School Guide
Table of Contents
Your SK InterACTIVE Booking
Access to Content
Your registration entitles you to either 1, 3, 6, or 9 months of Unlimited Workshop-Access (depending on package purchased). During your access period you will also have access to additional videos, activities, and resources that are added on an ongoing basis. After your access period expires, you will still have access to a selection of our online resources.
SK InterACTIVE “Groove Box” (if applicable)
Your SK InterACTIVE Experience may be accompanied by a box filled with hands-on materials. If you wish to purchase a Groove Box, please let us know! It is our way of reaching through the screen and adding an “in-person” element to an on-screen experience. These are not essential components to your SK InterACTIVE Experience but are intended to support student engagement. Groove Boxes are sent out within 2-Days of registering for your Workshops. Items in the Groove Box vary from program to program. Some of the items you may find in your box are the following:
T-Shirt
This is an adult size t-shirt and is provided as an item for you, and your colleagues, to fight over 🙂 The shirt could be awarded to the Principal, the person who was key in making the SK InterACTIVE Experience a reality, the President of the PAC, or used as the main prize in a Staff Dance Competition!
Groove Coins
Groove Coins are wooden tokens with the names of Hip-Hop moves printed on them. Initially you may use them to reward a student’s efforts in class, but once they have been distributed, the possibilities are truly endless. You can mix and match the coins to create new Dance Sentences/Combos or stick with the classics of Connect 4, Memory, and Tic Tac Toe. Explore more ideas and share your own: https://skinteractive.school/groove-coins/. Each of the Groove Coins list a different move. For instructions on how to do each move please visit our Groove Coin Studio https://skinteractive.school/groove-coins/groove-coin-studio/.
Stickers
The stickers are purely for fun and for supporting your student’s engagement in the Workshops. Please use as you wish!
Maze Pens
Some boxes will contain the famous SoundKreations Maze Pens. For your colleagues or students, they are fun for all ages 😉 Use them as rewards for student (or teacher) participation!
Living and Breathing Workshops
The world of SK InterACTIVE is a living ecosystem! Content is being added, updated, and improved all the time by a dedicated team of artists and educators. Although the core content of your Workshops will not change, you may notice improvements and new fun functionalities pop up as you progress. So please, if you feel that any element of your Experience could be improved, let us know!
Instructor Check-Ins (add-on)
Our team of SK Instructors would love to connect with your students in a Livestream Check-In session. Sessions are 10 minutes in length and can be scheduled to run as a “Kick-Off Connection”, “Mid-Point Check-In” to motivate and assess progress, or a “Closing Connection” as part of the Final Celebration of the SK InterACTIVE Experience. These Livestream Check-ins can be added prior to your Launch Date or at any time throughout your Access Period for a fee.
Accessing Your Workshops
Your Online Experience Hub
Your InterACTIVE Workshops are accessed through your Online Experience Hub at https://skinteractive.school Follow access instructions below:
- Login to https://skinteractive.school using the Username and Password listed in your LOGIN Email or provided to you by your school administration.
- Choose My School from the side menu
- Select your School Account
- Select Workshops to preview and select which Workshops you would like to use for your students.
Note: If your Access Start Date has not yet arrived, you will see only one Workshop available to your School Group (Welcome to SK InterACTIVE). All Workshops will become available on, or shortly before, Launch Date.
Adding Educator Accounts
When booking your SK InterACTIVE Experience, you will receive one Educator Account and one Student Account. These Accounts can be used by multiple Users. However, if you would like to add additional Educator/School Staff Accounts (Group Leaders) it is very easy to do so in your “Manage School Group” area.
Adding Student Accounts
When booking your Workshops, you will receive both an Educator Account and a Student Account. Students may access the Workshops through this account. If you wish for each student to have their own account, this is made easy by using your “Group Code”.
School Group Codes
Every school registered with SK InterACTIVE will receive a “Group Code”. By providing this code to your students, they are able to Create an Account, Enter the Group Code, and automatically be connected with your School Group.
Please make sure that you share your Group Code with your students! We have provided an email template here for your use that describes the process for Students and their Families. (Ensure that you replace the placeholder text with your School’s info!)
Adding Workshops to Google Classroom, Moodle, Brightspace etc.
