Technology Integration: Learning How to Create Sculpture

Technology Integration Matrix

My lesson is based off of teaching students how to sculpt using 21st century practices and technology. Sculpture has been around for millennia and has gone into a major rebirth in the 20th and 21st centuries. The lesson I'm using teaches about modern sculpture and modern practices, but does not integrate technology as well as it should.

The first row of my technology integration matrix includes an advanced visual art standard. The first is about looking at previously done work and looking at how to improve on it. This is a very important part of the creative and art making processes. The best way to implement this is by using a mini-lecture to show students examples of their works and what similar artists have made. Additionally allowing the students to work in small groups to critique their own work allows them to interact and think critically about not only their own work, but classmates work as well. The technology used in this is quite simple, just a computer and/or tablet with internet access. This allows the students to research other art or artists that will help them to create better, more powerful art.

The second row of my matrix includes a different advanced standard. This looks at choosing the right materials for your project. This is the most important part of sculpting. Knowing how materials work and what they can and cannot do is the difference between a perfect and failed piece. To execute this students will be lectured on what materials do in addition to receiving a demonstration on said materials. In addition to this they will need to research any materials they may or may not want to use other than what they were showed in class. The technology for this part is a bit more involved. They will need the technology from the previous row, along with drafting software. Drafting software allows them to sketch their ideas and input what materials they plan to use. The software will give them an estimate as to how much material they will need and how it will act (sometimes students forget about how gravity works).

The third row focuses on taking the previous two and actually creating (or modeling) a complete piece. This is very important for artists and can be the most nerve-wracking, rewarding part of the art making process. The teacher will only implemented input and allow the students to create and experiment on their own. Learning and failing is a very important part of the art making process and allowing each student to experience that is the most important lesson they can learn as an artist. The students will practice and experiment with their materials and create their own designs. They will utilize whatever technologies they will need. Most likely of this is a CNC machine or a 3D printer, as those have become the standard for most 3D art in the 21st century.

The lesson I have modified falls under the core standards for visual arts and integrates both technology and 21st century sculpting practices to an upper level high school art class.

Padlet Unit Plan

I chose to focus on sculpture because it is a medium that I have more recently begun using. Sculpture is very important for students to learn because it serves as a foundation to most three dimensional work. I know that as an art teacher I will need be able to teach other media than photography, my preferred medium.

I chose the main elements of sculpture for my unit goal and essential questions. These goals and questions apply to all sculptures and will help students when designing and developing sculptures in the future. The links and resources correspond specifically to large scale finished pieces, which my students would not be required to produce. Instead I would have them create 3D printed models and use them to pitch a large scale installation.

The technology I've integrated into this assignment include SketchUp, 3D printers, and WeVideo. Sketchup is a drafting and design software that can be used for something as small as a jar up to buildings and beyond. 3D printers have become more and more popular and cost effective in recent years and will be important technology for artists in the coming years. WeVideo is an online video software for integrating images and other elements with video to create complete presentations. All of these technologies are important to all artists, especially young ones to know and utilize.

Created with Padlet

Supporting Instruction with Technology

I chose this lesson plan because I felt it incorporates visual art and technology well. For many forms of visual art technology is not a major element of the art making process, with the exception of research. This lesson plan focuses on displaying an example piece by Martin Puryear & features other artists who have done similar things in their art and uses technology to add to the lesson.

I did not find many gaps in this lesson plan. The major gap I found was that it could incorporate technology more. By using drafting software to sketch plans students would gain valuable experience with a useful technology. Today many companies and firms are looking for people with skills with drafting software and this would be a good way to let students wet their feet in the technology. Additionally making the students create a video presentation instead of a traditional presentation adds a multimedia element to the project and more possibilities for the use of technology.

I feel Mind Meister is a good technology and fairly easy to use after about five minutes of acquaintance. I am not sure though if I would use it in my classroom. As an artist I have found it is more important to make mistakes and learn from them than mapping out options and choosing the one that seems to make the most sense.

A Link to My Mind Map

Monitor Progress: How to Draw

 

Click to learn more about How to Draw

How to Draw: Step by Step Drawing Lessons and Coloring Pages is an app for iOS and Andriod that allows users to practice and improve drawing skills. The app shows step by step instructions for drawing a variety of subjects including, cartoon characters, faces, and everyday objects. In addition to teaching drawing it allows users to color drawings and provides video instructions. The app is free on both platforms, but can be hard to use on a smartphone or without a stylus.

This app would be good for any students that are looking to improve on their drawing skills. Drawing skills are the foundation to most art media and even the most seasoned of artist practices drawing. It is important for students to learn and practice drawing if they are interested in furthering their art skills. This app allows users to keep track of their skills and improve on previous drawings, so it will show students how much they are improving, even if they do not see it at first.

 

History of Technology in Art Education

 The Overhead Projector's Impact on Art Education

The above link will redirect you to a short video presentation on how the overhead projector has changed the way art education was taught.

Adapt Content: MoMA Art Lab

Click for more information about MoMA Art Lab

 

MoMA Art Lab is an app for iPads which allows users to create different kinds of art, including shape poems and sound compositions along with the more traditional drawing and painting. The app gives users the opportunity to experiment with different styles and colors without the need to get dirty or buy potentially costly materials. Another great feature is the integration of master artists within the content creation process. The app is free for iPads, but unfortunately is not combatable with other iOS devices or Androids, which hinders the ability for use in the classroom.

The app would be great to teach students off all levels, especially those in younger grades. Ideally I would use this app to help teach students about the different forms of modern art that they can create and about the master artists that pioneered the styles. In my experience I have found that many early level art teachers focus mostly on master painters and show little focus on the contemporary arts and artists. This app would also allow students to continue to work on projects outside of the classroom, which in other disciplines of art can be much more difficult.

Reflection on Influential Technologies

While reading the prompt for this assignment I tried to think of the three technologies I use most on a daily basis. The first of which is my camera. For the past year my life has revolved around photography. I have spent countless hours working in the studio and darkroom attempting to create the perfect image and my camera is the first step in the process. My camera has taught me more about science than I would have ever expected to learn in any art class. My camera has taken me places I wouldn’t see myself going, introduced me to people I never thought I would meet, and taught me how to see life in a different way. 

  

The technology I can’t seem to go more than an hour or two without is my smartphone. My iPhone is always within arms reach; ready for the inevitable buzz it gives off every few minutes. My iPhone also allows me to access knowledge almost anywhere, anytime which is pretty incredible. One of the ways I access this plethora of knowledge is Google, my third technology I can’t go without. Previously I referenced Google, I may have painted it in a bad light. This was not intended; Google is a useful tool and source that can produce an answer in moments. I use Google regularly for researching different techniques and styles to incorporate into my art. The ability to do this on my phone is indispensable because I can add or change things at the last moment.

My answers differ, but have the same principle as the students in the video. My pieces of technology are different, but they have impacted my life in a way that without them I would be a different person. In the video the kids describe what technology they use and how it has impacted their lives. Many of the kids talk about using technology to create things like videos, music, and websites. These are useful skills that not only allow the kids to create but also learn how to problem solve and use critical thinking in a situation outside of the classroom.