Videos - Lesson Plan

Overview: 

Videos are a great tool to help students transition from passing time into learning time. They get to take a few minutes to passively learn new information. They are still thinking and learning, however they do not have to be "on" in terms of participation. It's also a great idea to mix up delivery methods for information in the classroom so they stay engaged throughout the whole unit. 

This lesson is one about public art. The idea is to get students to start recognizing that art is everywhere. The video I created is based on sculptures located through Birmingham, Michigan, however it could be expanded to include street art (e.g., Russell Industrial Center, Illumination mural), graphic design (Shepard Fairey's mural, menus, billboards, etc.), fashion, monuments, architecture, etc. Art integrates culture, environment, math, science, history, literature -- everything. It touches everything we touch in one way or another. Through this video, students will see sculptures that are readily available and that many may have driven or walked by in the past (especially those closest to Woodward). They will watch the video and brainstorm on other public artworks they know of (Washington Monument? Mackinac Bridge? cool buildings?) 

Objective: 

• Students will learn about public art that is in the neighboring city
• Students will brainstorm about public art works they have seen
• Students will analyze the images from the side of the Russell Industrial Center for the elements and principles of design
• Students will evaluate the value of the artwork on the side of the building and determine whether or not it should stay up on the building if the artists' studios were closed 
• Students will create their own sketch and mini model for a public work of art to go somewhere within the city of Berkley. It can be any medium (digital, painting, sculpture, etc.)

Creativity

This is an art lesson so it is innately creative. Students will be viewing, analyzing, and critiquing local works of art. They will also be creating their own sketches and models of proposed public works of art within our city. Their thinking will also be documented through sketches, notes, and visible thinking routines. The students will also have class critiques to analyze and provide feedback to each other regarding their sketches and models. 

Time is one of my biggest considerations. My video is about 2.5 minutes which is perfect for a 45 minute class. Once they come in, transition into their seats, we discuss the day's goals, and watch the quick video, they will have about a half hour to work on their brainstorming and group discussions. This kind of a project takes several weeks when you only see students once a week. The benefit to extending the lesson is that students have time to notice their surroundings and will start to see the artwork that is around them every day. 

Application
When designing the video for my lesson plan, I purposefully chose not to add words so students could just look at the artwork. I labeled each piece and kept the text close to the actual image, if not right on top of the image. Using different delivery methods helps keep students engaged. For a lesson like this, showing images is critical because they may have already seen some of these and can make that connection with their own prior knowledge. It will also give them an idea of what to look for while in the car with their parents.

Reflection
I have been thinking about using more video clips to introduce new artists. Some days I teach 10 classes in a row and don't have even 5 minutes in between. Showing a quick video gives me a few minutes to be able to catch up with simple things like cleaning paint brushes between classes or putting one classes papers away in my back cabinet while grabbing the next class. It is a way to get students engaged without having to lead a lecture.

Using videos also helps students by looking at artwork in a new way. We see images on the smart board and in books, however a walking tour of the Louvre is going to offer a much different perspective than a still photo.

Videos also enable family sharing and student-directed learning. Using ipads, class and home computers, and mobile phones, students can watch these videos again and can share them with their family. My video includes a map of the walking tour in Birmingham. This would be helpful for parents who want to take their children to actually see the art that was featured in the video.

I enjoyed taking the walking tour on my own. It was cool to see how close some pieces were and how different they looked in person than online. One piece in particular, gave the coolest shadow late in the day and that's not something you would experience just by watching the movie. 

Videos

Public Art Video
This week we focus on videos. I chose to make my video about public art in Birmingham, Michigan. Here in Berkley, we don't have a lot of public art. Birmingham, however, has many pieces throughout the city. Because of its reputation for being "snooty" and exclusive with expensive houses, boutique shopping, gated communities, and fancy cars, many people don't think to visit Birmingham just to walk around. The video I created shows images of the various public works within a walking distance from the downtown area. To create the video, I used iMovie and took photos on a Canon SLR camera. The movie was shared to youtube so it can be viewed by students in and out of school.

Evaluate a Video

For this project, I found a series of videos where the video creators take the viewer on a "Snapchat tour" of the various public art locations on the University of Michigan campus. It's a combination of video and photos with the typical Snapchat text and graphics added on. This appealed to me because so many young people are using Snapchat. It's an easy technology to use: take a picture or video and add it to "My Story." Then you can go into My Story and download the entire compilation (Snapchat does the compiling for you) and upload it to youtube. You can also share the pictures and videos with your friends along the way. The text option is a great option for noting the title of the work and the artist if you don't include the plaque information.

Digital Images Lesson Plan

Overview: 
For this lesson, I chose the beginning of the school year information. This is a critical time in the art room because it sets the tone for the whole school year and often students forget the details because they hear and see so much those first few days. Having visible references throughout the room -- in posters, computer screen wallpaper, presentations, and videos -- will help reinforce the information we go over within the first few weeks.

In terms of students using the technology, I would add this into my current stop-motion animation project so students can see how they can modify and add images using the green screen functionality within the stop-motion app on the ipads. 

Objective: 

• Students will learn the rules of the classroom
• Students will review procedures for transitions -- when I call for attention and when lining up at the end of the class
• Students will learn how to modify images using photoshop app on the ipad
• Students will learn how to add these new images to the stop-motion app in order to enhance their stop-motion animation movies

Digital Images: 
Students are inundated with digital images all day long -- on TV, tablets, ipads, video game systems, etc. They see these images through their daily lives and don't put much thought into where they come from. In my classroom, students have access to Photoshop on the iPads as well as other free graphics creation software packages. This software is new this year and we have not been able to implement it fully, however that is on the agenda for next year. We have been working with stop-motion animation, so they are becoming more familiar with using technology as a tool, just like they would a pencil or paint brush, however there is much more for me to implement. 

