To answer a comment

 I would love to see how you are/will be integrating technology into the art classroom. Do you have access to a smartboard in your classroom? 

Being an elective teacher can be a much more solitary profession than a classroom teacher.Dean Olah said…

     In response to your question I have access to a projector that I connect to my laptop.  I do not have a smartboard and I did have the opportunity to get one years ago, but was concerned about taking care of it in a room where so much is happening and not having a great place to mount it.  I also felt that I wouldn't have much time for the students to be able to interact with it given my limited class time.  


     The ways that I currently use technology in my classroom is by showing artwork, videos, students samples, photographs, etc. on my projector as a resource for students.  This enables me to clearly show students examples of artwork, show videos of artwork, and demonstrate procedures.  The students use the laptop to access pictures to draw and to find other resources.  My 8th grade students are currently doing a project where they needed a quote.  They accessed "Brainyquote" where they could find quotes by accessing the author or a topic.  After they found a quote they liked they saw student examples of the "Contour Lettering" project.

When my 2nd grade students were finished with their current lesson they were able to draw in their sketchbooks or find fun things to do in a tray I labeled "Just For Fun".  I also put out some tracing paper and a light table.  They really got into this and I was able to print a selection of sports logos, sports figures, cartoon characters, and animals that they could trace and draw.