How TPTE 486 Has Changed My Views of Technology in the Classroom

Coming into TPTE 486, I had no idea what to expect.  I assumed we would be working on blogs, and other technology that I knew how to use prior to class.  But we ended up learning about even more technology that would be helpful in our future classrooms.

Learning about Wiki's was something I was not expecting to cover, but I am very glad we did.  They seem to be a very useful classroom tool, and are extremely easy to use. Learning to use Google and all it has to offer has probably been the most beneficial tool in this class. From Google docs, to photo presentations, and websites, it has everything you need to succeed online.  Two years of graphic design, and trying to learn how to code was going nowhere.  Now I can make a very informative website with no stress, and share it with my students and their parents.  ActivInspire was also an extremely important classroom tool that I now know how to use.  With the use of Interactive Smart Boards, ActivInspire is a must-have in the classroom.  It's so versatile that any subject area could use it for lessons.  If I am lucky enough to have an Interactive Smart Board in my future art classroom, I will be using ActivInspire for lesson introductions, and covering art history.  Making Digital Diagrams in Inspiration, and using photographs from public domains to make Digital Stories in iMovie helped me to discover new possibilities of teaching art to my students.

Using technology in the classroom can be intimidating for some teachers who feel uncomfortable using these new tools.  TPTE 486 gave me the experience, and practice of using technology before I contribute it to my curriculum in the classroom.  After taking this course, I feel confident in my abilities to teach my subject area with the aid of technology.  

Digital Stories

I have never used digital stories in my lesson plans, nor have I been taught by using digital stories.  I am more familiar with teachers using instructional videos that they have bought or rented, or even movies, to use as a teaching tool - never videos that they had put together themselves.  Learning how to make digital stories in iMovie has inspired me to teach lessons using this tool. 

I learned in TPTE 486 that using digital stories can be very beneficial for students, and even teachers.  It's an intriguing way to capture the students attention, and brings technology into the classroom.  Learning iMovie was a fun process for me.  As an art teacher, I am constantly looking for new
creative ways of learning and using a digital story in iMovie is definitely one to try.

In my future art classroom, I would use digital stories in high school art history lessons.  Art history can be a subject most teenagers are not interested in, but by making a fun and engaging video, they would be more likely to participate.  Other digital story ideas could be about learning different techniques in painting, or instructional videos on how to properly throw clay on a wheel. The possibilities are endless using iMovie!

Digital Diagrams

I have not used digital diagrams in my art lesson plans in the past, nor have I been taught by using digital diagrams in the art classroom.  The only example I can think of would be the color wheel in art.  It's a type of diagram, but it's laid out a bit differently than the typical diagram.  Although, I have had experience with diagrams in the science, and even the history classroom. Even then I do not think they were digital, just drawn diagrams or from a classroom textbook.  Below is an example of a digital diagram. 

I have learned through TPTE 486 that applying digital diagrams to lesson plans is a very helpful tool.  You can use digital diagrams for subjects that require a lot of information.  This way the information will be easily written out in a visual organizer for students to better understand.  I learned it's also better to incorporate digital diagrams into high school lesson plans, which require more information than elementary grades. 

For my future art classroom, I would use digital diagrams in high school art history lessons.  In art, the only affective way to use digital diagrams would be in art history.  Art history is a loaded subject area, this way you can easily organize each art movement into an easy to read visual diagram. 

Interactive Whiteboards

Like I had mentioned in my last post, Interactive White Boards (IWB) were not available for use when I was in the public school system.  Along with never being taught using IWB's, I have never taught a lesson in class using an IWB.  I have learned a great deal about IWB's, and wish I would have been able to learn from such a successful tool in the classroom.

During the IWB lesson plan project for TPTE 486, I have learned how beneficial the IWB can be for the art classroom.  Some of my favorite tools that the IWB offers are the containers, and the erase to reveal tool.  The tools on the IWB allows students to interact along with the lesson to become fully engaged.  Learning to use visuals, promoting student participation, and actively using technology makes the classroom a successful environment.

I hope to be able to use an IWB in my future art classroom.  I am aware that not all schools have the funds to provide each teacher with an IWB, and that I will need to be prepared not to rely on an IWB in that situation.  If I am lucky enough to have an IWB in my classroom, it would be an essential tool for my art curriculum.  The use of visual imagery, drawing tools, and clear, large projected visuals are necessary for the art class.

A Reflection on "Research on Interactive Whiteboards tell us..."

