Integrating Technology and Traditional Visual Arts

I am thrilled to be able to say I completed each and every Thing, some under self-inflicted duress. I feel much more comfortable with the lexicon and language of Web 2.0, and have a much better understanding of where our students (and my own children) are headed. As I mentioned in my VoiceThread, I do believe that the shift in learning from ladder-based (one skill learned prior to another) to laterally based will become a means for students to use more right-brained thinking. I want to believe that collaborative data-sharing and project creation will foster an era of inventive thinking, rather than memorization and regurgitation.

The course itself exposed me to a variety of tools and opportunities which I never would have become aware otherwise. I am grateful that my school not only supports but encourages this learning. I am still integrating the concepts, and will need some time to determine how best to use them in the classroom. I’ve already begun doing so, and hope to find more ways to be effective with technology when the situations present themselves.

I ran into trouble with this Thing. I had no problem recording a voice track using Garageband, and was inclined to get fancy and add multiple sound tracks, but thought the file would be too big. So, I tried to use the audio, correctly formatted, and uploaded. For some reason, GCast refused to recognize the file. I was able to upload, but could not get the GCast software to place the MP3 in the podcast library. I fiddled around with it on my own GCast user page, so as not to accidentally make a mess of the K12 pod page. Unfortunately, I never could get the audio to load, even though I could play it on the Mac, import it into iTunes, download to a playlist and burn to a CD.

In round 2 I came out with my sparring gloves on. I used the PC, the built-in bare-bones microphone, Zamzar, and GCast. The system worked well, and my feeble attempt at humor is now online. For this Thing, specifically, I had a rather tough time thinking of what application this might have for my students. Most of what I do benefits from video technology, rather than audio. If I were to create a podcast for students to download, it might be critique and analysis of masterworks. But at this level – middle school, the process seems too cumbersome for me to utilize. I can see how I would easily use it were I a professor at the college level.

I can see the benefits for my band and theatre colleagues, however. All could post specific tracks for their students to use for practice, with instruments, voice, or dance.

Diving into the Ning 2.0 website had me drowning in record time. Yes, I scouted around, tried to find conferences in my area, looked at sub-groups that I would fit in, read discussions and posts, and thought to myself, “How in the world will I have time to read this Ning, in addition to the other two that I am already a part of, in addition to the Google reader, keeping up my own school blog, not to mention lesson planning, project grading, and the extra added bonus I have of manual labor that comes with teaching art?”

I give myself official permission to focus solely on the Art Education Ning I found earlier in this course. I do find value in social networks that apply to professional situations – they are not truly social. I also have a Facebook page (I have been active on it for 2 years) which I am on the verge of abandoning. In truth, while it was fun to find age-old friends, I only sign on to keep up with 4-5 specific people, and no longer find enjoyment in the apps. The two professional/social sites I am a member of are specialized: one is the network fo the Interfaith Youth Organization, of which I am a group advisor, and the other is the art site mentioned above. Beyond these two, I won’t be able to utilize Classroom 2.0 on a regular basis. It is nice to know that it exists, in the event I am looking for an answer to a specific question or need. Even so, I am more likely to ask a colleague in my building than go searching for an answer via an internet discussion.

I do believe that these sites are excellent resources for professionals who do not have easy access to tech support, resources, or education. For me, the network needs to be specialized to be effective.

I have a dual purpose for writing about this particular blog to which I subscribe. One is to share how powerful technology can be in the classroom, the other is to voice a concern that the one downside to all this connectivity is an apparent blurring of boundaries between personal and work time.

First, the blog. Take a look at how Freddie Benschine, a young teacher at a public high school, connects with his AP World History class, and provides them with tools that give them responsibility for their own learning. I have obtained Mr. Benschine’s permission to share this with you – he is happy to answer any questions. Spartan AP World

You will find that Mr. Benschine uses documents, photographs, presentations, comments and more to keep his students on track. (He encourages parents to view the blog as well, so they can assist their teens in staying organized and up-to-date.) Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you view it, Mr. Benschine has made himself available nearly 24/7 for his students. Supporting his students in this way is ideal. I have to wonder, though, if doing so will eventually make him ‘burn out’ faster. I did not expect him to respond to my email within 12 hours on a weekend. I’m grateful that he did, but wonder if I, too am supposed to be available to my students round the clock. I have already begun communicating with colleagues regarding work-related issues after school hours and on weekends, as we all have a new expectation that because technology is always available, WE are all “on duty” all the time.

I am no longer certain of the expectations of our new 2.0 connectivity. We have an intangible issue before us that begs discussion. I’d love to hear other opinions.

NOTE: This post appears out of order because I had not published it at the time I wrote it. I thought I had, but when I didn’t see it, I found that it was still listed as a Draft.

I have had accounts on both YouTube and Teacher Tube for a while. I definitely find more classroom uses on Teacher Tube, but do feel that there is a benefit to searching YouTube for the “fun stuff” – for example the Dan Dunn video that I posted on my Wiki page when I created it.

I do find that the tutorials on YouTube are rather cumbersome to wade through – I’d rather just show my students how to do whatever I’m teaching. I suppose for a teacher who did not have the skill set needed to teach drawing, painting, or ceramics, these videos would be helpful. To find ones appropriate for the age level of the students I teach, however, would take many hours of weeding through posted videos that are worthless.

