Two Art Shows in One Week: Epilogue

Thursday 8:30 pm, , Open House, Student Art Show (see previous post)

Saturday: Spring Break starts

What to do about Friday?

Children and teachers were zombies. I went to Starbucks and got the largest tea I could, plus their protein plate and I still had tears leaking out of my eyes due to exhaustion. 

The thought of getting out the art supplies and trashing my-ready for break-clean room filled me with hopeless despair. I was tiiiiiiiiirrrred.

And then I remembered. These kids have iPADS. We can do a digital art day! Haven't done that before, let's see how it goes?!

I wrote 6 apps they could use (all free except one): 

                   

In case you can't read my chicken scratch:

Blendoku

Brushes

Inspire Pro

Sketchbook Express

iMotion HD

Drawing Pad (an optional, paid app)

I gave them full reign to try each app and create a work of art. Artist choice.

I briefly introduced/reviewed each app. 

We talked briefly about career paths that utilize digital art (most of them btw).

I talked for 5 minutes tops.

And off they went:

Checking out Blendoku for color theory--they love it

Friday ...Day Lights

Here's where it exploded. These boys are using iMotion HD to create stop action animated movies. I don't have a lot of stuff to make movies from (toys, etc).

Our library has an enormous supply of Sensory Tubs. 

These boys borrowed them, and I didn't hear a PEEP out of them the entire class time.

Student engagement? You could taste it. 

Collaboration? You could feel it.

Beauty, relaxation and joy? It was shining in the air. Literally. Shining.

Kids without iPads used the Mac Airs to create their art.

Then third and fourth grade took the ball and RAN with it. Here are groups of kids building movies.

They are sprawled all over the hallway, and yet, so quiet...weird...right?

And not all kids chose to go digital. A few wanted to finish up their weaving.

                     

Meanwhile, classroom teachers were walking their classes around the Art Show and filling out Comment Cards for their Reading Buddies, friends, etc.

Younger students were just as excited and engaged...






...but they found the higher levels of Blendoku to be a bit hard!


See how they are working together? I love that. They are open to help and suggestions.

That doesn't always happen when they are talking about traditional art making. Usually that leads to tattling and hurt feelings.


Comments heard all day:
BEST DAY EVER.
I CAN'T WAIT TO DO THIS OVER SPRING BREAK!
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT MAKING MOVIES WAS ART.


Best part? Clean up was 30 seconds long, I didn't have to stay after school to clean my room, and soon I was back in bed where I belonged.

HAPPY SPRING BREAK, PEEPS!

rest and relax!

Reality check time for using tech in the Art room!

So halfway through this piloting 1:X year, here is an update on how we are *REALLY, really*  using tech in the art room:

Good news: it is going SO MUCH BETTER than we imagined. A few bumps, and few hiccups, but overall, here at Donald, things are going well (*knocking on wood*).

With regards to tech, the kids are way ahead of us anyway, so integrating tech into daily school life is no biggie for them. I have seen some very cool stuff happening around our school. True, it has un-leveled us teachers, but that's ok, we are in the Learning Profession. At least that is what I keep telling myself.

Reality check and fyis:

Not all of our kids have iPads, as parents can opt-out. Or they forgot them at home. Or they aren't charged by the time they get to Art. Or they haven't uploaded the instructional apps we need.

Ok. This is Really Important: In our district, parents can opt not to put apps on their child's iPad (even instructional ones). Parents have the final say, naturally, and keep in mind that our district provides a safe and secure server the kids can use at school and home. So yes, parents have the final say as to what apps they want to deal with on nights and weekends ( My son is 13 with a school issued iPad, and trust me, I need to parent that thing.). What is appropriate for one family is not always appropriate for another.

Going 1:X does not mean every kid gets an iPad or a laptop, or blah blah blah, and we don't believe that putting an iPad in their hands will make them smarter/better test takers/robots.  It means making sure every child has access to the tools they need to succeed.

So, all kids here have access to iPads, Mac Airs, traditional books and prints, etc...what they need to get the work done.

