Visual Arts Units for All Levels (National Educational Technology Standards for Students Curriculum Series)

A well-chosen image has always been an important tool for instruction. While rooted in the most basic and ancient of human needs and behaviors, art is as relevant today in the information age as it was in the print and pre-print eras, perhaps even more so. NETS*S Curriculum Series: Visual Arts Units for All Levels presents 20 classroom projects that use technology in support of visual art in the curriculum. Some of the skills covered in these units are working with graphics files (such as selecting, saving as, converting, importing), creating slide shows, hyper linking multimedia, digital animation, and virtual reality, among others. The projects described in this book are designed to be flexible and can be modified to fit a wide variety of grade levels and individual classroom needs. These structured activities involve classic visual arts concerns and content, and each project points to one or more important facets of digital technology use. The projects cover a full gamut of art-making approaches including: drawing, painting, design, drafting, and printmaking, as well as sculpture and three dimensional design, and are contextualized in general and art-specific historical and cultural studies. Most involve ancillary reading, learning, and research. NETS*S: Visual Arts Units for All Levels is more than just a compilation of art projects--these projects will engage and challenge your students through reflection, analysis, and criticism. Also available: English Language Arts Units for Grades 9-12 - ISBN 1564842401 Tablet PCs in K-12 Education - ISBN 156484241X About the Author Mark Gura has been an educator for over three decades. He spent 17 years as a middle school Visual Arts teacher before moving on to become a curriculum specialist, staff developer, and eventually Director of Instructional Technology for the NYC public school system. Gura is a thought leader in this emerging field. Currently collaborating with Fordham University's Graduate School of Education he draws on his extensive background as a literacy, science, and arts educator in promoting the creative use of technology to provide highly motivating, relevant activities for students. He has done extensive work in preparing teachers to be effective instructors in the digital age, designing and implementing professional development for many thousands of teachers. Mark Gura has been a contributing writer for the New York Daily News, Ed Tech magazine, T.H.E. Journal and other publications. Currently, he writes regularly for Converge Magazine, co-hosts 'The Teachers Podcast,' a popular education and technology podcast, and consults on matters of education and instructional technology throughout the New York City area.