Summary of Learning

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/18CLKh_PHt-SxlBUNPvbUpCT4DpcgUwzpaNqSZ2aXcK0/edit#slide=id.p

The link above is a link to the site where my "Summary of Learning" is located. I chose to use a Google Slides document and create a presentation that provides a detailed, but aesthetically appealing view on my take of this semester's course. The presentation covers the most important things I have learned, some pictures of the projects I've created in class that I deem useful for future use in my own educational setting, favorite quotes, as well as numerous resources that I have found helpful throughout the semester and felt like I needed to share. I just personally believe that using a presentation app such as PowerPoint, Prezzie, or Google Slides is a great way to pull everything together and go over the information in a orderly fashion. I love the little information on each slide that can be paired with audio or imagery. This way of presentation is an extremely useful tool for summative explanations of information. Are there better ways to make presentations? Most definitely. With today's technology, there are so many awesome apps or websites that can be taken advantage of to make these incredible digital stories, presentations, video material; however, I love Google Slides. It truly is an "oldie but a goodie". It's easy to navigate, functional, and truly serves it's purpose for supplying a great format to present information. 

With all of that being said, my biggest take away from the this class, "Integrated Expressive Arts" is how much you can actually use arts in your classroom to go hand in hand with any lesson. It's amazing how now in any of my other classes when I'm asked to create a sample lesson plan, they ALWAYS have an integrated arts aspect, because they it is such a significantly useful tool that can enhance literally any subject area. I have always been really big on using kinesthetic activities to further learning in the classroom, because I truly believe the best way children learn is through doing, not necessarily listening. Therefore, I have learned that integrated arts is another way to incorporate kinesthetic activities into any classroom. And that doesn't mean that in each lesson the students are painting or making crafty messes; however, it does mean that any lesson can have a hands on visual component added to enhance the material, which is extremely helpful for visual learners. Art isn't just making things either, art can be looking and discussing about photography, singing, or any number of creative arts - they are not necessarily all visual arts. In conclusion to this, I just see how extremely, entirely, overly important it is to add arts into the classroom as well as how much more I as a "model student" got out of the material by learning through integrating arts. 

As far as my own classroom goes, I definitely plan to use integrated arts in there one day. I am not exactly sure on the technicalities yet, for I have no idea which grades or subjects areas will be required by me to provide that specific material. But, I love the idea of pairing drawings with literally any lesson, even in note taking, because it is great to have a picture with text. Especially, for those visual learners that physically need to see everything drawn out on paper in order to retain and comprehend the information. I also really enjoy the idea of creating illustrations with a narrative. In any grade, my students will definitely write and publish their own opinion/argumentative/explanatory/informational/narrative piece of writing and I love love love the idea of having them illustrate each page. This shows that the students can put together word and image relationships as well as adds a "fun", create environment for the students to express themselves. There are millions of different ways in which to add integrated expressive arts to any classroom, unit, lesson, or subject area topic. I plan to do so, I just literally won't know exactly how until I step out on the field and do it for myself. 

In conclusion, I would just like to stress how extremely important using arts as well as kinesthetic activity is in anyone's current or future classrooms. As educators, we need to build children's creativity and allow them to self express in a positive, uplifting environment. It is more than just painting pictures. This is about building a child's self image, having them comprehend visually in order to fully understand material, as well as self express for an encouraging learning setting. After this class, I feel 100% more ready to become an empowering educator.  

Art Tech Task #5

For this week's art tech task, I have chose to use a digital story telling tool called "Slidestory". This browser based tool was great for creating a story through technology. I used this application to show how I would create an integrated arts activity in my future 2nd grade classroom. However, this would be great in a classroom as well to use for visual instructions. Like you could explain what the class will be working on through the video, while actually working through the assignment in it as well. This would be an awesome way to help visual learners and engage all students in the project.

This tool could be used to create integrated arts experiences in the classroom in several different ways:

1. students could use this to create their own story. An autobiography that is essentially told digitally. It would still bring in all of the speaking/listening, and language requirements while adding a creative element that would allow he/she to express themselves.
2. This would also be great as a replacement of powerpoint. Instead of memorizing what to say when giving a presentation, a student could use a tool such as this one and actually make it a smooth speech, with solid creativity thrown throughout. It would be way more interesting and engaging.
3. This could also be a collaborative project where students get together and create a narrative through this digital story telling tool. They could add illustrations and narrate it how they want the expressions or prosody to sound. Great for testing multiple areas if ELA requirements.

