Technology Tips

Posted on 09. Sep, 2011 by in All Posts, Clean-up and Transition, Cool+Creative, Organization and Preparation, Tech Stuff, Technology and Gadgets

For the last three weeks, I’ve been addicted to Pinterest, the virtual pinboard and ultimate idea generator for art teachers. I use it to gather inspiration and cool ideas from other art educators around the world wide web, such as how to more effectively utilize technology in the classroom.  Below, I’ve “pinned” all my favorite tech tidbits for you to browse. Many of the tech tips are things I’m already implementing in my art room, including the Mac keyboard shortcuts poster that I created for my elementary students (inspired by the PC version I found on Pinterest).  Below you will find several versions of keyboard shortcuts and wire organizing ideas.


 
Share your tech tips for making technology in the classroom a little easier
to organize in the comments section below.


Why Art Teachers Need to Write & How to Do It!

Posted on 27. Jun, 2011 by in All Posts, Tech Stuff, Techniques

Image: Letters Book, Altered Book, Jean Fitzgerald, 2009

As art educators, we know that images are powerful tools to communicate ideas.  However, our world also relies heavily on written communication to share information. This makes it necessary to have good writing skills.  Good writing is key to effectively advocating for your art program, communicating art concepts, and sharing ideas with colleagues. New media, from blogging to tweeting to collaborating on ArtEd2.0, has made it easier for us to do just that.

Despite having a blog and the Tech4Arted column in SchoolArts Magazine, I simply don’t like to write. Words just don’t flow smoothly from my head to my fingertips.

What I do love to do is communicate and share ideas. I just finished my first year writing the Tech4Arted column (check out my articles below) and I have been getting great ideas from SchoolArts for years so it has been exciting to contribute to a large audience.

I know many of you who are reading this may think: “If I could just show you what I want to say with a picture instead of words, it would be so much easier!” You have a great idea on art education, but you may hesitate to share if you dread the thought of writing.  Here’s the writing process I have developed over the last couple years that works well for blogging, writing for SchoolArts, and writing e-newsletter communication to parents. Maybe it will inspire you.

1. Choose your topic. What art lessons have been successful? How have you improved on someone else’s idea? Don’t reinvent the wheel.  All great ideas are inspired by something else, right?
2. Start typing. Don’t worry about how incoherent you sound. Just get the ideas out of your head and written down.
3. Read it afterwards and fix the things that do not make sense.
4. Go do something else for a few minutes, a few days, or a week.  This is the magic time when you will think of a new idea or perfect phrase.  Then run —  don’t walk — back to your writing to make your edits.
5. Read what you wrote and ask yourself: Did I communicate my ideas? Revise your writing. Repeat steps 3-5 until you communicate your ideas effectively.
6. Choose a friend or colleague to read your rough draft.  I always do. Make revisions and let them read it again.

In case you missed my first year of the Tech4Arted column for SchoolArts, I have linked to the articles below.  I share my writing with you with hope that you will take the leap and share your ideas with us as well!

Creating a Compassionate Curriculum
Take an Art Tour in Google Maps
Wallwisher: Collaborate and Interact
Twenty-First Century Storytelling
Out of Place
Re-Making Time
Create Your Own Customized Art Quiz
Technology Transformation [Infographic]
Wired to the Natural World

Ready to share? SchoolArts is always looking for lesson ideas and art expression in your school and community. Or write a guest post on The Teaching Palette. Check out some of our fantastic guest post submissions here.

Special Note: A great resource for grammar is the Associate Press Guide to Punctuation.

Technology Transformation

Posted on 20. Mar, 2011 by in All Posts, Tech Stuff

New technology is emerging everyday.  It seems almost impossible to keep up, let alone find ways to integrate it into your art curriculum.

Not sure how to start with your technology transformation? The infographic below can help you begin your technology journey.

View larger image on Flickr.

I originally created this graphic for SchoolArts Magazine in the Tech4Arted Column.

The resources listed in the image above are hyperlinked below:
Get the technology you need with grants. See Supplementing Your Art Budget and Expand Your Art Room Budget.

Don’t do it alone . . . develop your PLN: (Personal Learning Network)
Twitter (here is my list of art educators on Twitter to get you started)
Art Ed 2.0
Art Education Blogs
Art Ed Yahoo Group

Web Tools:
108 Web Tools
Wix (website creator)
Glogster (interactive poster)
Aviary (image editor)
Art Babble (art videos online)

Another great place to start for beginners:

How have you integrated technology into your art curriculum?

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.

(Trouble viewing this video? Try this link.)

(Trouble viewing this video? Try this Link.)