My movie

Wow! The time required to work with Apple iMovieHD was extensive, but I can see where it can be "worth it". By using iMovieHD in my classroom I can take digital photos of my art class or let older students take their own and make a movie about their experiences in art, even burn their story to a disk they can give to a parent or use as part of their own digital art portfolio.

Learning How to Excel in Technology Land!

I have now made my own 100 point computer assessment using Excel. The teacher made computer graded spreadsheet quiz/test could be such a powerful tool to tailor assessment to exactly what the teacher has taught or the students are struggling with even if you only have one computer in the classroom.

I would like to learn a few more Excel tools:
1. How to make multiple tabs (one tab per student, a teacher page & a unit page)
2. How to feed student scores to the teacher page
3. How to link teacher tabs to the unit page (where grades are listed by student & averaged)

With the information listed above, I could set up my own Excel spreadsheet by unit. I would have the ability to allow students to work independently on the classroom computer for additional practice. The neat part is that Excel would allow me to track student progress through each section of the unit by recording and averaging their grades so I know what sections the student has mastered or if the student will need additional support. Now that the Excel spreadsheet is recording and averaging, I can focus almost totally on the student!

Passage to a New Kind of "Spreadsheet"

While searching for uses of spreadsheets in the art classroom I stumbled across

Collaborative Spreadsheet Art

in Google Docs.

I found an article explaining what spreadsheet art is and it was loaded with information, how to instructions and a link to step by step video (attached above). This is not the normal every day use of spreadsheets!

You can check out or bookmark the original article for yourself at:

http://freeware-shareware.suite101.com/article.cfm/collaborative_spreadsheet_art

I was so excited about my discovery that I continued searching for video on the topic and found the following example on YouTube.

I was thinking this would be a great project and so versatile. I could use it to teach Nonobjective Art/Abstract Art (mosaics/stained glass), tile making (working with clay), color theory or even art history (Native American, Aboriginal, African, & Islamic...Impressionist's etc.) .

The Technology Life Preserver: helping make sense of what we are learning

Diagrams, Maps & Webs
I have tried my hand at an Art Concept Map using the free Gliffy online program. I went with the same theme that I used on my slide show in the hopes I may one day be able to use it in my own classroom. I like maps and webs and I think they are a great tool for organizing complex art concepts. I had difficulty selecting the background color on my concept map and I look forward to hearing feedback on it.
http://www.gliffy.com/gliffy/#d=1857166&t=AMurphy_Shape_From__Space_Concept_Map_TPTE_486
Click on the map above to link with more information on the elements of art at http://www.alifetimeofcolor.com/study/g_art_elements.html.

Scavenger Hunt!: for the little buccaneer in us all

• Yesterday, Kyle, Lucy and I went on an art scavenger hunt with a university supplied digital camera. Our assignment was two fold and the first task was to "shoot and share" 12 images from our scavenger list. We did an awesome job! It was nice working together and a welcome change of pace to get out of the classroom and walk around campus.

• The second part of our task was creating an individual slide show out of our images. Unfortunately, when the substitute ran over the Google Presentation portion of lecture I missed it because we were still loading, formatting and sharing our images. Fortunately, I found the application user friendly when I put all of my information into a "Shape, Form and Space" slide show.

• I think my students will like creating their own version as a part of learning about digital photography.

Have a Safe and Restful Fall Break!

http://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dff6mhb_12h24k6tc5&interval=10

Land Ho! Picasa Web Albums

http://picasaweb.google.com/amurph17/Collection?locked=true#

• Digital images are the latest discovery in "Technology Land" and they include: jpgs, pmg, gif and tif files.

• Digital images can come from a digital camera, screen shot, cd collection, web collection or scanner.

Now I have one of each saved in my own Picasa Web Album. Picasa seems like a great place to store images because it's ready and waiting for you whenever you need it and you can access it from any computer. NO CD or jump drive to misplace or forget! I have created 4 albums of my own so far: personal, family, art, and tech class!

Bounty vs. Booty on the High Seas of Technology Land

Copyright law vs. Fair Use law

• Copyright protects use of images.
• Fair Use allows copyrighted materials to be used without permission under certain limits.

How this applies to the teacher:
Using an image, sound clip or video in a “face-to-face” learning situation is fine, but reposting to the Web is illegal without proper permission. The safest way to use materials is to make your own.

However, any images of students or their work should be used only after parents have signed a permission slip and the technology coordinator or administration of the school has approved their use. It is extremely important to remember never to post students' names with photos. The teacher and students use digital images in the classroom and understanding the laws regulating their use is important.

Learing to swim again...

Writing my very own lesson plan for the very first time, feels a little like learning to swim by having someone throw you in.

I am extremely glad we are getting the chance to review our lesson plans with the instructor in Google doc's. I do feel like this assignment mirrors what I will face in the real world of teaching. I am creating my lesson plan by myself and I miss the help I would have received from a peer. But I feel like, so far, I am able to keep my head above water.
My lesson is for a 9-12th grade art class and I found a wonderful set of books called "Art Talk" in the lab. Visiting the art section neatly tucked away in the back room was interesting. Now that I know it is there, I will definitely make use of it in the future!