Could students use this app to create their own digital media artifacts? Absolutely. But, I would say they would have to be older, like in middle school. BECAUSE, there are so many steps while doing this, I think it would get confusing and challenging for the younger learners. All of the pictures I incorporated on mine were either emailed pictures that I had to download in or pictures I had to search through google. Typically, younger students don't use google anyways, because of the wide array of content that one would find on this site. Also, you have to record all of the audio in separate clips, which means one would need to know how to work the microphone on their computer as well as have an idea about chronological order. And then, I had complications publishing my video, which means that others will probably fall into the same trouble. Once fully produced, you have to go back online and find it on the site's page in order to do anything with it afterwards. Therefore, I think it's totally manageable for the older students, just not the younger kiddos.

Easy:

• all of the buttons are super easy to use and self explanatory
• pictures are easily uploaded and switched to whichever order is preferred
• audio is as simple as clicking the button, and if you don't like it, you can hit cancel and redo it!

Challenging:

• there were unknown errors while publishing that I couldn't figure out what to do with
• you have to create an account and verify it through an email (which it goes into a spam folder, never your actual inbox)
• labels, tags, titles, and category names are required to produce the finished product

Standards that fit my integrated arts activity: (also included in my presentation)

My personal review of slidestory though:

I spent 4 HOURS making a 20 minute presentation through this site, which it wouldn't let me save or publish my digital story. I googled forever what to do or how to at least embed my work into blogger, and everyone else seemed to have the same trouble I was having, with absolutely no resolution to the problem. Slidestory DOES NOT WORK and should not be used by anyone. If you can't save or publish your work, then what good is the site? It isn't. Plain and simple. I was seriously so upset about this. And therefore, why I cannot show all of you what I have created (which it was an awesome story by the way). Ugh!

Studio Project #4

For this weeks studio project, we created a 3rd grade project pertaining to how words can be used to create an illustration or in our case, a visual character. This actual relate to many of the English reading standards for Ohio, because students are required to comprehend/explain how illustrations contribute and further influence the words in a text. 

For this particular project, we thought of numerous adjectives as to what we wanted our character to look like to portray a specific emotion. We wrote all of these down on a separate sheet of paper, then began sketching with pencil what we had envisioned. Then, we took a translucent laminate sheet  and placed it over our sketch. We colored in our character with all different colors of markers in attempt to make the character even more realistic. After this, another, thicker sheet of paper (which was sprayed with water to dampen it) was placed under the translucent sheet and the two were pressed together. The marker was then transferred to the thick, white piece of paper and a new creation of art was made from one plain penciled sketch!

My adjectives: 
Age: 25
Gender: woman
Emotion: stressed
Hair color: purple
Hair style: short/straight/smooth
Eye color: blue
Eye type: short/round
Facial type: defined
Ears: small/pierced
Lips: slumped

This project was extremely appropriate for a third grade project, because from my personal perspective, this integrated arts activity would be great to show students how words as well as thoughts can be represented visually. This would pair along lovely with the reading standards and actually further text comprehension, because once the students understand the relationship and correlation between words and illustrations, they'll be better able to look for it as well as comprehend it while reading. Or, even create visuals in their mind while reading, which also contributes to those reading attributes and skills of higher order thinking. 

As far as potential difficultly for students while doing this project, I could see several areas that would pose a challenge to the children. First of all, the translucent paper is obviously extremely easy to smudge, and therefore I think students (who rest their arms on everything, especially while controlling the markers) might have trouble coloring on this type of paper because of the lack of tuned fine motor skills developed at this particular age. Another area of difficulty I could foresee would be when the translucent paper is transferred. If the paper is too wet, or isn't evenly spread throughout the piece of thicker paper, then the marker won't transfer over correctly, which will make everything smear together. This leaves the student with one big messy project. This happened to several people my age in our class, so I can only imagine how many children it would happen too. Other than that, I thought it was a really fun, creative project that the kiddos would thoroughly enjoy. 

Art Standards:
1.1.1., 1.1.2. Elements: line and shape

Common Core:
3.SL.1.d. Explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion
3.W.3.b. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective techniques, descriptive details, and clear event sequences 
3.L.5.b. Identify real-life connections between words and their use 

ELA Standards:
RL.3.7. Explain how specific aspects of a text illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story
RI.3.7. Use information gained from illustrations and words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text

Studio Project #3

For this weeks studio project, we made a 2nd grade collage in attempt to show that we have learned the difference between near and far through our creations. I used scissors, construction paper, as well as glue to recreate a scene from a short clip we watched in class. As shown, there is one small tree in the middle that is back farther that is supposed to represent a far object, because it is smaller being off in the distance. The sun is also just a small yellow circle because it is extremely far away. The trees are large, representing their closeness to the edge of the page as well is the chicken.

