Digital Scavenger Hunt

This week my group and I completed a color scavenger hunt. We had a fun time taking photos of things we found around the building that illustrated the different colors.  The part that I found most difficult was being able to take the photos that were shared with me on google drive and putting them into Picassa. Through trial and error, I eventually figured it out but it was a tedious task. I'm pretty sure there is an easier way than downloading each photograph and uploading them individually in Picassa. I had fun edting the photos in the software and adding text to them.  I can see myself using a digital scavenger hunt in the art classroom for things like colors, shapes, or different types of lines. I think this is a really great tool for teachers.

Resource Wiki

I believe that we are still the first class to be able to work on the wiki. So far I have added a contacts page, a  page about the elements and principles of design, and a page that would serve for sketchbook ideas.  I'm excited for the other art ed students in the other TPTE sections to be able to add to the resource page. I hope that we can make this resource page that we will really be able to use when we become teachers.

Inquiry Based Assignment

I actually very much enjoyed making the Inquiry Based Assignment. I could imagine asking students to complete one of these as homework or if they finished an art project early. It could reinforced ideas that would be on a future quiz.  Creating the IBA was not very difficult. I just added pages and created the worksheet and teachers page. I think this will be a great resource for my future classroom.

My Thoughts on Web Quest

I think that Web Quest could be a good resource for teachers to create their own simple websites. They are simple enough to make and seem easy to maintain. On a more negative note, I feel like they all look like they were made in the 1990's. I feel like I could make a similar website using Google sites where students could follow directions and complete a task.  I don't know if I will create my own Web Quests as a teacher but it is good to know that they are there as a resource.

Web Quest

http://questgarden.com/02/66/9/050926195820/

I found a Web Quest about Van Gogh.  In this Web Quest students look at a website that has biographical information as well as art samples of Van Gogh.  Students are to read the biography and find their favorite painting by the artist.  Students will then print the image of their favorite painting and create their own painting in a similar style.

Website Evaluation

 For my website evaluation project, I chose to evaluate a site called The Art of Ed.  It is a great resource for art teachers for lesson plans and information on classroom management.  The project shed a lot of light on the process of evaluating a website. The checklist showed all of the criteria that a "professional" website would contain.  It really makes me think twice about what kind of websites I will use as a resource in the future. It is important for me as a future teacher to be able to discern a website with factual information from one that is full of misinformation. I will certainly be using this check list as a resource whenever I come across a site whose credibility is questionable.

Course Expectations

From this course, I hope to gain a better understanding of how to use technology in the classroom.  Hopefully I can use a technology skill set to help my students learn and explore the exciting world of art. I would also like to establish in this class an interactive website that I can use in my future classroom. I'm excited about the opportunities that having a teaching website provides for connecting with the parents and students. In addition, I can imagine myself sharing through the web site great works of art, links to museums, and even power point slides used in class with students. I am also hoping to learn how to use the interactive whiteboard, as I see it being a great resource for the art room.

Lauren