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The Photoshop Blues: Portrait Collage

I spent way more hours than I would like to admit (at the expense of my reflections) trying to navigate photoshop!  

Photoshop Lesson

I survived the text tutorial lesson.  Moving on.....

Photo Editing

Be Funky 

This website is easy to use, does not require registration and has lots of photo effects options.  The only drawback, if you were using it with kids, is the "premium" option that you have to pay for for some of the photo effects and the annoying ads at the top of the website. Otherwise, it was easy to play around with.  

Picnik

This editing site is very easy to use.  I liked the variety of fonts.  My 9 year old loves to change the font on everything.  He would probably really like the "action jackson" font.  

You don't need to register to use picnik but you do have to pay if you want to use the premium features.  Overall - a good choice. 

GIMP

This software is free to download and is very similar to photoshop.  However, just like photoshop, it will take some playing around with before you can create wonderful pics.  If you have experience with photoshop and working in layers, but don't want to spend the money... this might be for you.

A Much Needed Road Trip!

Ok - I have to give a HUGE thank-you to my sister who helped me stumble through my first collage in photoshop.  Jen lives out of town so she looked at my screen via skype.  I think my cluttered workspace was driving her nuts!  Anyway, she is in the process of trying to finish a rotoscoping video that is hours worth of work and thousands of drawings. So.. thanks again Jen. -my project seems like small potatoes in comparison.  

For this assignment, I was basically just trying to get the hang of using some of the tools.  I took my husband and I off the streets of Columbia and placed us on a highway in Colorado.  I did have some trouble cutting out the picture of us on the motorcycle and I definitely have a love/hate relationship with the magnetic lasso tool.   Another cool tool is the quick selection tool... but I haven't quite mastered that one yet. 

Sheryl and I had a conversation on skype about the lock on the background layer.  Something we didn't know is that background automatically locks and if you click on the lock and rename the layer, you can then edit the layer. (Thanks for the tip Jen) Don't worry Sheryl, I am also stumbling with this stuff. 

The step by step screen-casts were very helpful. - Thanks Melissa.   I could also use a photoshop fairy to hang around while I work on this stuff!  Moving on to the next assignment.......  

Digital Citizenship and the Art Room

Digital citizenship is such a vast subject to explore and there are many potential ways to implement media literacy and digital citizenship into an art curriculum.  I believe, however, that regardless of the approach taken, the most important element of helping our kids to be creative, respectful, digital citizens is to first and foremost practice effective teaching.  How do we effectively teach kids today?  In the art room, this involves many of the methods that we already practice such as offering a variety of hands-on experiences, fostering discussions about art, allowing for both independent and group problem-solving, encouraging a sense-of-self and promoting a positive, respectful atmosphere in the classroom.  

The children in our classrooms today are consistently “wired” and imminently affected by media.  A great start to teaching kids how to speak for themselves and sift through the vast array of information on the internet, may be to allow them opportunities off of the computer.  In the series “Consuming Kids”, Susan Linn discussed the importance of off-screen experiences in the emotional and cognitive development of children.  Linn states, “Creative play offers a foundation of learning, a foundation of critical thinking, a foundation of problem solving, a foundation of empathy and offers ways for kids to make life meaningful”.  She explains that kids today are often deprived of opportunities to exercise their imaginations.   I believe a great way to help children build a solid foundation is in the art room.  A strong elementary art curriculum and an effective teacher will foster all of the foundational elements that Linn describes. 

I have touched on some of the important aspects of art education “off screen”, however, I do understand and realize that our kids are immersed in media and spend many hours online both in and outside of school.  How do effective art teachers then teach media literacy and digital citizenship?  The approach may be different depending on the teacher, the grade level and the activity.  I believe that media literacy has an important place in the art room when we examine images both past and present. 

The video lecture series “Killing us softly” stressed the cultural climate of today’s media that often portrays women as passive, sexual objects.  How do we approach this topic with elementary students?  It can be as simple as choosing images and art examples for class that portray girls and women in a more positive way and counters the portrayal pushed by popular media.  The message of visual images can also be a good topic of discussion with young students.  Comparisons of historical paintings and images from popular culture can foster great discussions and create many opportunities for “teachable moments”.   

