WEEKLY DISCUSSIONS

WEEK 1-INTRODUCTIONS:

Hi Everyone ,

My name is Susan Harmon. I am an MAE degree student,first semester.I am interested in technology and integrating it in my classrooms online and face to face..I teach at several colleges,online, art courses... and face to face.I am a painter whose work is informed by literature with a focus on emotional mark making.My BFA in painting is from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago and my MFA is from Georgia Southern University.I am excited to meet everyone and learn. Hmmm..something interesting about me?I did spend a year in Australia working on a PHD in studio Art where our art was thought of as research..pretty cool.

WEEK 2-ART and TECHNOLOGY:

Art and Technology Discussion 1

COLLAPSE

In weeks one and two readings, we look at an overview of the infusion of art with science or technology, the history and future of technological integration in the arts.

• How do you believe technology changed the way we view art,

First of all, technology has made it possible for us,all of us, to view art around the world with one click.People who may not have been able to financially afford or even find a way to physically go to an art museum, now have access to view museums through the internet.According to the article about Arts Organizations and Digital Technologies,"Cultural organizations like theater companies,orchestras, and art museums are using the internet, social media, and mobile apps to draw in and engage audiences,provide deeper context around art...."So arts exposure can reach out to a much greater population and  is now possible because of technology.

• How do you believe technology changed the way we make art

ok, from a personal standpoint..I am a painter.I use paint and other media to create emotional art works.I do not use technology in my work nor do I especially gravitate towards artists who do.However,I need to admit that technology has allowed me to digitally photograph my work and look at it from another viewpoint,on the computer, which changes my perspective on the work and with photoshp or paint I can edit and alter my image easily and then go back to my original art and make the changes."Technology has provided the tools,processes,and materials that assist artists in their creative expression"from page 2 of The article,the Future of Technology in K-12 Arts education

• the way we teach art and teach art?

This is where I use power point for lectures rather than clumsy slides.This where I can communicate with my students via Blackboard and post videos,important handouts and even samples of the work they produced in the classroom to view .We also can show our students important museums in NYC and around the world, to expose them to this experience virtually.Teachers and students can now communicate globally with other..students and teachers around the globe can share lesson ideas,and create collaborative learning experiences.On page 3 of the article,The Future of Technology in K-12 Arts education,it basically states this.

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2 months ago

Susan Harmon 

RE: Art and Technology Discussion 1

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Everyone seems against the idea of integrating technology in elementary school art classrooms but if we thought of these tools to not replace using our hands and materials to make art rather to use the tools to enhance the art experience and to engage our students and communicate ,this world is so new it may seem frightening but if we learn and open our minds it could be very exciting for our students and after all isn't that what it is all about?Teaching,I mean?Expanding our horizons and opening our kids minds and of course creating..This could be very stimulating and exciting.

WEEK 3-I PADS IN THE ART CLASSROOM:

COLLAPSE

After reading week 3 articles, what do you think of the use of iPads in the art classroom?