There are a few ways to do it but the simplest way to integrate the Workshops into your Google Classroom is by using the Direct Session Links and Instructions that can be found here.
Your Community
Your Registration not only grants you access to InterACTIVE Workshops but also to your very own Closed Online Community accessible only to your School. Using your main School Login Credentials, all school staff can explore available workshops, and share their experience, photos, and reflections in the Group Feed area. Parents can also be granted access, if you wish, by sharing your login credentials with them. This is a great way to share the experience with parents as their children progress through the SK InterACTIVE Experience.
Accessing from Home
It is important that at-home learners have the same access to the Workshops that their class-mates do and with your Online Experience Hub, this is easy. To offer access, you can simply share your school’s log-in credentials with the student’s guardians (your log-in credentials contain only your School’s Name and Password and provide no access to sensitive information), set-up each student with their own account using a simple “Join-Code” system (we can help with this), through your favorite Learning System (Google Classroom, D2L, etc.) or share the content in real time by Screen Sharing through your preferred livestream platform. There are so many ways to connect your students to their Dance Unit and we are happy to set it all up for you!
The Video Player Experience
Skipping Forward in the Video Experience
Interactive video is a unique format and traditional functions such “Fast forward” and “Rewind” would allow Students to skip right past a choice point! But don’t worry! All videos have been equipped with a “Skip to a Section” menu at the beginning of every Session that allows you to jump to any of the sections in the Experience and also go back to a previous section by starting the Session from the top and then choosing a Section to jump to (see video below). We are also in the process of adding “skip forward/back” buttons throughout the video so that you can move through it with ease. This feature is in the works and will be released soon!
Do you want to take some more time with your combo?
Within each workshop there is a tab marked “Materials”. Click on this tab to scroll down and find two videos of the FULL Combo: “The Break-Down” and “With Music”. These videos can be used to compliment the main Workshop content and integrated as you see fit. Although these are not interactive videos, they do allow you to choose the play-back speed! Just click on the gear icon and choose a pace that works for you!
The Workshops
Your Program Theme
Hip-HopPARTY
Express your unique self in a way that invites others to join in! This is the world of Hip-Hop Party Moves!
Hip-Hop Dance and Culture has always been about COMMUNITY and expressing your unique self in a way that invites others to join in! The essence of Hip-Hop’s social nature can be found in the Party Moves! “The Cabbage Patch” “The Prep” “The Hype”! In Hip-HopPARTY, students learn that dance is meant to be shared and are asked the question: what do you want to share with your community?
Choosing A Workshop for your Students
We know that no two groups of students are alike, so we have assigned each Workshop a colour to help you decide which Workshop best suits the needs of your learners. All classes should be considered “beginner”. It is the speed, delivery style, and Workshop theme that informs the colour assigned. Please find additional information on our Colour System on our Workshop Page.
Reviewing Workshops before sharing with your students
Within each workshop there is a tab marked “Materials”. Click on this tab and you can scroll down to find two videos of the FULL Combo: “The Break-Down” and “With Music”. This is the best way to fully preview a combo. (See screenshots below)
Session Length
The length of each Session will vary depending on which, if any, Class Extension options you choose but, generally speaking, each session can be as short as 25 minutes (approx.) and as long as 45 minutes (without repeating content).
Session Structure
Every Workshop consists of 5 cumulative “Sessions” in which students are supported in learning a Dance Combo and performing that Combo during their final Session.
Other than the 5th Session (Performance Day), each Session follows an identical structure:
The Rules (approx. 3 mins):
We go over the rules at the beginning of each Session. It is essential to the success of the Program that expectations are communicated and adhered to without exception.
Build-Up (approx. 5 mins):
We turn on the music and get our bodies moving! We also use these first 5 minutes of movement as an opportunity to prioritize Curriculum Connections.
Culture Flash (approx. 40 secs):
Students are briefly transported into the heart of Hip-Hop Culture through video and Spoken Word.
Combo (approx. 15 mins):
This is the main content of your Workshop and involves your instructor supporting your class in learning a Dance Combo.
Mindful Moment (approx. 2 mins):
This short Mindfulness Practice involves deep breathing, visualization, and the opportunity for the students to reflect on their experience.
Mission (approx. 2 mins):
Every session concludes with a Mission, given to the students to either deepen their understanding of the dance style and culture or to strengthen their connection with their peers. We do not follow-up with the students so you may wish to do this yourself.
