Interactive Spreadsheet

We had to create an interactive spreadsheet that was focused on our licensure area. I made mine a quiz about Surrealist Artist. The children would be questioned before hand through various classes and this would be a quiz to test their memory. What I enjoyed about it is the fact that students get instant feedback on whether their answer is right or wrong. It can be a little confusing setting up the formulas to make sure that they work right, but it's nothing too complicated that you can't just figure it out through trial and error.

A video we had to make for our class this week. I did mine featuring information about one of my favorite artist, Alex Ross. Hope you enjoy the movie.

Inspiration

No, literally, that's the name of the program.

The idea of the program is to show relationships between ideas (almost like a brainstorming tool really, it can be useful). It can be used in the classroom if you have the access and the money to have the program on all computers available to students.

What's great about it is it's easy drag-and-drop interface. All images you will see on the screenshot of mine were merely dragged and placed on there from the desktop once I altered them. You can add images and create new linking ideas to keep the project growing.

Students can easily work with one another to get an assignment done for the program and present it easily to class. There are even buttons that allow the program to re-position everything in a computer-precise tree at the user's will.

All in all, it's a nice little tool that can be good to have if you don't have people that are fluent enough in Illustrator or InDesign.

Picasa/Scavenger Hunt

So in order for us to get better acquainted with resizing images/learning how to properly use Web 2.0 tools, this blog is an assignment that shows off our savviness with the tool.

So here is my slideshow from my scavenger hunt, with the theme being opposites.

The list is as follows:
Something thin
Something fat
Something wet
Something dry
Something clean
Something dirty
Something slow
Something fast
Something short
Something tall
Something warm
Something cold
Something old
Something new

Picasa

So we had to create an album on Picasa, which works in conjunction with Google (everything works with Google. Go figure. Google will rule the world one day.)

So here's an embedded link to a slideshow I made from images we had to use for a small project in TPTE.

What's great about Picasa is the ability of having to present something in class, that you have the ability of editing the slideshow from any computer, so long as you have access to your gmail account.

What this does is allow students to work seamlessly with the powerpoint or the album from anywhere, giving great accessibility and convenience for everyone. Should they have to go out of town and they have a lap top with internet access, they can work on said slideshow.

It's easy to maintain, easy to edit, and extremely user friendly. A short tutorial may be needed to work out minor bugs, but all-in-all it's a great tool that can be used for educational purposes to ensure that a visual learning environment can be used to present information.

Web 2.0 Tools

As promised, I'll be discussing Web 2.0 tools.

I wasn't sure myself what Web 2.0 tools were until we discussed them in class. For those of you that are also confused, I will explain to the best of my knowledge from I am learning.

Web 2.0 tools are internet tools that can be used for free. Some examples of Web 2.0 tools are twitter, picnik, animoto, glogster, etc. These are tools that everyone can have access to and are free to use (some of these allow membership for better options, but for the most part, they remain free and are well enough to use without the cost of membership).

While I find that some of tools are okay for use, I take a bit of a personal issue with use of some these tools, such as picnik. They give the illusion that anyone can become an instant artist based on the simple use of tools for photos they may or may not have taken. It can offer some basic insight to photo editing though, so it's not entirely bad in that regard.

Aside from that, the others tools can seem to have an effect that allows you teach these items either very quickly, or just give a brief introduction to these tools, and let the students learn by exploring the tools for themselves, which could have positive and negative effects (obviously, it'd be hard to get support for the use of twitter in the classroom, but it has been done).

That's all I really have to say on the use of Web 2.0 tools, and if you're interested, I encourage you to do some research and play time with the tools yourself.

WebQuests

WebQuests.

We learned about these yesterday in class and they can be pretty nifty tools in a pinch if you need help with an idea for a lesson plan or an activity. The whole point of WebQuests are to allow learning for students and teachers a like, but they end with a product of something as a result.

For example, I had to post on my Wiki (http://486sum11music.pbworks.com/w/page/41082008/Home , under the "WebQuest" tab at the bottom) about a WebQuest, and I happened to choose one on about Art as a social commentary.

I chose it because it allows students in the high level to research an artist that is listed on that particular WebQuest, make a piece in likeness to the artist that they were given, and then present to the class why that artist should be featured in a gallery.