My first reaction was really? Once we stop teaching students skills and replace those skills with technology, well ….what would be next? Would we even need teachers one day? Would we be turning out kids who could not even actually physically draw or use actual paint and brushes? But we are not talking about replacing traditional art with technology are we? No… we are talking about enhancing art with the use of technology. As the week wore on and as I read on about integration and the future of iPads in the art classroom, and as I was teaching my course, Art for Elementary School teachers, I started posing the same questions to my students. What did they think of passing out iPads to their elementary school kids to use to make art rather than simply using traditional art materials to create art… and to learn about art and create art in a nontraditional way? Most of them wrinkled up their noses and could not even fathom the idea, however… I started thinking differently about this as my students were presenting their lesson plans to the class. I actually kept thinking about what Suzanne had said….”Suzanne: The iPad is at the forefront of becoming the most innovative and dynamic tool in art education. It can enable students to create and share digital content and media focusing on art and cross-curricular learning” What a wonderful tool this could be for students to be able to push their projects even further and the immense possibilities and exposure and learning tools that these could actually be in the art classroom, especially if used appropriately. For example, one of my students presented a lesson plan where the 3^rd graders partnered up and they took turns drawing each other’s hands for a project related to Picasso’s Peace Flowers. Then they continued making the project by switching partners and adding a flower on another student’s paper and so on. Imagine the possibilities that this project could have if we had iPads and we could share our project with other classrooms and globally involve students, and vice versa. This would further engage the students and expand what they could learn from this lesson. I also agree with Suzanne as she says” Aside from being an incredible creative device, the iPad also serves as a tool for collaboration, communication and research.  With apps such as Skype, FaceTime, and Tango, it is possible for students to connect with others locally or on a global scale.”I also like Suzanne’s idea of using the iPad for a blog to keep parents informed about the art activities of the art classroom. The iPad will become more important to art classrooms as a resource with its ability to allow students to instantly be able to visit art museum websites and view, actual artists creating art..It will allow them to partake in global conversations regarding art topics. My students create many presentations and I think with the iPad as a tool this would improve the quality of the presentations. I agree with the statement” iPad Art Room provides resources, ideas and insights for exciting learning experiences that merge traditional art-making processes with innovative content, techniques and ways of thinking.” iPad Art Room is such a great resource. To use the iPad to read iBooks is a great tool.”… a place where the ‘paint and pixels’ can work happily side by side. That is a great quote which says it all…Integration of the iPad helps teachers change the manner in which they teach as shown in the video where with the use of iPad allow students who are shy to be more involved in art discussions..Paper 53 as a sketch app is also a great tool so students do not have to raise their hands any longer to answer..iPads as substitutions for tasks and  replacing actual notes is a great too land of course to be able to access MOMA websites and replacing the art history book to a much more efficient and faster method to find out information. Using iPads to provide more timely and more efficient feedback for assessment purposes  is yet another excellent and efficient way to grade. At this point I am overwhelmed by the unlimited possibilities offered from an integration of technology /iPads in the art classroom .It is exciting albeit it a bit scary for me but I now admit that this would be such a wonderful ,wonderful experience and hope that I can see this happen.

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2 months ago

Erica Abesamis 

RE: WEEK 3

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Yes, I agree with you Susan! It is a difficult thing to adjust to but integrating technological uses would be beneficial for the students so they can further engage in art classrooms.

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2 months ago

Tyler Humphrey 

RE: WEEK 3

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I definitely had the same idea as you when starting this class. I thought that iPads would replace working with paints, paper, and other artistic tools. Once I finally read how teachers were using them it opened my eyes up a little to the idea. You have a very positive and creative way of thinking. I do think the project you talked about with the hands would be a good idea especially because it would get the students not just from your class but from all classes involved in a way they could all express their own identities and creativity.

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1 month ago

Denise Davis 

RE: WEEK 3

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I think that it would be really cool to use the iPads to collaborate on an art project with students from other countries as well.

WEEK 4-INTERESTING APPS FOR THE ART CLASSROOM:

Interesting Apps for Ipad use in the art classroom

COLLAPSE

I use the following:

• Pinterest  and have actually assignment my students to create a pinterest account with at least 3 boards and at least 5 pins on each board with some exciting 2-D project ideas for 4th grade.
•  You tube to access videos about artists and art history
•  Art museum websites
• Internet to access my own website,Facebook

I would like to experiment with the following:

• Good Notes
• Time Line
• Sketch
• I tunes

WEEK 5-VIDEO GAMING IN THE ART CLASSROOM:

Video Gaming as an educational tool in the art classroom

Video Gaming in the classroom as an educational tool.

