SHANA’S MUSINGS
Climate Change Theater Action - Power and Possibility
Theater is an indispensable tool for addressing the climate crisis, as it is an essential activity addressing what it means to be human.
Changing the World, One Workshop at a Time
The power of the workshop is to rethink the point of time.
Spark Students' Creativity with Zoom-Friendly Exercises!
I was invited to contribute a piece on creativity to the W.W. Norton K-12Talk Education blog. Here it is! http://k-12talk.com/2021/01/28/spark-your-students-creativity-with-these-zoom-friendly-exercises
Producing Possibilities
I have never lived in a truly healthy, equitable, thriving society. But thanks to my fellow artists, students and teachers, leaders and teammates, I have touched moments of what it might look and feel like.
Zooming Literature to Life
Cultivating curiosity is one of the most important things we do as educators. Zooming literature to life raises questions, uncovers vulnerabilities, and provides invaluable portals into imaginative and critical inquiry.
This article originally appeared on Edutopia.org
Great Teachers Teach Great Anywhere
You're a great teacher. But are you feeling inept in the face of online instruction? Here's a little general motivation to translate how – and why – you teach to digital platforms.
Journey to Lands Beyond - Zooming into The Phantom Tollbooth
Now more than ever we need both the power and joy of words, the playfulness and kinetic energy of numbers. In the midst of the Covid-19 crisis, our lives look a lot like Milo's at the beginning of this adventure – stuck in our rooms, overwhelmed by the noise of the words and numbers screamed at us by the media, trapped by the static and paused quality of life, in danger of boring ourselves to distraction.
PUBLICATIONS
DIRECTOR’S NOTES, a book
A collection of essays on theater, life, and family.
For a copy, please contact me.
"This was an utter delight to read. Your prose is pure gold, capturing nuance and emotion with a clarity and passion sorely lacking in most of the world’s verbiage."
"Your director's notes brought me to tears. Your writing moves me every time."
"Lovely, lovely notes that I want to read and re-read again. You have so many gifts that you share with us, and your exquisite writing-poetic and singing, philosophical and soul moving takes me to new and mind opening places. Thank you, thank you!"
12 Tips for taking kids to the theater, an essay
Published by ParentMap and BlueStar Families
Theater offers a unique opportunity for connection and conversation, especially with tweens and teens. Theater can be both fabulous entertainment and meaningful art. Enjoying theater with kids is easy, especially if you approach the experience with appropriate expectations and a few goal-oriented strategies. Here are a few ways to set the stage for connecting with your kids through a theater experience.
Spark Student Creativity with Zoom-friendly Exercises!
Published by Norton K-12Talk
Bringing creativity into the classroom isn’t only for art teachers! Creativity hinges on discovery, and as educators we can intentionally set the stage for those moments of discovery to happen. Creativity is also intrinsically tied to collaboration–whether individually, by engaging different aspects of the self in conversation, or collectively, by communicating with others to build something together. Creativity is about being ingenious, resourceful, and taking risks. Whether your focus is math or reading, science or history, coding or painting, creativity is an essential ingredient to learning, engagement, and sparking curiosity and joy. Read More
Teaching drama at a distance
Published by Edutopia
Tips and strategies to help literature and drama teachers adapt theatrical pedagogy for the Zoom stage.