Option to Extend Class:
At approximately the 25 minute mark, your main Session material has been fully communicated and you will be given the option to extend your class by exploring one of the provided options:
Review (approx. 1 min):
Choose this option to give students the opportunity to run through everything they’ve learned so far.
Dance Game (approx. 5 mins):
Let our SK Instructors lead your students through a Dance Activity that is both Curriculum Connect and a ton of fun!
Bonus Move (approx. 5 mins):
If your students are hungry for more grooves, choose to learn a Bonus Move! Bonus Moves do not show up anywhere else in the Program!
Workshop Materials
In addition to your Workshops you may find additional resources in your Online Group>Workshops area. These resources may change over-time but may include a download link for the music used in the Workshop as well as ideas and examples of how Students and Educators can use the Groove Coins in their classrooms.
“It’s Your Turn To Choose”
At various points throughout the experience, the on-screen instructor will invite the students to make a choice. It is up to you to quickly tally the votes for each option and submit the winning option into the system. There is a count-down timer visible at most choice-point (between 30-45 seconds depending on choice) and when the time runs out, the interactive system will automatically proceed with the FIRST option.
If, for any reason, you are unable to submit the student’s choice, the timer will run out and the Experience will proceed, without interaction, through almost all of the choice points. There are 3 choice points at the beginning of each Session that require interaction to proceed:
Ready to start?
Is everyone listening?
Is everybody spread out and staying safe?
Do you want to take some more time with your combo?
Within each workshop there is a tab marked “Materials”. Click on this tab to scroll down and find two videos of the FULL Combo: “The Break-Down” and “With Music”. These videos can be used to compliment the main Workshop content and integrated as you see fit. Although these are not interactive videos, they do allow you to choose the play-back speed! Just click on the gear icon and choose a pace that works for you!
Our Approach to InterACTIVE Education
Our Vision
When we were coming up with the concept for SK InterACTIVE, we chose to rush past “good enough” and instead create something remarkable. With young kids of our own, we were well aware of the state of current video offerings and the distraction marketed as “engagement”. We knew we had to level-up. We didn’t want to base our Virtual Dance Experience on anything that could already be found on a screen. Instead, we would base our Virtual Experience on what we’ve found in the Classroom and then use the medium of video to push those boundaries beyond expectations.
Engagement not Distraction
In the end, it was a combination of Artists, School Teachers, Administrators, Curriculum Consultants, and the students we’ve worked with for the past 12 years informed our approach to SK InterACTIVE. This is not a YouTube dance channel filled with talking fish and cartoon rocket ships that pull students into another world. On the contrary, we aim to keep students in this world and in their bodies. So although SK InterACTIVE certainly has its share of flash, you will notice that the quantity and timing of this flash is highly intentional and used as virtual “smelling salts” to stimulate the senses and refocus the Learners.
Interaction
We have connected with some of the biggest thinkers and brightest minds in the Interactive Video world to bring The Future of video experiences into classrooms, gyms, and living rooms across the globe! When used mindfully, Technology certainly can support the Learning Process! Through the InterACTIVE technology, we can let the students CHOOSE their own dance adventure, engage with the instructors they know and love!
Difficulty Level
In general, we have designed the Workshop combos to be shorter yet more challenging, offering students a greater depth to their learning experience than we are typically able to offer through our in-person programs. Typically, we have 5-10 days to spend with the students. Now, students have the opportunity to work with our instructors for months at a time and the ability to review content endlessly.
Curriculum Connections
SK InterACTIVE resource was designed with a strategic focus on delivering purposeful movement, creativity, and physical literacy to our students. The instructional design and lesson content allows students to explore the elements and principles of movement using a contemporary and engaging platform, Hip Hop Dance. Throughout the SK InterACTIVE experience, students will learn the beauty of creativity and expression by responding to various music, feelings, and ideas. As a cohort, they will build strong community identity as they see that dance is interconnected and improved with group membership. In this process, they will explore, experience and understand why human connection is imperative to mental health!
