I’m not sure why I stopped posting to my blog or keeping my resource page up-to-date. Creating and updating the moodle for my classes has kept me busy, but it has also helped keep my students informed about assignments and grades.
What I’ve missed by not updating my blog
- Reflecting on the job I’m doing as a teacher on a regular basis.
- Evaluating changes to my class lessons in an organized way.
- Organizing resources that I may not use this year, but want to try in the future.
As a teacher, I’m more energized in the classroom this semester. Implementing ideas from the Ed Tech program has been invigorating. And taking a semester off from the masters program provides time to use the ideas without stressing.
A presenter at the CAEA conference two years ago suggested changing the theme or focus of standards based visual art classes each semester. If students repeat a class, the projects and emphasis is fresh and interesting even thought students still develop the same skills. But, attempting to change the focus each semester in computer art was becoming too time consuming. I was introducing assignments that didn’t interest most of the students. And the projects that captured students interest in the past, were sitting in the filing cabinet. Now I’m resurrecting some old standards, and the student interest is perking up. More students are completing the assignments on time, and the quality of their work has improved overall. It is also allowing mere time for me to prepare examples and job aids for new projects. So now I’ll introduce enough new assignments to keep me interested, and use some reliable projects that have been successful in the past.
Current computer art project is an old faithful – using photoshop to customize a car with new rims, airbrush paint and more bling. The Digital photo class is learning to light a car photo shoot, using car models and mirrors thanks to Peter Kirrings tutorial at Digital Photography School. Something old and something new, it works for me and I hope for the students.
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