virtual-lives

extract: what are the challenges in developing new media art practices for a contemporary art curriculum?

2007-04-01T16:44:00.000+01:00

"By 2002 our children will be leaving school IT literate, having been able to exploit the best that technology can offer"
DFEE Connecting the Learning Society - National Grid for Learning

I think DFEE is falling short on their promise. The majority of students are unable to exploit the best technology can offer (well in school anyway) and aren't leaving school with the vocational skills needed for work. It is the area of digital media in which students are being failed by their educational institutions and if we are going to give young people the vocational skills needed to find work then we need a curriculum supported by digital media and other new technologies.

If we all join the digital revolution then the digital world will be one of profound cultural importance. It will have grave effects on the ways in which other media operate, and on the ways in which they are perceived. It will not bring about the death of traditional arts. In practice cultural forms rarely, if ever, die - they usually only exchange their temporary place at the centre of the stage for a smaller but still culturally important role. For example, the invention of photography did not, as prophesised, signal the death of painting - it merely reduced the social importance of painting and thus somewhat altered its ranking in the public sphere.

What I learnt from the Virtual Lives project.

2007-03-30T14:46:00.000+01:00

On reflection I have found that whilst pupils want to learn new processes, and are keen to have ICT incorporated into their art lessons, many teachers and pupils are still too static in their approach to new media within the classroom. By this I mean that within the school environment most pupils see new media as being simple computers and the class teacher is satisfied with only incorporating this aspect of new media within the art and design classroom. I believe that this can possibly lead to the art teacher ignoring more intresting approaches such as the inclusion of digital photography using pupils individual mobile phones.
However I feel that the introduction of new media within the art classroom does have to be a two way working relationship between the pupil and the teacher as both have to be open to the new ideas and possibilities that new media can offer. In order to create a more contemporary art and design curriculum within the classroom environment.

Personal Review

2007-03-30T14:45:00.000+01:00

When I began my teaching placement in September, I had high hopes of using my degree in order to teach new media within schools. The added interest in the Virtual Lives project only added to this as I anticipated students having great interest in new media design and the abilities they would already have when using digital media. However after attending a number of placements, I realised that the opportunity to teach such skills would be limited.

The first placement I attented was within a large secondary comprehensive school. The support and the willingness to learn was outstanding and a keen interest to incorporate digital media within the art curriculum was apparent. However, the school, and especially the art department, lacked the facilities with which to teach any digital media lesson to a full class of students. In order to teach any digital image mainpulation meant removing only a small number of students to a small computer suite of 4 computers and even then the software was limited to a simple drawing package. The teachers ability to teach design on the computer was also limited so therefore the students had never produced digital work before.

My second placement within a community college appeared to be an improvement on the last as the college had a focus on arts with one core subject being that of graphic design. However this has still had its problems on further observation of the school. The computers available to the students are still short in supply with students only having limited access to computers. When students do have the opportunity to use the computers for the purpose of design, they find the software to be out of date and slow to run making small tasks into whole day projects. Although this appears to be an improvement of the secondary school, I still feel that for students studying graphic design at a higher level, the facilities and guidance from teachers should be of a better standard.

Overall, students appear to be struggling to keep up with the changes that are occuring around them when considering their education and this is no fault of their own. They have the knowledge of how to use digital media, and use it regularly outside of their education but are unable to incorporate it within their own learning which is were it matters.

The Coverted

2007-03-30T14:43:00.001+01:00

So you can teach an old dog new tricks. At the beginning of the Virtual Lives project I was resistant to learning new skills/media. I was the epitome of a Digital Ignorant Immigrant. Following workshops at the Foundation for Arts and Creative Technology (FACT), research for my PGCE Subject Pedgagogy and talks with Digital Natives and Immigrants alike, my attitude has now changed. I feel that embracing new media is mostly about attitude. Instead of dismissing new fads, gadgets and gizmos, one should welcome and utilise them in all aspects of future life. Without this recognition, the world could become stagnant and not progress to another level. Without this technology, teaching would not address the evolving minds of the pupils/students moving through the education system. They would continue to draw green peppers and red tomatoes with pencils, crayons and paint. Bring on the digital alternatives - the audio, the visual, etc - lets think outside of the box. Let's not ignore 'traditional' art methodology but maintain a balance between all new media that materialises. Upcoming pupils/students should not become new media 'one trick ponies' but multi-skilled artists/designers with a wealth of knowledge in the old and the new.

Extract: What are the challenges in developing new media art practices for a contemporary art curriculum?