Description:
This scene was from the middle part of the clip. It is when the chicken was weaving in and out of the trees on his afternoon walk. The sun was out, shining down on the chicken and the three trees that were shown in the video.

Is this an appropriate activity for this grade level?
I think this activity was extremely appropriate for the grade level that it was intended for. It's teaching students how to separate clips (or stories) into different sections, which helps the viewer dissect and comprehend the material that is presented. Creating this one little scene in the narrative allows the reader to see the differences in beginning, middle, and end. This also shows how illustrations connect with and support text (which is another one of Ohios ELA standards)

As far as any concerns pertaining to difficulty for this project, I really don't see any. I think this is a fun, creative way to get students involved in an educational video, and then respond to it, while learned how to dissect information and make connections between text and illustrations. I personally found this project, easy and simple, yet productive in educating.

Standards:
Visual Art 
1.1.2 Elements: Shape 1.1.5 Elements: Space 1.1.1 Skills and techniques: Explores the tools and  processes of visual arts.

Common Core ELA
.SL2. Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through  other media.

2.RL.5.Describe the overall structure of a story, including how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.

2.RL.7. Use information gained from the illustrations and words in print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.

Studio Project #2

For this weeks studio project, our "1st grade class" created an art piece of a memory that we have of our family. My picture is of my boyfriend, my daughter, and myself floating through the mountains of Arizona on Salt River. My master piece was composed using watercolor paper, a paintbrush, oil pastels, and a watercolor wash (a combination of watercolor paint and water). I created the secondary color watercolor wash by mixing red and blue watercolor paint together.

Parts that are above and below in my art piece:

• the mountains are above everything in the picture
• the river appears to be above the horses and cacti at the bottom of the page and those objects are below the river
• there is a little bridge that goes above the water and the water is below
• my family and I are above the water in the river and the river is below us
• we are also below the mountains and the mountains are above us

Parts that are behind in my art piece:

• the mountains are behind everything on the paper
• the river is behind the horses
• and outside of the painting, the paintbrush and paint holder are behind my painting

Parts that are in-between in my art piece:

• my family and I are in-between the two sides of the river and so is the bridge
• there are flowers and grass in-between the two horses
• there are several cacti in-between the mountains

This project is appropriate for this grade level because it covers many of Ohio's standards that are linked to this topic area, which I will go over in just a moment! It also goes back to the biggest thing that I have learned throughout all of my years in the College of Education, which is how essential kinesthetic and engaging activity is to a young learners brain. Because, that is how they learn! -through doing. It is so so so important that an educator teach a lesson but then APPLY it to show its RELEVANCE. Teaching is so much more than saying "hey, these are your secondary colors. Next.." No! These are your secondary colors, where do you see them in this picture? How about this one? Can you make a picture using secondary colors? Combine two colors and try. That engraves the information into the students brain while allowing them to be kids and have fun. Which is another extremely important thing. Learning is supposed to be fun!

Learning Standards: Visual Arts
1.1.6 Elements: color
1.1.5. Elements: space
1.2.1. skills and techniques: uses a variety of tools to explore ways of making lines and textures

Common Core ELA:

1.W.8. with guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided resources to answer questions
1.SL.4. describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly

If I were to implement this lesson in my own classroom, I really don't see any areas of potential difficulty. I thought this lesson was interesting, engaging, and wonderfully interactive. The only thing that I may could for see not working to well, is if I didn't explain what colors mix to make what secondary colors. Students might get confused and mix the wrong colors. together But other than that, I can't see any issues or concerns.

My first 1st grade lesson is down in the books!

Art Tech Task #4

              

https://youtu.be/Ds7aF3w_-cw

Hey everyone! I'm super excited about this weeks "Art Tech Task", because this week was our video assignment. Making videos used to really intimidate me, simply because I was unfamiliar with how to make and upload them! Which now, seems pretty silly. I chose to use YouTube for it is the absolute easiest way to make, publish, and share your videos. This is now the third time I have taken advantage of this site for educational purposes and the videos always come out great. And fast! YouTube is a video sharing website filled with millions of videos about millions of different topics. I would argue the most popular stream on this site is music, but there is also a wonderful array of helpful educational videos. I have used this website for almost 10 years for all kinds of purposes.

