Video Making in the Art Classroom

       There are many different ways to incorporate the making of videos into the art classroom. I was able to experience creating many of these various projects in a course I took last year. I think they are fun and use many of the technologies students are familiar with, but, may introduce them to new tools as well.   One project that can be fun and challenging is having the students work together to produce an instructional video. In the video, they can demonstrate a particular art technique or a “How to.” They can experiment with speeding up some of the frames, adding music and voice-overs. Another enjoyable project would be for them to create a documentary on an artist. This can take the place of a written essay. The students would download still images and import them into iMovie or a program similar to this. They then can add music, voice-overs and the Ken Burns effect. The Ken Burns effect is when the images are zoomed and panned over. It’s amazing the effect that this produces only using still images. They also can construct a short movie, where they create the script, storyboard and props. The movie can be about a local or global social issue.  The students can also create a documentary about themselves. If there is a planned art show at the end of the year, you can have the students interview and film each other in the actual “creation process” throughout the year. They can then present the final video at the art show. These are just some of the various ways to incorporate video making into the art classroom.

Unit Plan Canvas

       I just created a PLAYground canvas. It is a great tool for teachers that can serve as an introduction to a new unit. My canvas is on Color Theory. Here my students can find many helpful widgets pertaining to the various topics that they will learn throughout this unit. I began my canvas with an open ended question about color for reflection. I then added a text widget that contains what the students can expect to learn from this unit and also what they could find on the canvas. I included two galleries of images. One gallery has examples of the color wheel labeled with important terminology along with the different color harmonies. In the other gallery, I included images of famous paintings where the students are encouraged to try and recognize the color harmonies within each painting. There is a great video that explains the effect that color has on us. I also included widgets that lead to three websites for further reference about color meaning, the emotions they can convey and how colors affect each other. Two of these websites are interactive. The NJCCCS are included as well. As much as I enjoyed creating my canvas, there were, however, some glitches. For example, for some reason I could not use my PC to create or view my canvas, I had to use my MacBook. Nevertheless, I still think it was worth the time and the frustration that came along with establishing this informative tool.

http://www.play.annenberginnovationlab.org/play2.0/challenge.php?idChallenge=2294&mode=view#network6

Ways to Motivate Your Art Students

       Most students enjoy art class, but there are some that do not share the same enthusiasm for it. That is why it is important to use different methods to motivate all of your students. Besides being passionate about the topics you teach, make sure to have fun while teaching and present themes in unique ways. Developing projects around students’ interests will help get them engaged. For example, you can have the students create an expressionistic painting influenced by their favorite song. You can allow them to bring in their iPods or cell phones (with headphones), so they may listen to the song in class as they paint. They can also play the song for the class as they present their piece. Another great idea to switch things up a bit in class is to invite a guest artist to come and speak to the students. The guest artist can present and talk about their work and perhaps show the class a new technique. Taking a trip to a museum can also be fun, if you make it exciting. You can turn the visit into a scavenger hunt. As you tour the museum have the students find certain artworks such as, a piece of art they would like to put in their bedroom, their favorite impressionism painting or a painting that shows repetition. This will make the museum trip more interesting because it will help reinforce topics they have learned about in class. Besides, there is nothing like actually viewing artwork in person. Getting the students involved in the planning of an art show can be an exciting and a rewarding experience for them. They can choose a theme for the art show and create works that represent that theme. The students can choose which of their own works they want in the show. They also can help set up by hanging and displaying the artwork. These are just a few examples of how to motivate all of your students in the art classroom .
 

 

 

Technology and Pedagogy

I was browsing the web looking for an art lesson that included digital technology. I came across a lesson called Monochromatic Self-Portraits, by Judi Morgan. As I read through the lesson, I was pleased to discover that it was mostly student centered. I think it is very important as teachers that we guide our students, but give them the opportunity to make their own choices and learn by doing. This lesson allows the student to choose either themselves or another person to use for the image they will be basing their artwork on. It seemed optional for the students to either take digital pictures in class and download them to the computer, or bring in a picture to scan into the computer, so the camera and scanner both appear to be essential. This lesson also introduces the student to Photoshop basics, by giving them step-by-step instructions so they can posterize the image they have chosen. I believe the use of Photoshop was important to the lesson plan because certain elements of this software are used to alter images. This lesson requires the image to be posterized in order to break down the different values of color within the image. The students are then able to paint these different values with their color of choice. I think the use of the particular digital technologies in this lesson support the goal of the objectives listed by the teacher. The only other technology I would use would be a power point in the beginning of the lesson to introduce the students to Andy Warhol, Expressionism and the meaning of colors.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgUQZOYRuKbNdDJkTFJZQmdxQUVRaW1oU0F2aU8zTnc&usp=sharing

Art With a Hint of Halloween

       Since the fall is upon us, and Halloween is drawing near, a lesson with a seasonal theme can be fun for the students. Usually this is something geared more toward the elementary art classroom, but there are projects that can be appropriate for middle and high school students as well.  

       For elementary students, a great lesson inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night, would include the use of mixed media. First, the students would observe van Gogh’s painting. The students would then draw a scene using oil pastels to mimic the brush strokes in the painting, concentrating on some of the swirls in the sky. From there they could add a tree and a cityscape. After they are content with the drawing, the students then would use watercolor paints to fill in the sky and the rest of the background. When it is completely dry, they could add a “wavy” paper ghost. This can be achieved by not gluing the ghost flat to the paper, but just placing glue at the top edge, middle and bottom edge of the ghost.  

        For middle or high school students, a lesson inspired by Edvard Munch’s The Scream, is great for this time of year. Once again, the students would first observe and discuss Munch’s painting. For this lesson, the students could use neon tempera paints to create their own expressive version of someone screaming. The students then could write a short story about their painting.
       
        For a multicultural lesson, a Day of the Dead project can be implemented. Students can learn about this Mexican holiday while they create a Day of the Dead skull. This can be achieved by using many different medias, such as paper mache or clay. This also can be created just as a two dimensional project using paints, pastels or colored pencils. These are just a few lessons that can be tied into this time of year. The possibilities really are endless.

Fine Art Prints

       Filling an art room with students’ artwork creates a “classroom gallery” where the students feel pride in the display of their creations. However, I think it is also important for the art classroom to have fine art prints put on view for students to see every day. Not only do these prints provide a source of inspiration, but they expose students to artworks and artists that they may not be familiar with. The use of art prints in art, or picture study, is not a new technology. It was very popular in the late 19^th century, but faded out by 1920.  
       Fine art prints can be used for lessons in Art Appreciation, Art History, Art Criticism and Aesthetics. Teaching students about different eras, movements, techniques and styles of art will give them a better understanding of art. This knowledge will allow them to better appreciate art as well. Having a variety of art prints is key to introducing them to the vast artworks throughout history as well as contemporary work. It also will help them develop, improve and assess their own artwork.
      In addition, fine art prints are essential when teaching students formal analysis. Having various examples of artwork to point out the different ways artists use the visual elements (line, shape, texture, value, color, space, form) and the principles of design (unity, rhythm, balance, contrast, emphasis, movement, pattern) is beneficial for the students as well as the teachers.
     Art prints can evoke inquiry about the artist as well. Students may admire a particular work of art which, in turn, might lead them into researching the artist, wanting to know more about them and their work. Using fine art prints for an “Artist of the Month” bulletin board is a great way to celebrate various artists along with introducing them to the students. Art educators should take advantage of the many uses that fine art prints can provide throughout the art curriculum.

 

    
 

 

 

History of Technology in Art

 

Where would art be without the pencil?