Teaching digital citizenship should be a school-wide effort and elementary art teachers can certainly do their part.  This does not mean that we necessarily have to teach entire units based on the ins and outs of digital citizenship.  My son’s school encourages students to be safe, respectful, responsible learners.  In the art room, these goals can easily be encouraged, discussed and modeled in a variety of ways.  We should never underestimate the power of the “teachable moment”. The teachable moment comes often and it is important for teachers to seamlessly introduce the concepts of safety, respect, responsibility and learning when the opportunity arises.  The concept of digital citizenship with elementary students can be introduced along these same lines.  For example, if a teacher is pulling up images for students to view when they work on an assignment, why not take the opportunity to quickly explain how you found the images and demonstrate how to safely browse for pictures.  (i.e. advanced search features on google, kid friendly websites, etc.)  If students are looking for images to use in their artwork or as part of a technology piece, the teacher can make available a bookmarked list of copyright free image search sites.  Take a quick moment to discuss how important it is to respect the art and intellectual property of others both in the art room and from online collections.  Many lists are already available and can be a good start when introducing the concept of “respect for others” to students.  A good list of creative image sources and information about copyright for kids can be found here at the “Teaching Pallette – Perfecting the Art of Education” website.

In the book “Rewired” by Larry, D. Rosen, Rosen explains that children intuitively know how technology works but do not have the skills to disseminate information and make informed decisions about the vast array of information available online.  The hands-on-learning that is so important to the cognitive development of young children is also important to effectively teach media literacy.  Rosen outlines six principles of media literacy that include the idea that media messages are created, may not always be accurate, have a point of view, send different messages, are targeted to specific populations, and are created for commercial reasons.  As art educators, we can assist students with deciphering information by teaching strategies for internet searching and demonstrating how to critically look at the information and images.  One way that an elementary art teacher can introduce the principles of media literacy is through a discussion and demonstration of how to find information on a particular artist.  If a teacher is already spending time researching an artist and finding images related to the artist to display for students, it could be a teaching opportunity to include the kids in the seek and find process.  As a parent, I often help my fourth grade son find information for school assignments.  One strategy that my son and I use is to type “for kids” as part of our google search.  For example, if you type in “Vincent Van Gogh for kids” in the search window, the second result that comes up is a link to a metropolitan museum for art exploration page: http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/van_gogh/intro.html  After we find a good website that has been designed with kids in mind, we often bookmark it in a folder for him to easily access later.  This type of strategy has to be taught and we cannot assume that all parents are actively engaged in their child’s techno savvy learning. 

Media literacy and digital citizenship are concepts that will need to be added to our ever-expanding repoitor as teachers.  In our profession, respect for others, for intellectual property and for ourselves are extremely important.  To be effective teachers, we need to model, teach and encourage these qualities across all academic areas.  

Kilbourne, Jean (2010). Killing Us Softly

Linn, Susan (2008). Consuming Kids: The Commecialization of Childhood.

Rosen, L. D. (2010). Rewired: Understanding the iGeneration and The Way They Learn. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.

Inspiration Mapping

This is my trial run of the "Inspiration" application.  (Brainstorming for an art club that is service oriented.) I can imagine many uses for this in the classroom and it could be a good application for class brainstorming - especially on the smartboard.  However.... for personal use, I still prefer good old sticky notes and spiral notebooks full of my chicken scratch writing.  

Simply Screenr

I used "Screenr" to create this screencast.  It is probably the only thing that I will use Twitter for but for the most part, Screenr is simple to use.  I don't think I would publish my screencasts publicly on twitter, but I do like that you can embed them in a class website or blog.  

Inspiration Collage

This is my inspiration board for 'upcycled'..'recycled'...'repurposed'...clothing.  Most of these pieces are made from reclaimed materials.  (Image searches used: Etsy, google, shopstyle.com)  It has been a VERY long time since I created something for ME.  I haven't really designed or sewn anything significant for myself since my wedding dress (11 years ago!)  I think it is time I re-purposed that pile of clothing that I just can't seem to toss out.  Hmmm.. maybe an accessory to go with my usual jeans and t-shirt?

Image Lexicons

week 6

I am only partially through the list and I am already on browse overload.  It is good to view options other than google images.  I love to have more tools in my toolbox....  The following is a list of three sites with an image that I downloaded from each.

Etsy envy!

I chose to review this site first, because I have used it for inspiration many times before.  I actually have a shop on etsy (nothing posted yet, still says "coming soon") - however, I have been browsing the images on this site for a few years now.  There are thousands of art pieces and they are divided by categories...  you also don't have to worry too much about the content because the site is moderated.

Flickr

This site has a vast amount of images and there is a gallery feature that you can use to set up a collection of your favorite images.- you must have a yahoo account to upload or to set up a gallery.  You can't drag pictures to your desktop (I suppose you could do a screen capture) but you can download the images that have not been disabled by the photographer. 

