LOGO-L> Visual Arts URL

[KERRB@Magill.UniSA.edu.au]

Richard Impey wrote:-
>>You seem to get your students to do some pretty complicated tessellating!!
>>I would love to see some of their work. (See invitation at the bottom of
>>this message). I was interested to know what year level(s) do you teach?
>>Are you a class room teacher or a specialist?

I teach tessellations to year 8 maths as part of the space topic. The
admin. is
very flexible (as is the maths co-ordinator). Next year I'm moving over to
full
time middle schooling in a team (year 8's) with me playing the computer
specialist role.

>>One of my roles is to promte the use of Learning Technologies
>>(computers)across the curriculum. I have to try and complement and
>>reinforce what the classroom teachers are teaching their students. I
>>thought that it was a pretty good project that was linking Art, Info tech,
>>and mathematics as well as English communication and publishing through
>>e-mail and web pages etc. :-(
>
well, I don't want to discourage you, and I can see it is a good project
on the other hand we grow through critical self reflection and sharing of
expertise
put another way -- keep doing tessellations by MW if you think its the right
thing to do --  I reserve my right to argue against
btw look up the Dale Seymour books, they're excellent ! (not the logo one)

>
>>For this project using the LOGO language only to create the tessellations
>>is not my only or major consideration.
>>Using the other features of MicroWorlds are major considerations. So I have
>>a different emphasis to what you seem to have in mind.

As the computer specialist (in  a team) next year I'd still like to teach the
year 8's tessellations -->> I'd go to the team and ask to do it, but not
on the
computer (hopefully the flexibility will be there -- because the other
teachers
know that my students produce beautiful tessellations -- they are stuck up all
over the school and attract positive comments frequently).

>>What is wrong with the children drawing their more complicated tessellating
>>shapes pixel by pixel in the shape editor? Then repeatedly stamp the shape
>>on the screen?

There is no way that some of the work my students have produced could be done
like that ... the less capable would find it much harder than pencil adnd
paper
-- it would create a lot of problems (but if they wanted to do it I'd let them)

>>If some of the more advanced students are able to handle creating the
>>tessellations using programming I will be encouraging it. If during their
>>experimentations they discover that the program has certain limitations
>>that is good. *I thought that learning through exploration and
>>experimentation was a major point of using LOGO in education.

Teachers responsibility is to create the best environment for exploration /
experimentation -- you can experiment more with tessellation on pencil and
paper. If students came to me and said I want to tessellate on the computer I
would say, "yes you can but here are the limitations...etc." But if they
really
wanted to I'd let them.

>>As an extension activity the students might want to try another software
>>package such as ClarisWorks paint or decide that they would prefer to work
>>with pencil and paper - thats fine. Perhaps they might like to create the
>>tessellation by hand, scan it into the computer and then experiment with
>>adding colors and patterns. That's OK too.

The Asian kids I have taught in particular (mainly Khmer) have produced
beautiful colour using coloured pencils. I ask the Australians to learn from
their techniques and some of them do.

>>Other projects we have done have had a much heavier emphasis on the LOGO
>>language.
>>The children have created their own "Choose Your Own Adventures" and
>>designed and made their own Tamagotchi's. The latter was really challenging
>>programming wise.

Tamagotchi's what a great idea !!!!

>>Yes, Escher may well have used a more sophisticated graphics package other
>>than MicroWorlds to create some of his Graphic designs
>>eg Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop
>>but I am teaching Primary children who have had limited exposure to
>>computers and creative software. Also I can't afford to put those other
>>programs onto the computers nor do I think that they are appropriate for
>>most of the children that I teach given the amount of contact time (1 hour
>>per week) and an already over loaded curriculum.

the time factor is the main reason I keep it pure pencil / paper
eg. I could do a unit on regular polygons and angles and 360 degrees etc.
using
logo (this part would be good) but my main purpose is to draw good
tessellations and the maths learning is there but secondary, for this unit.


>>You should experiment with a basic graphic package such as ClarisWorks Draw
>>and Paint. You can rotate drawings, flip on the horizontal or vertical
>>axis, distort in fact do all sorts of wonderful things.
>>If you are still sceptical about computer software and limitations try
>>Photoshop.

I haven't tried this, thanks


>>Who's Clayson?

oh! you must get this book:-
Visual Modeling with Logo, (1988), James Clayson, MIT Press.
As a logo-art teacher you would love it!!


>>Why don't you scan some of your children's work and put it up as part of
>>the Virtual Art Gallery. Get some of the brighter children to create an
>>instruction page on how to create the more complicated tessellations.
>>Stimulate the other childen from around the world who will be part of this
>>project to communicate and learn from each other.


great idea! thanks!
I'm working on a web site soon, actually (didn't want to but seems I have to)
and I could incorporate some of their work -- I'd really like you to see it.

-- Bill Kerr


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