An Art Teacher Who Uses Technology

I recently found this article about a current art teacher in Illinois. Her name is Tricia Fuglestad. As I read through the article, I thought of this class and how well she integrated technology into her art classroom.

Fuglestad is an elementary art teacher with such a passion for what she does. One of the things that makes her teaching stand out is that she makes videos and songs to show her classes. One video is a cute and funny approach on how to clean paintbrushes. She creates characters and voices as them, too. It is so great that she managed to effectively teach the students how to clean paintbrushes while maintaining a fun environment. It seems to really work for her. Fuglestad also works nonstop with creating online portfolios of her students’ artwork so they can “proudly share their art with family members near and far”(Stoffel).  I admire any teacher who cares enough to work long hours on projects for their students.

Apparently Fuglestad is famous in the art education world. She has received awards for her work, and speaks publically in conferences. What I admire most is that Fuglestad used to be a very shy person. Getting an education degree and having this job caused her to “break out of her shell.” As a naturally shy person myself, I can relate to that. I am finding as I continue my journey to be an art teacher with subbing and fieldwork, it is helping me break out of my own shell. In time, I hope to manage a classroom as effective as Fuglestad has. I cannot wait to put my lesson plans to use!

Here is a link to the article: http://www.triblocal.com/arlington-heights/2011/12/22/dryden-art-teacher-unites-art-technology/

Technology Integration Plan

The lesson I chose is an intro to the Impressionist art movement. The original lesson was just a brief teacher-oriented lesson with a Power Point, following a demonstration on how to make a stippled drawing. (Stippling is a form of drawing in which everything is composed of little dots. The closer the dots are together, the darker the object is. In contrast, the farther away the dots are, the lighter the object will be.) After the demonstration, the students would start working on a still life stippled drawing. In this Technology Integration Plan, I have included technology in many aspects, hopefully for the better. I have kept the length of the unit the same: the class meets once a day for 40 minutes. I felt that 4-5 days would be appropriate because stippling is a time consuming process. Since our assignment tells us to “dream big” with technological devices, let’s say that I have a computer, internet access, a printer, a smart board, and iPads. Realistically I probably would not have enough iPads for each student, so I will work with what I have.

Before the unit even begins, the students will be assigned to visit a Playground Canvas on an introduction to Impressionism. (The first row on my matrix) The students will explore the canvas by watching videos, looking at famous artwork of the movement, and other articles that will help them better understand what we will be learning about in class. For homework, the students will comment on the “What Do You Think?” widget what they thought about the Impressionist movement. They should post any questions they have as well. This introduction gives them a chance to practice navigating through the internet, as well as posting educational comments. This will also allow them to look up new information on their own. Hopefully they will find the canvas engaging.

The second row on my matrix focuses on the first day of class when I would lead a lecture with a brief Power Point. The presentation would have some more detailed notes and close ups of the paintings. Afterwards, we would visit the Playground canvas to go over any questions the students had. Then I would still do a demonstration on stippling. Instead of drawing on a piece of paper, I would use a smart board. The smart board is a better alternative because it is easier for everyone to see, rather than stand around me and hardly see anything I am doing. With the smart board, it will also be easier to show how to use different colored dots to get a shaded effect in their coloring.

After the presentation and demo are finished, the students will be given their two in-class assignments. The first would be an individual task to use acrylic paint and paintbrushes to make a stippled tree with scenery. It will be small, like 3”x3”. I want them to do this with fine art materials so they get the authentic experience of how the Impressionist artists did it. Their second assignment will be done in pairs. They will create stippled drawings of one everyday activity of their choice using Ipads. Instead of mixing paint and dabbing with paintbrushes, they will apply color with their fingertips. Chances are they will need to look up images online to use for references. Working on a diad (sharing the same canvas) in groups is important so the students can work on a shared expression. They need to collaborate on what they choose to draw, and how they will do it. Not only that, but I mentioned earlier how I expect not to have enough iPads for everyone, so they will have to practice sharing as well as compromising.

