FOR ED TECH
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In many ways, creativity can be learned. It makes me sad that very young kids have no inhibitions making art, and then somehow as they grow older many decide they aren't creative. Creativity and art skills/aesthetic are two separate monsters. And just like practicing typing, fine-motor hand skills and eye-hand coordination can greatly improve with practice!
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| By Me |
As I've learned from drawing classes, readings, and experience, learning to draw is learning to see what is really there, not what you think is there. If a student practices detailed seeing - the contour of the shape, relation to the other parts of the object, etc. - then their hand skills will get better with practice. Since one of the affordances of a blog is a visual timeline, posting the progress of the student's work will help them see how far they've developed, and allow them to easily show fellow classmates and family their work.
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| quick sketch by: Sam Sneau |
After the student has more drawing practice and confidence, it will be much easier for them to draw from their imagination since they will have the skill to draw what they really see in their minds. My goal is that the student's creative thinking will expand as their skills and confidence improve. The better a student can communicate with a pencil and paper, the more options they have for expression.
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A blog can also be a place for an online swatch book in creative thinking and observing. If every student posted a photo of a clever way of seeing the world around them (a scene the student created, or seeing something in their environment in a new way) there could be (24 weeks x 20 students per class) 480 images just by one art class!
As mentioned in the Koehler & Mishra video, "The best way to have good ideas is to have lots of ideas" - Linus Pauling. The goal is to foster creative ideas, again like the mentioned video stated, that are N.E.W., "Novel, Effective, and Whole (organic, elegant, and understandable)".
It would be such a fun project to see the compilation of fellow classmate's creativeness outside the classroom. And with the bonus of blog commenting, students can dialogue about the posts online. Also, because the project is personal and public, it encourages intentional thought given to each image.
A blog can also be a place for an online swatch book in creative thinking and observing. If every student posted a photo of a clever way of seeing the world around them (a scene the student created, or seeing something in their environment in a new way) there could be (24 weeks x 20 students per class) 480 images just by one art class!
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| First Image: The Photo Argus : Second Image: Make Something Cool Everyday |
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| Make Something Cool Everyday |
It would be such a fun project to see the compilation of fellow classmate's creativeness outside the classroom. And with the bonus of blog commenting, students can dialogue about the posts online. Also, because the project is personal and public, it encourages intentional thought given to each image.
An obstacle for the second blog use could be a challenge if students don't have access to a camera. If this was an issue, the students could create something inspiring with materials at school. Overall I think the project would be a valuable learning tool for creativity and technology, and if the equipment isn't personally available to a student, it adds the benefit of creative resourcefulness to search for an alternative.
The faucet looks like a swimmer about to dive into the sink.
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