Image spark

I haven't signed up for this site but it seems like it has some potential.  There is a community library, tagging and uploading features and you can create mood boards.  You can also check out other people's mood boards.  

Intertextuality

Week 6 Reflection

I felt as if I kept shaking my head in agreement as I read through the article by Duncum.  Even before the age of the internet, images, text, music ... aspects of culture have been connected in some way.  In high school, my favorite - and by far my most difficult class was Humanities.  I loved learning about music.. art.. history... literature and the connections between the different facets of a time period... how time periods were connected, etc.   Flash forward to present time - I still love humanities studies and reading historical novels. (although my memory of dates and facts is terrible).  Duncum explains that the internet is a "vast network of connections".   Everything is connected and with hypertext, we simply click on a link to find a related piece of information to the text or image.   Intertextuality is multimodal.  Haven't educators, for many years, been trying to integrate the arts and academics so that our students can make connections and build on their learning? Often this requires making connections with dates and categories as well as with personal interest.  What if we could get students to search for connections and make meaning of images without attaching guidelines such as categorical or historical significance?  Duncum suggests that this is a way to connect students interests and knowledge.  By exploring relationships and making connections to images, students can brainstorm and expand on their creative ideas. Understanding that words and music affects the meaning of a piece or evokes an emotion is also essential to creating multifaceted art.  I wonder what my favorite high school humanities class from 1991 would be like today?  Ooooohhh there would be so many possibilities!

Duncum, P.. (2010).  Seven Principles for Visual Culture Education. Art Education, 63(1), 6-10.

Reflection: Art and Cognition

http://ashiro.posterous.com/left-brain-right-brain-art-and

Week 5
Wow - where do I begin with this post?  The arts are so important to education in so many ways!

Let's begin with the brain.  In short, experiencing and creating art is a whole-brain process. The mid-brain organizes and sends information, the parietal area processes the spacial layout, the temporal lobes process names and memory, the occipital lobe processes color, movement and form.   When we take in a visual image, it flows through the retina and optic nerves for processing and then connects with cognition and memory to double-check and filter the information.  Recall is used to help make sense of the information.

Memory and recall, cause and effect, interpreting the world around us, interpreting and relaying information, the use of fine motor skills, reciprocal communication, sensory exploration.... these are all important aspects of child development and educational learning.  Visual learning and arts education can include many of these aspects and can only enhance a child's learning.

The implications of brain theory are very important for students with disabilities.  Children who have autism, learning disabilities, and other processing disorders may have problems with the connections between different areas of the brain.  If viewing, experiencing and creating art accesses many parts of the brain... then the whole-brain experience would be beneficial to exercise cognition for exceptional children.  Some individuals with autism use visual images to help organize and interpret information.  "Thinking in pictures" is a way to attach pictures to pieces of information and helps the individual recall and interpret what is being said.  Temple Grandin has written many books about her personal experiences growing up with autism and "thinking in pictures".  As a side note - she will be speaking in Columbia on October 13th.

Integration of the arts into the curriculum can foster teamwork, community building and global awareness.  Students may feel more connected to their learning when they have the opportunity to explore their personal interests through art projects. The fine motor skills, problem-solving skills, social skills, and complex-thinking that are utilized in the art room are important to improving academic achievement and for future professional achievement.

Sense of self -- all students have the opportunity to succeed in the art room.  This is especially significant for students with language barriers, students with physical or mental impairments and students who may be at-risk emotionally or academically.  Students can gain a sense of empowerment when they have the opportunity to clarify their ideas visually and gain self-confidence when they are encouraged in the art room.

Reflection: Synchronous vs. Asynchronous technologies

Week 4
From my understanding, synchronous technologies are tools that we use to collaborate/ communicate live or at a given time.  For example, video conferencing such as skype and live chat sessions.  Skype is a great tool in that it is free to register and the communication seems more personal.  There is less room for interpretation as sometimes can occur with written text.  One disadvantage could be the required webcam and streaming capabilities.  Live chat or technology that involves text allows for immediate collaboration/ feedback without the need for a webcam or microphone.

Asynchronous tools such as, discussion boards and blogs can be good tools for collaborating because there is a written documentation or history of comments that can be easily accessed.  A few disadvantages would be the slower response time and the text interpretation.  Powerpoint presentations and youtube videos allow for narration and other unique ways to present information, but they are static and there is not any interaction between the presenter and the viewer.  Voice threads are good creative way to present information.  There are many advantages to voice thread - there are multiple options of formats that can be uploaded as well as various options of ways to comment. (text, audio, video)

A few classroom applications -
Skype : I am in charge of coordinating the mystery readers for Manny's class.  I was thinking that skype would be a great way for a parent who travels to still get the chance to be the mystery reader for their child's class.  It could also be used for presentations by guest speakers.