Look at it this way: 

Remember back to your 4th grade spelling tests in the 70's, 80's or 90's.

I remember my classroom looked like this:

Anyone remember those desks?

Or maybe you remember this?

Where is this? Pleasantville?

(Anyway, see those kids? YEAH. Those kids don't exist anymore. They are now adults who have had children WHO ARE NOT LIKE THIS. The NetGen or iGen kids are completely different. Completely. Don't believe me? Hang out at Chucky Cheese on a Saturday afternoon.)

Now, image you HATED spelling. You were terrible at it. Or maybe, just meh.(Unlike me, who was soooo super awesome that I was given the super awesome job of READING THE SPELLING WORDS OUT LOUD to my classmates. No, I didn't have to actually TAKE the test. Note to teachers everywhere: do not do this.)

SOooooo anyway. Spelling tests. Right. 

Ok, imagine you could take that spelling test with a purple glitter pen, as the pencil smudges left from that awful pink eraser stressed you out.

Or, you could lay on the floor and take the test. Or sit on a overstuffed chair.

Or you could use a typewriter, a word processor or a tablet, as your handwriting was so super terrible your teacher couldn't read the properly spelled words (this is not about handwriting folks)...

What if--this is crazy--you and another kid could collaborate and take the test together? 

Would that help? What is the point here, to have every kid do exactly the same thing the same way, or learning how to spell?

Look, obviously I am not an expert on Elementary Language Arts (my "inventive" grammar alone should prove this). But taking spelling tests in school is something I think we can all remember and agree on.

What does this have to do with anything in Art Ed?

A lot. 

I have to use this amazing technology is a way that meets the needs of ALL my students. And maintain the high expectations for a quality art program (read 'My Conditions" side bar). No two kids or art projects are the same. 

My struggle (ha, what a struggle. First World Problem Alert!), how can we do a digital painting or movie when out of 22 kids, 4 don't have the app uploaded and 2 don't have an iPad? Painting websites are not anything like the apps. So the tech has to be an OPTION. Or the kids work in GROUPS. Both are fine and wonderful.

First of all, remember, we are the masters of differentiation (can that be a tee shirt?).  How many other classes have 22 kids doing 4 completely unrelated things? Have you ever seen a classroom with science experiments, LA, Math and Social Studies happening at the same time, with one teacher successfully navigating? Nope. I am sure you have not (ok, maybe on those crazy half day before a break. That is not what I am talking about ^.^).

But we do it all the time. With iGen kids who:

• cannot sit still
• now have an attention span of .0008 seconds
• who view quiet as a form of disapproval
• who require constant feedback and redirection and assurance

...or is it just me? 

What is happening here: kids on the right are finishing their project, child in the back here is assessing and photographing with iPad, students at the left table are finished and doing Free Choice Centers: modeling clay and finger weaving, and the kids on floor are doing a Free Choice Center: cup weaving. 

How I am using tech in my art room and how I imagined we would be are two very different things.

I thought we would all be making at least one amazing piece of digital art by now, until I realized not all my kids had access to the iPads and/or special art apps (the year is not over yet!). 

I thought sharing these digital art projects would be a breeze, until I realize not every app allows you to save and share the way we need them (we use Google Apps, with Apple products).

I thought I had it all figured out, and then Apple pushed the IOS7 update that changed app security and briefly messed up our proxy and that (*frustration*) is part of technology.

I thought I had to master and pre-teach all these Art Apps, until I realize that kids had already figured them out. And were showing each other. Even the first graders.

So right now, in January,  here is the for real how students are using the iPads:

• taking photos of art work, charting the journey from beginning to end, for use in digital portfolios, saving all in their art folder in their Google Drive. 
• Creating Google Docs for assessment/reflective questions.
• Taking videos of their art work and discussing the process and reflections.
• Taking these images and popping them into Animoto.
• Using Art Apps as a Free Choice center when they have finished their art and assessment.
• taking photos and videos of their Free Choice Centers to save and share.

