The author connects the theories of embodied cognition and multiliteracies to an intersectional model of identity and argues that drama helps students re-examine the way society positions them based on their embodied identities. The impact of emotions on language learning and the ways students’ emotional experiences are influenced by language and culture are analyzed, with the conclusion that drama can be an effective tool to increase students’ emotional intelligence. The author situates second language identity formation within a narrative identity development framework and proposes identity texts as a form of counter-storytelling. These texts contribute to the creation of a more just society by challenging dominant discourses and encouraging students to envision a wider range of possibilities for their future selves. The thesis concludes with a framework for implementing drama in the language classroom, which contains suggestions for creating a socially responsible drama class as well as a progression of activities that teachers can use with their own students

Assessment and technological forecasting in the textile industry: From first industrial revolution to the Industry 4.0

Each Industrial Revolution played a key role in the production-consumption pattern of textile products. Given the complexity of the Textile and Apparel Industry, the production systems have varying degrees of conceptual and technological innovation. Thus, the objective of this research is to present a model that includes the projection of technological changes in the production and consumption of textiles from the contrast between the descriptions of patents, scientific articles, and trends and tools of the Industry 4.0. It was possible to infer that the components of the Textile and Apparel Industry are undergoing an evolutionary process, which includes the automation of machinery parts and processes. The technological tools that characterize the Industry 4.0 are not yet fully integrated into textile production, and the challenge for the textile industry is to keep up with these innovations that impact on production, on business models, on consumer habits, and on social aspects.Keywords: textile and apparel industry, Industry 4.0, assessment, forecasting

BioMuse to Bondage: Corporeal Interaction in Performance and Exhibition

This chapter looks at technologies of biosensing and techniques of sonification that invoke physicalization of sound to create a sense of intimacy in musical performance and gallery exhibition. By comparing the dynamic across stage and gallery settings, we will see how the corporeal activation of sound can become a key not just to decode experimental performance, but as an entry point to possible intimate spaces created by digital interaction. We will draw upon notions of physicalization, enaction, and embodiment to describe how a visceral, nearly carnal situation can be created in technology mediated work

A Movement Tool Kit for the Divergent and Convergent CPS Guidelines: Instruction Cards and Activity Floor Mats

A Movement Tool Kit for the Divergent and Convergent CPS Guidelines: Instruction Cards and Activity Floor Mats Movement is as natural to humans as breathing is, and, yet, passivity starts early in schools. We are taught to sit still and in silence for long periods of time. By the time we reach adulthood and enter the workforce, we have almost forgotten our sense of embodiment. This lack of movement is counter-productive, not only to learning but to the development of creativity as well. For this project, I designed a tool to recapture the joy and playfulness of movement. Furthermore, the tool seeks to improve kinesthetic intelligence and build a bridge between movement and creativity. I’ve included a series of cards for creativity practitioners and activity floor mats for participants, which seem simple at first glance. However, once experienced, they have the capacity to deepen understanding of the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) divergent and convergent thinking guidelines. The work presented here is based on rich academic research in the areas of embodiment, metaphors, gestures, movement, Gaga methodology, and the science of creativity. The underpinning theories supporting each are briefly reviewed, but I have provided an extensive bibliography for the reader who craves further exploration. The development, outcomes, and key learning of this project, as well as the results of its evaluation, are also provided