Tag: Classroom

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The Weather is There, I wish I were… beautiful…

“Talent may get someone off the starting blocks faster, but without a sense of direction or a goal to strive for, it won’t count for much.”
– David Bayles and Ted Orland, Art and Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking

Welcome to KorbArtWuhs.WordPress.com… take a walk around, stretch your legs, get a feel for the landscape. Here is where I begin and end all of my classes, while also providing a resource for my students, their parents, as well as teachers and students around the world.

GOAL! Goal… goal… goal… GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLL! Now… what goals do you have in your mind for the day? Me… stay warm… it is -60 degrees out there today. http://cache2.allpostersimages.com/p/LRG/38/3841/HPJYF00Z/posters/soccer-player-scoring-a-goal.jpg

GOALS:

  1. Know about how one teacher uses daily goal setting and interaction in the classroom.
  2. Know about the use of a website as a communication tool both inside and outside of the classroom.
  3. Know about how using a students prior knowledge can help set the stage for better understanding of the topic at hand.

(Originally Posted: June 26, 2013) Technology in the classroom was my big presentation at this years InterActiv Learning Conference 2013 in Whitewater, WI. My largest concern with the use of today’s technology is the misuse of it. Having had an opportunity to listen to a new Freshman in High School (not mine… well, my kid, but not my district) discuss the use (or in some conversations that stand out – misuse) of important resources such as YouTube and Google it struck me that the conversation of how we use technology in the classroom as a learning TOOL and not as “bells and whistles” to entertain or simply to “connect” with the kids was important.

Technology and Interaction in the Classroom (link to my Google Presentation is HERE) was the presentation I had at the conference and I really wish I had heard Michael Wesch’s 201o Presentation at the University of Denver prior to my presentation. The good news (maybe for me) is that I am working in the direction he speaks about in his lecture (link to his presentation is HERE). To keep this brief (and give you a chance to watch his presentation) I feel the most important part of his lecture was to emphasize that the INFORMATION out there is NOT SCARCE and the student of today has all the access to it, in their pocket! The important thing to keep in mind, and this is a brain shift for all in education (kids, parents, teachers, administrators, school board members… everyone), is that the teachers need to help the kids learn HOW to use the technology to be self directed learners. The kids sure know how to entertain themselves with the internet… but strong learners of Web 2.0 tools they are not.

How can we, as teachers, use the tools that are out there to help the kids LEARN how to LEARN? How do we demonstrate the tricks of the trade, the skills that are essential in the process of learning so that the students we have the privileged to work with, can become more independent learners? One of the tricks of using the technology (information really) that is out there is to make sure we are teaching them how to CONNECT to it and not to simply learn it all for the test. This also ties into the thoughts of Noah Chomsky (HERE for a YouTube video Presented at the Learning Without Frontiers Conference – Jan 25th 2012- London) that the TEST is not a very good demonstration of the knowledge the kids have. Yes, maybe for the day and a few weeks later, but then – POOF – that is gone. How can we, as concerned educators and leaders, help the learners make sure that the information we provide them with connects to the world they are living in? The tools are there, and they will be using them for as long as they live. How can we connect the tools, the information that is available, and the techniques to gather, toss aside, sort, filter, and use that information is through demonstration by example, teaching and reteaching, and reviewing the importance of being aware of how the tools and information is to be used.

Kids Say the Darnedest Things

Knowing that sketchbooks and goals will ALWAYS be part of the courses, what is one suggestion that you have to offer for future classes? What are some suggestions you may have to help the class become even stronger or more fulfilling than it already is? These require explanation please.

  • “Make the goals so that everyone does them and doesn’t slack. It helps my brain learn from the beginning of class and I know it will help others.”
  • “To take the goals and understand them not just write them down.”
  • “The goals were kind of hard to understand when looking back at them. It’s easy to understand when you explain. but the way they are written down is tricky to look back at.”
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Technology in the Classroom

I apologize for missing the Thursday morning post. It is funny how the days are different when the daily planning for classes has been set a side and the larger picture of learning comes back into focus for me. I am not sure if anyone else in any other industry (if one can think of education as an industry) has experienced that… anyway.

~~~

As a BEFORE – I share today’s work in my studio with you. I THINK I have a show coming up in July… I’ll keep you posted, and it was good to get back to work.

"Untitled" as of yet. I have been neglecting my work for some time... good to be back at it.
“Untitled” as of yet. I have been neglecting my work for some time… good to be back at it.

~~~

Technology in the classroom was my big presentation at last weeks InterActiv Learning Conference 2013 in Whitewater, WI. My largest concern with the use of today’s technology is the misuse of it. Having had an opportunity to listen to a new Freshman in High School (not mine… well, my kid, but not my district) discuss the use (or in some conversations that stand out – misuse) of important resources such as YouTube and Google it struck me that the conversation of how we use technology in the classroom as a learning TOOL and not as “bells and whistles” to entertain or simply to “connect” with the kids was important.

