Wit, Not Witchcraft Screening Shakespeare in Brandon Valley
by Katy Beem High school English teacher Matt Christensen’s classroom, like Christensen himself, pushes convention. Reminiscent of a mandatory school uniform re-jiggered for flair and dress code-flouting, the white walls and taupe carpet of Christensen’s cement-block room at Brandon Valley High School recede behind artful embellishments and unexpected details. Student tables, reflective of Christensen’s communal learning culture, sport colorful, patterned tablecloths. Student art – splashes of vibrant reds, blues, and yellows – informally festoon the rectangular bulletin boards like bright graffiti on a dull Burlington Northern boxcar. Tiger paintings and figurines repeat throughout the room – homages to the Bengal tiger from Yann Martel’s adventure novel Life of Pi, which Christensen’s students read and deconstruct. A wire-mesh human form stands prominently beside the whiteboard, its palms lifted skyward – perhaps supplicating in the hopes that students will stuff more paper scraps into its hollows. Its name is ‘Island.’ “’Island’ is a highly significant, extended metaphor/asymptotically realistic, botanical discovery from Life of Pi,” explains Christensen. “It has tiny slips of white paper embedded with literary theory, terminology, and excerpts. ‘Island’ is a feat created by students.” If Christensen were to write a book on teaching philosophy, it could very well be titled Feats Created by Students – and it must be available as an e-Book. ‘Island,’ the student art, and a handful of forms on the teacher’s desk are the few places where paper survives in Christensen’s classroom. “I print maybe two things all year,” says Christensen. “And I don’t let the students print. We keep everything in a Google folder.” 4
Learn. Dream. Grow.
Charged with making Shakespeare (b. 1564) matter to Generation Z adolescents (b. circa 2000), Christensen eagerly harnesses technology to deliver the Bard and writing arts to teenagers whose lives outside of school are propelled by smart phones, social media and cloud computing. Since 2003, Christensen has taught English and coached football and basketball at Brandon Valley. Characteristic of his manifold pursuits, his YouTube channel streams football videos as well as Skyped interviews between his students and author Yann Martel. “Yann’s famous, but he’s just super nice,” says Christensen. “I don’t sit on camera – I put students on the camera with him.” This year, Christensen’s keen espousal of digital delivery earned him the distinction of South Dakota’s PBS Digital Innovator, a program through which PBS LearningMedia recognizes PreK-12 educators from throughout the U.S. who thoughtfully integrate tech into their classrooms. Christensen’s curriculum director, Marge Stoterau, encouraged him to apply and student Gage Hoffman assisted with background music, B-roll, and voiceovers for
Christensen’s entry video. “Gage is a super kid and a really nice guy,” says Christensen. “He kind of motivated me and helped me show myself as someone who cares about digital innovations and how they can be used to empower students.” The collaborative effort reflects Christensen’s pedagogical stance of knowledge-sharing in the digital realm. “It’s up to both student and teacher to embrace the useful and new – not just the new. Sometimes it’s new, shiny, and flashy, but it’s not useful. Students are definitely digital natives, but they still need guidance in what we’re trying to get done or what critical thinking avenues we’re trying to open up and expand upon with digital tools.” A devotee of the SAMR Model (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition), Christensen says it’s essential to not merely replace paper with screens for reasons of ease or novelty, but to create worthwhile learning experiences. “We want to make it collaborative. When students get voice and choice, then they care more, do more, and are more valuable in college and in their careers.” The paperless proponent evokes an ironic