BP4_2009111_Web 2.0 Tools

Click here to see how to draw this Pumpkin Man.

©Roxanne Santiago, 2009

Example of a Kindergarten drawing project.

As I began to research Web 2.0 tools that would be of interest to my students and I, I had to think about what would work in our environment. I searched on http://www.go2web20.net/ and used some key terms such as art, painting, drawing, and sketching. Sketchfu, http://sketchfu.com/home, was one of the selections that looked interesting so I explored it further.

Before I joined, I browsed through some of the examples. This Web 2.0 tool allows its users to draw in real time, add color and detail to their drawings at their own pace. Some of these examples are amazing! Once you have completed a drawing, you can save the image with a name. Then students can view their drawing, but it will be drawn at a faster pace. The site usually sets the pace at sixteen times the speed, but you can speed it up or slow it down. It is a great way for the students to show their friends and family how they created their artwork and what they have drawn. What is really interesting about this site is that the image can be shared via Facebook, Myspace, download it, e-mail it or add it to a Blogger account.

As an art teacher, I would use this Web 2.0 tool for my drawing lessons. It could be used as a preview to show students how to draw our current project and how to add color to it. Students would know what is expected of them before we begin the lesson. It can also be used for students who are absent and need to catch up. They can simply sit at a computer, follow the steps, and be caught up in no time. I could see myself using this tool with grades K-3.

Another use for this Web 2.0 tool would be for extra credit. I can post “How to draw…” and students can access the site from home, if they have Internet access, or during their recess time in school, they can ask to work on the computers. I often have students ask what they can do for extra credit and this would be a great way for students to learn and earn extra credit. My ultimate goal would be to inspire students to make up their own drawings to show me what they can do outside of art class.

Rubens, M., & Chen, A. (n.d.). Sketchfu.Retrieved November 01, 2009, from http://sketchfu.com/