Voice thread:  There are lots of possibilities with this one.  I would like to try uploading the artwork of a class and allowing another class the opportunity to add positive comments or attach poetry, etc.  This would be a great way for buddy classrooms to work together.  - they could do the commenting during their weekly computer lab time.  I would have liked to have tried this out when I led mentor groups. We paired older elementary students with younger students who were at-risk (academically, socially, etc.)  The younger kids would really enjoy feedback from their mentors.  This could be a way for a teacher to practice using voice thread with a smaller number of students.

Class blogs - This a good tool to present information for the class about current assignments, etc.  It is also a good way to start a discussion with students - allowing them to add thoughts on their own time without the pressure of immediately forming an opinion during class.  Art work can also be showcased with the option for students/parents to comment.

Voice Thread

I thought I would try out voice thread with one of my kids.  Paddy was happy to help out.  He made this voice thread about Mr. Earl's (Fairview) turtle.  We sent it to his kindergarten teacher to show the class.  Maybe she will comment :)   I created a separate identity with Paddy's picture to allow both of us to comment with the same log in.   The only trouble we encountered was the video commenting.  My mac has a webcam but the voice thread video screen was black.  I ended up just letting Paddy record in photo booth and then uploaded it to voice thread as a slide.  Overall, I think voice thread is pretty user friendly - the doodle feature would be easy to use with a smart board.  Lots of potential for classroom applications.

Feel free to comment on Paddy's voice thread.  Sheryl -Thanks for commenting.  I will show him when he gets home from school.

This is an example of three classrooms collaborating on an art voice thread.
http://voicethread.com/community/library/K12_art_poetry_and_music_from_Erin_Berg/

Identity

Follow this link to see a collaborative music video.
Identity

Cool collaboration from the adobe youth foundation.

http://youthvoices.adobe.com

Social Kids Seeking Social Opportunities

week 4
With the soon to be released movie “Social Network” about the founders of facebook and the exploration of the social network topic on the Today Show’s education series – currently the notion of social networking in schools is definitely a hot topic!

I feel compelled to write about this topic from both the perspective of a parent and a teacher.  As a teacher, the opportunity to get kids thinking and connecting authentically through social networking is very exciting.  As a parent, I approach this subject with caution and anxiousness.

I appreciate the author’s attempt to use data as a way to dispel some of the fear around facebook and other social network systems (Brooks-Young, 2010).  However, Brooks-Young’s explanation of facts and statistics does not make the threat of online predators or cyber bullying, from a parent’s perspective, any less real or frightening. We will need to consider parental concerns if we approach social networking in the classroom. 

The reflective question has been asked, "Can the benefits of social networks, such as facebook, outweigh the risks...?”  I believe a good starting point to this topic would be to ask ourselves “Are their safer alternatives to use in the classroom that allow our students to hone their networking and collaboration skills?” How many faculty do we know who already incorporate online discussion and networking into their lessons? Is there a simpler way to begin?  We need to remember that this type of instruction will take time, careful planning and extra monitoring.  There is quite a bit of potential for positive outcomes for student learning, but some teachers may wish to wade in the water before fully plunging in.

We know that digital skills, collaboration/ teamwork, critical thinking/ problem solving, and work ethic skills are all desirable traits of today’s workforce (Brooks-Young, 2010).  Art teachers already inherently incorporate many of these skills in the project-based art room.  Utilizing the social networking interests of our students could be one more way to help our kids be successful students, workers, and global citizens. 

So how do we begin?  A good place to begin might be to create a network system specifically for the school.  Many suggestions were given in the reading, such as Ning and Elgg.  Some of these networks may cost money for subscriptions or third party implementation but the cost may be worth it to ensure the safety of students and to ease district administrator/parental concerns.  As an art teacher with great ambitions, but limited time, using a network that has already been designed for use by students and teachers could be an option.  Some networks to explore are ePALS, iEARN, and GLOBALORIA (Duebel).  Finally, an art teacher could simply begin with a class blog or website that allows students to comment and collaborate.  It is also important to remember that kids will need guidance. If we are to expect students to successfully participate and learn through online collaboration/networking, teachers will need to give clear expectations and demonstrate what is expected.

Brooks-Young, S. (2010). Teaching with the tools kids really use. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Duebel, P. (n.d.). Social Networking in Schools: Incentives for Participation. Retrieved October 1, 2010, from The Journal: www.thejournal.com