EdCamp Harrisburg: Great Day

 

Great day at EdCamp Harrisburg I highly recommend if you get a chance to go to one of type of Camps, try it.

http://edcampharrisburg.org/

Some of the things I learned and liked

Lino It - http://en.linoit.com/

An online “sticky” board; includes iPhone app; no email needed to participate; great for discussions/asking questions; great for sharing resources, links, etc.

BCIUiPad - http://bciuipad.wikispaces.com

An iPad site that includes links to subject-area content designed for the iPad

Arted20 - http://arted20.ning.com/

Similar set up like facebook but for art educators

TED - http://www.ted.com/

Motivational videos

Of course the few I have mentioned and used a time or two www.artsonia.com  and  www.animoto.com

Great video: Ok not appropriate for in class use, maybe high school, depending on your students but great ideas for creating a living painting as a resource for you. A project I have been thinking about doing every year but just have not got motivated to do yet. One of the college art teachers, Terry Yacovelli, showed this this video. My favorite I may have my students do is the sunflower have a group design flowers and groups create the background??

 

Edcamp Harrisburg

http://edcampharrisburg.org/ Never went to a edcamp, have been to the barcamp Harrisburg on technology so I am excited and hoping this is just as good it's free so sign up and go

  Watercolor tip: If you do not want you students to use a specific color on a watercolor strip place a piece of masking tape over the color.

Why hide technology in the Locker??

I have been following the trend of schools allowing and actually encouraging students to bring and use smart phones in school.  It is becoming common in the work field as a tool so why not allow middle school and high school students use this technology in the classroom. Heck, with education budget cuts this could actually become a free resource.  How many free or low cost educational apps are available on the iphone.  How many students have these devices in lockers, book bags or maybe at home. Why not instead of telling students to leave them at home, take them away when they have them out we as teachers teach them how to responsibly use them. They are not going away. 

I went two years ago to a workshop that  one teacher discussed was how the  inner city school teacher who “gasp” allowed students to use their smart phones. She set up rules:
1.  place them on airplane mode unless an app needs the 3g or wireless.
2. She could answer it if it rang and no texting while in class.
3.  IF Caught misusing the phone they would loose use of the phone in class for the week . No using it for research, games or  projects, like a normal classroom. They got the textbook, pencil and notebook. She had the students write on a large paper what misuse would be. (Oh an internet safety lesson)    Examples: no camera use unless for project.  She taught about professional uses of facebook and twitter.  A computer ethics course.
She also allowed students to text or e-mail home work.  During the year she documented an increase in test score and turned in homework.  As for misuse she had non students did not want to loss the privilege and respected the rules they created.

I researched a few article and successful schools that are allowing smart phone use
Very Recent Article:

Schools starting to allow use of digital devices

Some schools rethink ban of cell phones Best advice I have read
But the American Association of School Administrators itself argues the other side, promoting the use of cell phones in class as “genuine educational tools.”
“Handheld devices like cell phones, iPhones, BlackBerrys and iTouch are beginning to offer applications that enhance classroom learning by engaging kids to use tools they are constantly using anyway,” Daniel A. Domenech, the association’s executive director, wrote in an essay last fall.
Cell phones head to class“The students are expecting immediate answers and, if we don't always have a room full of computers and they do have answers right there in their pockets, it's sad for us to say, ‘I know it's there and you can't (use it),'” Faulkner said. “Some teachers were saying, ‘OK, you can look that up on your phone and I'll stand right here and watch you.'”
 

School Districts Lay Foundation for Mobile Devices

Over the past two years, Forsyth County Schools in Cumming, Ga., has slowly allowed some of its 34,000 students to bring their own notebooks, iPhones or other computing tools to school and connect them to the district network.
This after reading numerous articles has to be the best use of available technology I have read about. If you allow students to link with WIFI not the cellular network you can monitor what they can and cannot use. That is what I use in my classroom. I have iphones and ipods using WIFI only and I know the students are only able to get to appropriate sites. Have the student remove the sim card and place it a container labeled with their name if your worried about them usng the cellular network at the end of the day they can put the sim card back in. In my classroom they are old phones that does not have a sim card.

My pick ipad back to school apps

I just purchased my teen an ipad. Yes, I am cheap so I bought her a apple store certifies refurbish ipad 1st gen. from the apple store but I did go with a 3g network one. I finally decided that the ipad 1st gen. fit my budget $399 16GB 3G and had a lot of apps she could use while on the bus ride back to the house or staying afterschool  for events. She will be going to high school 45 minutes away, to a private school. So I wanted a portable device that she could use for homework.
After research between android and apple. I liked both but the price won out. I went with a certified  refurbished.  Due to another supposed refurbished item I bought through amazon.com from a non-certified dealer.  After I went to the apple store and they said the item had water damage and the refurbishment was sticking said device in a bag of rice. Luckily it was an amazon.com fulfillment seller and Amazon will accept returns for 30 day after purchase. SO now I go with the company certified refurbished it my cost a little extra $20 –$50  they usually come with a warranty.  The ipad 2 has a few newer features but costs for wifi 16GB $499 and 3G 16GB $629. Purchasing the older generation gave me a $230 savings. Well a savings I then put into for apps and data. Otherwise the ipad2 would have cost with educational and fun apps and the $180 for the year  data package ($15 a month) closer to $850. Where I spent a total of about $600 including the allotted $$$ for data. I have $30 to spend for the year sitting at  Panera drinking a nice refillable coffee, waiting for said teen to finish what ever afterschool activity, maybe even borrow the ipad to surf the web.

