Many art teachers that I've met are embracing technology. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that students of all ages are showing up in their classrooms more digitally connected than they are. If you can't beat 'em, join em. And not to mention schools being pushed into the digital world. Some kicking and screaming. But, I love technology, I always have. As a youngster, I loved looking through the Radio Shack catalog at all the latest gizmos and thinking (believing) I had to have it all. I remember saving all my allowance and buying a digital LED watch with the tiny red LED that gave the time AND date.
But the classroom is evolving. No longer do I need to be the gatekeeper of knowledge. I can trust the students will know how to use a computer, at least for gaming. As an art teacher that loves anything tech, I struggle with how much of it to let my students use. As mentioned before, I have lightened the digital load in my classroom with the belief that kids need to get their hands dirty and in the stuff of art making. My technology efforts are more focused where I think it enhances the art experience instead of replacing it. For example, In my choice-based art room, I had a light-box that I used with colored/translucent blocks. The kids would turn it on and build things. It created an aesthetic experience for the kids. Soon they discovered that they could trace with it. I felt this was ok for my kindergarten and first grade as they developed their drawing skills. However, I soon had lines forming with the kids wanting to trace their favorite Pokemon character and the like. So this year I wrote a grant to buy three OSMO accessories for my iPads. These devices will allow any image to be turned into a line drawing that the students can then look at in the iPad and draw. It not tracing but helps develop good hand-eye coordination as well as observational skills and perspective. It's quite extraordinary. It reminds me of looking through a window and tracing the lines that you see with a marker.
 |
| Students using the drawing apparatus OSMO. |
 |
| A young student using Seesaw to document learning. |
 |
| 5th-grade boys learning to code by using Sphero |
 |
| Engineering concepts developed during block wars. |
Comments
Post a Comment