Education Made Easy by Jing

Posted on 01. Jan, 2009 by in All Posts, Cool+Creative, Neat Video, Tech Stuff, Techniques

Ever wondered if there’s an easier way to teach a colleague how you manipulated an image in PhotoShop. Want to share what you do with those nifty Google applications? If you’re like me then you’re the only art teacher in your building. There’s never enough time to help with daily tech questions, prepare lessons or collaborate. Now there’s a tool that allows you to answer technology  “how to” questions with out leaving your desk.

Jing Project is a free screen capture solution that will allow you to share what your doing on your computer with others. A fantastic tool for teaching short five-minute-or-less “how to” videos. The easiest way to show you what Jing is about and how it works is to use Jing. Just click on the videos below to see a great Jing “how to” from MacApperVideo and Jings official video.

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Speed Painting with Ketchup and French Fries

Posted on 10. Nov, 2008 by in All Posts, Cool+Creative, Neat Video

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I love this video! It just goes to show art can be anything and is everywhere. I could see this inspiring some unique high school video projects. Does it give you any creative ideas? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Art and Science Collides with Paper

Posted on 05. Nov, 2008 by in All Posts, Cool+Creative, Neat Video, Tech Stuff, Techniques

Check out how the art of paper folding intertwines with math and science in Green Fuse Films’ new award winning documentary “Between the Folds.” Just from watching the trailer, I’m totally intrigued and can’t wait to see the whole film. I can already think of several ways this documentary can inspire or teach my art students. Share the trailer with your students and they will see the passion these artists have for the discovery of science and math through the art or origami. Below is a short description of the documentary from the films official site.

Film Overview

GREEN FUSE FILMS’ new documentary “Between The Folds” uncovers the stories of ten fine artists and intrepid theoretical scientists who abandoned careers and scoffed at hard-earned graduate degrees – all to forge unconventional lives as modern-day paperfolders.

As these offbeat and provocative minds converge on the unlikely medium of origami, they reinterpret the world in paper, and bring forth a fascinating mix of sensibilities towards art, expressiveness, creativity and meaning. And, together they demonstrate the innumerable ways that art and science come to bear as we struggle to understand and honor the world around us – as artists, scientists, creators, collaborators, preservers, and simply curious beings.

With breathtaking cinematography, animation and a beautiful original score, the film paints an arresting portrait of the mysterious creative threads that bind us all – fusing science and sculpture, form and function, ancient and new.

ABSTRACT "CRUMPLED" ORIGAMI BY FRENCH ARTIST VINCENT FLODERER

HUMAN FIGURES BY GIANG DINH

Interview with Tricia Fuglestad: Movie-making to Teach Art

Posted on 21. Oct, 2008 by in All Posts, Cool+Creative, Educators in Art, Neat Video, Tech Stuff, Techniques

Tricia Fuglestad, an art teacher at Dryden Elementary School in Arlington Heights, IL, uses technology to enhance learning in her art room. We love the movies she uses to teach art concepts, and wondered how she created them! Read the Q and A below to gain some tips and insight into the process of movie-making in art.

Our interview with Tricia Fuglestad:

Q: How long have you been creating movies to teach your students? My earliest movie dates back to 2002 with the Godzilla Educational Movie. I took some video clips from the movie Godzilla and used voice over and text to point out the art concepts I wanted students to use in their “Dinosaur in the City” project.

Q: What motivates you to create these movies? These movies become an entertaining learning tool that quickly illustrates/teaches/defines art concepts. Students seem to pay attention to the videos (and even request them). Funny, they don’t beg for me to lecture, but they do beg for me to show them these movies.

Q: How do you begin? What is your plan? I write a storyboard. This helps me put images and text together for each scene and shot of the movie. I always try to think short and to the point. I throw in as much “meat” as I can get away with and sugar it with as much humor as I can invent.

Q.) What software do you use to achieve your outcome? I make movies in a variety of different ways. I have drawn and animated movies in flash (ie. Repeat) I have shot and edited movies in iMovie (see Interview with a Pencil at end of page) sometimes using Stupendous Software for split screen and picture-in-picture special effects. I’ve also tried using chroma key effects in Final Cut Express to replace the green screen with anything we wanted (see Swept Away.) Finally, my latest movies have been in Keynote where I animate images set to music (see Digital Portfolio)

Q.) What advice would you give a teacher who is considering using digital media to create similar leaning experiences? I’m still learning the answers to these questions. I find that AFI’s ScreenNation resources online have been really helpful for me in learning how to organize my movies and organize my students who want to make movies with me. Also, Jason Ohler’s website and Digital Storytelling in the Classroom book is a great resource. I also enrolled in an online graduate class through Wilkes University called Digital Storytelling where I was introduced to these resources and expected to apply their concepts in my classroom.

