Monday, April 15, 2013

4th Grade Google Earth Artists

Students are busy creating their Google Earth works of art.  They used a Google Earth image as the skeleton for their composition.  Students outlined the lines and shapes they thought stood out on the Google Earth image and them traced them on a blank piece of drawing paper.  Next, they added color to their lines and shapes.  Images have been photographed and will be used in a video.

https://picasaweb.google.com/100826388941559998420/4thGradeGoogleEarthArtists?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLqbzZzrqOrqNA&feat=directlink


Sunday, April 14, 2013

Technology is Not a Separate Lesson...

During the course of the year, students in my classroom have learned how to integrate technology within their classwork.  At this point of the year, students know how to use several tools and can integrate the use of them, on their own, as they are in various stages of work on their projects. However, it took some time and training to get there.  In the beginning of the year, I taught them lessons in Digital Citizenship.  Then, throughout the year, I have been teaching them how to use new tools and Web Sites.  As I am teaching students about these tools and sites, I am constantly reminding them of the AUP and how to be a good Digital Citizen.  I feel it is important to review this each time the students access sites on the Web.  I also think it is the responsibility of every teacher, who uses technology in their classroom, to teach students how to use technology appropriately.

In my classroom, we use technology in many ways.  Technology isn't the lesson in itself.  Technology is embedded within the art lesson.  A sample lesson in my classroom might look something like this:

1.  The student is introduced to an artist, movement, or idea. Students learn the goals and objectives of the lesson.

2.  Students work on their lesson.  Technology devices may be used as a means for researching ideas or in aiding in the completion process.

3.  When students complete the lesson, and the work is assessed (rubric, critique, etc.), they have the ability to scan their artwork with a classroom scanner or photograph their artwork using an iPod Touch, iPad, or Digital Camera.  On some occasions, if time is limited, I will photograph the work and place it in my dropbox.  Students will either upload the photos of their artwork to their laptop or retrieve the photos of the artwork from my dropbox.

4.  Students will edit the photograph of the work in iPhoto, ipiccy.com, pixlr.com, picmonkey.com, image tricks lite, etc. if necessary.

5.  Students will place a photo of their edited artwork in their Art PowerPoint.  At this point, they will type a reflection about their work of art.

6.  Students will transfer the photo of their artwork to iMovie where they will record a video or audio reflection about their work of art.

7.  Student will place the photo of their artwork in a folder on their desktop.  This folder of work will be submitted to me via my dropbox near the end of the course.  I will upload all of the works of art to each student's Artsonia.com portfolio page.

***At any time, students may choose to redo a project.  When students learned that all their artwork was being used during student led conferences, I was so thrilled to hear a student ask if they could redo one of their assignments because they knew they could do a better job.  I was thrilled to hear they wanted to do it over and happily allowed them to redo it.

We have been on a learning curve this year.  The goal is to have my students become more independent in preparing their work for show, in school and online. Because we just received many of the technology devices this year, we are not quite where I want to be, yet,  I am proud of the way students are adapting to the changes. I am even more proud of their patience and willingness to help me learn how to use the new technology tools.

It has been exciting integrating technology in my lessons.  I want others to see that technology doesn't have to be something that is only taught and used in the computer lab.  When technology is interwoven into lessons in classes outside of the computer room, the results can be pretty powerful.

Photography "Zone" Where Students Can Photograph Their Artwork

Learning How to Use the Green Screen

After watching many video tutorials and through trial and error, I think I am ready to give my Middle School students their Green Screen assignments.  They are going to be working in pairs to create Green Screen videos about their favorite works of art, created this year, that will be included included in their iMovie and saved to their Digital Portfolios.  Each pair will receive an iPod Touch and will be set to work.

The trials and tribulations that led us on the path of preparedness have included a few practice photo shoots where some students stood in front of the Green Screen and shared their thoughts about one of their works of art.  After the first photo shoots, we purchased a steamer to get the wrinkles out of the Green Screen.  This helped.  Next, I uploaded some of the videos to my computer.  We were having some difficulty with the videos extending beyond the artwork that was substituted for the Green Screen.  I figured out that I need to make sure the photographed artwork is same size and oriented the same way (portrait or landscape) as the Green Screen video.  Also, we figured out that it is a good idea to be aware of the artwork composition.  The student will need to know this when standing in front of the Green Screen.  For example, if the details in the work of art the student wants to talk about are mostly to the left of the artwork, the student should stand to the right in the Green Screen video and leave lots of green screen space to the left.  This will prevent the student from "standing in front of" the subject they are talking about.  This is particularly important if there are words in the work of art.  It might be helpful to also have the students shoot the videos with lots of extra Green Screen above and to the side of the students.  This will allow the student to appear smaller than the work of art so more of the work can be seen.

So far, I have a list of ideas of ways we plan to use the Green Screen.  I also have some possible ideas.  If you have used a Green Screen in your classroom and would be willing to share ideas, I would love to hear them.  It has been exciting to see the excitement in the kids as we think of new ways to use it.

Ways we plan to use/have used the Green Screen during the remainder of this school year include:

1.  Each Middle School student will create a video about their favorite work of art that will be included in their Digital Portfolio.
2.  Our school principal utilized the Green Screen to shoot videos for a Gala Dinner dinner item some families purchased.  Students in the families stood in front of the Green Screen and introduced the courses of the Italian meal their parents purchased.  Their videos were dropped in front of Italian scenes.  As the meal was being served, the "kids" introduced each course through the video.
3.  I am planning to shoot a video about the different ways we have used technology in the classroom.  I have videos of students working as they are using the technology.  I plan to shoot videos of kids looking into the Green Screen like they are looking out a window and asking the kids to explain what they are doing in the prerecorded videos.  Those two videos will be combined.  (I will post the video when it is done.)
4.  Fourth graders created a Google Earth Artwork with Google Earth images.  I plan to have the students shoot a video (in front of the Green Screen) telling about their image and then replace the Green Screen with their Google Earth Artwork.

Next year I plan to:
1.  Continue creating videos about their works of art for the portfolios.  
2.  Have kids "stand in front of" a variety of Western and Non Western works of art and create a video analysis of each work.





Laker Educational Foundation Grant Recipient

This Fall, I was honored to apply for and receive a Grant for the Art Department from the Laker Educational Foundation.  We were able to purchase equipment that is going to be used for a variety of purposes.

Students have already used some of the equipment to photograph their artwork and upload it to their laptops.  They learned how to edit their work and then create Digital Portfolios and iMovies. In the iMovie, they had to include video and audio reflections about their work.  Students placed the iMovies in their Digital Portfolios and shared them during Student Led Conferences.

Student service workers have also used the equipment to photograph the work of the younger students.  The artwork of the K-5 students is slowly being uploaded their Artsonia.com portfolio pages. Middle School students will be submitting a portfolio of their photographed work that will also be uploaded to their Artsonia.com portfolio pages.

Our next step is to start using the Green Screen, which we are slowing mastering by trial and error, to create videos about artwork.  While in front of the Green Screen, students will film a video about one of their favorite works of art. Then, in iMovie, they will drop the video over the top of their favorite work of art.  The work of art will become the wall they are standing in front of.  Videos will be posted later.

Thank you, Laker Educational Foundation.  Your Grant is changing the way we are able to share the works we create in the Art room.  It has been a wonderful way to infuse technology in the Arts.