“Amory, Naicker, Vincent, & Adams (1999) examined four different game types and analyzed elements that players liked most. In this study, students rated a number of game qualities including “the fun aspect, sounds and graphics, type of game, game story and use of technology”; “the importance of some skills [logic, memory, visualization, and mathematics, reflexes, and problem solving]”; “whether the game was easy to play, addictive, too long, challenging, confusing, too difficult, illogical, difficult to play or maneuver and if their performance increased with continuous play.” p 23 of The Journal of Applied Educational technology .It seems that students preferred “higher thinking games” which involved more strategy. This paragraph from our reading seems to highlight some very important elements of video gaming that should help us to determine if video gaming is a right fit for the type of lesson you are planning.

 I found a great use of video gaming at Texas A and M, in the art history classroom.” Art history students are learning about Renaissance art this fall while playing a video game, “The ARTé Project,” a prototype educational game developed by Texas A&M’s new Learning Interactive Visualizations Experience Lab to demonstrate a fun, alternative way to learn.”This is so cool, Andre heads the lab and he is reconstructing a Renaissance Palace in 1500s.It was made for one of those very large art survey classes for non art majors and let’s face it, it is very difficult to stay awake in that class especially if you have no interested or knowledge in art…. ok, ….so.. the students use an avatar to guide them through the Medici palace where they play a series of very short games which introduces them to the Renaissance masters in the Medici palace .Well, to me, it does seem to be more interesting than sitting for over an hour listening to a lecture which many may think is a “boring” lecture. They also can play a game for money, …virtual money( of course )and then they can donate some of the money they win… for example, the famous Baptistery doors is a place where they can donate money but first  they need to find out specific details, like..When the doors were built, why and who built them etc. Some art work like ceramics or tapestry or even wood works, which are not typically taught in the survey lecture may also be covered in the game.I really like this idea, It is so difficult for me to teach art history to my elementary education majors who will be teaching art to elementary school children. I could definitely use a video game  to help them learn and get excited to visit art museums and critique art works.

 WEEK 6-DISCUSSION VERSUS REVIEWS:

ReDiscussion versus reviews

COLLAPSE

Hi, personally I enjoy the discussion as I am able to hear what others have to say and read responses(if there are any.lol)to my ideas.However I can easily read articles and submit reviews..burt I personally perfer the discussio

WEEK 7-CLAYMATION IN THE ART CLASSROOM AND AS A FINE ART FORM:

.We need to begin this discussion with defining Claymation. According to the article, Making Claymation in the Classroomby Melinda Kolk(www.tech4learning.com),
“Claymation is any animation done using a character, or characters, created out of clay. Traditionally, claymation has been associated with the time-consuming techniques of stop-motion video, but with the advent of affordable computers, digital cameras, and easy-to-use software like Frames claymation is accessible to almost every classroom. “

She continues discussing how this art form engages the young student by bringing creativity in the k-12 classroom.

It is an easy medium for even young small hands to mold and use.

It is good for hands on learners and people new to technology.

It can be incorporated into all subjects and make them more interesting.

She goes on to say that this process can help students develop critical thinking and communication skills using a fun way to demonstrate what they have learned.

Let’s face it...it is fun.

The reasons for using claymation in teaching and advantages are numerous.

She continues to say that these are the advantages:

“Getting students motivated and engaged in the learning process is probably the number one reason to try claymation. The content of the animation might require students to create an advertisement for a product, rewrite existing stories with new characters, locations, or endings, or offer a new solution to an existing problem.

