Great # 2

I am going to acknowledge another edublog that I visit frequently for ideas and to keep on top of things as a teacher.

Look out, it’s amazing.

http://ilearntechnology.com/

This is a blog created by Kelly Tenkely who is an educator and leading technology consultant when it comes to integrating technology in education.

Kelly is not someone I know personally but is someone that is a part of my PLN – my Professional Learning Network.

I follow her on twitter and her blog posts when I can, where she is always updating her learning community to new events, key learning concepts and resources for teachers when it comes to integrating technology in the classroom. She provides access to lesson plans online (for a small fee) and e-zines about news in education in relation to technology. (The e-zines are really quite amazing and rich with information.) Furthermore, she is always posting new and exciting apps, web 2.0 tools for the classroom and information from worldwide conferences with educators around the globe.

Kelly is a teacher but of late has left the classroom to pursue her dream of being a technology consultant as well as starting her own school! Yes, she has just recently opened a private school for students: http://www.anastasisacademy.com/ where technology is an over-arching tool in learning for the students.

It is very worthwhile as an educator in the 21st century to be connected with people like Kelly and the work they are doing for/in education. I suggest you check out her blog post on “Ideas to Inspire” specifically just to get a taste of what is happening or can be happening in the classroom from educators throughout the world.

Beware though, it can be a little intimidating and overwhelming so buckle in and enjoy the ride.

A Few Greats

Over the next little while I will be dedicating a some blog posts to highlight a few inspiring and innovative educational blogs I have come across by educators around the world.

I hope by sharing these, you can learn something from them, gather resources that may be helpful and/or be inspired yourself by them as I have been.

Enjoy.

To begin I would like to acknowledge the blog: http://pipedreams-education.ca/

This blog by Zoe Branigan-Pipe is awe-inspiring and such an amazing example of what educators are doing in the world today.

This past year, I had the privilege of being a student in Zoe's technology class at Brock University as well as having her as a cohort leader for my B.Ed.  Zoe's passion for education and technology and her amalgamation of the two has been so motivating for me as well as eye-opening.

The teaching and learning dynamic in the 21st century is changing.  Never before has social media, mobile devices, Smart technology and online software/programming been thought of as being educational.  The students of today are learning with these tools at an exponential rate and as teachers, we need to learn how to use these tools in pedagogical practice to reach our students.

I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to learn from Zoe this year and to have learned so much from her .  As you will see from her blog, she is on top of the changes happening in education and provides countless resources to other people, information and ideas for educators.  

Hope you like it.

What Does It Mean?

Here is one of my lesson plans for a senior visual arts class.

Students create a piece to display the change in meaning of an artwork given a change in medium. 

It is a lesson that incorporates traditional drawing media (ie: chalk) with contemporary art creation (ie: digital photography).  Senior students are able to hone their drawing skills as well as to work on their skills as digital photographers/manipulators with this lesson.  This lesson meets the Intermediate/Senior students’ Art Development Stage of VISUAL MODE and fits into the Student Profile,      Modes of Art Expression, Instructional Strategies dynamic of a Grade 12 student.

Artwork 1

Title: “Healing”

Medium: Chalk Pastel

Size: 8” x 8” each (8 drawings)

Date: 2007

Artwork 2

Title: “Scarred”

Medium: Digital Photography

Size: 18” x 24”

Date: 2011

(This digital photo-manipulation software I used was very basic called: Image Zone: it came with my digital camera)

A1.3, A3.1, A3.2, B1.4, C2.1 

Lesson:

*Students are given project outlining the two-step process: Create an artwork (using a traditional medium of their choice) that incorporates three of the elements and principles of design covered in the unit; photograph their artwork and then use digital photo-manipulation software to re-invent the work through digital media.  (The process of this activity is to enhance student awareness to the capabilities of meaning creation in an artwork and the inherent change in meaning via media. Students provide dialogue (presentation) explaining their intentions/outcomes to the class/teacher)

*Students gather thoughts and plans around the artwork they will create using the three Principles/Elements learned and get final approval from teacher before beginning to create.

*Work on artwork and teacher will provide a feedback meeting during the working process

*One the non-digital piece is completed the student will begin the photographic documentation of the work in desired angles/positions

*Photos are uploaded to computer and student works on digital manipulation of the photographs using Photoshop or other photo software

*Students print photos and create a display of their photographic piece

*Students document intentions and the different artwork meanings derived from the two pieces 

*Students present their two-works to a small group and generate discussion around the double meaning generated by the work

*Teacher marks artwork using a rubric that was given to students upon beginning unit