Yes, I am aware it is a lot of photography. I am teaching good photography tips!

These kids made this in about 5 minutes in the Free Choice Center: rods and connectors, then they took turns videotaping their creation and their process for their families to view. They were very excited! Why the heart? She is not allowed to have images online. PicMonkey allowed me a quick solution.

Biggest observation? We don't use the iPads all the time. And it's ok! The kids are using traditional art materials and talking face to face --much needed social skills.

We are using the technology when it makes sense, not as a dog and pony show. And that, my friends, is a huge relief.

Love these kids!

Old School Technology! Look ma!

Divergent, The Hunger Games and Star Trek. Oh, and Elementary Art Ed.

 Best winter break evah! 

In between delicious naps and sleeping in, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmm, I just finished reading, oh, sorry, I mean, inhaling, the "Divergent" series (yeah, yeah I know. The third book. But this is young adult so there ya go). This trilogy  about yet another futuristic dystopian society was a great, fast read. I will confess, I am not a young adult and I cannot wait for this movie in March.

This I how I felt after reading "The Hunger Games". I was so engrossed, so fascinated, so nauseated, so...

sad.

UGH.Why does our future have to look like THIS?

Trust me people, I do not want to wave bye bye to my great-grand-kids while they are trying to save themselves from small children with assault weapons/zombie apocalypse/alien invasion/demon factions in skimpy bathing suits/robot uprising/widespread and contagious catastrophic disease (thanks a lot Stephen King!)/ gluttony and/or famine/thermo-nuclear war/massive earthquakes and volcanic eruptions brought about by global warming and the rising of the oceans/ Monsanto/ the Four Hoursemen/life size fire ants... ok, that one I am a little sacred of. See ya kids! Have fun storming the castle! I'm outta here!

Almost every thing envisioned about the future is, just awful. I mean, why bother?

I have friends I know- I KNOW- are secret Doomsday Preppers (only because theirs is the house we are running to, you know, just in case) and I totally understand that unsettling times lead to fears about the future, but I do not want this for my future offspring. Do you guys? Really? Sure it's fun to read about. And yeah, Tris and Katniss are the bomb. But can you imagine your sweet great-great-grand-daughter, who kinda looks like you, running from a robot toddler? With zero electricity? But somehow they have computers? I don't.

When I picture the year 2060, I see a beautiful and exciting future, one with promise and light and knowledge and butterflies and unicorns...oh wait...

I prefer the future in Star Trek:

See? Isn't this nicer?

(Note to fellow geeksters: I am referring to the future of Star Trek (Original) and The Next Generation, not from the novels and other spin offs. Yes, I am aware of the horrible wars on Earth, but moving on...
 Hopefully by now you guys totally understand that I AM A MAJOR GEEK. In college, 1989, I wrote an awesome paper for sociology using Star Trek TNG as a metaphor for our modern society. It was incredible and I am still proud of it, what, 30 years after? ouch.)

Ahem. Sorry.

This future is about exploration, scientific discovery, diplomacy. World problems such as famine, poverty, disease, catastrophic weather have been eradicated through technology and compassion for humanity.

In this future, all knowledge is important. Education is valued. The Arts are valued. Here is a solution to a terrible option. It might seem naive. But I don't think so.

Art is, has always been, the mirror for society. We are showing you what is going on, what is coming. 

Leonardo da Vinci's sketch of a flying machine. 1488. Would have been considered science fiction.

And CHANGE IS HERE my friends. BIG change. Like it to not, strap yourselves in or jump ship.
There has never been a greater need for quality Art Education, taught by certified and trained Artist-Teachers in our schools. All levels. Accessible to every student.

With Art Teachers who aren't afraid to learn. 

How many of my fellow art teachers are afraid to use technology in their rooms, terrified that it might replace or worse, confuse us? How many of us just say NO to any new idea? How many of us are feeling desperate and unstable, after years of being the best teachers, the strongest teachers, the Teachers of the Year?

