Week 8

Online communication tools are important in a variety of different ways.  There are many benefits to using online communication tools.  For example, many people can communicate with each other in different countries around the world, have conferences, and participate in group discussions.  Online communication platforms are set up to communicate not only through text but also through video, and other interactive forms as well.  For example, some online communication tools allow groups to log in and share information and brainstorm ideas by writing or drawing on the same type of virtual whiteboard.

I think online communcation tools are also beneficial because it allows people to connect with each other in real-time when they cannot interact in the same physical space.  Many mobile devices and programs allow video communication with each other.  Probably one of the most popular communication tools used is Facebook. Edmodo is an educational tool that is similar to Facebook, the popular social networking site.  These communication sites allow people to access information and read collections of discussions on their own time, and postings are saved in chronological order.  From these, the user can access photos, see updates to the site, add classmates or friends, and share information on discussion boards. 

Comprehensive Assignment:

Look carefully at your classroom’s computers, or think of a classroom computer lab that you have interacted with in the past. Discuss the types of security you have in place to prevent malicious software and/or hackers and cite any areas of concern

I have 4 student computers in my classroom. They are set up on the school's network and managed by our school's technology director.  Once a week all computers are updated, scanned, and checked for malicious software and viruses.  Since I have been teaching, we have had very few issues with viruses.  I believe this is because the district technology department monitors our computers closely and is quick to find and remedy any issues before they become critical to our network. As far as hackers, we haven't had many in the past 5 years to my knowledge.  Some students have mentioned their hacking abilities in conversations I've overheard, but it is usually something they've seen before in an online tutorial.  Our district monitors closely and are able to see foreign computers on the network and alert or stop any activity before it is detrimental.

There are search filters in place on the computers as well.  Those were not as tightly controlled last year as they are this year, but they have restricted anything that may lead students onto a questionable site.  For example, Flikr is restricted because students can navigate through photos that may not be managed well enough, and stumble onto inappropriate images. 

Blog Assignment 7

Comprehensive Assignment:

During this lesson, you have learned about academic software and gaming. For your comprehensive assignment, you will add a new posting (between 400 and 500 words) to your blog in which you will reflect on your learning this week.

This week I ready about educational software and gaming.  I have mixed opinions about using games to enhance learning.  One of the articles discussed the Sims as a game in strategy that could be educational and have real life connections, but I've been familiar with the Sims for over 10 years and I have never considered it educational.  Most people that play strategy games have already researched the cheat codes to unlock areas or manipulate the game in some way, so I think that is hardly educational.  The sites also mentioned shooting games not being educational.  I agree and would even believe that shooting games and other gaming, not only creates aggression in those who play them, but also desensitizes people and breaks down social skills.

When looking at Web 2.0 tools, I was increasingly more aware of how much technology has changed since I began teaching, and also how rapidly it has grown.  I remember feeling like I was on the forefront of technology having and Interwrite and Mobi pad for my classroom.  Now, I'm writing letters and trying to find funding to buy iPads for each student in my class to use with an Apple tv! Not only is it a better educational tool than the Mobi, it is also ten times more expensive. 

One of the tools I looked at and really played around with most was Edmodo.  I have an Edmodo account, and have created groups before, but I really didn't have enough experience playing around with it to be able to know HOW to use it in my classroom to be an effective tool.  What I learned as I played around with it this week was how I could share safe, screened websites with students via the Online Resource Library, and how to create quizzes on Edmodo.  One of the things I'm interested in is taking the graded quizzes and seeing if I can export them as a .csv file and import them into infinite campus.  I will need more information for that!

I feel like with all the Web 2.0 tools, and all the technology available in general it is easy to get overwhelmed, not knowing how to use them or which ones are best for your class.  I have a tendency to want to try everything all at once and see which one sticks, allowing the students to give input, but sometimes that becomes a distraction from the actual content of the class.  Now, I manage to look around at the tools, find a few I like, then try one of them out on each class, and use their feedback to see if I need to keep it or move to something different.  So far, Edmodo is something students are able to use, but it seems as facebook starts to become a little less used by young students, it is harder to get them to 'buy in' to Edmodo.  I have recently begun looking at Evernote and their products because of this.  They also have apps available on multiple platforms, like Android and Apple, so students can use their own devices to access them, collect and store information at their fingertips.

Overall, I think teachers need more professional development focusing on how to use new technology and how to adapt to the rapid changes in it. 

Blog Assignment 6

This week we talked about WebQuests and how they are used in the classroom.  I have to say as an art educator there aren't as many resources for WebQuests as I would have hoped.  Some of the WebQuests weren't relative to the core content I teach as well.  Although there are many, I didn't feel like there were enough that fit my needs in the classroom.  Knowing we were going to make our own, I decided to create one that directly addressed an art history style I teach my students each year. 

When creating my own WebQuest, I was amazed at how long it seemed to take to make it.  The Zunal.com website I used to create my WebQuest was extremely easy to navigate, however. It was just the process of creating the entire WebQuest that required so much time and planning.

I would definitely use a WebQuest in my classroom as an introduction to a new topic. This would allow students to research and gaini new information on a top so that it can be discussed in depth in the classroom. Also, if arranged as such, it can allow students to branch off into areas of discovery.  I can see a WebQuest as a way to encourage students to learn together in groups by creating several tasks in one WebQuest and having students to present pieces of information to the whole class.