2007-03-30T14:43:00.000+01:00

My own experiences within the school have recognised the difficulties the teaching staff face regularly. The teachers within my own school placement are limited to using computers within the art curriculum due to the lack of equipment and software available to the students. The majority of computer use available for the students is limited due to the lack of computers within the department. The are no facilities for a teacher to teach a whole class image manipulation using design software and even if there was the software to work with there are no rooms which could hold a whole class of students. There is also the problem of the teachers knowledge within the art department. The teachers use of the computers is limited to word processing and digital registers. The majority of the staff have no knowledge of how to use design packages and with the lack of equipment they will have no way of experimenting in order to inform themselves. In most cases it has been the students who are teaching the teachers how to use the computers.

My opinions on ICT in the art and design classroom

2007-03-30T14:40:00.000+01:00

Despite some of the more obvious uses of information and communication technology within the art and design classroom I feel that it is important that it should be used appropriately, by this i mean using it only when the outcome is likely to be more interesting or of a better quality than could be achieved through the more traditional methods within art and design.

In my opinion the use of cross curricular study could assist in aiding art departments to think more creatively about how they use ICT in their lessons, taking it further from being merely a tool for distorting faces but to show and allow pupils to use ICT in a more realistic role, bringing in contemporary practice from the art and design industries into the classroom.

The Virtual Teacher

2007-03-30T14:36:00.000+01:00

Children have been known to forge virtual relationships with animated characters so perhaps a virtual classroom complete with a cyber teacher is on the horizon. However, this may adversely affect how children interact in reality. Prensky acknowledges the pitfalls of this extreme but possible virtual reality. Prensky states:
“We also need to select our teachers for their empathy and guidance abilities rather than exclusively for their subject-matter knowledge. In today’s rush to find teachers qualified in the curriculum, we rarely make empathy a priority.” (December 2005)
A virtual teacher would probably be devoid of any emotion. How can a computer relate to the complexities of a human mind? Teachers and governing bodies can determine just how much new media can and should be used in the modern classroom. Is it a case of out with the old (media) and in with the new (media)? A balance between the two would provide pupils with choice and variety from each type of media and would ensure that the flesh and bones teacher does not become obsolete.

Summary

2007-03-30T14:34:00.000+01:00

Young people (digital natives) have access to many 'New Media' technologies that allow them to be creative, communicate and learn. In the educational setting these technologies (specifically mobile phones) are seen as unusable distractions and are often feared or outlawed.

The virtual-lives project has highlighted this distinct separation and shown the creative methods used socially (including film and photography), which can be harnessed and used within the classroom. This has enriched my teaching practice to apply a style that complements both traditional and new media methods.

Questionnaire Results

2007-03-30T14:31:00.000+01:00

This questionnaire was given to a 12 year old girl who attends a mixed 11-18 comprehensive school in the Merseyside area.

What new media technology do you have access to?
Mobile phone, digital camera, P.C., playstation, Nintendo DS.

Where do you have the most access to this technology?
Home

Which website do you use most frequently, why do you like this webpage, what features attract you to it?
I like to go on www.jenna-07.Piczo.com because i made it myself and i can do my own pages.

Do you have your own website?
Yes

How is new media technology used in your school in art and design as well as in other subjects?
Computers are used in english, spanish, tec and I.C.T

How would you like this technology to be used in your lessons to make them more interesting/enjoyable?
Instead of writing on paper, type on a computer and design your own posters for work.

Questionaire Results.

2007-02-04T18:43:00.000Z

Interview 2.

1/What types of activites do you do on the computer in your free time?

In his free time he likes to go on games, the sites he uses are Roomscape, Ever Quest 2. Dosen't use a similar site (War Craft) as none of his friends are on it. There is a charge to use Ever Quest 2 which he pays for out of his pocket money. He uses Yahoo to search for the games and sometimes Google. He spends between 1-3 hours a day on the computer in his free time and more at the week end.

2/What sites do you use to interact with people?

Whats your favourite site to interact with people?

He mostly uses Ever Quest 2 and Roomscape. This is because the games are multi player and he can play his friends from school or anyone from all over the world. He describes it as ' a great way to make friends'.

3/ Were you taught how to use the site or have you taught yourself? Do you use book guides/instructions, online instructions?

'I make up how to use the games, its common sense really. I never use instructions or guidelines only if its really really complicated and then I'll only look at a bit of them'.

4/ Do you use the computer much for Homework?

Do you still use books for research or just the internet? If yes what sites do you get the information from?

He uses the computer for all essay homeworks (writing - Microsoft Word). He dosen't really use it for any other type of homework.

5/ At school can they hand assignments in via Email or by person? If not by Email would they prefer to or rather in person?

I.C.T homework can be handed in via Email or by person. He prefers Email because ' I won't loose it, I always loose my homework, mostly in my bag'. Wishes all his subjects could be handed in via Email because 'I'd always have my homework in on time'.

6/Do you find that you know more about using a computer and different programmes than what your teachers do?

