Martha Jennings Holden Foundation

Martha Jennings Holden Foundation

Grant Proposal

By

Janet Baran - Hoover High School

State of MindArtistic LicenseJanet Baran

Hoover High School Art Teacher

525 7th Street NE, North Canton, OH, 44720

Stark County

My proposal is for additional technological equipment I need in order to make our art classroom function better for all of our students. I would like the ability to create films of my lesson and technique demonstrations for students who are not present on the day whether they are ill, in our ISI program, or attending a school event. These films would be made available to students at a computer station in the art room or on my website if the student is at home or in ISI. I would also use part of these films along with interviews of former students to promote the high school art department at the middle school and make students and parents aware of career possibilities in the arts.

ISSUE DATE 7/17/2010Amount $3102.57

Home Address: 204 Rose Lane SW, North Canton, 44720

Phone: 330 305-1315 Work: 330 497-5620

Higher Education

University of Akron Technology 2008-2010 Masters in Instructional Technology

Kent State University

Ashland University Education 1976-2004 46 grad hrs Education Art

Elmira College

The College of St. Rose

SUNY at Potsdam Art Dept. 1971-1975 BA Studio Fine Art Art History

Years of Experience: 31 years in visual art

Elementary: from 1975 to 1986

Secondary: from 1986 to 1992

from 1996 to present

Other Experience: 11 years part time graphic

designer for the NY Power Authority

Teaching

The Bones of the ProjectAlmost all of the lessons in art require one or more demonstrations so that students will know how to creatively solve the artistic problems they are given. With the introduction of this new material, I usually spend ten to twenty minutes of class time breaking steps down, exhibiting the kind of techniques with media that students will need to utilize. Frequently there are students who are absent thereby missing the demonstrations. There will also be students who are in need of remediation with the repetition of the demonstrations. This makes it very difficult to meet the needs of my other students while bringing these students up to speed.

If I were to use a digital video camcorder and tape the lessons, students could view these in the classroom or at home from my website. This would free me up to work with the other students and allow absent students to catch up on their work. It would also mean that a special needs student or those needing remediation would not need all of my attention. These taped lessons would in NO WAY take the place of live demonstrations but would make my accessibility to the majority of the other students much more possible.

We also have only one computer to service our classes of Art One & Two students. We would like to include more technology in our projects by creating a computer station in the room.

Artwork by former student, Nyssa Adams

Our department has been discussing ways to promote high school art to the students at the middle school along with ninth grade students deciding their high school paths.

With this in mind, I would like to use this camcorder to videotape several former students who have stayed in contact. All of them are working in creative fields and several have come in each year to talk to my students. They are willing to share their journeys and give students information about their special areas which represent graphic design, illustration, digital photography, industrial design, fiber art, and owning a design firm. We would like to let ninth grade students know that taking art will only help them in other areas of interest such as architecture, engineering, and graphic design which are some of Hoover’s vocational programs.

Artwork by student Vincent Marazita ‘My Studio’

This is part of the art room. There are two of us teaching five Art One classes and three Art Two classes in this room. It is in this area that I would like to place two computers for students to be able to access lesson demonstrations, photo references. and utilize available technology for projects.

The only computer in this end of the room is the ‘teacher station’ here in the corner.

Project and Classroom Needs:

Two computers for a station:

This will allow students to look up references and watch demonstrations they may have missed. There is only one computer for students to access and it is the teacher station as well. With two computers, students will be able to view any missed demonstrations, view extra credit assignments on my website, look up photo references for projects, and have access to more technological opportunities. One of the Ohio State Standards at this level is for students to use available technology as a tool to explore art techniques and to express ideas. This has been difficult with only one computer.

A digital video camera and stand:

The camera will allow for demonstrations to be taped and the crane stand will keep the camera out of students’ way so they may view a demonstration. The remote that comes with the crane stand will turn and focus the camera with the touch of a button instead of having to be worrying about settings as the demo. is taking place. This camera has also been highly recommended for the applications I need.

Headphones and DVD Burner:

Two sets of headphones will allow students to view and listen to the taped demonstrations without disturbing the rest of the class. An extra battery pack for the camera would mean that it was always ready for operation.

Artwork by former student Aaron White ‘Technological Age’

‘The Money Tree Ohio Star’ Artwork by student Katie Lowry

Finances

Computer: Dell Inspiron 536 includes monitor, keyboard, mouse video card reader

Cost - $743 eachTotal - $1486

Computer accessories: two sets Logitech headphones

Cost -$41.98Computer software: Microsoft Window XP Pro SP2

Cost – included in computer

Mini Digital Video Camera: Canon Vixia HF10 Canon HF10 battery pack

Cost - $120 LCD-MPN:2573B001

Cost - $704.64Turnkey ProAm Camera Crane: Includes DVC200 Crane Stand Monitor with battery pack LANC remote

Cost - $749.95 Total: $3102.57

Evaluation of the Project The project will be implemented during this coming school year 2010-2011

The success of the project will be determined by how many students sign up to take art from the middle school in the 2010-2011 school year. We will look at the percentage of the middle school students who took Art One in the previous year and compare it with the new numbers.

We will also look at the numbers of this years ninth grade students who take a second year of art and see if our endeavors make a significant difference in these numbers as well.

I will also be sharing the video of former students with our Guidance Counselors so that they may steer students in appropriate directions. I will also include the film for parents night at school for the 2010-2011 school year for many parents don’t understand how many opportunities there are in the arts.

As far as measuring the success of remediation and access to the demonstrations, I will be checking with students and the other teacher in my room. I have to believe that it will be beneficial for all involved.

Foundation Support

A major consideration to make when adjusting any educational program is to study what is going on in the areas of careers and future employability. Daniel Pink’s book, A Whole New Mind, addresses this concern. Pink (2005) uses convincing arguments to discuss how our material abundance, the emergence of Asia as the preeminent source of left-brained jobs, and technology now performing many of the jobs that people used to do is responsible for shifting our work force. In recent years our material abundance has seen consumers seeking products that not only provide the service required but also ones that are aesthetically pleasing (Vande Zande, 2007). The future, according to Pink, will see careers in the creative fields multiplying and we need to be prepared. I would like to see our art program meet the needs of our students today and tomorrow.

A Whole New Mind is a long-running New York Times and BusinessWeek bestseller that has been translated into 19 languages. It is also the basis of a public television special, "Daniel Pink: Living on the Right Side of the Brain," that premieres nationwide this year.