Although it was time consuming and there are changes I would make to mine (like better planning and more visually appealing format), I will definitely be revisiting zunal.com for some WebQuests to start out my classes next school year.

My WebQuest can be found here:
http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=154951

Blog Assignment 5

This weeks lesson was about visual literacy and how the arts coincide with technology in this area. As an art educator this is very important to me because students often times don't stop to think about how elements are intentionally placed to add interest or get attention in ads, signs, or to draw a person to pockets of information.

I have briefly explored Glogster before and use Edmodo in the classroom frequently, but Prezi was something I have yet to use.  I had heard reviews from other teachers about how good it was and how students loved to use it for their own presentations, but had never really tried it myself, assuming it was a flashy PowerPoint.  I liked how you could really move in and around the Prezi and zoom into other areas of it rather than just click from slide to slide like PowerPoint. One of the things I really like about Edmodo is the ability to connect with parents. It has been my experience, however, that the parents you are able to connect with through such technologies are the parents that are already checking on their children frequently in school through other forms of communication anyway. Although Edmodo makes it more convenient to check in, I still wonder if it is convenient enough to get the parents who don't normally check in on what their children are doing to use.

In my classroom, we often work with the art elements and principles to create compositions, and I feel like I need to add a little more emphasis to technology and how these elements need to be considered to promote visual literacy on signs, web pages, ads, etc. 

Blog Assignment 4

PowerPoint Assignment
This PowerPoint was created for a group of students in a printing class I taught this summer.  Students learned about a variety of different printing methods.  The PowerPoint I created was a brief presentation about Chinese seals or chops.  These are the red stamps commonly found in the corners of many Asian artworks.  They are used to identify the author or the owner of an artwork.

Of the slides in the PowerPoint I am most proud of the discussion slide.  Because I was trying to present a chunk of information in as few slides as possible, as simply as possible, I created a slide of an artwork with visible seals, and added two simple discussion questions. This allowed students some processing time if needed with the questions posted, while at the same time allowing them to listen to the discussion while looking at the work.

If I had to do the presentation again, I would probably add a link to some sort of supplemental video on the history of Chinese chops or the process.  I would so this in addition to an in class demonstration because it would be helpful to those students who may miss the class in the future or need to go back and refresh.

Students responded well to the presentation because I was mindful to keep it very short.  Art students typically want to get started right away, and this was a good way to present some information and start a dialogue with them about why they are used, and how signatures are important to show ownership, etc.

Blog Assignment 3

Several items I explored this week stand out.  I was glad to see ReadtheWords.com in the tech explorations.  I have been using it in the classroom for a long time.  It has become a tool for teaching and learning as well as classroom management! Sometimes when students are a little restless, I simply type what I needed them to do in the text box, and let the avatar read the instructions for me.  It saves me from having to repeat myself!  Plus, even though it is intended to sound as natural as technology can, it still has a little bit of a robot effect the kids like.  I have even lost my voice in class before, and used this website to communicate basic instructions to students throughout the class!

Also in this lesson different types of publishing programs were reviewed. Even as an art educator, I didn’t think it was necessary to be very appealing when sending home information to parents or giving students worksheets.  I think my justification came from fear that something nicer looking and informative meant twice as much time spent in its creation.  I am impressed with the newer version of Microsoft Word when creating newsletters and other documents for students and parents. It is easy to create colored shapes and borders. Font styles are plentiful to choose from too. 

I went through some of my old handouts, and revamped one using what I learned from this lesson.

As you can see, the BEFORE picture is a letter to parents announcing the start up of the artclub.  The image at the top center is the only colorful, decorative part of the newsletter.  Also, in reflection, this letter to parents it too wordy!  The good part about the newsletter is how some of the words are capitalized or bolded (or both) to stress the importants of some words or phrases. When I went back to re-edit this, they were a visual reminder of information I needed to keep!

To make some changes, I added a more colored background using colorful text boxes to draw attention to less text!

I kept the format of the entry form the same because it is purely for information, but I think the overall appearance works better than the first one.

Blog Assignment 2

I tested one of the slideshows from PhotoPeach, and I really enjoyed adding the background music. Rather than choosing a default song, I was able to go to Youtube and find a song and pull it into the slideshow.
On of the things I got very excited about right away was the possible implementation in my classroom.
I have had the worst time in my Studio Art class of getting students to take ownership of their work.  By having them to provide photo documentation of their work in progress and creating a slideshow, I believe they will be more likely to focus on idea development and craftsmanship of their work. This is a great way to get them to hold THEMSELVES accountable for their artwork.  It also ties in the technology they are using more frequently at home and across the curriculum at school.

TestHaan on PhotoPeach<object width="445" height="296"><param name="movie" value="http://photopeach.com/public/swf/story.swf"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"/><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"/><param name="flashvars" value="photos=http://photopeach.com%2Fapi%2Fgetphotos%3Falbum_id%3Dqkk6oc&autoplay=0&embed=1"/><embed src="http://photopeach.com/public/swf/story.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="296" flashvars="photos=http://photopeach.com%2Fapi%2Fgetphotos%3Falbum_id%3Dqkk6oc&autoplay=0&embed=1"></embed></object>