An Elementary School Art Teacher Improvises
Katie Boltz, an itinerant elementary art teacher, had at most three computers in any classroom she used. Her young students were not yet able to work independently. But even with these limitations, she still found a way to apply computer technology. She took digital photos of the projects students in one class had completed. She then designed a PowerPoint presentation to use as a preparation activity to introduce students in another class to the project. Seeing what other children had been able to create gave the second group a better understanding of what was expected.
Katie also uses Kid Pix in her art lessons. To prepare students to use this software, she sets up a Kid Pix “art studio treasure hunt.” In small groups, the children visit the computer stations and try to find certain items within the program. Once they find each item they create a picture using the tools that they find.