Unbeknownst to me (after my previous recent blog about Edcamp), we participated in another Edcamp in class, this time focusing on EdTech topics. We used the online software MURAL to communicate ideas and vote on topics and engage with the EdTech conversations and resources. Our conversations occurred in person and worked like our other EdCamp.
The topics we covered were:
Gamified Learning – Kahoot, jeopardy
Coding in the Classroom – a “new” tool that youth will need to know as they grow
Knowledge Curation Tools – Evernote, Onenote
Simulations – The human body map, Google Earth
and two wildcard options which the class chose
Should we have homework or not?
Should students rely on Grammarly or not?
Virtual art, can you move studio classes online?
I chose to chat about virtual art classes.
Cons: lack equipment at home, entire syllabus had to change, collaboration is harder during the process of creating art, hard to formatively assess and ensure teachers can assess at different steps in the art process, hard for teachers to prove it is the student work, space for art and art creation (especially mentally), break from technology (doing other things with their hands), sensory input of the art classroom, funding for digital art is low and often schools have little technology.
Pros: have art tools after the class is over, more comfortable in your home or option to be more adventurous or creative at home,
Art should be inherently accessible – a piece of paper and a pen is ultimate accessibility! Addition of tech adds a level of inaccessibility.
During the pandemic one of the group members described her sisters experience of being in grade 7 and having minimal online learning. During her experience, art classes got cut and schools were focusing on core subjects instead of electives. Though it does seem that art is quite accessible for online learning as there are so many options that require little base skills (unlike math or science with is strongly based on previous knowledge).
All in all – we did not love the idea of teaching art online but it is possible and has many options if needed.