He describes strongly how he feels that the pupils know more than the teachers, In I.C.T 'yes they make us feel stupid. They teach everything too slow, they spend all lesson explaining and we only get ten minutes at the end to start our work. Its rubbish'. He says the teachers in other subjects don't use computers at all.

7/ Would you like to use more new media in lessons?

He'd love to use new media in all lessons particularly English to help him spell. 'I'd like to use it in Art because theres this good site called onemorelevel.com which teaches you to draw'. He also commented ' Can you tell the government if we can have more educational games to help us learn, I find it easier because its fun'.

Questionaire Results.

2007-02-04T18:12:00.000Z

Interview 1.

1/ What types of activities do you do on your computer in your free time?

Explained how she hates using computers and avoids going on them at all.Also that she hated using computers at school and couldn't wait to drop the subject because it was 'boring' and 'didn't understand anything'. In her spare time she uses a computer to word process assignments because ' theres a spell check and I can't spell'.

2/What sites do you use to interact with people (MySpace,Messenger, Gaming sites etc...)?

Whats your favourite site to interact with people?

Only uses Messenger because its 'really easy to use' and 'cheaper than ringing them'. Does mostly tend to use text message. All her friends are on Microsoft Messenger and they all use MySpace. This person dosen't have an account because ' I don't see the point I've got my own friends who know about me anyway. I don't need to create a profile'. Also comments 'its mostly for strange people with not many friends'.

3/ Were you taught how to use the site (shown how to design web pages on MySpace etc) or have you taught yourself? Do you use guides/instructions, online instructions?

Explains how she was never taught to use any sites, dosen't use guides or instructions. ' I work it out myself, its easy or one of my mates shows me'.

4/ Do you use the computer much for Homework?

Do you still use books for research or just the internet? If yes what sites do you get information from? Wikopedia etc..

Only for assignments (see question 1).

5/At school can you hand assignments in via Email or by person?

If not by Email would they prefer to or rather in person?

Explains that they have to hand it in by person. They don't want to hand it in via Email because ' I want to spend as little time on a computer as possible I hate them'.

6/ Do they find that they know more about using a computer and different programmes than what their teachers do?

'No definitely not. I don't understand computers at all. Thats why I dropped it as a subject'.

7/ Would you like to use more new media in lessons?

'No NO No'.

I then went on to explain the differences between a Digital immigrant and a Digital Native. The girl totally disagreed with this and believes that she is a Digital immigrant.

2007-01-23T15:43:00.000Z

ICDC Interview 2

Interview: Laura Hannah

2007-01-23T15:40:00.000Z

FACT Interview 7

Interview: Chris Dunleavy

2007-01-23T15:36:00.001Z

FACT Interview 6

Interview: Chris Dunleavy

2007-01-23T15:36:00.000Z

FACT Interview 5

Interview: David Graham

2007-01-23T15:35:00.001Z

FACT Interview 4

Interview: David Graham

2007-01-23T15:35:00.000Z

FACT Interview 3

Interview: David Graham

8) What other communication tools do you use most often?

2007-01-23T15:11:00.000Z

7) Do you ever get the opportunity to use these within school?

2007-01-23T15:09:00.000Z

6) Which of the following do you spend most time using?

2007-01-23T15:06:00.000Z

5) Do you use online shared spaces?

2007-01-23T15:05:00.000Z

4) How often do you use the internet?

2007-01-23T15:02:00.000Z

3) What do you use the computer you use for mainly?

2007-01-23T15:00:00.000Z

2) Is this your own computer?

2007-01-23T14:55:00.001Z

2007-01-23T14:55:00.000Z

ICDC Interview

1) Do you have personal access to a computer, be it PC or laptop?

2007-01-23T14:50:00.000Z

icdc interview 14/10/2006

2007-01-23T14:10:00.000Z

INTERVIEW WITH YOUTHS ON NEW MEDIA SATURDAY 14TH OCTOBER 2006
ICDC LIVERPOOL

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Do you use the internet? YES

How often? EVERY NIGHT

What digital media do you use? IPOD, MP3, DIGITAL CAMERA, MOBILE PHONE, WEBSITES MY SPACE PIXAL(NOT VERY GOOD), PROJECTOR

Do you get the chance to use and develop your new media skills in school? NOT REALLY-NOT ENOUGH COMPUTERS OR SPECIALIZED TEACHERS. tHOSE STUDING COMPUTERS GET FIRST PRIORITY

How could you develop your skills further in schools? MORE COMPUTERS AND OUTSIDE TERACHERS.

Is there any one in school who can help? TECHNIANS

Do you know more than family and teachers on new media? YES. QUITE ANNOYING AT HOME, DAD ALWAYSA ASKES FOR HELP. I HAD TO DESIGN A WEBSITE FOR MY NAN FOR HER BIRTHDAY.