Apps  have found I like:
Mental case flashcards $4.99 or  Free classroom edition for teachers and students
Auditorium notes and text $4.99 can't use in the classroom but reading notes and text book out load  creates great notes. Though if daring could run on ipod or phone in pocket in class??
My teens lowest subject math I found mestudying : algebra 1 hope it helps the Florida virtual school uses this app:

Cramberry website and app $3.99
coursesmart free ??? not sure of yet but could be helpful
iworks at $30 a little  $$$ but worth it compatible with microsoft also. You can get a 30 day free trial to try it out. I think it should be on the pad to begin with as part of the software.

Well since I am an art teacher I had to go over a few new art apps that I found:My favorite and I am going to need to borrow my teens ipad a few times a year for class is brushes they do gave an iphone/pod version but it is best on ipad just because for kids the screen is larger.  I have 3 ipods and 2 iphones that I can use in class. SO have decided to add this to my art lessons this year. I am going to mention it to administration about allowing students to bring in their own ipod/phones but we do have a policy so I’m not sure if it would be ok’d or not.

NY artist

Harrisburg Bar Camp

 

I attended this last year learned all about google docs, how to use ipods in the classroom and all sorts of information. I really recommend attending in you want to learn more about technology. Now some talks are just way over my head, but others I loved.

Harrisburg BarCamp April 9th

http://www.barcamphbg.org/

Mona Lisa

I use this with my 3rd grade when we study the Mona Lisa
http://www.louvre.fr/llv/dossiers/detail_oal.jsp?CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id=10134198673229908&CURRENT_LLV_OAL%3C%3Ecnt_id=10134198673229908&bmLocale=en
Great video about the wood panel behind the Mona Lisa. Also a great close up tool to get closer look at the brush strokes.
How did they photograph the Mona Lisa

Calligraphy

 

Great video I show to start the class: http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/audioslideshow/2010/feb/18/work-and-careers

I have the students create quills from large duck feathers.

Students complete a practice page before starting:

Next they create either initials, name or they may create a pen & ink drawing.

Best apps for ipad and ipod touch

 

http://theteachingpalette.com/2010/12/13/the-10-best-iphone-and-ipad-apps-for-art-teachers-2010/

I read through this and I only used one of the apps they had listed and that was the Momo app. and I didn’t even use it with the class just when I went to the museum it was handy???

 

The apps I have used in class:

a favorite I have 2 ipod touches mine and my daughter (because she doesn’t need it during school) 

I do a group of 4, 2 per ipod  for this. I set up center day for art history I try for 3 times a year for each class and the ipod is a favorite.

Art Museum is great fun as you match paintings from famous artists while classical music plays in the background. You will get to learn the titles of the paintings, the painter and to recognize the actual paintings in this memory matching game that lets the imagination fly. Each game consists of 4 rounds. In round 1 you match the paintings and learn their titles and the artist names. In round 2 you match the painting to the names of the artists. In round 3 you match the paintings to the title. The final round is all words as you match the titles with the artists.
Screenshots

iPhone iPad iPod

My  next favorite: I have the students take a picture of themselves and then do what they want and print (like a memory stick just plugged into the computer) they love using their photos in projects.

Sketch Me!

Sketch Me! is a simple, fun app that lets you convert your photos into sketches by applying up to six different image effects.

My favorite video app:

8mm Vintage Camera

By Nexvio Inc

I just had to show a video to see why this is so cool! I am planning a project based off of this review by having groups of students create an old movie using action figures or using art sketches. Still working through the lesson, but what I have played and I think it will turn out. I am thinking about using it with an Andy Warhol lesson and his odd movies like “sleep” mentioned in the Getting to Know video about Warhol. I do a variety of printing as an extension from that video, but I decided after playing with this app. maybe add a little vintage video also.

The others I am playing with are ComicStrip-CS , imovie of course, and a personal one I like is Love Art National Gallery, London.

The other is Art Project which is from www.googleartproject.com in app form.

 

 

 

 

 

Snow art

 

Great project if you have snow.

Jackson Pollock style snow painting. Place watered down paint or food coloring in squirt bottles. block of an area in the snow and students can spray (not mist) in the designated area.

think of a color theme. School colors, cool colors,  warm colors,  or any color combination.

Using books in the Art Room

I try to use book readings for my K-3 grade at least twice a year, and create an art lesson around literature.
This year I have been using http://www.strorylineonline.net/
So far I have used Sophie's Masterpiece, The Night I Followed My Dog,  Stellaluna, A Bad Case of Stripes and the Polar Express. and When Pigasso Met Mootisse.
A few examples of the art created from the book readings. I Also I do lessons with the older students with illustration, graphic art and comics and cover art.



Barnes and Noble has wonderful videos interviewing authors: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/bn-studio/videos-podcasts/index.asp
one I used is from Jeff Kinney Diary of a Wimpy Kid