During class this semester I along with Amina and Laura got to teach the all video aspects of 4D art… I was in charge of the tutorial in iMovie, to show an example of the many functions in iMovie Laura, Amina and myself went to work filming… Editing the footage in iMovie HD I then went to work creating a song that accompanied the clip… Below is the embedded clip that I hosted through Vimeo.
Butt Out from alex miller on Vimeo.
The need and use of Educational Blogging has never been so profound. As a ‘virtual extension of the classroom’ students’ are able to communicate, reflect, view results and operate their own personalised zone in this valuable ICT tool. In Visual Arts students’ have the ability to set up their own cyberportfolio (Downes, 2004). In the Fine Art industry networking and presenting works is necessary and with the accessibility of your own personalized website students can become connected, share thoughts and bodies of work all over the world and not be limited to their own ‘immediate environment’.
Since undertaking blogging I have seen first hand the impact this medium can have on an education, with the accessibility of information wherever there is a computer students’ have the option to complete work set at school in the comfort of their home. As the blogging tool is also so user friendly adapting to its nuances is a breeze for a culture completely surrounded by technology.
Downes, Stephen Educase Educational blogging (c) 2004
while reading Mia’s posting on The Gender Gap ’Why do girls get turned off technology?’ there are many valid points that were bought to my attention that I was previously ignorant of. From Mia’s posting which was commentary to a paper by Kelly K. (2002) was that though females use the computer their knowledge of computers beyond their simple socialising programs and email accounts is almost non-existent. Mia suggests that there is a heavy stigmata attached to computer sciences where evident in her research Kelly. K states that (2002) ‘girls visualize computer scientists as ‘nerds’ and since they rate personal interest and personal ability as the top reason for choosing a career, very few of them pursue computer science‘.
Mia goes on to suggest that in a co-educational schooling environment it could be a smart move to produce a single sex classroom in order to reduce the competitive nature of the male when dealing with computers and to disassemble the ‘nerd’ myths surrounding the growing industry. I believe this could be a positive move toward encouraging female students to branch out into the digital landscape. Mia suggests some constructivist female gaming programs to use, i also found some interesting games online that are both educational and enjoyable many of them can be found here at Girl Games 247. Some of the games include ‘room & fashion design’ and ‘who wants to be a millionaire?’ though there are programs found here that would enrage a feminist such as ‘the school flirting game’ and ‘How to cook games’.
Reference:
Girls Games 247 http://www.girlgames247.com/
Mia’s Blog http://asdjklkk.edublogs.org/2008/10/19/article-review-9/
Kelly K. (2002). The Gender Gap: Why do girls get turned off to technology? In Gordon, D. (Ed.) (2000), Digital Classroom: How Technology is Changing the Way We Teach and Learn, Cambridge, MA : Harvard Education Letter.
Constructionism vs. Instructionism
Focusing his work on how students learn Seymour Papert offers two approaches to educational innovation, which include both Contructionism and Instructionism. Instructionism from what I understood focuses on direct instruction from a teacher and the formal ways in which content is taught where as Constructionismfocuses on the ‘autonomy’ of student learning through relevant computer based software. Papert argues that the computer is but only an instrument in student learning and should be only seen that way, it should be utilised to its full potential when teaching content relevant to the students’ real world development. Papert goes onto say that ‘(what you learn in) schools you can’t really use (when relating to formal mathematic classes). Another thing that’s wrong with schools is that there’s one way to do it. And that doesn’t happen in the real world either. In the real world, there are many ways to do things, and this is how creativity develops.’
Papert also says that by using a Contructionism approach to learning with computers will improve students’ ability to learn, stating that through this avenue there is a transition where information stops ‘being teachers’ knowledge and become her knowledge’.
In terms of teaching through a Constructivist approach in the Visual Arts subject there are many avenues in which to support student learning techniques. In my recent practical without oputwardly knowing it to be Constructivist approach the students were given an exercise in photoshop which is known as the ‘Floating 8 Ball’. Armed with the Photoshop program students were to create (without any exterior files) an image from scratch with online/sheet directions (which I posted on the students’ accounts). This gave the students the ‘autonomy’ to locate certain tools and use them accordingly
Students work Floating 8 Ball
As seen with the YouTube video posting Digital Youth (Zeitgeist2007videos, 2008) youth of today cannot live without certain technologies or rather choose not to. Technology is a large, expensive part of their lives that connects, entertains and informs the youth of today and simply cannot be ignored.