When I was in the public school system Interactive Whiteboards (IWB) were not available, or even an option.  The closest thing we had were over-head projectors, and educational videos.  I remember as a child whenever the teacher used those tools in the classroom it would be a thrill.  Looking back at why it made me so happy to see a TV rolled in the room, I think it's because it was a different way to be taught, and a different way to learn.  If I had the opportunity to have been taught on an IWB I wonder how much more I would have learned. 

I have learned the positives and negatives of using IWB's in the classroom from the article, "Research in Interactive Whiteboards tell us...".  According to the article, IWB's promise advantages for both teacher and student.  The positive affects of the board have much to do with the IWB software, which includes sound and visual uses. The uses of the IWB strengthen student's involvement, motivation, and attention.  A 2009 study by Marzano and Heystead revealed that out of 85 teachers who used, and did not use the IWB there was a 16-percentile rise in student achievement from using the IWB.  Although, 23% of teachers in the study had better student achievement when they did not use the IWB.  The 23% who did not see improvement had difficulty using the board.  In order for the IWB experience in the classroom to be successful, the teacher needs to know how to properly use the technology. 

In my future art classroom, I believe using a IWB would be very beneficial.  It would be a great tool for my students to watch art history videos on, or even go in front of the class and draw an example of a shape.  The use of drawing tools, and visual aids is a huge plus in the art classroom.  I will make it a goal for myself as a teacher to understand the technology fully before preparing lessons based on the IWB in class. 

Classroom Website

I have never had the opportunity of having a teacher with a classroom website when I was in the public school system.  Technology has changed a lot since I was in K-12 grades, and I am curious to know how much it would have helped my academic performance.  It was not until I started college that I began using the internet to gather information about my classes.

*Below is a screen shot of my classroom website that I have been working on in TPTE 486.

I have learned that using a classroom website has many benefits.  Students can use the site to look up information involving assignments, or even background information about their teacher.  The website allows students to use numerous tools to be successful in the classroom.  The classroom website can also be very helpful for the parents of the students.  Parents would be able to keep up with what their child is working on, and feel involved in the classroom. 

In my future classroom I will definitely use a classroom website for my students, and for the use of the parents of the students as well.  The website would be a great tool to share my student's artwork. I would hope to take pictures of my students artwork and post an online gallery to the site for parents to see. This would not only let the parents view their students work, but would help the student gain self confidence in their artwork.  I would also keep adding resource sites for my personal use in the classroom, and for my students use on class projects.  The classroom website is overall a great tool to have for the teacher, student, and parent.

Using Digital Images

The use of digital images in the art classroom is a must!  Art is all about visuals after all! Having posters of artwork available in the classroom is nice, but when presenting a new lesson on the Smart Board digital images are necessary for examples of famous artwork.  I have been experimenting with digital images, and using programs such as Photoshop, for a few years now.  Before pursuing my art education degree, I received my Associates Degree in Graphic Design.  The two years I spent studying computer art programs have benefited my college career in art and in education as well.

I discovered that using digital images in slideshows available on Google Presentation, and Picasa (also by Google) are much easier to create in a short amount of time.  Not only does it take no time to create, but it's so much safer and easier to save and retrieve. 

After completing the assignment using Google Presentation and the Scavenger Hunt using Picasa, I will definitely be using these tools for use in my future art classroom.  I will continue to use digital images in my lesson plans, but with these new tools I will use them more easily and efficiently.

Reflection on Resource Collection

Technology is not used often in my art education classes.  Art is mostly studio based, focusing on technical skills.  Of course I have researched art lessons before online, but I have never considered finding a website to assist my students in a lesson.

I discovered that art history and theory could easily be incorporated using technology. As I researched websites that could possibly help my students in the classroom, or even myself as an educator, it showed me a new way to teach art.

The websites I found were mostly related to art history, yet elements of art vocabulary, theory, and studio activities were available in others. As I mentioned before, I found that teaching art history and theory through internet resources seemed to be better for my art classroom.  For example, Smart History offers great information for high school students studying art history, styles, and themes.  Another site I discovered, Harcourt School Publishers - Art Express, offered great studio lessons for grads 1st through 5th.

In my future art classroom, I would incorporate findings from online research of the resource sites I discovered.  I would incorporate findings through my teaching, and have my students use and reference sites in class. The kid friendly art museum and history sites would be great tools for worksheets, or art history presentations. I will most definitely incorporate my resource collection in my art classroom, and continue to add to the collection.

