13/1 Taking a SELFIE

Technology in the art classroom is not only exciting and inviting, it is essential.  We need technology to expand our students' horizons and better prepare them for our technology-dependent world.  Learning photoshop or digital photography has a real concrete basis in many of the creative jobs available today.  Moreover, creative problem-solving and tinkering have become necessary for children in order to navigate any challenges they may face- in a supportive and engaging environment.  I felt a little bit like a child in a classroom when we tackled intimidating circuitry or robotics.  However, because we took it from an artistic view and with the hope of empowering each other in our own personal strengths, I felt encouraged to try out new things.  This brings in the power of collaboration, as well.  When we all made music on the makey makey, it was almost magical.  I feel a particular bond with my classmates because we all learned these things together and from each other.  There is great excitement here for students in the art classroom- we need to bridge boundaries now more than ever.

For my own personal work, I was especially taken this semester with doing things for myself, and pursuing ideas that interested me.  I made some works of which I am very fond.  When I spoke about my work or documented it, I stayed true to what I was feeling and what struck me as interesting.  

I will try to address my learning objectives and my selfie here:

1. Understand fluently the various tools and methods of researching new media. 

I wrote this without ever imagining I would confidently work with robotics without shying away.  I feel empowered enough to take my learning and push it further, through research and also feedback/collaboration.

2.  Eradicate any media biases I may have to subjects that seem either too difficult or not relevant to particular age groups.  

I think now that they sky is the limit with materials in the art classroom- I am in the process of writing a lesson plan for my 3rd graders using stop-motion animation that feels much easier and natural to the class and their inquisitive nature.

3. Explore literacy and storytelling and how it may relate to technology and media.  


I definitely try to tell a story in my works- especially my scanographies and photography.  I also think that it is very fun to take something lighthearted and enjoyable and run with it- like the paper cockroach.  I really enjoyed having a bit of humor in my explorations that I do not want to discount.

4. Explore mathematics in how it relates to new media.  

This I approached from a coding mentality- the logical order of code is very much mathematic by nature.  However, I would love to open more doors into integrated art lessons with math, coding, 3D modeling, and robotics/circuitry.  

5.  Think with a critical awareness of the different avenues new media provides.  

I am open to any ideas within new media, as it seems to be a mindset rather than a skill set to utilize.

S- This was the most challenging piece for me; I love talking about my process and sharing my ideas, but I struggle in showing them- it is a real art form in itself!  I think I am learning how to clearly show my work.  I love Instructables.  I even had a stranger favorite my project!

E- The blog has been a great way to show outcomes.  I like choosing what I want to say about each project as well.  It becomes a bit of a performance and adds meaning when I am sharing with my peers.  I enjoyed using this as an opportunity to explain challenges or next steps as well.   

L- Vocabulary has been unavoidable, since I am using what I am learning.  A great example is the word "tinker." It implies a culture of thinking outside of the box and I can't stop using it in my practice!  I also enjoy learning about the technical nuances in 3D printing (rafts are not just for boats!) and robotics.

F- This was the most fun for me.  Multiple possibilities allowed me to pursue my own interests while still working with the group.  My scratch video game started as a simple catch game, but through remixing and thinking of different possibilities, it became something I genuinely had a blast creating.

I- Perseverance is so important, and I used this through some of the more challenging projects- although, I enjoyed each one of them.  I think I learned more that perseverance is a mindset when making projects relevant to your own learning.  I had to constantly think about what was important to me. 

E- Carelessness goes hand in hand with relevance in making, and I needed to be careful in order to always think of my classrooms and how I will use my knowledge to teach.  In this way, connecting back to the classroom has safeguarded me from carelessness!