On Teacher Tube, I have found a supportive community of instructors. For instance, one teacher who posted a video regarding add-ons to iMovie was most helpful to me. This was the whole idea of the Web 2.0 world at its best. Now that I have joined a ning of Middle School Art Teachers (found through this course!) I suspect I will have a much easier time finding videos that may be worthwhile as this group refers one another to resources of value.

One video that I love to show my students for both the art history and the portraiture aspect is the one below. It is fascinating to watch how not only the style of painting has changed over time, but the status of women as depicted in the art is visible as well.

Women in History

I’m flaky, alright!
! I had never heard of pageflakes before, but I actually like them better than Frosted Flakes! This is probably because I am a natural organizer, and Pageflaking is a way of organizing information. Customizing the page was intuitive, as most user-friendly apps are these days. I would imagine that Flakers are Bloggers first, so that working with Pageflakes is a cinch.

Google Docs has been of particular interest to me. In my Yearbook class, we have attempted to use Google docs to consolidate information from our 8th grade student body. We had great intentions. Unfortunately, neither the forms nor the spreadsheet cooperated. My colleagues were unable to determine why the form suddenly stopped showing all the spaces when students clicked on the link to it. The spaces did appear on the original setup that was saved. In the end, we simply sent out a questionnaire via email, and are consolidating the responses into a spreadsheet. (I am fortunate that I am not the one consolidating.)

I set up a test spreadsheet for this Thing, and am eager to see if I get better results this way. I also plan to include a link to the spreadsheet on my classroom Blog, so we will see how effective movement is from one location to another, rather than solely with Google. (The students who received the spreadsheet email are part of a Google domain.)

I will most certainly pursue a greater use of these forms. I am having trouble thinking of alternative COLLABORATIVE uses though. Each time an idea comes to mind, I realize that it must be an individual page – such as a Field Trip Permission Form, or a practice composition worksheet, or a notecard for recording artist information. Each of these items must be filled out individually. I cannot have one student changing another’s information in these cases.

I do see great use for colleagues with Google Docs. I would love to post a potential unit, or lesson plan and get feedback from other teachers. I could possibly use a doc as a way to teach critique though group practice. By providing a painting to peruse, then asking students to write a critique based on previously supplied criteria, students could correct one another’s writing and content (with my oversight.) Finally, I could see how posting a calendar specific to a particular group (I’m thinking of the yearbook staff) would be of great assistance.

I have been a podcast subscriber for many months. iTunes and I get along all too well, and I jockey for space on my library thanks to my daughter whose iPod holds more memory than mine. What made me happiest was to find the NPR programs that I so dearly love – FOR FREE!!! I kept looking for a hidden cost, and to this day wonder how we, as a society are able to support an industry that the user does not pay for. iTunes is free, the Podcasts are free, the download is free, and it costs nothing for me to listen to it. Best of all, the podcast is commercial free, unlike the original broadcasts of the programs I subscribe to.

The challenge I face is in finding time to actually listen to the programs. I am three months behind on a program that is broadcast weekly. My husband, who also subscribes to a number of programs on his own computer, listens early in the morning while we all sleep. I listen when I’m ironing. I do not listen in the car – I do not feel it is safe to drive with earphones on. I don’t ride public transportation – I am able to walk to work. The commute is too short to listen to a podcast, though.

Still, I am glad that I have the option – as opposed to many months ago when, at 1pm on a Saturday I would wail in anguish,”NOOOOO!!! I missed ‘Wait, wait, don’t tell me’ !!!!” I don’t have to say that anymore. I smirk a tiny bit when my iTunes message pops up asking whether I still want to subscribe to these…since I haven’t downloaded them in…weeks! Yes, yes, I cry! Give me my podcast – and I will decide when I can listen. Simply wonderful.

I understand how some people might benefit from the support of an online community, but this particular environment is not for me, a fiercely private individual. I have my closest friends and family to “cheer” for me, and they do. I have been writing life goals for over 20 years, always amazed when I review them (not often) and see how much I have accomplished. Some of my goals are yet unachieved, mainly because of my choice to put the needs of my family before my own in those areas. When my children have converted me and my husband to empty-nesters, I will have plenty of time for those particular pursuits. If I never get to mark them off my list, I still won’t be devastated because I subscribe to the notion that life is about the journey.

I may explore the sight further to see what interesting goals people have that might further my own intelligence, but I think my age prevents me from being comfortable with the online community as my support system.

I always wondered what Del.icio.us was, and am very glad now to know. I’ve been searching for a way to organize all my bookmarks and websites…here is the answer to my problem. One comment I have for the K12Learning20 program is that I would have liked to have known about Delicious earlier in the course. For this particular ‘Thing’ I wanted to skip right to the Stretch task and upload my bookmarks from all my various computers at home and school. I fully intend to do so within the next few weeks. Before I even began tagging my own favorites, I found a ning of art educators. Awesome!

One thought I am wondering about is how to keep the site open, as I am always switching from one of my favorite sites to another. I’m sure I’ll resolve the best way to use it pretty quickly. Finally, I am very much looking forward to sharing tags/sites with my colleagues instead of constantly sending emails back and forth (“Check out this website!” or “Thought of you when I saw this.”)  For those of you interested in sites mainly related to the arts, my sign on is as follows: Artistein’s Sites.