I did. Although I am a gamer,  I was totally anti FaceBook (narcissistic!) and Twitter (OMG Narcissistic!!) and texting (really??? you can't CALL me?) until...my kid wanted a Tumblr at age 15. I decided to Google it. And booooyo am I glad I did. That forced me to open my eyes. I understood then this virtual cyber world was not going away. It was in my house.

Right. So I play this but hating texting. Go figure.

It's in my classroom. It's in my sweet elementary school. Younger and younger kids have iPhones and tablets. Their own FB page and email accounts. Complain all you want, it is not going away.

Face it, the kids coming to us are different. In 20 plus years, I have never taught a group like The iGeneration (That could be a whole other dissertation/post!) Are you kidding, within 2 years my entire pedagogy (ugh, hate that word) has been upended! Do you know how unsettling that is???
Technology has leveled the playing field for our kids, and un-leveled it for teachers (thanks, Wooten, for this quote).

So I tried social media. I tried blogging. I tried Google Apps. I tried using an iPad. Baby steps--learning the lingo. Asking Google for help along the way. Asking my kids for help. Taking technology courses offered though my district. Feeling like a ding dong. Feeling pretty good.

My school is super fortunate. We have iPads for all the kids and our district provides a super secure server for them to use at school and at home. I know this is not the norm in other 1:X campuses. We are super fortunate, and hopefully we are trailblazing for other school districts.

Yes, using new technology in the classroom has it's challenges (IOS 7. Grrrr.), but for the most part, it has been a blessing. The transition has been smooth, and dare I say, fun?  I believe, more than I ever have, that I am making a huge difference in the kids I teach. They are making a huge difference in me as well.

Sometimes, ignorant (Not stupid. Ignorant.) people smirk or roll their eyes when I tell them I am an elementary art teacher. Because, to the ignorant, I am not a real teacher. I don't do anything of great value. Because, art is fun, but not really respected.
What they don't realize is that I am exactly where I need to be to affect change. Change for good. So maybe we don't hand over a terrible future.

You want to change the world? You want to make it better? You want to make a difference in thousands of people? Teach elementary art. Yeah, I said it.
 Talk to 5 year olds about the wonder and awesomeness of the future. Get them excited to solve problems we cannot. Teach them to create and value beauty in the world, from the smallest creatures to ships for space travel. Teach them how to express their ideas, their dreams and desires through art.

You cannot change an adults mind. Too late. You affect change with the young. It can be for evil (*tobacco industry*) or for good. All I know is as much as I love seeing Katniss shoot her bow to survive,  I would prefer my grand-kids didn't have to.

"Appy Hour", Oct.

Parent "Appy Hour" in the Art Room: teaching parents how to use the apps we are using in the Art room. Great night, awesome time!

Minecraft
Sketchbook Express
QuickOffice


Everyone is really happy, I promise. We don't look it, but we are. 

Looky what I did. *giggle*

Ok, so check this out---

LISD 1:X

Seriously, when I post, I pretend no one is reading. My own mother doesn't even follow this blog. My blog says I have, like, I don't know, 22 followers (thanks Bloglovin' and Feedly! I know I have more! Huh.). Imagine my surprise when I was asked to be a guest blogger on our district's 1:X website?! Me? Have you read my stuff? I talk about Star Trek waaay too much.

This means I get to be a huge (loud) voice for Donald Elementary and Art(s) Education! I am going to be shining a huge (loud) spotlight on us, so buff up. THIS. IS. HAPPENING. PEOPLE.

A year ago I was fumbling around with blogging. Jessica at Art of Ed and Tricia Fuglestad have inspired me so much. (Jessica actually helped me set up my blog--she is a rock star.)Thanks to these awesome art educators, we art teachers here in LISD can raise our roof. Promote and model what we are already doing!

I intend to stay true to my goal of demonstrating practical ways to incorporate tech with traditional art making. Messy hands and clean iPads. It can work.

Keep checking it out. And send me your cool stuff!