Inquiry Based Lesson: smART Kids

I have had no prior experiences with inquiry based lessons. When I was in the public school system, using technology was a new resource. It wasn't until I was in high school that technology was beginning to be implemented in the curriculum. As a college student I have not yet made a lesson plan for my art students based on a website.

This process allowed me to approach the subject of art in a different way.  I learned that implementing technology in the art classroom can be used successfully.  Inquiry based lessons in the art classroom can be focused on Art History, Art Movements, and like I chose to use, Art Vocabulary. 

Originally, I wanted to create my inquiry lesson plan based on an architecture lesson I had found previously.  I realized that finding kid friendly art websites based on a certain art topic was really difficult.  The sites I found offered games, and activities, but no information for research purposes.  I altered my inquiry based lesson when I discovered the smART Kids website. The site is modified just for kids from the Smart Museum of Art at The University of Chicago. The website offers four different areas for kids to explore; The Artist Studio, where they learn about different artists, Look & Share, where they learn different ways to look at art, Art Detective, where they explore the museum, and Art Speak, where they learn art vocabulary words.  I made my inquiry based lesson based on the Art Speak section of the website.  The student will pick a term off of the art vocabulary list, and answer questions about their art vocabulary word.  One question allows them to explore the website and find artworks in the museum section that uses their vocabulary word.

I will definitely use inquiry based lessons in my future art class.  It's a great way to incorporate technology, research, reading, and writing in the art class.  The lesson also allows for a break in studio work, which is mostly what the art classroom offers.  I am looking forward to researching more educational art sites for use in my future classroom.

Website Evaluation: Reflections

The website evaluation was a new process for me. Like the typical college student, I use the internet daily and visit multiple websites for research use or just for fun, yet I have never examined a site in such detail. It forced me to break the site down for usage purposes in a classroom environment.

The website I evaluated for use in my art classroom, and to practice the process of evaluating a website, was MoMA: Destination Modern Art.  The process of breaking down the website, and figuring out what the site is used for helped me to understand how a website can be used effectively in the classroom. In my opinion, one of the most important sections of the evaluation was the "special requirements needed to access information at the site".  My website required a computer with working speakers to be able to hear the audio, and Flash Player 6.  It is extremely important to look into certain details such as these before allowing your students to explore a website. Rating the website overall for use in the classroom had me determine how instrumental and functional it would be for students. The use of websites with my art students would benefit when studying Art History and certain art periods.  I will certainly use the website evaluation process in my future classroom.

Wiki's in the Art Classroom

My Wiki experience before TPTE 486 was very limited. Like most people, I have used Wikipedia but I have never edited a Wikipedia page or created a Wiki page.  I was aware that Wiki's could be edited by numerous people, which is why Wikipedia is looked down upon for research. Wiki's were never used in my public school, or in college. I did not understand the proper use for a Wiki page until we started working with them in class.

I learned that Wiki's have multiple uses for the classroom.  It's a very simple way to share information with your class, or even parents of the students.  Not only is it easy to post information in your Wiki, but it's also very simple to add pictures to go with your information. In class we made our own Wiki page and wrote a biography about ourselves. We shared our Wiki pages to the class, and introduced ourselves. The use of the Wiki was a great ice breaker for the beginning of a new semester.

In my art classroom I would like to use Wiki's in multiple ways. I would like to think it would be a great tool for high school students when collaborating for a class project, or for a weekly blog post, but I believe this could be risky. If Wiki's are used to communicate with students, or students communicating between each other, posts would need to be monitored carefully. Being an art teacher, I will have more students than the average general education teacher and it could get out of hand. Ideally, high school level art students could post in their Wiki's weekly about an artist that inspires their work. The students could post pictures of work and write about how and why the work of a certain artist inspires them. The Wiki could also be used for an art critique tool. Students would post their own work, and other students would comment about the piece. Elementary students would not be able to use Wiki's, but it would be a nice tool to communicate with, and show students work to parents.

Introduction and Expectations

My name is Paige Burchell and I am studying to become an art educator.  I am double majoring in 2D Studio Art, and Art Education at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.  I will be graduating in May, and will pursue my Masters in Education following graduation. Art has always played an important role in my life, and I believe it's an instrumental tool for education. Art is extremely important being that it is one of the few subjects that allows children to experiment, and express themselves openly.

I hope to learn how to use technology successfully in my future art classroom through this course. The use of technology in the art classroom will help students to learn art techniques, history, and culture in numerous different ways. I hope to integrate different art careers into my curriculum, which would include graphic design and architecture.  Technology is a huge factor in these careers, and having students engaged in technology will help their skills.