This last trimester has been all periods of “Digital Video Arts” It is more structured than my modified art classroom, but I still work in as many choices as possible.
3 periods of 6th graders and 3 periods of 8th graders all completed the American Film Institute curriculum to create “the door movie” these came out AWESOME! and I will be posting some of the best on School tube soon. (with links on here)
Then we moved into the digiart unit. I have a list of 14 different MS Paint projects (with directions) and I had the kids pick 4 of their choice to complete. Then I have about 10 Photoshop assignments (also with directions) and they get to pick 3 to complete. This will be our fall back projects when kids are done with other things…
Now we are doing an artist research project. The kids are working with partners to research an artist. Then they will present the info in their choice of a Power Point presentation (particularly for those that really want to work alone) or a recorded podcast interview show or a interview VIDEO. I am excited with how excited the kids are for this project. We picked artists and partners yesterday. They have homework to go check out books… hopefully that will happen. 🙂
Two of my classes are not doing the artist interviews and are instead going to help me publish the first ever Literary arts ‘zine. I got a grant to professional publish a lit book. They are pretty excited, but I am pretty clueless as to how this is going to work. It is going to be interesting for sure!
At the end of May both of these units will be done and we will still have a full MONTH (JUNE 27 is our last day) So then I will enter my big “choice” unit. I am going to offer photography, video games using gamemaker and scratch, animations using pivot, scratch and power point, more video or podcasting.
I was very worried about this trimester, because the beginning of the year was just so difficult! But they are SO engaged with these computer projects I am have a lot less behavior issues. The digiart unit is going well as kids mentor each other on the different projects and skills. They LOVED the video project and I was so impressed with how well they did.
My Kiln DIED and luckily the PTA just had a great fund raiser and will buy me a new one. (since the cost of a kiln is 3 years worth of my supply budget)
So that’s how my year is wrapping up.