• Claymation is a hands-on activity that engages students, especially kinesthetic learners
• .•Working with clay characters and models allows students to explore abstract concepts in a tangible way. 
• •Creating claymations helps students build writing, planning, organizing, and teamwork skills. 
• Claymation can be applied to almost every subject area and grade level.
• The process is universal.
• You simply need to choose the content that is appropriate for your curriculum and classroom goals. Storytelling and creative “writing” are some of the more obvious ways to use claymation. It is also helpful for explanations of scientific processes, human body functions, visualizing mathematical concepts such as fractions, recreating historical time periods and events, and demonstrating physical activities such as proper exercises and stretches.
• “Collaboration,creativity,learning to discuss and solve problems,This is a very easy process that encourages and takes a team to work together and organization is important.
• The disadvantages are that is a slow process and it is a bit limiting as what kind of characters you can make
• .I definaely would incorporate this process in my classroom and even decided to introduce this as a project for my art for elementary teachers as I think they should incorporate in their classrooms.It is very exciting!
• I am having a bit of difficulty deciding if it should be classified as a Fine Art
• .I believe it should be considered an art form but  I having some difficulties with the Fine part.  But after researching ODDBALL Films,I have decided it is a Fine Art form as is cinema,photography
• “Oddball films is the film component of Oddball Film+Video, a stock footage company providing offbeat and unusual film footage for feature films like Milk, documentaries like The Summer of Love, television programs like Mythbusters, clips for Boing Boing and web projects around the world.Our films are almost exclusively drawn from our collection of over 50,000 16mm prints of animation, commercials, educational films, feature films, movie trailers, medical, industrial military, news out-takes and every genre in between. We’re actively working to present rarely screened genres of cinema as well as avant-garde and ethno-cultural documentaries, which expand the boundaries of cinema. Oddball Films is the largest film archive in Northern California and one of the most unusual private collections in the US. We invite you to join us in our weekly offerings of offbeat cinema.”

WEEK 8-FINAL DISCUSSION:

We are nearly at the end of the course. Our last readings will cover assessment. After reading the articles discuss:

How does technology affect assessment?

Is E portfolio an effective tool? Would you use it? Why or why not? pros and cons of using technological assessment tools.

Be sure to connect posts to the readings.

E Portfolios and Technology in art assessment

COLLAPSE

How does technology affect assessment?

Let us begin by discussing assessment in the arts classroom and what it really means then we can see how technology affects assessment inthe arts classroom.

Acording to the reading..There are several ways to give performance-based assessments." One is the portfolio. The student (or with younger children, the teacher) collects their best work and saves it for a time when the teacher can sit down with the student and give feedback. The portfolio is a great way to illustrate improvement over time. Journals also fall in this category."...

"  Another assessment is the extended task. These are assignments that are carried out over several hours or longer. They could include poems, collections, models, musical scores, inventions, drafting, science experiments, and of course, an art project. "..

" The final performance-based assessment is called the open-ended or extended response exercise. Students explore a topic orally, or in writing. An oral report from a science experiment, art criticism, presenting arguments, and speeches are items that fit in this category.  http://www.incredibleart.org/links/toolbox/assessment.html#sthash.QcRCHGIj.dpuf

Ok so now that we know aboiut art assessment we need to answerr the question posed.how can technology affect art assessment inthe art classroom?

"How can technology assist in understanding the minds of children? You can gather a lot of insight by talking to a child at length, but that is often not practical in the classroom. Given the constraints of the classroom, technology can provide another set of ways to assess what children are understanding and learning. It allows for continuing evaluation of the classroom lessons." Technology is just a new set of tools, which will help us,aid us in the process of assessment which can be time consuming and lengthy. We need to remeber that we want assessment to only add to the learning experience of students.

Is Eportfolio an effective tool? Whould you use it? Why or why not? pros and cons of using technological assessment tools.According to the reading.."Technology can also be used in the production of portfolios. There are now available a whole new range of devices that students can use in producing materials for evaluation. Students can use scanners, digital photographs, and computer-generated movies as part of a multi-media portfolio. Speeches, musical performances, and compositions can also be included in appropriate file formats, allowing for the documentation of athletic, dramatic, musical, and other performance-based activities. One of the advantages of a digital, multi-media portfolio is that it can be made available to a variety of communities. It can be designed so it can be reviewed by the student and their teacher, or by their classmates. It can even be placed on the Web, where students work can be made public. This becomes a wonderful opportunity for parents to see and react to their children's classroom work. One major advantage to digital technology is that the work can become part of a larger, broader conversation. Feedback can then be received from an expanding universe of communities."

Yes of course I would use e portfolios and actually plan on implementing this tool for my next classes.