FAQ

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TECHNOLOGY QUESTIONS

 What are the minimum system requirements for Drama Works! Online

1. A current, updated web browser
Update your web browser:
Firefox | Chrome | Internet Explorer | Safari

2. PDF reader (Adobe Acrobat Reader preferred)
Update your version of
Adobe Acrobat Reader

Installation Sequence
1. Install/update to the most current version of the web browser you wish to use
2. Install/update to the most current version of Acrobat Reader
3. Configure Acrobat Reader to view PDF in the web browser (not download or open separate window)

Browser Settings:
Enable JavaScript
Enable Cookies
View PDF with Acrobat Reader in web browser
Note- Flash not required

Supported Browser Versions
Safari 7 and up
Firefox 35 and up
Chrome 42 and up
Internet Explorer 9 and up
*Note: some features and functions may not work on older browsers

What equipment is required to access DW content?

A device with a working internet connection such as a computer (desktop or laptop), tablet, or smartphone.

What platforms and operating systems are supported?

Mac OS, Windows, iOS, Android

Can documents be downloaded for working offline?

No. Content and documents can be viewed, displayed digitally via projection or smartboard, or printed, but cannot be downloaded. The Companion Book of Lesson Plans is the offline version of the lessons and the Creativity Cards and Vocabulary Cards are the offline versions of the prompts and TEKS-based terminology. 

Can the teacher login from home or locations other than work?

Yes. The Licensed teacher can login at any time from any location or any device with Internet connection and a web browser. 

How can the district update account information or user passwords?

Each school or district must select a Login Administrator who will be responsible for keeping track of login information and reassigning licenses to new teachers when current ones are replaced. Detailed instructions will be provided to the Login Administrator for how to perform these tasks.

Is there an E-version of the textbook?

No. The Licensed teacher must login to view content. 

Can any documents be formatted or changed?

No. All content and documents are copyright protected and cannot be altered by the teacher or students.

CONTENT QUESTIONS

How is Drama Works! different from The Drama Game File 2nd Edition CD-ROM?

It is very different. We’ve moved to the online delivery method, no longer using CD-ROM. The content is completely redone including an all-new lesson plan format, completely rewritten lessons (including dozens of brand new titles), new posters, new chapters…all designed to meet the new theatre TEKS for grades K-12. The Vocabulary Cards is an all-new product. The Creativity Cards are completely redone and have expanded from 6 to 10 categories for 500 cards. We still use the features DGF users love, such as multiple cross indexing to look up lessons by ages, subjects, topics, skills, and learning styles. There is much more for assessment, classroom management, quality questions, high school level material, arts integration, theatre elements, production, and technical theatre.  

Is Drama Works! just theatre games?

No. It is rooted in a game-based and creative drama approach to teaching, but includes much more than a collection of games. There are detailed lesson plans, activities, and projects. DW also includes curriculum planning guides such as model lessons, units, and scope and sequence mapping. Research, pedagogy, and practice contributed to the development of the complete classroom management system, teaching strategies, and thousands of ideas for integrating drama across the curriculum. DW is a comprehensive teaching system for all ages, subjects, and learning styles.  

Does Drama Works! include scenes, scripts, or monologues?

No. There are no pre-written scenes, scripts, or monologues included. Instead, we have lessons that can be applied to any script the teacher or students are using. These lessons help students explore the characters, situation, setting, conflicts, relationships, objectives, and tactics to bring the script to life, add detail, or improve believability. Or, use the Creativity Cards and our improvisational storytelling activities to generate new material that can be turned into a written monologue, scene, or script.  

What material is included for theatre history?

The glossary in DW Online and the Vocabulary Cards print component include terms, definitions, and examples for a variety of theatre history genres (see the Vocabulary Cards for a digital tour). The index of lessons for Social Studies include dozens of activities ideal for dramatizing historical figures, events, and vocabulary -- all of which can be used to reenact theatre history genres, cultures, playwrights, performers, and events. 

What material is included for technical theatre?

The glossary in DW Online and the Vocabulary Cards print component include a variety of technical theatre terms and definitions including set design, lighting, costuming, and makeup (see the Vocabulary Cards for a digital tour). The index of lessons for Elements of Theatre include activities that explore the creative use of sound, music, props, costumes, and set pieces to portray character, setting, and plot. DW is not a program that teaches step by step design or construction of sets, lights, props, or costumes; however, DW does teach vocabulary and technical theatre concepts. It also includes prepared lists of recommended versatile props, costumes, set pieces, sound effects, and music playlists for tempos and moods that can be used in the lesson plans, story dramatization, or theatre productions.  

Are there prepared rubrics for assessment?

Yes and no. DW includes detailed instructions in assessment and a step-by-step process for designing a model assessment rubric. It also included beginner, intermediate, and advanced concepts in each lesson plan to use to design a rubric for the level of the students. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all assessment rubric, so DW guides the teacher and students in how to create an effective rubric and provides the specific criteria from which to build the performance assessment.  

Will the DW Online content change or evolve?

Yes. DW Online includes annual updates to content and features based on user feedback and need. Licensed teachers will have input into shaping the evolving content, features, and professional development videos. 

Is DW Online the same content for grades K-12?

Yes and no. All teachers at all grade levels receive access to the same content, but will use the index by grade levels and other organizational structures within DW Online to find age-appropriate content. We have built in many more instances of scaffolding by beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels to allow teachers to scale down, scale up, or move progressively through a lesson plan or other content. In some cases there are alternate versions of visual aids for elementary and secondary. Much more has been added in the program for high school level and for differentiating levels of experience or complexity.  

What percentage of DW content is for high school?

