Digital Portfolio Resource

http://www.squidoo.com/making_a_digital_portfolio

I found this website after googling "how to create a digital Portfolio."

The website is a great resource that explains the best ways to photograph your artwork. Because I do not have a professional to take photographs of my artwork, I will use this website for instructions of how to take photos with a digital camera. The website explains how it is important to use good lighting and backgrounds that accentuate your artwork for the best viewing possibilities. After using the websites tips for photographing my artwork, I will compile and edit the photographs to fit within a portfolio in adobe.

A. The first blog that I read was the person above my name in the Google Docs. The second blog I read is my friend Alex's. I wanted to read some of the things he has been writing because I know he is really into blogging. The third person's blog I chose was random.

B. I chose the postings that I thought was the most interesting. Everyone's self-portrait blog was neat because they found really great artists portraits. The last blog I posted on had a great video example how to make an urban collage.

C. I would use a blog in my classroom to post a schedule and to allow the students to discuss assignments or give each other insights

http://meheml29aed398.blogspot.com/2010/03/self-portrait-inspiration-and-technical.html#comments

http://penvosam01.blogspot.com/2010/03/self-portrait-inspiration-and-technical.html#comments

http://hallea53.blogspot.com/2010/03/resource-for-photoshop.html?showComment=1271712122139_AIe9_BF4uB7atbU_vELjjDnJdb5SDbozeHqHWuR7Ech4BqxWcwKYhYaiHn2RdZms-vISNjjGMo_R9kzTtKFB6HhXzMduaGX8Qaioq7EgHg-3bJUHbyP7jKig0rVmKtQXbeAabNyR5_09c_UtG5iK--JTABiWoWSpSFAjaVcB9GGRlFx9qzh_vJ_xYLueT2aXQ5Djgy7Xz3Ti3lw7KpxJAGL7SQD3hrIWRLxR0fs5LKS4wFVAg-Ws4YM#c858661307959905938

After reviewing Adobe Digital School Collection, I think that I would choose the programs Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 to use in my classroom. The program would be great way to show them how to make collages out of photos of themselves and family. I could possibly have the students create an event or scene out of their own photos or photos found on the internet. Or I could have them make their own short-film having them tell a story in a series.

From the Apple website, I think I would use the ACOT2 program for my future teaching career. The program seems to be a great resource when teaching in the classroom. It would be great to use when I'm creating lesson plans for guidelines and ideas. Furthermore, it would be a great way for the students and teacher to interact if they have a program that measures progress in several areas. The program is a great stepping stone into a digitally based world.

I would choose to use the integrated studies resource from Edutopia. I think its a great way for students to truly be engaged in the learning process during lessons. The students are more likely to remember something if they are learning the concept through two different lessons and then can apply it to something, such as an art work.

The Learner-Centered Classroom response

I found the article, The Learner-Centered Classroom by Terry Doyle very effective and true. Doyle discusses several important points about having a learner-centered classroom. I think it is important to have the students involved in the process of learning as much as possible. Although students are always referred to as learners, Doyle stresses how students must also contribute to the process of learning. Students are often disengaged during their lessons and only do minimal work; however if their lessons were directed more towards interactive group work or presentations, I believe the students would be more engaged. Furthermore, I think it is crucial for students to know why they are learning certain things and how the lesson will eventually pertain to their future.

I agree with Doyle and his opinions about a learner-centered classroom. However, I think that there should be a variety of ways for learners to learn, rather than focusing on just group activities and presentations because it will always be difficult to motivate the students who do not feel comfortable speaking in front of their peers. Yet, if we practice learner-centered classroom approaches in lower grade levels more frequently I think it would make a difference in students attitudes as they grow older.

I would use this approach in my classroom in various ways. For certain art lessons I will break my class into groups and have them find solutions to the problem together and create a group work. I will also have some projects that center around research intensive papers or presentations depending on the grade level.

AED 398 Photo Album: The Principles and Elements of Art:

http://s756.photobucket.com/albums/xx206/mkmuraca/AED%20398%20-%20The%20Elements%20and%20Principles%20of%20Art/

I created a photo album in Photobucket that consists of the principles and elements in art. Each photo is labeled accordingly. I used photos that I thought represent the principles and elements. I used a lot of different functions on my digital camera to emphasize these elements. Some of the functions I used was black and white, color swap and the f-stop. Although I am not familiar with taking photos on a digital camera, I was able to use these functions just by playing with the camera. I have had experiences with 33mm cameras, therefore I know that to capture something at night or when it is darker outside you need to keep the shutter open longer. I adjusted the f-stop a lot on the digital until it was what I was looking for. Although I still struggled with some of the lighting, I found my photos interesting and creative. I love digital photography because it is so accessible. One of my favorite things to do is to photograph my friends and family. I find them to be interesting subjects that connect me to my art work and it also invites the viewer into my life as well. Furthermore, Photobucket is a great resource for documenting your photography. I have kept photo albums on other networking websites such as Facebook, however I feel like those photographs get lost because of the other features Facebook provides. This project has really motivated me to continue to play with my camera and find new things to photograph.