Message in a Bottle: Called a Google Doc

Google Doc. has taken co-authoring to an incredibly new height. Instead of shuffling e-mail or jump-drive copies from place to place, you simply upload your original document, invite your "co-author" and let the editing and collaborating begin. Not only is this helpful to me as a student, I can't wait to use it myself as a teacher.

Deja vu

Wow! "deja vu"on Tuesday.

Let me explain: On a normal day, I walk in Claxton, go up the stairs to the fourth floor for my Ed Psyc. class, then down to the basement for Tech. class and back up the stairs (over 50 of them) to the exact room on the fourth floor for Special Ed.

So, there I was at the end of a long day in my last class (Special Ed.) listening to my teacher and following along when what to my surprise... the instructor pops up the "~bobannon" page! Freaky, and it gets even weirder. We go to the same "A,B,C,D curriculum" site I had just visited in Tech 486 class! You never know where Technology in the classroom will apear!

Eureka!

I have actually taught myself how to add video on my blog! In my previous entry you may have noticed and enjoyed the opening video and theme song of "Gilligand's Island". You may be asking, "How did she do that?" The answer is, I Google'd how to add a video to a blog, selected a link to YouTube and watched the simple "how to video" below...and wallah!

A three hour tour....

Creating a curriculum connection for an inquiry-based lesson is a lot like discovering an uncharted isle!

Thursday, Brittany Metzger and I worked on a simulated activity called “Rock-Star Trading Cards”; we learned how to use the internet to promote interest and learning. We also learned how to use the template and walked through the steps to the assignment as if we were the 4^th grade students.

Thanks to Brittany’s lightning fast typing skills, we were finished in a flash, but that gave us time to explore the process and think about the strengths and weaknesses of setting our own students out to discover “uncharted lands”.
It will be interesting building my first actual inquiry-based lesson using the Tennessee State Standards!

Discovery of WebQuest

After surfing the wonderful world of WebQuest and evaluating 5 WebQuests in class, I have found that the WebQuest is an extremely useful tool in education. Unfortunately, several of the existing ones on “Art” that I researched at WebQuest.org's "QuestGarden" are below the standards for use in my classroom.

I wish I could learn how to make my own!

One WebQuest I recommend to other Art teachers is Exhibiting in Nature.

1. It offers a wonderful view into the world of art outside of the gallery/art room.
2. Students work in groups to create installation art.
3. Contemporary Art and related Artists are introduced and studied throughout the exercise.
   

Journey Update

It seems like only yesterday when I knew absolutely nothing about integrating technology with learning in the classroom.

Today, I not only know what a blog is, but I am building my very own. Blogs are a fun and easy way to communicate with students and parents.

Discovery Update: A new treasure was revealed today called a “Web Quest”.

A WebQuest is a uniquely packaged online learning tool utilizing inquiry and discovery of the student as researcher, creator, and learner.

Beware of Sharks...

Nothing can sneak up and bite you in the bum quicker than being unorganized!

This is especially true when dealing with so many electronic pages and pics. To date, I have created lots of space on the world wide web. You are currently visiting my blog, but I presently have my own tpte486 page as well as an Art Education group wiki on pbworks, and a PLP page at learningcentral. It's enough to make my head spin!

So, in the spirit of self preservation I have prepared my new jump drive to help simplify my electronic storage retrieval and restored organization to my electronic world.

Pearls of Wisdom

Two new and exciting things discovered today in Technology Land!

• The first exciting thing I discovered today is called a “link”. It is a useful entertaining device and to my surprise, it was hiding in plain sight!

• The second new discovery called a “wiki” appears to be loaded with potential for classroom application and I have even successfully created my own. I look forward to future examination of exactly what one can do with a wiki.

Evaluating Websites: The Metropolitan Museum Of Art

Explore & Learn at the MET.MUSEUM OF ART is the web site I evaluated for the class assignment this week and I highly recommend it as an excellent Art Education site! Even if you are not an Art Education teacher, you can use this site to integrate art, learning, imagination, and fun into your curriculum.

The site is reliable, easy to navigate, contains up to date information, and is virtually advertisement free. There is something on the site for any student regardless of grade or ability. Currently, students can explore and learn simultaneously by visiting the interactive

Shipwreck: An Ancient Sea Trading Game!

Evaluating websites for reliability and usability opened my eyes to the world of screening sites. I have never searched for revision dates or researched many authors' qualifications prior to this exercise. Previously, I assumed that most websites were up to date or without bias. I realized thru the process that the conscious act of checking for these important and sometimes underlying issues can have an effect on the decision for a teacher to send students to a location or not.

Exploration

Wow! I am so excited about blogging. There is so much to do and see. I have been updating and playing with "Gadgets". I could literally spend hours playing with these neat and unusual little things.

My First Blog: Day One!

Technology in the classroom is an entirely new concept for me. Finding new ways to broaden how students experience learning, open new windows, and build communication skills using on-line tools is extremely exciting!

I am not sure where I am going, but I look forward to exploring this new “land of technology” and I invite you to join me on my adventure.