Inspiration!

Wow, Inspiration is really rather intense. I can completely see how you could use this for any classroom with almost any assignment, to organize information or present topics in a new way, plus everything is visually pleasing. I would love some feedback on how easy this image is to understand for non-Art people. not sure how many people look at their classmates blogs, but if you happen to check this one out leave me a comment if you have a second. I downloaded the Inspiration 9, thirty day trial and I really hope that I have a chance to use this software again before it runs out. This could be a great way to make posters, I'm not sure how well the graphics and images will transfer to say a 24" by 36" sheet of posterboard, but I can really imagine this printed large and laminated, and having tons of these timelines or artist bios and images hanging all over my classroom. this program took a few minutes to figure out how to use and where all the controls were, but it really is worth it. Can't wait to use it again.

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Extra Credit Animoto Videos

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Digital Collection

I was amazed at how easy it was to use Picasa. Finally a site that just does what you need without having too many extras or missing any key needs of the user. What was wonderful is that I tested the site by embedding my collection into my blog with only four images in it, then uploaded the last one to see if Picasa, would in fact "update" my collection in my already embedded blog. And TADAAA! There the fifth image was. I am a huge fan of this and can really see having students use this in the classroom. I can imagine if students could work collaboratively on projects and be collecting images of their favorite artists throughout the whole semester it could be amazing. If each student collected an image a week based on either the projects we were doing in class or their own research and at the end we could share and view each classes joint slide show, well, WOW how easy it would be for students to do and what a large repertoire of images we could amass for future classes to see. Each year the new class of, for example, fifth grade students could view the digital collections of artworks that last years fifth grade students put together based on the artwork that they would be making throughout the year! In the same way I could photograph student work and keep an updated digital collection of it on my class website/blog so that parents and administrators could see up to date class assignments. How useful. I am definitely a fan.

Scavenger Hunt

I can easily see how this can be used in the classroom, however, i guess as with any project I feel it needs to be very carefully and specifically targeting at learning or enforcing something that has been learned. i fear that this could easily become a time-filler sort of project if a day or class period needed to be filled. All that said i could see sending stundets out into the community and having them document the art they see with school-loaned digital cameras and coming back and making this sort of presentation together. then i begin to think about the age-range of students this could be done with, too young and you can't send them into the school or community by themselves, too old and if it is njot a difficult task they may be bored or not take the assignment seriously. in the end though with a specific grade level in mind and a specific enough task, this could be a very fun way to reinforce the learning taking place in the classroom.

Digital Collection of Collage Art