The final part is all evaluating and assessment. Before we have a class critique, they will have to print out their stippled drawings. Printing can be a lesson in of itself, as well as responsibility. There are multiple ways on how to print out images, but it depends on what you have. I imagine they will have to send their canvas to my computer, which will be connected to the printer. They will find their canvas and print it out that way. They will need to make sure that their canvas is completely ready to print. We will hang up all of the projects and talk about them. I would be assessing the students on required parts of the project such as theme and if the drawing was done like stippling. I would also assess their behavior as a whole, mostly their working habits and participation in the critique.

To end this unit, the group projects will be displayed in the school hallway. I want the students’ work to be out for the school community to see. That way they know what we are up to. Not only that, but I want the students to feel some pride in what they have accomplished.

Increasing Student Understanding of Impressionism Spreadsheet

　

Art Teacher vs. Self-Taught Programs

This blog is about a rather interesting article called Art Teaching for a New Age by Sean T. Buffington. Sean is president of the University of the Arts. He talks about how technology is affecting the arts, particularly the programs and software that make creative artworks. With all of the affordable programs out there, anyone can buy or download them. So really, anyone can be an artist. In my personal pedagogy, I believe that there is some truth to that. (The great Pablo Picasso even said, “every child is an artist.”) However, Sean brings up an interesting point that makes me a little nervous for art educators today.

If people can just go and buy art making programs like Photoshop, or even cheaper programs, they can teach themselves how to make art. Even in school, kids are using programs on their devices to make art. If people of all ages can teach themselves art, then what good are art teachers? Is what these people make really art? If so, what is their value? Sean questions if it is the art educator’s job to “sort out the truly artistic from the great mass of creative chatterers.” The question what is art has always been open ended, and probably always will be.

It is a scary thought; the harsh view is that art educators are being replaced by self-taught software and apps. It is important that we incorporate technology into our curriculum, but how far do we go? Is it possible to have too much technology in your classroom? These are questions to really ponder. I think it depends on the students you are working with. It is important to see what the students know, as well as their interests. Some want to be fashion majors, graphic design, painters, etc. Work with them; help students learn what they need to know for their future plans. It is almost like we are transitioning from teachers to mentors, or guides for them. 

Here is the link for the article:

 http://chronicle.com/article/Art-Teaching-for-a-New-Age/140117/

 

Reusing Old Technology

This blog may be a little smart-alec when it comes to Integrating Technology Across Curriculum, but I just couldn’t help myself. I found a website titles Today’s Art Mediums Made Out of Yesterday’s Technology. On this website, there are photos of sculptures created out of old technological parts such as old cell phones, cassette tape, typewriter pieces, and so many other gadgets that we take for granted. Keep in mind that our technology changes so rapidly. Phones that my generation had in middle school are nothing compared to the new and improved phones of 2013. What do we do with those old phones? There’s always recycling, or keeping them for the sake of memories. However, this is a great creative way to reuse them!

I saw these sculptures and thought about how awesome of an art lesson this would be about sculpture as well as the technologies of our history. The students would have an assignment to look up a technological device (I would assign it to them). They would most likely use today’s technology to figure out their device. Then as a class, we could talk about them. We would reflect on how far technology has come in such a short span of time in our history. It really has not been that long; we have come a long way even in less than 100 years! Reflecting on this topic, the students will create sculptures out of old devices that we find. The sculptures will have a theme of “reaching new heights,” because that is what we do with technology.

The whole concept behind reusing technological materials is so awesome! I can see this being an interesting and engaging activity. It will also give the students the chance to reflect a little bit. They are living with the fast internet. They can access unlimited knowledge with the press of a button. Maybe realizing that we did not always have that will make them grateful for what they have.
 

Nike Sneakers

Gabriel Dishaw

made out of computer circuit boards

 

 

Link to Website:

http://www.switched.com/2009/12/08/todays-art-mediums-made-out-of-yesterdays-technology/

Electronic Devices in School

In the past few years, the middle school I attended has become “technologically friendly.” Now that I am a substitute teacher there, it is such a surreal thing to see students typing essays on their tablets or iPods. Not long ago, the same teachers today would have a fit if they saw an electronic devise in their classroom. As we have learned this semester, technology is not going away. Rather than pushing these tools away, schools are starting to embrace it.

