iMovie

The iMovie program was a little difficult to use but it got the job done. Putting in the photos and music was easy and went well. Where the problem came in was during adding the text. It has some kinks where you would have to re-write the text if you edited the time. This was easily done but wasted time. I learned who to make a good movie though using the program, and with newer versions that eliminate the old kinks I'm sure it would easier. Next time I will definitely use a newer version. This would be a great project for an art class. They could either use it to tell about a subject or artist, or they could even make an artistic movie since film has become an artistic medium. Over all it was a good project idea, but the kinks made it more difficult than it needed to be.



A Marine Story Youtube link

Mr. Frazor Website

The website creation was probably my favorite project so far. It was a lot of work but I enjoyed making it and the final product. Making the pages was easy and went well. The program is very user friendly. The main difficulty was finding the amount of time needed to create a full website. I learned a lot with this assignment. I had know idea how to create a website, from adding links, to images, pages, and text it was all new to me. Next time I think I will be able to move more smoothly through the creation of the site so to be able to build it chronologically might be helpful. I will definitely use this site to show how I will operate as a teacher, and to help me and my students be more efficient and to help them learn. This was a very useful and informative project.

Website Link

WIKI: "The Art Room"

The art education wiki, known as "The Art Room", looks great. This wiki went up well, and was edited and added to easily. The only problem was sometimes some of us would be trying to edit the same page at the same time and you can't do that. I learned that you can make a collaborative wiki that is very informative because of all the input from different perspectives. Next time I would try to coordinate and set up a plan with all the users before the creation of the wiki, but sense some of the members were in a different class and at a different pace that wasn't possible for us. I could use this with other art teachers in my school or area to create a wiki for us and/or our students to help them learn and the teachers to help each other and possibly coordinate projects.

Wiki Link

Inspiration Diagram "Areas of Art"

The inspiration diagram went well in that the process was easy and flowed together. I did not have to search and fight the program to get my project accomplished. The only problem I did run into was color coordinating all the different elements because I am color blind. I have never used this program so learning how to work all the parts and options was really informative and I think it will be helpful in the future, as I could see myself using it in my own classroom. Next time I think it will flow even easier as practice with the program will help. This will also aid in teaching students who may design a presentation with this program. Mainly, though, I think I will be using it to better explain ideas, process, and art movements. This is especially helpful with art students who tend to be better visual learners.

Scavanger Hunt

Click here to view all the pictures and the slide show.

The scavenger hunt was a great project. It was a creative way to incorporate practical applications of a subject. With art it can have a double meaning because photography is also an artistic medium. Taking the images was easy to do, although some of the items were a harder to find, but that made it interesting. One problem that came up was the issue of computer compatibility with the cameras. We were able to learn how to get around this issue through some other programs. If I did this again in a classroom I would make sure the students cameras are all compatible before the project or have some cameras checked out that were compatible. I could use a project like this in many different ways in an art classroom. I could either have the students take pictures of different elements in art, like we did, or I could incorporate photography directly by having them attempt to tribute famous photos. Since photography is sometimes over looked in K-12 classes this would be a fun project to incorporate into the classroom.

Collection

Click here to veiw the entire collection and slide show.

The collection project was for us to learn how to gather and display images from a variety of sources. It went smoothly since I knew how to do most of them. The only thing that was new was the Big Box of Art tool, so that was helpful. The one problem I had was figuring out how to setup all the configurations for the images. I was able to learn about that quickly though. Next time I will setup all the configurations first so that gathering multiple images will flow easier. Knowing how to gather images from all these sources will be beneficial for me as an art teacher, since art is a heavily visual subject. I will use these sources all the time to show students many different artist, art pieces, and other art related images. This was a very useful project.

WebQuest Analysis

The webquest analysis project was very interesting. It showed a new way to preform a project that I had never seen. I was the efficiency expert in my group. My job was to evaluate the practicality of the webquest to see if it was worth the time it took to complete. It went smoothly between all the projects and made it easy to flow between evaluations. Some of the webquest that were not that great made it a little difficult. I was able to learn what to look for and what to avoid though. I need functional and practical webquest that the students will enjoy and learn from. The next time I would start with recommended webquest as opposed to blindly looking. Webquests will definitely be helpful learning tools in my classroom. Using them to teach about famous artist would be a huge advantage, because it allows students to learn using the technology they are accustom too.

Rock Star Trading Cards

The rock star trading card project is a good way to teach a subject. It was easy to find a topic to use and the websites I found were both very informative and kid safe. Finding more in depth information on the sites that would make the students have to think more conceptually was little hard, because most sites primarily provide surface level information. I learned that if you have a good topic though, you can find plenty of information. Next time I might use more contemporary work since it tends to be more conceptual. I would use this to have students look for and gather valuable information that they are interested in to further their own artistic interest. For example, if a student was really interested in Jackson Pollack's theories I would have them find information about him and read interviews that he did. I would make a general research guide that addressed concepts as opposed to specific information about a certain person. I think this would be really inspiring for the students.

"Wiki in Plain English"

I had heard of wiki's before but I really had no idea what a wiki was until after this video. This video broke it down and made it easy to understand. I don't think there is anything bad I could say about it. Not only did it explain what it is and how it is useful, but also how to use it. I wish I could watch these videos for everything I learn. This would be very useful in the classroom because it explains things not only verbally but visually, which is beneficial for a variety of learners. The "In Plain English" series is great.

"PAY ATTENTION" video

This video was a blatant view of technology in the classroom. It made a lot of good points, like about how much students use technology. You have to learn to speak to them in the way that they will best hear. Once the lines of communication are open then your message can be heard. It was a little repetitive and aggressive but it had a good message. The information given was very good, I didn't realize exactly how much technology engulfed students. This would be a good video for those opposed to the idea of technology in the classrooms. I think the video could have been more concise though since the primary audience is teachers, I don't think they need it to be so aggressive. I could show information like this to principles and administrators to help in getting more technology in the classroom.

Art Education: Website Review (Princeton)

This is a great website. It is very interactive for students, parents and teachers. It gives out advice and resources for parents and teachers to help them in their role of aiding the students learning process, and also provides a community forum and teacher blog to communicate with each other. For the students, it gives direct instructions on how to create their own works, artist instruction, games, and other activities. This is great for keeping them involved and interested outside of class, and further develops their skills and knowledge. It is a very credible site, backed by one of the top art universities, Princeton. Also it flows very well between each section and page, and is easily viewed and read. The only problem is some times a few images are slow to load, but it isn't that big of a problem. If I were in a classroom I could see myself using this site in the classroom for technology based projects. I would highly recommend this site to anyone.

Link to the site Princeton

My 1st Blog

This is my first blog, I'm learning about all this stuff for the first time. The set up to this blog was easy and went well. The only difficult part is figuring out how to add all the gadgets, images, and links. I have learned how to add that stuff now though. Next time I might refer to the help menu for difficulties. This would be a good tool to use in the classroom. It would allow students, parents and teachers to all discuss the class and projects in order to be the most efficient and to address any issues or suggestions. The only draw back would be if some did not have Internet access, but overall it is still a useful to that I will learn how to utilize.