Ways to support the creative process

As an art teacher I find myself constantly trying to find ways to help my students capture the creativity of their beautiful minds. The creative brainstorming process is so different for everyone and advancements in technology have created new and dynamic tools for students to utilize during their creative process. Edutopia blogger Diane Darrow highlights some of the best online brainstorming and creative applications available in her post, Creativity on the Run: 18 Apps that Support the Creative Process. I know I already enjoy what my students have created on applications like Brushes and I am looking forward to using some of the other tools that Darrow suggests.

 

 

How Ning is changing social networking

Discussions about social networking in education usually tend towards the negative with the lines between professional and private on networks like Facebook and MySpace.  However, Ning is offering a solution to this; Ning is an online service that enables users to customize their own social networks. With the ability to create both public and private networks educators can tailor networks to specific academic topics or groups.  Ning’s open format allows for creative experimentation and new adaptations of what a social network can not only look like but how it can help enhance education. To learn more about Ning and how it’s changing the face and function of social networking read  “7 Things You Should Know About Ning.”

Staying Up To Date On Ways To Stay In Touch

One of the most difficult and rewarding tasks a teacher faces is not just getting students engaged in the classroom but getting parents involved in their students learning as well.  There is an arsenal of different tools and approaches a teacher can uses to reach out to busy parents and what works to reach one parent does not always work for another.  This can be difficult for teachers who want to reach every parent equally.  Lisa Mims writes about the old school and newschool methods for keeping parents up to date with what is going on in the classroom. Whether it is the classic phone call or the behavior monitoring web tool Classroom Dojo, the ways teachers can get parents involved is evolving and it is crucial that as educators we stay up to date with the latest tools because a student with involved parents is more likely to be a successful student.

 

 

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/old-new-school-parent-involvement-lisa-mims

Ways To Use Wikipedia For Academic Purposes

I know I have been told by many teachers and even my own students to never use Wikipedia for academic purposes.  However, with the sheer mass of information available online; academic research using Internet resources can be downright daunting.  While citing Wikipedia directly is a bad idea, I do believe using Wikipedia as a starting point for research makes a lot of sense. The thoughtful use of Wikipedia can help to sort through the resources that the internet puts at our fingertips in a much more manageable format. This video produced by Brian Vanderveen , professor Steven Tash, and team IE from San Jose State University helps to explain the ways that Wikipedia can be positively used for academic research.

 

What You Should Know About Instant Messenger Programs

Technological advances have forever changed the way that children communicate.  The days of fancy, folded paper and phone calls are no longer the primary avenues used to send a message and talk with friends.  Online instant messenger programs allow teens to connect with their contacts anytime they are online or in possession of smart phones.  These programs are incredibly easy to use and have become one of the main ways that teens communicate. 

There are however, some safety concerns that come with programs like this.  The Kid’s Internet Safety Alliance (KINSA) has produced a screen casted safety program that shows parents how to monitor their child’s contacts and conversations and keep personal information, personal.  Every parent and teacher should be aware of how these programs work and they should help children weigh the benefits and risks that are present when engaging in these types of technologies.

 

 

Classroom Collaborations

Classroom collaborations can be incredibly rewarding or incredibly frustrating. As an art teacher, I love finding ways to work with other courses or community members to enrich student’s education. However, inviting outsiders into your classroom can be very stressful. If you are looking for some advice on how to strengthen your collaborative efforts; Edutopia blogger, Joshua Block outlines some guidelines for Creating Successful Collaborations. Block highlights ways to establish shared leadership and outlines some important tips for planning collaborative lessons. While there is no fool proof checklist that can be followed to create a successful collaboration; following Block’s tips and advice a teacher can help prepare and avoid some of the common pitfalls that come with unsuccessful collaborations.

 

 www.edutopia.org/blog/on-collaboration-Joshua-Block

The Power of Reflection

Patty Palmer is a K-6 Art teacher in Goleta, California and the author of the blog Deep Space Sparkle Art Lessons for kids.  Patty helps to remind teachers that it’s not enough to simply teach a lesson and then stash it away to be used another year.  But that a crucial part of being an educator is reflecting on what did and didn’t work. In her blog post “Best and Worst Lessonsof 2012-13” Patty reflects back on the art projects that stood out as success and those that flopped and how she might change things for next year’s students.  It’s inspirational to see what Patty has accomplished with her students and it has inspired me to look at the best and worst of my lessons in anticipation for next year.

7 Things You Should Know About Digital Storytelling

Gathering around for story time has just become more high tech as storytellers are moving away from relying on the traditional face to face retelling’s and turning to digital productions instead. Digital storytelling combines what is great about the oral tradition of knowledge sharing and pairs it with the new easy-to-use tools available for digital media creation and editing.  Digital storytelling is a format that is well suited for almost any subject matter.  With digital storytelling I can share the life story of famous artists with my students and incorporate a blend of images, audio, music, and animation.  Using these different elements will help to create deeper engagement and understanding for students. The Educause Learning Initiative has developed a breakdown of the “7 Things You Should Know About DigitalStorytelling” that can help as a guide to better understanding this new story telling format. It will help you to get a grasp on what digital storytelling is and the implications it has on teaching and learning.