Google has everything...

Google, it turns out, has just about everything you need. When I was first introduced to what Google has to offer, I was honestly a little hesitant to switch over. I was perfectly happy with my email and my iCalendar! With a little shove from my fiance, I started to explore what Google had to offer. I didn't want to admit it, but the Google Calendar was so organized and easy to use! So, when we were required by our class to use Google Documents, I was a little more open about this new technology.

Over the last few years, whenever I wanted to send a paper to my fiance for him to read over, I always just attached it in an email. I hadn't really noticed how annoying that was until I used Google Documents. No more attachments! I'm free! I can see that in a classroom this would be some much simpler. To send documents or assignments home to my students, I can simply post it to my Google Documents page and then share with my class. This program also allows me to send a document from my home to my classroom without having to email myself or use a thumb drive.

The more I become introduced to Google, the more I just love it. In the words of my fiance "A lot of people are afraid of google taking over the world. I, personally, welcome our new overlords."

Staying Organized

One of my biggest goals as a teacher is to be organized. I've seen too many "crazy art teachers" who lose papers, misplace supplies, and are all-around disorganized. I know how frustrating it can be when a teacher loses your homework.

With this in mind, I have organized my files so that I can easily access all of my work. While I prefer a slightly different format usually, I like the way that I can see what each folder contains without having to open the folder. This layout also gives me information about the file size and the date it was last modified.

I hope that by using consistent organization skills I can eliminate some of the daily stress and frustration of the classroom!

Questing for WebQuests

In class on Thursday, we evaluated different WebQuests. Before that day, I had never seen or heard of a WebQuest. But like its name implies, students have to solve a series of problems, or a quest, using any means available to them, most importantly, the web. Now, I'm not particularly experienced in finding things on the web; I usually just google and click. For me, this assignment might seem daunting at first. As I navigated through the sites, I realized that it really wasn't hard at all! Most of the sites were clearly set up, with each assignment and task set up in order. As the technofile of the group (where's the irony in that, huh?) I found that the sites were easy to use while also utilizing the internet to its fullest. Many of the WebQuests had site links for students to use, making it easier for someone like me to search for information.

While at first, this type of project would have had me running for the nearest book, I learned that it was easy to use as well as a great tool for the classroom. The WebQuest, I found, is a great way to teach students self-reliance and time management.

I hope that I can find some great WebQuests for Art that I can use in my classes!

Wiki Adventures - the beginning

Until Tuesday, I had never heard of a "wiki" before. Of course I knew about Wikipedia. I'd gotten lost there on occasion by just following the links. I also knew that almost any reader could edit or delete a post. I just never thought I'd be doing it!
I wasn't entirely sure why it would be practical to learn about using a wiki for my future classrooms. However, after hearing about the plan for using them in this class, I'm really excited about the opportunities this offers. I hope that in learning about this web. 2.0 program, I'll be able to implement something like this in my own classroom. This wiki would be especially useful in discussions and research in Art History lessons.
When making my own wiki, I hope to focus my contributions to Art Historical websites for all ages. This would include websites where young children can learn about and even quiz themselves over famous paintings and artists as well as database websites for the high school level student to learn about advanced terminology and movements throughout art.
I'm so excited to learn about this new tool! It's already given me so many ideas to use in my future classroom!