Art

Curriculum Standards:
Creative Expression and Communication 
 * Benchmark B: Create expressive artworks that demonstrate a sense of purpose and understanding of the relationship among form, materials, techniques and subject matter.
 * Indicator 2: Use available technology (e.g. digital imagery, video and computer graphics) as a tool to explore art techniques and to express ideas.
 * Indicator 3: Make informed choices in the selection of materials, subject matter and techniques to achieve certain visual effects.

Technology:

 * Digital Cameras
 * Computer Lab with 30 computers
 * Class Network Folder
 * Adobe Photoshop
 * Windows Movie Maker (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/moviemaker/default.mspx)
 * Google Sites ([|http://sites.google.com])

Description:
Students will take photographs using a digital camera of objects in their surroundings and apply filters to them using Adobe Photoshop to attempt to mimic artistic styles they have studied in class. For the overall portfolio design students will be encouraged to use appealing colors and layouts that will add to their work and not detract from it. The online portfolio will be added to throughout the remainder of the art courses they take during their high school career. It will serve as a way to showcase their exceptional projects and display them in a cohesive format.
 * 1) Students will load their digital photographs onto the computer and save them in the folder for their class period. They will then access them using Adobe Photoshop.
 * 2) Students will apply different filters to at least six of their photographs in order to mimic the artistic styles and techniques that have been discussed in class.
 * If students have difficulty using the software they will be encouraged to refer to the tutorials that have been posted on the class website for guidance.
 * 1) They will also have the freedom to enhance and edit one of their photographs in any way that they have learned thus far in the year to allow them the freedom to express their knowledge of the software and to show their true creativity.
 * 2) Upon completion of their photo editing students will discuss their pictures with the teacher and determine the three best photographs.
 * 3) Using these three photographs they will begin to create their online art portfolio using Google Sites. For each portfolio page that contains an altered photograph the following must be included:
 * * A copy of the original photograph
 * A copy of the altered photograph
 * A brief description of the completed work that includes:
 * What technique was used to alter the original picture
 * Why this technique was chosen
 * What artistic style they were attempting to mimic || [[image:DryBrushOrchid2.jpg]] ||

Students will save their work on Google Sites with settings that will only allow users they invite to view their online portfolio. This will build in a safeguard so that not everyone who uses the Internet will have access to their artwork. Students will be required to invite the teacher and their fellow classmates to view the portfolio in order for peer critiques to occur in future lessons.

Supporting Research:
In his article, //Multimedia in the Art Curriculum: Crossing Boundaries,// Steven Long presents research findings regarding the overall use of multimedia in the art curriculum. Long states that "A case could be made that part of the purpose of visual education now is to give children practical experience of digital forms such as multimedia, which are part of our broader visual culture and that it is only through such practical exploration that children are going to learn to exploit the visual in a contemporary multimedia context" (Long 256). He also holds the belief that schools need to adapt in order to not be seen as out of date by their students. He states in his article that "The hugely positive response specifically from young people to computer based multimedia forms of communication, entertainment, and play through non-school settings suggests that education could benefit from making links with practices which young people already find relevant and compelling" (Long 257). By using an online portfolio in the classroom environment the teacher is taking a step into the students' virtual world and showing that learning can also take place within that medium in a fun and interactive way.

Tracey Hunter-Doniger expresses in her article, //Digital Masterpieces//, that the idea of using Adobe Photoshop in the art curriculum is very successful when implemented as a part of lessons. She studies the work of artists with her students and also the basics of photography including the importance of placement, balance and center of focus. Using Adobe Photoshop the students are able to mimic Monet through the watercolor filter. They also use filters such as embossing, pointillism, and mosaic mode to mimic the works of other artists. In her experience, Hunter-Doniger's students had a high level of satisfaction with being able to manipulate their own photography into something that resembled what they had studied in class. Similarly Banister and Steingraber give support to support the idea of having students actively involved in studying art history in their article //Jumping Into Art History//. In their classroom they have students insert pictures of themselves into the art of artists that are studied and then give reasons why they choose the specific artist and piece. This is yet another way to allow students to be actively engaged in studying art with the use of Adobe Photoshop, while also creating a positive environment for students to explore their creative talents.

Tried & True or New & Innovative:
This is a tried and true and new and innovative lesson. This lesson is tried and true because most students should be very familiar with using a digital camera to take pictures, as they have grown up with that being the major source of photography. It is also new and innovative because not all students will be fully knowledgeable in using Adobe Photoshop and may need additional support in the functions of the software. This is why the teacher will post a tutorial on the class website in order to allow students the ability to refer back to it if they have any trouble using the program. Students are becoming increasingly aware of how to edit red eye, crop pictures, and make other simple adjustments to photographs. However, when they make these changes they are usually doing them to pictures outside of the classroom and are not thinking of the artistic aspects behind what they are completing. In addition, the idea of building an online portfolio to showcase student artwork is new and innovative because for many years students have been gathering their projects in hard copy format in folder portfolios. The online portfolio will allow them to have everything in digital format, which can be accessed from anywhere and therefore viewed by a greater number of people.

APA Citations:
Banister, S., & Steingraber, R. (2008). Jumping into art history. //Learning &// //Leading with Technology, 34//(1), 30.

Hunter-Doniger, T. (2005). Digital masterpieces. //School Arts, 104//(7), 28. Retrieved from General One File database.

Long, S. (2008, October 27). Multimedia in the art curriculum: Crossing boundaries. //International Journal of Art & Design Education, 20//(3), 255-262. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.