Q: What kind of permission process do you go through with the students before releasing a movie on the internet? I use permission slips to gather my movie-maker volunteers. Whoever turns in their signed permission slip by a certain date is included in the movie experience. This permission is redundant in my district since parents sign a media release form that gives blanket permission for internet, cable, and other media. However, I find that the permission slip is a great little advertisement for the art program and keeps the parents informed on the unique experiences available to their student. I have learned to ask for parent email addresses on the slips. This gives me a way to send the movie link to them directly when it is uploaded to my site.

Q: Do you use any specific hardware to help with filming or to capture sound? We just have a mini DV camcorder, tripod, USB external microphone, green screen, wireless mic, and lights. I’m always writing grants for more things when I see how it can improve our movie-making. Our newest addition is a 25 foot AV cord that plugs into the video camera and to the classroom TV monitor so all the students can help frame the shots. We used this technique when making What a Cheap Trick. Students on camera could see for themselves how they looked in the camera.

Q: I’m sure all of your students want to be in your movies. So how do you choose who participates in each film? That’s a good question. I intend to give each group of 5th graders one movie-making opportunity. But, time is a limiting factor. Movie-making is very exciting, energizing, and an extraordinarily creative process and I would encourage all art teachers to give it a try…your students will love it!

One of Tricia’s latest movie adventures conducts an “interview with a pencil”. Tricia asks, “Do your students press too hard with their pencils when they draw making erasing mistakes impossible?” According to Tricia, instead of lecturing on this topic let Mr. Pencil give some advice to your young artists.


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Interview with Mr. Pencil from Tricia Fuglestad on Vimeo

Images courtesy of Craig Roland: Flickr.com

Art History in Just a Minute

Posted on 16. Oct, 2008 by in All Posts, Cool+Creative, Neat Video, Tech Stuff

I’m always looking for a meaningful and exciting way to convey art history to my students. With limited student attention spans it can be a challenge to convey the excitment of art history. One tool I discovered is a series of podcasts by EwArt Productions called Art History in Just a Minute. Each podcast is narrated by Dr. Christopher L. C. E. Witcombe about a specific work of art such as Leonardo’s Last Supper. These highly entertaining video podcasts are full of information that will give any middle or high school student a deeper understanding of specific artworks. Just check out their video about the Mona Lisa and you will be hooked on the whole series. These not so typical art history lessons are the perfect addition to any art class. Plus with a price tag of free, they are sure to fit any art budget. The Art History in Just a Minute series is also available for free through iTunes.

Make Your Own Digital Whiteboard

Posted on 04. Oct, 2008 by in All Posts, Cool+Creative, Neat Video, Tech Stuff, Techniques

Have you ever seen those sleek interactive whiteboards and wished you could have one in your classroom? Well, now you can for a fraction of the cost. Check out researcher Johnny Lee’s Wii hacks on TED Talks. He demonstrates his homemade whiteboard constructed with the Nintendo Wii remote. Here’s a link to Johnny’s blog Procrastineering where you will find updated Wiimote whitboard instructions. With $50 and his instructional videos you could have one in your classroom by the end of the week!

Special thanks to my colleague Lauri for sharing this story with us.


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National Arts Education Public Service Awareness

Posted on 30. Sep, 2008 by in All Posts, Cool+Creative, In The News, Neat Video

Back in May 2008, the Advertising Council joined Americans for the Arts and the NAMM Foundation to launch a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) designed to promote the benefits of arts education.  The 30 second commercial was one of the ads.

If you need to quickly impress parents with stats and facts about the benefits of arts education, check out the campaign website.  As it states, kids need a daily serving of the arts just like they need a well-balanced nutritional diet.  Unfortunately, most kids don’t get enough art – in or out of school.  Be sure to visit the site as it also features a number of resources, activities, case studies and a nice list of 10 simple ways parents can get more art in their kids’ lives.

The Arts:

  • Improve kids’ overall academic performance.
  • Show that kids actively engaged in arts education are likely to have higher test scores than those with little to no involvement.
  • Develop skills needed by the 21st century workforce: critical thinking, creative problem solving, effective communication, teamwork and more.
  • Teach kids to be more tolerant and open.
  • Allow kids to express themselves creatively and bolster their self-confidence.
  • Keep students engaged in school and less likely to drop out.

Art Battles

Posted on 29. Sep, 2008 by in All Posts, Cool+Creative, Music+Art, Neat Video

New York visual artists take the painting process traditionally reserved for studios or art schools and make it public with Art Battles, which are events that meld music and painting into a competition decided by public opinion. Check out the promo video below as well as the art battle event Femme Fatale below.

Does this inspire any classroom art activities?

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Femme Fatale from Art Battles on Vimeo.

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