Using Spreadsheets (and Google Docs) in the high school Theater Classroom
Part One - Examples of Spreadsheet Use
1. Collecting Student Information – Using a teacher-created Google form, an educator has a wealth of information combined into one spreadsheet for all students. The educator no longer has to sift through sheets to attempt to make connections between bits of information through the class. With a few simple mouse clicks information can be ranked and collated by the question asked. All student information is on one powerful spreadsheet that can be accessed by a variety of teacher-accessed devices.
2. Teaching Budget Management – Theater must operate within established budget constraints or be willing to fund raise to offset costs. It is prudent to ingrain upon students forecasting, planning and executing operations within a given budget. This also creates co-curricular opportunities with the Math or Accounting teachers. Spreadsheets create an immediate visual that helps drive the lesson home.
3. Rubrics for Audition Process – Using rubrics for audition is not necessarily a new process. However, using a rubric on a Google Form means that data is collected and recorded into a spreadsheet. One can hide the name column and have a teachable moment with a student, parent or administrator. Furthermore, it becomes a teachable moment with classes as you can insert data you wish to study: how many students came prepared with memorized monologues, what is the most used monologue for auditions at that school, what songs are popular with students for auditions, are all trends you can access from your Google Spreadsheet responses to your Google rubric.
4. Collecting and Processing Student Feedback – Using a Google Form tied to a Google Spreadsheet for responses allows an educator to gain feedback for any work being done outside (or inside) the classroom without having to wait for a test or quiz. You can task students with watching a tutorial and have them access a Google Form when they have watched it to gauge effectiveness of communicating ideas to your students. The teacher can look at the data and assess whether to reteach a unit or move to the next lesson.
2. Teaching Budget Management – Theater must operate within established budget constraints or be willing to fund raise to offset costs. It is prudent to ingrain upon students forecasting, planning and executing operations within a given budget. This also creates co-curricular opportunities with the Math or Accounting teachers. Spreadsheets create an immediate visual that helps drive the lesson home.
3. Rubrics for Audition Process – Using rubrics for audition is not necessarily a new process. However, using a rubric on a Google Form means that data is collected and recorded into a spreadsheet. One can hide the name column and have a teachable moment with a student, parent or administrator. Furthermore, it becomes a teachable moment with classes as you can insert data you wish to study: how many students came prepared with memorized monologues, what is the most used monologue for auditions at that school, what songs are popular with students for auditions, are all trends you can access from your Google Spreadsheet responses to your Google rubric.
4. Collecting and Processing Student Feedback – Using a Google Form tied to a Google Spreadsheet for responses allows an educator to gain feedback for any work being done outside (or inside) the classroom without having to wait for a test or quiz. You can task students with watching a tutorial and have them access a Google Form when they have watched it to gauge effectiveness of communicating ideas to your students. The teacher can look at the data and assess whether to reteach a unit or move to the next lesson.
Part Two - Lesson Incorporating Spreadsheets/Google Forms
A – Description of the Topic
Theater students will use Google Forms, Spreadsheets and AutoCAD LT to present their design/budget for the school play. (Whether student or teacher directed, all teams will receive a statement of the director’s vision of the play.) Each team will be divided into Jigsaw groups to insure each team has an appropriate cross section of design team members. Stage carpentry/set design teams will have access Autocad LT to forecast materials set to local hardware store prices. Jigsaw teams will enter line items into a Google Form to create a master spreadsheet for class event/presentation to stakeholders – cast, crew, parents, administrators, theater donors and SMEs students sought for design advice. The goal of the presentation would be to win the bid as the most period accurate, cost-effective, making effective use of man-hours and dollars, design for the play.
B – List of Goals of the Lesson and Complex Concepts Gained Through This Lesson
Students will:
C – Sample/operational Spreadsheet
Theater students will use Google Forms, Spreadsheets and AutoCAD LT to present their design/budget for the school play. (Whether student or teacher directed, all teams will receive a statement of the director’s vision of the play.) Each team will be divided into Jigsaw groups to insure each team has an appropriate cross section of design team members. Stage carpentry/set design teams will have access Autocad LT to forecast materials set to local hardware store prices. Jigsaw teams will enter line items into a Google Form to create a master spreadsheet for class event/presentation to stakeholders – cast, crew, parents, administrators, theater donors and SMEs students sought for design advice. The goal of the presentation would be to win the bid as the most period accurate, cost-effective, making effective use of man-hours and dollars, design for the play.
B – List of Goals of the Lesson and Complex Concepts Gained Through This Lesson
Students will:
- Collaborate on planning, designs, budgeting, research and presentations
- Create a set design.
- Create a costume plan
- Create a prop plan
- Create a light plot w/costs
- Create a sound plot w/costs
- Create a build schedule w/total man hours estimated
- Create a publicity plan
- Create a house management plan (programs, intermission refreshment costs, etc)
- Create an estimate of production recovery through ticket sales based on six shows
- Create a target of Angel Donations
- Create a target of Ad sales from program
- Research materials and costs (rental vs ownership)
- Research and then create plans that reflect and accent the period, setting of the play
- Present their findings in a high-stakes environment
- Utilize multi-media to highlight choices
- Utilize spreadsheets to show budget breakdown.
C – Sample/operational Spreadsheet
Here is the lesson spreadsheet created from the Google Form. Minor form modification creates the computations. This spreadsheet allows the teacher to view by class and period. Please feel free to scroll left or right and up or down to view the form. If you wish to view it in full, you can visit this link. Please note, only two sample teams are entered. Any particular piece of information can be highlighted.
The document can create a variety of charts as well. Included below is a sample of data comparisons possible using a spreadsheet.