IMAGES RETRIEVED FROM http://www.imgspark.com/.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
BP9_2010053_Web Tools 2.0_ Week 3
As I sit and write this blog topic, I am watching and listening to 60 Minutes. The topic is the “SEED school” the first urban, public boarding school. A new way to educate students and change our youth is the concern of every community. Giving students the opportunity to show themselves that they can be a success story is the reality of every educational environment. Creating a successful learning environment is crucial to motivation and participation by students.
Developing engaging activities for students in the art room has proven to be a trying effort. I will have to testify that WEB2.0 has really opened the door to some new and innovative ways to allow students to contribute to their own personal learning environments. This week I have chosen Image Spark a web sharing database used for storage of inspiring images. As an artist myself I thought it would be an interesting service to use for storage of creative images we may create in the art room. Designed to enhance the creative spirit and work of artists, my intentions are to utilize this service towards the creative aspect of my action research.
I understand that we use flickr for some of our photos for our action research but this avenue would allow us to showcase my own personal creative contributions and that of my students.
It is always refreshing to come across a type or form of technology that could enhance the learning environment. Especially when it is with regards to the production side of education. It is amazing to come to this current stage of technology and the many uses it may have in the classroom. My formal education came in the form of 18th Century standards or theoretical manner of instruction.
Our Fine Arts Department at that time was still very traditional and used traditional ways of creating art. It was an experience that really laid the foundation for my visual experiences and career. Not having or possessing any form of technology at that time I graduated and entered the work force determined to become an art teacher. My experiences with technology came in the form of computers that came our way in the classroom and my own investments and purchases. Looking back at our latest technological advancements we have truly come really far in the past ten years. It is easy to see how some individuals may not have been part of this technological revolution in the past and have not made any effort to change.
Thus I have chosen IMAGESPARK to help me document the next few years of our own personal growth in my learning environment.
Ricardo Mireles
Monday, May 17, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
BP5-2010051_Web Tools 2.0_Week2
With the search for new and entertaining sites that students will use. I have come across a site that will add to the experience my students get in the classroom. I have found WebCanvas http://webcanvas.com/site/.
This site is an online collaborative painting canvas. The concept allows individuals to join and become part of developing a virtual painting. Collaborators work together in production of images on a canvas that is infinite. Imagine an infinite canvas, a work of art from students or individuals alike that grows by the minute. With continual updates to the work of art you can visually see the art pieced growing right in front of your eyes. Students would learn proper internet etiquette before embarking on a drawing session.
There are many uses for the internet and at times some sites may not be useful to the learning environment. Some instances there may not be any real learning going on per say, but there are some critical thinking engagements occurring. With this particular site the learning may be engage in an activity that allows for the discovery of visual interaction with viewers around the world. This virtual canvas allows students a form of social interaction with the development of images pertaining perhaps to their environment or geographical location.
The intriguing part of this work is that it is continually being added to and continues to grow at a fast pace. The virtual canvas that exists is marked by coordinates of North and West allowing for students to understand and comprehend the concept of pioneering. This could be valuable learning experience for students studying geography or mapping.
Giving students some form of ownership in a work has always helped me in the classroom. I think that students would enjoy becoming part of a virtual canvas in my fine arts program. Although the works on this site are vector and more graphic based, students would be able to create and post their creations. It reminds me of an assignment that we revisit time to time. We at times just doodle in class. Students may come in one day and have a doodling assignment to produce. The final product sometimes produces a rough draft for future projects.
Using Webcanvas I think could replace the doodling assignment that I currently use. This use of this site could provide an electronic doodling session that is uploaded and placed on an electronic canvas. The activity could possible be used as a springboard for the true objective for the day and increase student motivation.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
BP4_2010051_Discovering Web 2.0 Tools
My choice for implementation of a tool into the classroom is peeplo. It was my understanding that we have until today to post to our discussion. With that in mind I have not used peeplo in the classroom. But, after having used it this afternoon and into the evening I can see the potential that it may have in my classroom.It is always a challenge to get students organized in researching and search quests that they may pursue. Peeplo is an organized network of sources that come via rss feeds and networks of other organizations. The information is current and is uploaded or received in an instant. Can you imagine the possibilities that could open up to students in the classroom?
There are many ways to search for items on the Internet; receiving the most current information proves to be the most important. As I am working on my blog I am watching CNN news, as the different topics run across the hour of the newscast I type in topics. To my amazement there is something on reference on peeplo. I use in my studies and teaching of art visuals that I can obtain. It is relatively difficult to show students images of artwork if you have a limited library source.
In many instances it takes more than a textbook to show images of a certain topic or concept. Using electronic sources as a teaching tool takes away the legwork of having to travel to a library or bookstore. Peeplo uses an organized manner of distribution of information that provides an incentive to students to study and research topics of all genres.
As I prepare for another year, I have been propositioned to possibly teach advanced placement art history courses. It is apparent to me that there needs to be a new and fresh manner of teaching these courses. Another thing to consider is that these courses will have individuals that are a bit more challenging and insightful. Advanced placement courses offer students a really disciplined curriculum. The manner in which students study; can be compared to college level coursework. In keeping with the higher standards we as teachers must offer an avenue of research and study habits that mirror that higher level of expectation. Offering students with tools and applications that can aid in the process will always prove to be beneficial to teacher and students alike. I will continue to use and understand the inner workings of Peeplo. In my use I hope to gain and understanding that will engage my students and give them a more in depth insight to the Arts.