Additional Information: NO TV AT HOME. lANGUAGE TERACHERS KNOW MORE ABVOUT COMPUTERS THAN ANY OTHER TEACHER IN STUDENTS SCHOOL*

INTERVIEW ICDC

2007-01-23T13:48:00.000Z

Digital Natives Digital Immigrants

The following text was taken from a voice recording of the interview. Due to the poor quality of the tape not all of the discussion was understandable. The following text is accurate with the exception of the additional information written within the brackets.
( ) / [ ]

Location: ICDC
Date: 14/10/06
Interviewer: Laura Hannah
Interviewee: Female, 16 years old

Do you use the Internet and if you do what do you use it for?
Yeah, I use it for homework’s, email, MySpace [and other similar community profile websites].

Do you use [the internet] for games?
I use it for looking at bands.

Do you use it for MSN [chat facilities]?
Yeah.

Do you have your own MySpace account?
Yeah.

Do you have any other accounts [other profile websites that require accounts]?
Vampire Freaks.

Do you download anything [music, video, etc]?
Erm, not really, no.

Do you use the Internet for homework?
Yes, I use it for research.

Is there anything you would like to use the Internet for that you don’t at the moment?
(At this point in the interview the interviewee needed some prompting of ideas that led to her own answers)
I would like to build my own websites. I would also like to have downloading for free legalised so to be able to download music. I would like to be able to do more film editing, and things.

Would you consider animation?
Yes.

What reasons do you have for not currently doing these this [computer work previously mentioned]?
If downloading for free was legalised I would do that but I do not want to pay for music downloading. I also don’t have the software to do film editing.

Do you have access to the Internet at home?
Yeah.

Do you use the Internet anywhere else, as well as at home?
At college occasionally.

Do you use computer in school?
Yeah

What do you use these computers for?
I mainly use it for word processing work.

Do you use the computers for artwork?
I do media studies but mainly do the work at home?

Does your school not have the facilities to do the work there?
They do but there is a lot of competition to get access to the computers, there are not enough computers for everyone.

If the school provided enough computers would you do your work within school time?
No, think I would still work at home.

How effective is your school for using new technology within lessons?
I think it varies depending on the subject.

What equipment do they use?
(Gives a list of possible answers)
They use a lot of OHP’s (over head projectors) for power point presentations.

What new media technology do you own?
Mobile phone, digital camera, mp3 player, television and computer.

No Place Like My Space

2006-10-26T14:11:00.000+01:00

MySpace.com has replaced the shopping mall, the CD store, the local youthclub, as a hang out. The current generation of young people are turning to computer screens, mobile phones, instant messaging and online social networking for support and sharing common interests. In fact, it is reflective of a culture that doesn't trust big media, big business, or authority.

The youngsters throwing themselves into this online culture, simply put, trust each other!

While MySpace and sites like it are common knowledge to the world's youth, todays adults are as clueless about these realms as our parents were about Twisted Sister and Hammer pants.
Even E-business pros are surprised at what the youth are tellin them.

Jason Lee Miller - www.webpronews.com 2006

2006-10-19T14:33:00.001+01:00

SICK AND CRUEL INTERNET PRANKS
The YOUTUBE web craze shows Warrington in a bad light.

It is the latest craze to take the world by storm, but Internet based YouTube contains some video nasties of life in Warrinton.
After just a few minutes trawling the website we found some shocking footage.
.A Down's Syndrome girl who was tormented with a sudden burst of flame.
.A group of teenagers hurling abuse at a homless man, before they descend into laughter.
.Another, apparently filmed in Warrington, appears to be of people using drugs.

One offended reader contacted the Guardian and said "These young adults should not be used in this way for idiots to laugh at, they are sick!"

Questions: ICDC

2006-10-17T19:04:00.000+01:00

1. Do you use the internet and if you due for what purpose?
Gaming, socialising, own web space, homework, downloading, etc?

2. Is there anything you would like to use the internet or computers for that you currently don‘t already do?
Animation, game design, website design, downloading, etc.

3. What reasons do you have not using this/these technologies?
Don’t know how, confidence, access, money, parental permission, etc.

4. Do you have access to the internet at home, if not do you go elsewhere to use it?
Home, café, friends, library, etc.

5. Do you use computers within your schools and if so for what purpose?
Research facility, IT lessons, art and design, etc?

6. How effectively does your school use you technology skills and how could they be developed?
Further develop your own skills, use your skills better?

survey

2006-10-09T14:01:00.000+01:00

out of a class of 24 year 8 students (aged 12-13)
87% had a mobile phone with a camera/film function
42% were downloading footage onto websites where it could be viewed by other people
92% used MESSENGER
25% had a MYSPACE account
87% prefered to get information online as oposed to from books