Application: 
So far, the only practical application I have for this project is using photoshop to modify images for the green screen portion of our stop-motion animation movies. This year they have been using the green screen and inserting images they find online or they take themselves. Next year, I will add the option to modify photos using photoshop, pixlr, and/or whatever other application fits the assignment. 

My biggest obstacles with these new applications and ideas is that (1) I have limited technology and (2) I only see upper elementary students once a week for 45 minutes. Students have to work in groups in order to ensure the entire grade level gets a turn.

Reflection: 
This was a fun one! I love making graphics and posters for my room. I found that art presents very specific needs that aren't covered by generic posters that can be purchased through a catalog or a service like Teachers Pay Teachers. The class presented some new software so I was able to use a variety of applications, new and old, to see the functionality as well as to test the ease of use for potential students. 

Digital Images

Edited Image

When calling students to attention, I say "Mona" and they say "Lisa." At that point, they stop working and look up. I also ask them to show me their "Mona Lisa" when they line up to leave the classroom. This image is one I could use as wallpaper on my computer for the smart board, a poster in the classroom, and will include in my beginning of the year information when I welcome the students to the new year. 

Color image with text:

 

Black and white image with text:

Cropped image:

Cropped image with duotone and adjusted brightness:

Mona Lisa Collage:

Animated Gif

This is a gif of the classroom rules. Students will see one letter at a time and at the end, they will notice that the rules spell the word "ARTIST." I also have a poster of this in the classroom next to the white board to serve as a reminder. This is something that I could have running as students enter the room for the first month or so while they're getting used to the classroom routines and rules.

Information Graphic

For this image, I chose to highlight the 8 Studio Habits of Mind for the art room. I chose a simple layout with just the 8 titles on a pallet with rainbow colors. We focus on these one at a time as the school year progresses.

Kehinde Wiley Research Project

Overview: 
Artists will research American painter, Kehinde Wiley. He is an exciting artist who is taking classical masterpieces and updating them to reflect urban black youth. He's an exciting new artist because he is (1) still alive - this is very important to my students. They get tired of doing what some call "dead guy art." and (2) he is showing an often overlooked population and showcasing them in  positions of power and contrasting tough urban black youth culture with formal iconography found in classical art. 

Using the Padlet app on the iPad, students will watch movies, read articles, and look at Wiley's artwork. They will learn about the artist, the classical works of art that the artist references, and the updated versions that Wiley creates. 

Objective: 

• Students will be able to identify Kehinde Wiley's works of art. 

• Students will analyze Wiley's art by comparing and contrasting his updated works of art with the classical images he references in his paintings. 

• Students will be analyze their own culture, heritage, and environment. 

• Students will create a work of art that updates a classical work of art but incorporates his or her own culture, heritage, and/or environment.

Copyright: 
In art, copyright is discussed from early elementary and on. It's important for students to understand that artwork is property that belongs to the artist and cannot be stolen. In order to complete this project, students will learn about copyright, appropriation, and inspiration.

Application: 
The idea of editing was my main takeaway from the week 1 readings. They showcased that there are effective ways to present information and it's important to edit your materials to make sure they are effectively reaching learners at all levels. This concept of editing also applies to the idea of copyright -- especially in the context of this lesson where students are taking a work of existing art and updating it with their own personal culture, heritage, and environment. There is a fine line between copying another's artwork and using it as inspiration to create something new and meaningful. 

The padlet technology is great. It's so easy to use and I appreciate the thumbnail pictures. The format reminds me a bit of pinterest, which could help students navigate easier if they have a pinterest account. I liked the "wall" layout because it was neat and organized, however I could see how the other layouts could be effective based on their intended audience and/or multiple authors. The layout ties back into the idea of editing and ensuring that your presentation is functional, effective, and easy to use for your intended end user. 

Reflection: 
Having never seen nor used padlet, I wonder how many other great little technology apps there are that would make sharing research materials, lesson plan materials, reference pictures, etc. easier for my students. I also grew putting this project together. Kehinde Wiley isn't an artist I know a lot about. Last week I took my fourth graders to the DIA on a field trip and they were asking compelling questions about the painting. I didn't have the answers but also found the painting to be exciting -- it was beautiful, tacky, interesting, and left me with my own set of questions. By him as the topic of my padlet research, I have learned so much about the artist and can't wait to implement a new lesson using his work as inspiration. 

Padlet Research Materials for Artist Study: Kehinde Wiley

EDU 642 - Week 1 Synthesis and Reflection Paper

Read my EDU 642 - Week 1 Synthesis and Reflection Paper.

Nikki Stone

Greetings! I am Nikki Stone and I teach elementary visual arts. My love of art started at an early age -- drawing, painting, assembling objects into something else, sewing, etc. It didn't matter what it was, I loved it all. I still do. That's what makes my job so great -- I still get to do it all and I get to share my excitement with kids every day. 

I live in Berkley, Michigan and have two daughters who attend the school where I teach. It's a true gift to get to see them throughout the week while at work. We stay busy with our new puppy, riding our bikes around town, and playing sports. My educational background includes a Bachelors of Art from Michigan Technological University in Scientific and Technical Communications as well as a teaching certificate in Visual Arts Education from Eastern Michigan University. I am currently working on my masters degree in Educational Technology at Central Michigan University. 

Check out what we're doing in the classroom by following my Instagram account!