The following link will guide you to Peeplo: http://www.peeplo.com/
BP3_2010051_RSSFeeds
First and foremost I would like to mention that I am a greenhorn when it comes to all that we have come to discover in ETC. This is a true statement, but wow it has really been fun and truly amazing to learn all those things that I always wondered about. Like what the heck is an RSS feed, never imagined there would come a day where I would understand what that little orange icon was used for. Transcendence is always a cool thing.
The first of my RSS feeds is that of the Texas Education Agency website http://www.tea.state.tx.us/
I had to really think about what sites I would be using as part of my professional and student responsibilities. As a teacher it is always a good thing to stay in touch with your states agency for public education. There are many different links and resources with regards to education in our state. It is also a good way of staying informed about new laws and by laws that may be introduced. Another avenue of information that is always pleasing is information about positive things that may be happening around our school districts around the state.
My next RSS feed jumps up to the Federal level of education.
Again thinking about sources for my professional life is something that I have to consider with a wide scope. It seems there are many different sources it is hard to decide what is the best. With this in mind I chose the US Department of Education because of the service and the information that is provided. As mentioned with the state agency this site also offers a bit of the same information on much bigger scale. This site is a good resource for current aggregated data that has been obtained through school districts nationwide. The Ed Gov site is a good way to stay informed about policies that have been adopted or updated. You may even find current state rankings with regards to content areas. I am hoping to get good use of this site and hope that it offers information that will benefit my classroom.
Up next http://www.free.ed.gov/index.cfm
Now jumping into the classroom I have found a site that offers free resources for any subject matter. The following site http://www.free.ed.gov/index.cfm is full of information for teaching and using in the classroom for research or simply educating students about a specific topic. I found it really useful for finding images pertaining to the Art History. It has many outside links to choose from and is very user friendly.
Now we are looking for tools that we can use an implement in the classroom.
The only site that came to mind was http://arvixe2.go2web20.net/
Again I am consistently just amazed at what we are using in this class. When I talk to my co-teachers and constituents I speak to them with such enthusiasm about all that it is out there. The regrettably point to this discussion is that we do not have this form of technology currently being practiced at our school. I am hoping to be a pioneer in the introduction to our local campus. It would be totally revolutionary towards our population of students. The concept of housing a group of applications and services that WEB 2.0 offers could potentially change the way students perceive the education and learning process they as students are involved in. This digital age of information is at our fingertips. It can be reached at the touch of a button or at the arrival of an RSS feed. This is truly the beginning of something very new and interesting for me. I hope that others in the class are feeling the same way.
The last website that I chose for my RSS feeds is the Classroom 2.0 website
http://groups.diigo.com/group/classroom20
This RSS feed is constantly being fed with information from individuals interested in promoting the use of technology. It offers a network of people registered to Classroom20 to promote the use of technology in the classroom and professional career. Using a social network framework diigo links many different sources with regards to education and all possible technological connections.
BP2_2010051_EducationalUsesForBlogs
In the opening days of this class I found myself a bit overwhelmed with the bombardment of this new avenue of technology I have discovered. There are many individuals who take part in daily rituals that enable a means of communication with no boundaries, well maybe one? You have to have an electronic device! The advent of technology has allowed people to stay connected with the smallest of smart phones to iPads. As the next generation of communication tools arrive; we will continue to develop new ways to utilize them. Having a personal connection to a wide variety of electronic sources provides an individual with an almost limitless source of information that can be categorized as valid and in some instances peer oriented or opinion based.
The use of blogs in the classroom as an educational tool may pose or can pose a problem. It is very important that students understand the proper etiquette to follow when communication of ideas or posts to a blog. There may be potential for a situation to arise with regards to a blog post that has been made. Situations like these need to be handled quickly and in a most efficient manner. Instructing your students and giving them the foundation to the proper use of these technologies can provide a positive learning environment and one that enables students to reach levels of intelligence in an otherwise non-traditional manner.
As I looked over content related to blogging I have once again feel as if I should have discovered this tool a long time ago. This mass means of communication of ideas and concepts is something really that I have been looking for. One of the key challenges in staying informed is getting connected to that information. Blogging offers a relative view of a specific topic that can range from cooking recipes to space engineering to microbiology. The amount of information at the fingertips of the student or researcher is dependent on the time someone might want to spend researching via blogs. As I write into this blog I also am reminded that blogging in education is not only limited to research and the investigative aspect of electronic sources. Blogging can also provide a tool for teaching. Using a blog post as a springboard for assignments will provide your class with an avenue of communication. This communication will allow students to engage in activities created by the teacher or instructor. “Further, blogging gives students a genuine and potentially worldwide audience for their work. Having such an audience can result in feedback and and greatly increase student motivation to do their best work. Students also have each other as their potential audience, enabling each of them to take on a leadership role at different times through the course of their learning.” (Downes, 2009)
Completing the learning cycle in our students every year can be ever so challenging. The new discoveries made are a prelude to the upcoming year. The process always reinvents itself and allows us to reflect on what we might have done different, what we might change and also what we definitely not do again. My ambitions as a teacher are to give my students an experience and knowledge that will enable them in the real world environment. This new blogging discovery is one that will open up avenues in my teaching, networking, research and peer based learning. It is all very new to me. I wish that I would; have discovered it sooner. The potential for my personal experiences in the classroom will increase the technology use for one. But, it will allow me to be more creative in the manner in which my students communicate their ideas about art, community and their own experiences in the art room.
Downes, S. (2009, Apri) Half an Hour. Retrieved May 9, 2010 from
http://halfanhour.blogspot.com/2009/04/blogs-in-education.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
