TECH4ARTED
Using the Interactive Whiteboard
in the Artroom
Large, interactive displays controlled by touch, known as “interactive whiteboards” (IWBs) have been a trend
in education for the last few years.
Instead of writing with chalk or a
marker, an interactive whiteboard,
connected to a computer and projector, “reads” the motion of your finger
or stylus on the board. Some teachers
use commercial interactive whiteboards in their classrooms such as
SMART or Promethean, while others have made their own using a Wii
remote ( vimeo.com/15064211) or an
iPad 2 ( tinyurl.com/IWBiPad). Interactive whiteboards can be a valuable
tool for teacher-led demonstrations.
They also provide an opportunity for
direct student interaction.
Finding interactive whiteboard
resources and ideas appropriate for
your art curriculum can be challenging, but not impossible. Learn how
art teacher Tricia Fuglestad uses the
IWB in her curriculum ( tinyurl.com/
IWBwiki) or join ArtEd 2.0 at (arted20.
ning.com) to access the Teaching with
SMART Technology group.
Organizing your resources by topic
may also help you connect to your
curriculum. Here are a few resources
to get you started:
Theresa McGee
drawing (
tinyurl.com/ContourPor-trait), create zany compositions using
Picassohead (
tinyurl.com/picassoPor-trait), or observe characteristic differences among African masks with
a traditional memory game (tinyurl.
com/AfricanMask).
variety of art elements and principles
using the Artist’s Toolkit (tinyurl.
com/theToolkit).
Sculpture
Use Sculpturemania to choose materials, location, and carve a virtual
sculpture ( tinyurl.com/SculptArt),
analyze Dale Chihuly’s glasswork
( tinyurl.com/glassSculpture), or view
a panorama documenting the work
of Andy Goldsworthy ( tinyurl.com/
NGAGold).
Art History
SMARTboard users can download an
art history interactive created by art
teacher Amy Kratochvil ( tinyurl.com/
SmartPainting).
Collage
Interact with the found objects in
the work of Aminah Brenda Lynn
Robinson ( aminahsworld.org). Your
students can explore twigs, shells, and
mud cloth textures. You might also
try Thinkdraw ( www.thinkdraw.com)
to compose a portrait or abstracted
collage. This simple interactive provides objects such as facial features,
flowers, and other shapes to scale and
rotate.
Architecture
Explore Egypt in the Tomb of Perneb
( tinyurl.com/Perneb), or design a
home using Architect Studio 3-D
( www.architectstudio3d.org).
Elements and Principles
When teaching symmetry, try Myoats
( tinyurl.com/radialsymmetry). Adjust
color, intensity, and size to create an
interesting radial effect.
Learn about color by adjusting a
slider on Monet’s Impression Sunrise
( tinyurl.com/colorMonet), discuss
shape or form using tangrams (tinyurl.
com/ShapeTangram), or explore a
Create Your Own Interactive
Wallwisher, an online movable pin-board is a good place to start creating
a personalized interactive page (see
November 2010 Tech4Arted article:
tinyurl.com/SchlArtsNov). Categorize artwork by media or style using
this Wallwisher for IWB:
www.wall-wisher.com/wall/sortart.
Providing interactive learning
activities can enhance your curriculum and transform your teaching.
Interactive whiteboards do not make
you a better teacher or guarantee that
your students will learn. When used
consciously and where appropriate,
they are a good tool to promote student engagement.
Portraiture
Complement any portrait lesson
through discovery of contour line
Theresa McGee is an art teacher at Monroe Elementary in Hinsdale, Illinois. She
also co-authors an art education blog
( teachingpalette.com). tmcgee@d181.org