Your Role
We are truly a team in the delivery of this Experience and cannot create a successful experience without your help. Our requests of you are threefold:
- Captain the Ship
- Lead the Crew
- Dance
Captain The Ship
We will motivate your students to make choices throughout their Experience but it is your hands that are on the steering wheel. Please be ready to count the number of student votes and input their choice into the system so that they may experience a real sense of control and engagement. We will go into this process in greater detail in the sections below.
Lead Your Crew
We have spent over a decade leading in-person programs in schools, just like yours, and have picked up a wealth of tools and tricks to elevate student participation levels. We have not held back when integrating these tools into the SK InterACTIVE Experience. That being said, whether we are with your students in-person, or virtually, we are no replacement for you, their school teacher. Our second request of you is to support the students in maintaining focus and participation in the program. This can be accomplished in a hundred different ways but methods unique to this style of learning are:
- Use the “Swag” provided to reward a student’s efforts and attention in class
- Use the Power of the Pause button at will 😉
- Reinforce the illusion of the SK Instructor being present by listening and engaging as you would in a typical program.
Dance
Seriously. It will be awesome and your “crew” will love you for it.
Preparing Your Students and the Space
Prepare the Space for Success
Spreading Out
At the beginning of each Session, your on-screen instructors will ask students to “spread-out and find your own space” but there is a good chance that you will need to support this effort. As you are well aware of, there are endless configurations and methods to effectively get students into those configurations. We have outlined some of our favorite methods here.
Performance Day
The 5th Session is Performance Day. Students will run through their Dance Combo, get some Performance Tips and, when ready, step onto a stage to perform for a stadium of fans! Of course, the stage, the lights and the fans are all virtual and yet we have constructed a realistic enough version of the experience that you may find the butterflies come to life in even your stomach! The Performance meets two main objectives: To offer a Demonstration of Learning, even if it is a demonstration only for you, their teacher and, to offer students the experience of accomplishment. If you wish to support and magnify this experience, there are a few ways you could do this:
Blocking/Spacing
Find some time between the 3rd and 4th Session to establish the student’s Performance Positions. If you put them in their positions at this point in the Workshop, and ask them to remain in these positions for the remaining Sessions, they will have two full Sessions to learn and rehearse in their performance positions and really get to know where they are supposed to stand.
Performance Attire
Establishing a dress-code for the Performance can create a heightened level of excitement and professionalism. The best way to do this is to spend about 5 minutes with your students on the day before the performance and determine if they all have jeans and a white shirt and make sure that they know to wear it for the performance. It doesn’t matter if they have exactly the same clothes as long as there seems to be some hint of intention behind what everyone is wearing. Of course, a backwards hat here or there never hurts 😉
Above and Beyond
Of course there are unlimited creative ways that you could add another degree of specialness to your student’s performance day. Maybe you dim the lights when they step on “stage”, maybe you announce their arrival in a booming voice! Have some fun and see what kind of magic you can create!
Including the Parents
Our programs tend to create a buzz and you may find that an unprecedented number of parents are asking how they can attend the performance. The two main ways that we suggest are Livestream Sharing and Recorded Video Share.
Livestream Sharing
For the Livestream Sharing, you can set-up a webcam to stream your student’s performance within your Closed School Group in your Online Hub. Parents would be giving access to the site and can view their child performing while it’s happening or access the recording of the performance at a later time.
Pre-Recorded Video Share
What might prove simpler and more effective, is to film each student group during their performance and then upload those videos to your Online Hub where Parents can log-in and view.
If you would like to pursue either of these options, please let us know so that we can support you!
Prepare-For-Launch Check-List
- Learn and Share about SK InterACTIVE with colleagues and parents
- Share Online Access and Explore your Online Hub
- Run a Launch Test
- Choose Your Workshop
- Share the “Welcome to SK InterACTIVE” Video with your students
- Launch Experience
- Share and Connect in your School’s Online Hub
Technical Stuff
Requirements:
You don’t need a Time Machine to visit the future but you will need:
- A Screen (projector screen, smartboard, monitor or TV)
- A Device (computer, laptop, iPad)
- A WiFi Connection
- Latest version of Chrome Web Browser onto your Device (download here)
- Speakers (these could part of your device or separate)
- Necessary cables (HDMI, AUX, etc.)
*WIFI Strength: A strong wifi connection is a plus but not necessary. If your connection is strong enough to play a YouTube video, you’ll be able to play our Experiences without any trouble.