Technology and Art

Technology and Art at Chandler Oaks Elementary

Art is something that most students enjoy.   But at COES, Mrs Lanahan is helping students to push the creative envelope.  Encouraging students to be creative by combining photoshop elements and traditional art resulted in some really interesting pieces of artwork. Students took digital photos of themselves, which were then altered using photoshop to create a video game character.  The final digital character was placed in a setting created with traditional paint and mixed media.  It’s not just the older students that are having fun with technology. 2nd graders have also explored a variety of digital self portraits using a variety of tools in tux paint.  Even younger students in Kindergarten have been  learning about the wide variety of fonts that can be used to make their name and describing words look like art by using a simple word document.  Art is always about creativity but using technology to develop that creativity is not limited just to the art itself.  Most recently, Mrs Lanahan was using a google hangout to share her skill with the potters wheel with collaboration of Angie Bell and her artists at Forest North Elementary. Students from another school watched her throw a clay bowl using the potters wheel and FNE students were able to get their questions answered in real time.  Way better than just a movie.  The clay pots were then decorated and sold at the Empty Bowl Fundraiser to help local families in need. Mrs Lanahan is also responsible for the Techno Art club where students have made stop motion movies using frames, powerpoint and digital cameras.

Techno Art Movie created by students using Frames (TM)

Art work done by 2nd grade using Tux Paint

Way to go, Mrs Lanahan and the Cheetahs at COES!

5th Grade Photo Collages

Earlier this year, 5th grade students brought in memory/ scrapbook type items to class. They composed a collage, then took a photo. Students printed out their collage and included it in the writer's notebook. This will help them generate ideas when they are writing stories in class. Check out a few examples from Mrs. Walker's class:

3rd Grade Economics Fair

3rd Grade students recently held their annual Economics Fair.  As part of their IB How We Organize Ourselves unit, they inquired into the central idea: Economic systems require decisions and choices that impact lives and communities. Students created goods or developed services and invited the school to come to their marketplace. Prior to the fair, all students wrote a business plan &developed marketing.
Students used Vocaroo to record radio commercials and shot a video commercial to air on our morning news program.  Check them out!
Radio Commercials


3rd graders researched options for what they would do with the profits. Groups presented their ideas and  then they voted on their favorites. This year they decided that their proceeds would benefit The Wounded Warrior Project and Austin Disaster Relief. Austin Disaster relief was chosen because they are helping with recovery efforts in West.  The Wounded Warrior Project was chosen because there are several students that parents that are active in the military.  In total, 3rd grade raised about $1500 from their fair for the community!

Spring Techno Art Movies

Students in Mrs. Lanahan's Techno Art Club have been busy this spring!  They used claymation techniques and Frames movie making software to make their own movies.  Students used a storyboard to plan out their movie, then created scenery and props.  Students used digital cameras to photograph each step of their movie, then combined the photos with music and special effects.  Check out their work below!

5th Grade Presents: Artists, Musicians & Authors That Reflect Our Values

Students in 5th grade just completed a research project as part of their How We Express Ourselves unit. The were studying the central idea Art, music and literature can express the values and influence the culture of the time. Students were asked to research an artist/author/musician that reflected their values and present to the class. Students passion came though in their presentations and we were able to learn a lot about what they value and find important.  In this example, you can see that Caleb is passionate about I.M. Pei's architecture- he even dressed up as him!

5th Grade Gets Inspired by Art

5th Grade is currently in their How We Express Ourselves unit of inquiry. 

Their central idea is:  Art, music and literature can express the values and influence the culture of the time
And the lines of inquiry:
1. Art reflects the values of a time period
2. The legacy of artistic contributions
3. How artists craft their art, music & literature to convey their message

Students looked at a variety of pieces of art then wrote a creative writing piece inspired by one of the works of art.  Once students are done with their piece, they will compare their story with what actually inspired the artist to create the piece.  Have you studied these pieces before?  What message do they convey to you?  

Techno-Art is in the Movie Business

4th and 5th grade members of the Techno-Art club have been working hard making stop motion movies. Students worked in collaborative groups, planned out their story using a storyboard, then had their choice of medium with which to create their story. Some students chose clay, Legos, tangrams, even dry erase boards! Check out one of their feature presentations!

5th Grade Student Innovation

5th grade recently completed their unit on human discovery and exploration and one of Mrs. Kim's students took some learning in the classroom and applied it to real life! He decided to make a shoe out of duct tape! You never know what action is going to come from lessons in the classroom. What a creative and fun way to discover new uses for duct tape!

5th Grade Gets Creative With Photoshop

5th grade students stretched their creative muscles while working on Photoshop projects.  Students took their self portrait, opened it into Photoshop and then used a variety of tools to experiment with the design principle of proportion.  By stretching, squeezing, recoloring and liquefying themselves, they were able to morph themselves into a variety of original creatures!

1st and 2nd Grade Students Study Dia de los Muertos

Senora Imperial has been busy!  Students in first and second grade are studying the Mexican culture as they learn new Spanish words. One celebration they learned about was Dia de los Muertos, the day of the dead. Students learned about how this celebration honors the dead and is not meant to be a scary time, but a time of remembrance of those who passed away before us. Students created a skull art piece in remembrance of someone they knew or just for fun.  This was an especially timely lesson for first grade as they just began their Who We Are unit. They are exploring the central idea "Families recognize personal and cultural events."  The study of different kinds of families, different kinds of traditions, and the different ways people celebrate fit right in with this lesson! 

Techno Art Club is Making Movies!

Members of the Techno Art club have gone Hollywood!  They wrote their own stories, created a storyboard to illustrate their ideas, and are using cameras and props to create stop motion movies with the help of some software called Frames.  Students have been putting their creative and collaborative skills to good use to move from just and idea to feature film!

Keith Haring Inspires 5th Grade Artists

5th grade artists have been studying the work of Keith Haring (check out his Haring for Kids website) and used his style to inspire their gesture drawings.  Students posed in different ways while their classmates practiced their sketching. Check out these artists at work!

Aliens at COE?

No, there aren't any REAL aliens at COE, but 5th grade students have been using Photoshop in art class to transform their faces into aliens!  Students are experimenting with different editing tools to extract their face and squeeze and stretch their features to look out of this world!