Work, Work, Work..... Spring Break

The road ahead will be filled with reflection! I need to buckle down and work on my portfolio. I need to remember how to use NVU! I hope it all comes back to me. I am hoping inspiration and creative thinking will take over and I will accomplish lots of things during my spring break....LOL I'm feeling the pressure now!

Podcasts... again

Now that I've been introduced to podcasts I seem to hear about them everywhere! It may be because I now know what they are. I didn't realize how widespread there are. I was listening to the radio the other day and the DJ's were talking about listeners being able to go to the stations website to listen to podcasts. Who knew they existed in so many places?! Sometimes I feel so behind the times with technology. I'm still having trouble working my cell phone! Thank goodness my kids can show how things work.

Making Podcasts

After creating a podcast in class, I can see how it could be a lot of fun for my students. It requires a lot of creativity to make a podcast interesting. The tools are fun to manipulate in creating the podcast. I could see my students using this to create newsflash type podcasts about the concepts in art. Students could also use the podcast to describe a piece of art that the listener will try to draw. I think podcasts could be a useful tool in the art room.

Podcast

I came across a website called Voicethread http://voicethread.com/#home It allows you to upload a picture or a students artwork and the student and others can record comments. It looks like a really neat site. I could see having a students create art and then record their voice talking about the artwork. Others would also be able to comment on the artwork. I wonder.... would this count as a podcast?

Flip Video

I was trying to think of ways to use the flip camera in my art class. I was thinking it would be a great tool for students to use to document an art process. I teach students the proper way to use and care for "Mr. Brush". I could have students film the process of taking care of "Mr. Brush". It would be fun to see students incorporate humor into the video by creating a "Mr. Brush" character. Because of limited time in my art class, I would edit the filming. I could then use the video as an introduction or reminder to other classes on how to properly use and care of "Mr. Brush". Flip video has great potential for making learning "fun"!

Creating Video for Wiki

Right now we are working on creating a PSA for our wiki using a flip camera. I think my students would enjoy using the flip camera in art class. It would be a great tool for students to use to explain art concepts, artists and so much more. I think I could make it work within my limited class time. The editing would be a whole other story.

I wonder at what age could students handle working with the editing of a video?

So Much to Think About!

As we move along in creating our wiki, it seems like there is so much work do and things to think about. It takes time to research and gather information, make the information understandable and load information on the wiki. I'm wondering how could I do all of this with elementary students in a 50 minute art period once a week. Any ideas on how to break it down?

Using a Wiki in Art

How would I use a wiki in art?...

An idea I am thinking about is creating a year long wiki about "Art Class". I could set up a wiki with pages relating to some key concepts I would teach throughout a year in art. For example... I would have a page for Elements of Art, Principals of Art, Artists, Techniques and so on. Students could enter information and facts on the various pages as they learn them. I would be able to use this wiki with all grade levels if I wanted to or make it specific to one grade level. Each grade level could contribute information as they learn about things in art class. Students could correct and add to other students information. This would also be a great tool for me to assess what I have taught throughout the year!

Time for students to input information is my only concern. Any ideas?

Wiki Thoughts

I just read about Wikis in Richardson's book. I've been hesitant to trust wiki sites such as Wikipedia. I thought the site would not be a good source of information because it could be edited by anyone. Richardson made a good point that there were more people correcting misinformation and making sure information was accurate then those who provided inaccurate information. I feel a little better about using Wikipedia but I am still a little hesitant. What do you think?

Blog Investigations for Art

As I begin to investigate Blogs I realize that I spend a lot of time looking and reading. I tend to avoid blogs that are to long. Maybe I just have a short attention span. The title and topic really need to grab me for me to continue to read.

BLOGGING WITH STUDENTS
I am not yet sold on the idea of using blogs in my art room. Time and management seem to overwhelm me. I see over 500 elementary students once a week for 50 minutes. I would never blog with that many students but even blogging with a few classes seems like a big endeavor. I wonder when I would blog with my students. Would all of my students have access to a computer at home? At what age could an elementary art student blog? Would parents or classroom teachers be on board with helping me in regards to my time concerns with blogging? There are soooo many things to think about, manage and plan.

BLOGGING AS A PROFESSIONAL
I do see value in blogging as a professional. It would be beneficial to me as an art teacher to make connections with other art teachers. Being the only art teacher in a school can be very isolating. It would be great to collaborate and talk to fellow art teachers. I searched the web for art blogs. I could not find many or find ones that interested me. I did find one site that had art blogs and looked interesting... http://arted20.ning.com/ I had to join the site. I did and I am still waiting for membership approval. I gave up and lost interest after an hour. I'll try the site tomorrow to see if it was worth joining.

This is a long blog! I wonder if I would bother reading this blog if I came across it.

Blogs

Blogs...... What is a blogging? I've heard of them and I've even run into one or two when searching for information. I understand them to be a place where people talk about a common topic. It seems like they would be a useful place to hear other's opinions, suggestions or thoughts about a topic.

I wonder how much time is involved in searching and reading blogs.