I think this tool would be awesome for creating integrated arts activities in the classroom. Film is a type of art, and an assignment such as the one I have done above would be great for assessing a students knowledge over a specific content area. Students could also you this site to make up educational songs or sing-alongs. Showing creativity through music would give students a wonderful opportunity to express themselves. Other purposes as to why an educator would want to use YouTube in their classroom include:

• pairing a video with a lesson plan to help further explain the content area or reinforce what was talked about
• receive a different perspective on a subject area by hearing another's opinion
• listen to an educational songs to help with visualization/memorization
• digital stories
• find a tutorial on how to do literally ANYTHING
• record and upload a lesson if you as an educator know you are going to be absent, that way your students can still get the information they need

Furthermore, students could definitely use YouTube to create their own digital artifacts. For me, I took a video straight off of my laptop using the built-in camera, and from there went onto to the site and click "upload". And within a matter of minutes, it was fully uploaded and ready to be viewed. SUPER EASY. The only catch is, a user needs an account. It is completely free to use, but the site will need your name and an email. It is easy for anyone, because the upload button is located in the right upper corner, totally visible. You can upload any video within your computer's file folders. And music too! I really don't think any part of this would be challenging, unless a student tried to upload music that required a copyright code. Then, they would need to know what information to put in the credits so the site runners don't take their video down.

I love YouTube for all of my video needs!!

Lastly, I'd just like to point out some of the standards, for particularly kindergarten (my main focus) that would align with presenting a video such as this one to a class.

Speaking and listening kindergarten Ohio standards:
SL.K.1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. a.  Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion). b.  Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.
SL.K.2. Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if something is not understood
SL.K.5. Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional details

Ohio Reading Standards: (reading material off screen)

RI.K.4. With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about unknown words

RI.K.7. Describe the relationship between illustrations and text

RI.K.8. With prompting and support, identify the reasons an author gives to support points in text

RI.K. 10 Actively engage in group activities with purpose and understanding

Common Core:
K.W.8. With guidance and support from adults, gather information from provided resources to answer questions

Art Tech Task #3

Soundcloud

 (Web-based browser and phone application)

Read Aloud: "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish" - Dr. Suess

MY AUDIO:
Today, I have created a read aloud of Dr. Suess' famous story One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. I chose to do a read aloud as my audio because they are wonderful for children that are just learning how to read! Hearing something else while following along relays to the students how the story is supposed to sound. It teaches them fluency, expression, and pronunciation. It can also introduce or clarify any unknown vocabulary words. Read alouds have been proven to be such an effective teaching tool. And of course, Dr. Suess has been named the best stories for beginning readers for his rhyming and language patterns present in all pages.

ABOUT SOUNDCLOUD:
Anyways! The app I have chosen to make this audio with is called Soundcloud. I have been using this site (well, app) for years to listen to music. It's fairly new, as it was only created in 2007. But, it's a place where anyone (mostly artists though) post music, audio recordings, or their educational things such like my read along. You can upload videos off of your device or it's super easy to make a recording straight through the site. All you need for this is a microphone built into the computer. Then, you can edit it any way you like. Just upload, edit, and share. Everything goes public for anyone and everyone to have a chance to access it and listen along. However, you can set it to a private mode. So, Soundcloud is basically a hub for all audio purposes. It is free to use by signing up with an e-mail address or even through a Facebook account. You will need to upgrade to a premium costly package if you plan on uploading more than 300 minutes worth of audio.

WHY USE THIS APP IN THE CLASSROOM?

• This tool can be extremely purposeful for creating a read aloud, such as I have done. As I've explained above, this type of method is great for beginning readers because they have the opportunity of hearing how it is supposed to sound and then in turn can try and mimic it. It exemplifies what a good reader should do while reading and sets a goal for students.
• Audio's are great for other purposes as well! Say you're a teacher and you have no choice but to call in sick one day. Well, maybe you've already had some lessons prepared on soundcloud that the substitute can play. This way, no time is lost throughout the school year and the students are still getting the information they need.
• Because these audio's are public, someone else could have shared something educational you want your students to hear. Or vice versa! You want others to hear what you as an educator have to say

The possibilities are endless!

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN??

As far as using this application to create integrated art experiences in your classroom, it can do that too! How cool would it be for students to give a presentation through an audio recording with music and singing. I remember my 7th grade history teacher actually made us do this. He handed our partnered groups each a topic and we had to make up a song about it that would teach the other students the information they needed. Soundcloud would be great for students to record theirs on because it is music AND audio. Totally student friendly.

What's Easy?

• Signing up is a breeze. You plug in your email/facebook and you're good to go!
• There are few buttons and they're self-explanatory. There is a profile button where your information and audio files are found, a search bar, and an upload button where new recordings can be put in
• After hitting record, you say what you need to say and after saving, you're done and its uploaded. It really is that simply

Challenging Aspects?

• I really don't think there is anything hard about this site. It is so user-friendly. It would be a great tool for any classroom.

Also found by typing in:
https://soundcloud.com/user-681908949/one-fish-two-fish-red-fish