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.