Technology and Interaction in the Classroom (link to my Google Presentation is HERE) was the presentation I had at the conference and I really wish I had heard Michael Wesch’s 201o Presentation at the University of Denver prior to my presentation. The good news (maybe for me) is that I am working in the direction he speaks about in his lecture (link to his presentation is HERE). To keep this brief (and give you a chance to watch his presentation) I feel the most important part of his lecture was to emphasize that the INFORMATION out there is NOT SCARCE and the student of today has all the access to it, in their pocket! The important thing to keep in mind, and this is a brain shift for all in education (kids, parents, teachers, administrators, school board members… everyone), is that the teachers need to help the kids learn HOW to use the technology to be self directed learners. The kids sure know how to entertain themselves with the internet… but strong learners of Web 2.0 tools they are not.

How can we, as teachers, use the tools that are out there to help the kids LEARN how to LEARN? How do we demonstrate the tricks of the trace, the skills that are essential in the process of learning so that the students we have the privileged to work with, can become more independent learners? One of the tricks of using the technology (information really) that is out there is to make sure we are teaching them how to CONNECT to it and not to simply learn it all for the test. This also ties into the thoughts of Noah Chomsky (HERE for a YouTube video Presented at the Learning Without Frontiers Conference – Jan 25th 2012- London) that the TEST is not a very good demonstration of the knowledge the kids have. Yes, maybe for the day and a few weeks later, but then – POOF – that is gone. How can we, as concerned educators and leaders, help the learners make sure that the information we provide them with connects to the world they are living in? The tools are there, and they will be using them for as long as they live. How can we connect the tools, the information that is available, and the techniques to gather, toss aside, sort, filter, and use that information is through demonstration by example, teaching and reteaching, and reviewing the importance of being aware of how the tools and information is to be used.

– Frank

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Inspiration for NEXT school’s year. Are you thinking that far in down the road?

From the Daily Inspirational Blog Goal Achievement Quote – June 24, 2013
by Paul Mark Sutherland
 “I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature.”
—John D. Rockefeller
~~~

Braun, Austin Schroeder, pencil and ink, 17.5" by 23.25", 2013.
What inspires you? Ryan Braun has done a number on countless baseball fans… even with the challenges of alleged doping. Braun, Austin Schroeder, pencil and ink, 17.5″ by 23.25″, 2013.

~~~

One of my colleagues, a great leader in the building and inspiration to our 1100ish students, asked about the lengthy notes I had taken during the 2012 – 13 school year about the 2nd Edition of Classroom Instruction That Works – (An ASCD Publication [Link HERE for the ASCD Website]) by Dean, Hebbell, Pitler, and Stone. I now have the notes available to you…  but I suggest getting a hold of the book as well. The Google Document is set up so that ANYONE who can access it (you bu clicking on the book) can read it and MAKE COMMENTS  – GO FOR IT! (Thanks Russel.)

111001b
Click on the Book Cover to go to my not quite complete (still haven’t finished writing about Chapter 10) notes.

While this book was a great read – and is an essential reminder for all of those who already feel like I do things such as, but in no order of importance: Feedback, Recognition, Co-operative Learning, Non-Linguistic Representations… among other technique and strategies. It is one thing to DO them, daily, but it is an altogether different thing when you are AWARE of the strategies you are using and doing them with the purpose of moving Student Centered Learning FORWARD.

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Another GREAT Video bit of Inspiration I recently got was the YouTube clip (26 minutes, so get a cup of coffee and a set of headphones) was by Anthony Salcito on The New Classroom Experience (my notes HERE – please add your comments).

There are a lot of GREAT thoughts in this lecture and I have been moved to look at the Look of MY Classroom. I feel that the activities ARE the most important aspect of the classroom, not the look of the classroom, and that is why I am REALLY emphasizing the use of technology to create environments for COLLABORATION and also how the ARTWORK the kids are learnign about and producing is essential to how they solve problems as well as the necessity of them failing (not necessarily with an F, but rather just not producing exactly what they thought it was “suppose” to look like), reflect on their failures, move forward from their failures, and continue to fail until they succeed – in WHATEVER WAY THEY SUCCEED!

~~~

LASTLY – Some thoughts and comments from the kids from 2012 – 13 as the school year wrapped up. The question that was posed was: What was the single greatest accomplishment for you over the past semester?

  1. I learned to focus on visual unity and the elements of art to create pieces of art with ideas and processes being executed well.
  2. I learned to take time while drawing and give effort towards art. I’m proud that I can now be a better drawer.
  3. I expanded my mind. I really didn’t like art at all. When I had to take it in 7th grade I said I was never going to take it again. But this semester I took it and some parts were pretty fun with this class.
  4. Learning how to use dimension, proportion, shading, and drawing in general.
  5. I became comfortable with new mediums.

I pose the question to you…