Creating a Logo with Illustrator

I found a great website that offers several tutorial videos for making logos with illustrator and other various programs. The website is great because it gives several options for making all kinds of logos. I probably will only use the basics that it provides, but I will definitely come back to this site for other assignments or in my future classroom. I reviewed a lot of the information about 3-D words and objects and I may use it in my own design during the weekend.

Here check it out:
http://www.ndesign-studio.com/tutorials

Working with Illustrator

As a beginner with Illustrator, I found the instructional videos very helpful. I am somewhat familiar with Photoshop and realized Illustrator uses a lot of the same tools. However, I learned quite a bit about creating and manipulating lines and shapes by watching the videos. For example, I thought it was interesting that you can change the number of sides or points to the shapes in order to get exactly what you are looking for. Also, I think the pen tool will become very useful considering you can manipulate as you like by just selecting a point on the line and then move it wherever. I am very excited about starting our project for Illustrator and I think it will be great to use in the art classroom!

I found "Selecting and Manipulating Objects" and "Scaling, Skewing and Rotating Objects" to be the most helpful videos considering I have never worked with shapes. I thought that Matthew Richmond is great at teaching step-by-step procedures. He explains everything very well, and made it easier for me to follow along.

Creating A Lesson Plan

While I was working on my lesson plan for Project 1, I came across this website that really helped me understand what is required in a lesson plan. It gives a 10 step guide in creating a lesson plan, which I really needed to know because this is the first lesson plan that I have ever written.

Here is the website:

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/WriteLessonPlan.htm#

I'm using the website for almost all of the elements in our lesson plan format. It really helps, however, if you know of any other helpful websites or resources regarding the construction of lesson plans please comment and post some!

 http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint/FX100648951033.aspx

This site shows you a few tips on how to select buried objects in Powerpoint.  I have one slide that I have three different objects on one page over one another and I was having trouble selecting the right objects.  The site helped me find ways to select the right objects. 

A Visit to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery

Which artworks make an impact or impression on me? Why?
There were many works that made an impact on me during my visit to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. Since I took Modern and Contemporary Art classes I have always been drawn towards those movements. For instance, I truly appreciate Abstract Expressionism. My favorite artist from the movement is Mark Rothko. Like many artists at that time, Rothko strays away from conventional form and, instead concentrates more closely on his use of color and how color can evoke emotion. The painting titled “Orange and Yellow,” from 1956 conveys Rothko’s style. Various artists such as Rothko were called Color Field artists. Another Color Field artist was Hans Hoffman. One of Hoffman’s paintings from the Albright-Knox collection is 1955 “Exuberance.” While observing the work, the viewer can instantly feel the excitement and variety the painting presents. “Exuberance” exemplifies the principals from the color wheel and how colors interact with one another by incorporating strong contrasts between colors.

Which artworks do I feel a connection with? Why?
One of the works that I felt connected to was Georgia O’Keefe’s “Green Patio Door, 1955.” After seeing many of O’Keefe’s work, I found it extremely interesting to see that the Albright-Knox has acquired a work that many would argue different or uncharacteristic of the artist’s style. O’Keefe was always interested in landscape painting and created many works while living at her home in New Mexico. The painting is very reminiscent of her landscape paintings, however many people are unfamiliar with them and assume they closely resemble her flower paintings. I was so glad to see the painting and at such an obscure part of the gallery.

Which artworks would I like to know more about? Why?
Some of the works that I found interesting and would like to know more about were from the current exhibition, Topographics. I was very impressed with the context of the exhibition. I enjoyed many of the works especially by the artists Jane Callister, Tara Donovan, Ingrid Calame and Udomsak Krisanamis. I thought the works were different and enlightening. My favorite work from the exhibition was Jane Callister’s “Spiked Beauty,” from 2005. I found her work to be similar to Abstract Expressionists with combinations from the conceptual ideas that Contemporary art focuses on. I would love to study these works further and learn more about the artists.

Assignment 1

Why do you want to be an Art Educator?

I want to be an Art Educator to inspire the creative minds of children and adults. I am also interested with the incorporation of Art Therapy in the field of education. I believe that certain individuals have different learning habits and for some those habits or abilities can be reached through the use of art. Not only will these individuals discover unique talents through their education in art, but also develop an understanding of the conceptual and theoretic art world. Furthermore, I have always been interested with ideas behind Art Therapy and how they can also be used outside the classroom. Whether it is for young children, adults or families I believe Art Therapy is a healthy and creative alternative for troubled individuals.