These are rough approximations:
DW content geared towards elementary = 90%
DW content geared towards middle school = 90%
DW content geared towards high school = 90%
Most content applies to a range of grade levels, while some is designed specifically for younger students and other content is designed specifically for older students. 

DIGITAL AND PRINT COMPONENTS QUESTIONS

Is the Companion Book the same as DW Online?

Yes and no. The book has all of the lesson plans, indexes, and many handouts and curriculum planning documents from DW Online. The teacher will find much more material by logging into DW Online, however the book allows the teacher to quickly look up the 101 lessons by the 75 indexes in the back, then flip to the front section to "read it and lead it." The Companion Book is the “offline” version of the lesson planning portions of the online curriculum. 

Are the Creativity Cards the same as in DW Online?

The content is the same, but the presentation is improved in the box set with cards that are bigger (3x5), stronger, and more colorful than the online version - a PDF to project or print-and-cut into flash cards (business card size). Plus, the box set version include the bonus ideas on the bottom of many cards (turning 500 cards into 1300 ideas provided), tabs, wild cards, instructions booklet, and durable portable box.  

Are the Vocabulary Cards the same as in DW Online?

The content is the same, but the presentation is improved in the box set with cards that are bigger (3x5), stronger, and more colorful than the online version - a PDF to project or print-and-cut into flash cards (business card size). Plus, the box set version include the definitions and examples on back, tabs, instructions booklet, and durable portable box.  

LICENSING QUESTIONS

What is meant by a Single Teacher License?

For use by one teacher and his or her students. There are no restrictions as to number of computers or devices or students. A Single Teacher License cannot be shared with another teacher. Go to License Agreement for details.

Do we have to purchase a copy for every student?

No. You purchase a Single Teacher License which includes use by all of that teacher’s students (K-12). 

Are students allowed to access DW Online?

Yes, but they will not have a separate license or username. They are included in the teacher’s license, but only the teacher can login to gain access to the materials. It is up to the teacher’s discretion to allow students to navigate the program after login. Supervision of student use is recommended. 

Can the teacher copy and paste DW content?

Yes, a Licensed User is allowed to copy and paste from DW into any district required documents, lesson plans, etc., but must be sure to include a reference to the source material and website address. No content, lesson plan, poster, or other DW material may be altered in any way or be shared with any other teacher. DW material may be posted to a class website with access restricted to those students via secure login.

Can a License be transferred to another teacher?

Yes and no. Each license is for one teacher position. If a new teacher is hired, then the license transfers to that new teacher and will no longer be valid for the outgoing teacher. However, you cannot share one license among more than one teacher or rotate it to different teachers in different years. Only district-purchased licenses can be transferred to a newly hired teacher; a license purchased by an individual is not transferrable. Go to License Agreement for details.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT QUESTIONS

What support do you provide for teachers?

Our Staff Development services include teacher-only trainings in person, model demonstration lessons with students, and video conferencing sessions from distance. Administrators can Contact Us for pricing, availability, and a free planning consultation. Use our experience to help you put together a package of materials and teacher training services to provide ongoing support for your teachers and for successfully implementing Drama Works! Teaching System into your K-12 classrooms.

What is covered during in-person PD trainings?

Common topics include: the complete classroom management system for creative expression, arts integration across the curriculum, drama and literacy, model lesson plan structure, curriculum planning, and alignment with theatre and ELA state and national standards. We customize PD to address  your needs, objectives, and district initiatives. 

USING DRAMA WORKS! ONLINE QUESTIONS (FOR LICENSED USERS)

How do I use the Drama Works! Search feature (search bar at top)?

Use the search to find pages and lessons that connect to a topic or concept you are teaching. This is especially helpful for arts integration. An elementary or math teacher could search terms such as geometric shapes, perimeter, or multiplication. An elementary or history teacher could search terms such as “historical figures” or “historical events”. A theatre teacher could search terms such as projection, articulation, or the phrase “theatre history”. Keep in mind that many more lessons can be used to teach the concept you search for, however, this feature helps you find pages with the exact word or phrase written into the content.

Enter a word or phrase into the search bar, hit return, and the Search feature lists all lessons and pages in Drama Works! Online that contain that word or phrase.

Single Word Search

  1. Enter a single word in the search bar (typed in or copied and pasted from any DW content). Examples: antonyms, biography, or multiplication.
  2. Hit return.
  3. The search results box displays every Drama Works! page and lesson that contains that word.
  4. Click any link to browse the search results.
  5. To find the exact location of the searched word on a specific page, first click the link to open the page. Then, use the browser find command, enter the word, and hit return. The browser will highlight all instances of the word on the page. Hit return again to jump to the next location of the word.

Multiple Word Search

  1. Enter the words in the search bar (typed in or copied and pasted from any DW content). Example: historical events
  2. Hit return.
  3. The search results box displays every Drama Works! page and lesson that contains all of the words you entered in the search (the words may not be together as a phrase, but are somewhere on that page).
  4. Click any link to browse the search results.
  5. To find the exact location of the searched words on a specific page, first click the link to open the page. Then, use the browser find command, enter one of the words, and hit return. The browser will highlight all instances of that word on the page. Hit return again to jump to the next location of the word. Enter a new word in the find field to see where that word shows up on the page.

Exact Phrase Search

  1. Enter an exact phrase in the search bar inside quotes (typed in or copied and pasted from any DW content). Examples: “story recall” or “life cycles”.
  2. Hit return.
  3. The search results box displays every Drama Works! page and lesson that contains that word.
  4. Click any link to browse the search results.
  5. To find the exact location of the searched word on a specific page, first click the link to open the page. Then, use the browser find command, enter the word, and hit return. The browser will highlight all instances of the word on the page. Hit return again to jump to the next location of the word.