I have seen technology in every subject of this middle school. It is astounding how many resources the students can get on the internet that are relevant to class. The art teacher highly encourages them to bring in their smartphones, iPods, tablets, whatever device they have to listen to music and look up images. He only has two computers in his room. If the students need to look up an image to reference while drawing, he would rather them use their devices than wait for a computer. It saves an immense amount of time! Music is also a great motivator while working in art. For some students, music helps them relax, or stay focused.

In the past year that I have been subbing, I have been very surprised at how well the students and teachers handle this change. The teachers no longer fight to keep cell phones, iPods, and tablets out of class. Because the teachers have eased up on this matter, I think the students feel more trusted. Whenever I sub I keep my eyes on those students with tablets to make sure they are doing school-related work on it. I am thrilled to say that I very rarely catch someone goofing off on their device. I think it really matters that these students feel trusted; in that way, they owe it to the teachers to stay on task. At this school, it seems to be working. I only hope that this kind of learning branches out to other schools and communities.

Computer Software in Art Class

As we progress into our world with technology that grows every day, teaching technology is becoming a huge priority. As a future art teacher, I have struggled with coming up with art lessons involving technology. This is a problem for me because I learned fine arts all throughout my schooling, not programs such as Photoshop, or Adobe Illustrator. Even in college I have not learned enough about these programs to teach them myself. It is something I know little about, and understand how important it is that I learn these programs so that I can teach them.

Knowing how to teach these programs is challenging enough. There is a whole other consideration regarding what programs to teach. Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator are fantastic, but they are so expensive. There are other programs such as Gimp, or ArtWorks Basic that are cheaper. Some art programs are even free! You just need to figure out what is out there, and what would work best with your lesson (and your budget). I have been looking up different programs, just to see what is out there. Gimp is similar to Photoshop, but it is free. Picasa is another free source to store and edit pictures. This would be a good program for a photography class.

There are tons of programs out there; you just need to look. Technology is becoming a big part of our lives. It is important that students get an education that is supported by technology because it is out there in the real world. With any education they are given, they should be able to use once they graduate.

Here is one list of programs with their prices:
http://www.artistsnetwork.com/articles/business-of-art/software-websites

Smartphones in the Art Museum

Do you ever recall going into a museum and seeing people walking around with headphones on? These headphones are audio guides that will explain each exhibit in the museum. They are a good alternative if you do not want to walk around on an actual tour guide’s schedule. Now, it is becoming very popular for smartphones to act as audio guides as well! In the art museum, there are various advantages, as well as some disadvantages to this.

On the bright side, using a smartphone can be great to use because it is your own personal belonging that you know how to use. There is no frustration in trying to figure out how an audio guide works. Each museum uses different systems anyway, so why not just use your smartphone whenever given the option? On another note, some people do not think to use an audio guide provided by museums. If they know they can access a guide on their smartphone, some may be more inclined to participate in that.

I recently read the article: Are Smartphones Ruining the Museum Experience? It is about the Dallas Museum of Art having visitors participate in contests to scan certain hidden bars on the walls of the museum with their smartphone to earn points. These points earn visitors things like their rewards program. Author Peter Simek refers it to the visitors playing in a scavenger hunt all throughout the museum. The museum says that this is an engaging activity, but are the viewers really looking at the artwork? Surely some are, but what about others who just want the points? Eric Gibson comments how this concept is ruining the art viewing experience for viewers. Gibson says that art is meant to be observed, and studied. Rather than admiring artwork, we are just merely sightseeing. Rather than staring at Van Gough’s Starry Night in wonder, we look at it and say, “Look kids, here is Starry Night. Let’s move on to the next piece.” Using your smartphone like that at the art museum depersonalizes your experience.

As an art educator, I think it depends on how much the program in the smartphone can do. If it is only a guide through the museum, then it can be a valid source. Anything extra involved really depends on what the viewer gets out of it. When I bring students to an art museum, I want them to be engaged in what they are seeing, above all else. In class, this is a good topic to bring up. It is current, and relative to when they go to museums. I think it would be interesting to hear what students have to say on this matter.
Link to Are Smartphones Ruining the Museum Experience? :
http://frontrow.dmagazine.com/2013/12/are-smartphones-ruining-the-museum-experience/