Posts
8.31.2009
Following our recent exploration of shutter speed, we moved on to look at creating a more dramatic depth of field through aperture. Unfortunately, we weren't able to exert a great deal of control with the cameras that we were using- although switching on the Macro, and supermacro settings helped a bit.
It was time for our class safari. Lacking many interesting live animals to photograph on campus*, we went for the more the more rubbery plastic-y gum ball machine kind. This worked remarkably well for demonstrating depth of field; especially because the critters were very compliant.
*Aside from the feral cats who only make their appearance when crashing through roof tiles, some bizarre aquatic worms that live in a glass bowl with my taro plant, and a rather camera shy turtle.
8.30.2009
*This is not entirely true- we have an extended family of feral cats living on our grounds here, one of which crashed down out of the ceiling, nearly on top of the principal's head at our pre-christmas staff meeting last year. However, the cats are (a) not ours to throw, (b) feral, and (c) not easy to find without crawling through the ductwork in the school.
8.25.2009
Even though The Man (China has a 'The Man' too) keeps trying to suppress the revolution, we have once again broken through the great firewall. For the last few weeks I've only been able to reach Blogger through posting links at Diigo (who knew a social bookmarking site would become an anti-censorship tool)?
Look for more regular updates and welcome back to school. We missed you.
Image via Dossantos Illustration
8.23.2009
8.14.2009
10 Simple Steps to Better Photoshop Performance
Very useful stuff here. Some you might know, some you might not.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
8.13.2009
8.08.2009
8.05.2009
Craig Roland's Web 2.0 Workout is a fantastic introduction for art teachers who are dipping their toes to test the waters of online collaborative technology. Am I mixing my metaphors? Scratch that. Start over.
Craig Roland's Web 2.0 Workout will stretch your collaborative reach and flex your creativity.
If you're reading this blog, you've already got your feet wet. Jump in. ...to the gym.
8.03.2009
...and you can make yourself mad too.
Link via Art Ed 2.0.
8.02.2009
Although the ending of summer is always bittersweet (at best), today I found something that makes me excited for lesson planning.
No, really.
Maybe this sounds familiar: You have a great new idea for a project or want to revitalize an old one. You struggle with the objectives and activities so that everything aligns just right, without repeating the same old strategies.
Thinking Skill: The verb – what students will be doing
Content: The content – what students will be learning
Resource: The information – where students will get information
Product: The result – what students will create
Toward this end, he uses Bloom's New Taxonomy to address the thinking skills, and looks to work of Sandra Kaplan for addressing approach to content. This Chart (.doc) explains her approach. Resource and product can be the combined options of both traditional and digital media.
8.01.2009
As a proud 'art ed geek', the end of summer always means a good deal of catching up on all my favorite Art Ed Blogs. The Blogroll keeps on growing, and here are some great new additions:
McWilson's Menagerie is a new elementary / middle school blog inspired into existence by Will Richardson's BLOGS, WIKIS, PODCASTS And Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. There's already a great post about connecting idea and image (through a reference to one of my all time favorite books).
Finally, I've added two Twitter feeds to the Art Ed 2.0 Blogroll, one is the Art Ed 2.0 Twitter Feed (follow), and the other is a search for all mentions of "art education" on Twitter. If you're not yet following Art Ed 2.0 (or myself), please do, and we'll follow you too. Tweets for followers of Art Ed 2.0 will appear on the Blogroll. Finally, if you're tweeting something that other art teachers will benefit from, please add the hashtag #arted20 to your tweet!