‘Technology presumes there’s a faster better way of doing things and there always is’ Robert Prigg
Below is in an embedded video of teen digital culture…
References:
You Tube Zeitgeist2007videos 2008 http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=geRbVFibxT4
Google Quotes Robert Prigg
I have just finished reading Steph’s 6 C’s of Motivation (Ames, 1992, Lepper and Hodell, 1989) and I believe that these could in fact become handy within the classroom setting. After completing both my practicals I can say that one of the harder objectives undertaken by a teacher is motivating the students to complete their work. Especially in Visual Arts there is a collective undertone shared by many students that the subject is pointless and they dont wish to attempt content material. Breaking down assignments and class work into the 6 C’s I believe you’d be able to bridge the gap on this lack of enthusiasm.
The first of the C’s Choice really hits home with me. With students able to choose their theory content you would immediately have students more interested with their work. The other C’s involve Challenge, Control, Collaboration (group work), Constructing Meaning and Consequences.
References:
Stephanie Olmoss 6 C’s Of Motivation http://olmoss.edublogs.org/2008/10/03/the-6-cs-of-motivation/
Reference:
Walsh, Tony Teen Tech Tales 2008 http://www.secretlair.com/index.php?/clickableculture/entry/teen_tech_tales/
After reading ‘Concern over teen internet habits’ I have mixed feelings about their outward dislike over teen internet usage. After the suicide deaths of 2 teenage girls in Victoria that was forecasted by the women the day before their death on their Myspace pages, parents and authorities were quick to blame the internet. Here, they were claming that children are spending far too much time online and ‘are connecting to the Net and disconnecting from real life.’
The fact that Myspace is an online social network that allows teens to be connected over the world disproves the concerns from where these outside opinions are formed, their ‘real life’ now should include the internet, everyones apart of it and it cannot be ignored. Its folly to me that you can blame the internet because of an obvious deeper pyschological problem that these girls shared. If their message was written on a piece of paper would they target the mass production of pens as the cause of their deaths? Our current social trends largely points the finger to look for anything or anyone to blame. You cant pigeon hole a problem like teen suicide into internet usage, western media are largely scare mongers and the public need to look beyond what they’re told, ‘ooooo watch out kids the internet is coming to get you…’
Reference:
Wright, Ben Concern Over Teen Usage Habits http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2007/s1912667.htm
There are many things with Laura’s first blog that i found interesting. Laura, as i mentioned commented on the radily moving ‘train’ (thats my methaphor, sorry guys way crap!) that is technology, one thing that really hit home was the fact that you dont even have to attend a gallery to see works of art in a particular exhibition, the option is there online www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au. Laura goes onto say that you can even set up your own preference of works in your own space and view them online! Laura also mentions that you can have sites where you meet and converse online with individuals that you may never meet in person! and as she says this poses a huge concern, especially for parents.
What is the world coming to then? Are we all becoming too lazy and to introverted that we cant enjoy the social aspects of society?
I am aware of the current trends in education and this content needs to be taught, but does this mean as a visual arts teacher I’m supposed to buy new Adobe programs every year ($5000)!! and train myself, buy a new, better digital camera every 6 months? When does it stop? Will it stop? Soon we will be attending school by wearing interactive helmets in our loungerooms teaching a class on cyber-bullying while eating pixels for breakfast.
Reference:
Re, Laura http://loz669.edublogs.org/2008/08/11/laura-re-and-fiona-shields-week-12-task/
After reading the literature on Digital Natives I’m able to put into context more thoroughly the sheer impact technology has on students and their learning. As the article reads kids of today perceive ‘technology as their friend and rely on it to study, work, play, relax and communicate’. As we step into the future one thing is clear: If not taught students will not gain valuable knowledge in a time that computers seem to be the focal point on almost every facet of life.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zinkwazi/117097746
Coming from the Visual Arts side of schooling I was able to see the snowballing effect computers have on the educational process first hand. In both my year 8 & 11 Visual Arts classes last semester I guided students through the functions of photoshop (a photography/design program) where students were to manipulate a portrait photograph of themselves for use in another media. This kind of art making process is becoming more popular and much more accessable to the Nintendo Generation and it needs to be taught and understood by the teaching profession.
Reference:
Culligan, Michael Digital Natives In The Classroom http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/articles/digitalnatives/index.htm