What's great about it is the fact that is makes students do research on art and artist, it allows students to create art, and it allows students to talk about by the end of the assignment. So it's not just one thing that they are learning, but several different things at once. I find WebQuests could possibly be more useful than Wikis in a classroom environment, but as I stated in the earlier blog about Wikis, I will hold my judgment on Wikis for now, as I'm still trying to see how well this work out with a large group of college students working on it.

Stay tuned for my blog on Web 2.0 tools, coming in the next day or so.

Wikis

So this one is kind of late, but better a little late than never. Last week and the next few classes, we're learning about the use of Wikis in the classroom (as well as Web 2.0 tools, but that will be the next blog).

So Wikis.

What is a Wiki? Well it's a website that is used for communication with a group of people. You're supposed to be able to use Wikis better than e-mail, because the asynchronous communication on a Wiki is easier to update and make sure people are all synced up with each other much easier on a Wiki, rather than e-mail.

This also kind of explains why they're important. We're using them in two different ways for TPTE 486. One is that everyone with a similar licensure status is grouped together, and as a group, we're making Wikis based upon our respective areas of concentration. The other is one for the general classroom to give information regarding Web 2.0 tools.

While I find Wikis useful myself - and I use them from information collecting or using them for gaming - I find it hard to believe that teachers utilize them in a classroom setting. Though, it is capable of being used, even by younger age groups.

My only complaint is that if you get a large enough group functioning on a Wiki, it can be very troublesome. You see, you can allow people to edit Wikis, which is fine, but only person can be editing at a time, which can be an annoyance if you don't figure out some kind of schedule. We're currently using the pbworks.com website for the basis of our Wikis. They're easy to set up and easy to use once you the get hang of using them, so I can see why they're popular to use.

Would I ever personally use one? I'm not 100% sure, but I can definitely see the use that they would be able to have in the classroom setting. I'll stay reserved for now, and hold onto it for my personal arsenal at a later date.

Website Review

I had to review a website for my TPTE 486 class and I chose to review the website for the Museum of Modern Art. I'm not used to writing a blog, nor am I used to giving an opinion on a website so here goes.

We are learning about the reliability of websites and I chose this website due to it's standing in the art community, and how helpful it can be to not only myself, but to my future students as well.

The MoMA has an exceptionally well-laid out website, and one that is easy to understand, even if you're not familiar with websites. It allows ease of transition from page to page, as well as constantly updated information. Since the site mainly showcases information about upcoming artist and exhibits, they have to keep it updated. But it also features an area where people can conduct research on art and artist if they need to. All of the pages are small and well contained, to avoid confusion of having to scroll around the website, trying to find information. All in all, it's a very user-friendly website, and I highly recommend it for artist who are curious about learning, or just people who are just curious.

If you are curious, you can feel free to navigate the website for yourself at http://www.moma.org .

Introduction to the Class

My name is Adam Sandor, and I’m majoring in Art Education. I will be interning in the Fall of 2011, and I will be placed at Halls High School. I want to become an art teacher, because I enjoy the hands-on activities, and at the same time, I get to share my passion of art with students. I received my first degree in Graphic Design, but after having such a good experience with the faculty at The University of Tennessee-Martin, I knew that I wanted to be a teacher. I credit all of them with giving me the desire to want to teach art to others.

I have led several church devotionals for the Junior High School and younger age groups between my Sophomore and Senior years of high school at my church back in West TN. I have taught art twice at to high school students who visited the UTM campus, in Spring of 2008 and again in Spring 2010. In the Fall of 2007 and 2008, I was an assistant coach to a local U-10 soccer team in Martin, Tennessee, which was sponsored by my Fraternity. I was also the pledge educator of my Fraternity in the Fall of 2009/Spring of 2010, teaching 22 men the history of the Fraternity. I was privileged enough to spend 6 weeks at Pond Gap teaching after school art to Pond Gap Elementary in the Fall of 2010, as well the students of Lonsdale Elementary in the Spring of 2011 when they visited the UT campus. I also spent 4 hours assisting children with specials needs during the Very Special Arts Festival in the Spring of 2011.

In my spare time, I have a few activities to keep me busy. I draw and paint, and I also collect comic books and comic prints. I also enjoy judo, which I started in college, and as such, I hold a brown belt under Instructor Ray Watkins from Evolution Martial Arts. My last hobby is video games, and whenever I get a chance, I squeeze in play time to keep my mood up and keep my hands busy.