Mixing Art and Technology

I'm really still struggling with K-2 computer class... there's no curriculum and it's so hard to figure out what to teach them during our 45 minute class. I've googled the heck out of it, too, and there aren't really specific objectives for computer class, other than the vague national technology objectives... sigh.

The other day I decided we needed to focus on the "Fill Bucket" tool in Kid Pix. These kiddos are really struggling with fine motor skills, so I thought drawing lines and filling boxes with color would exercise their fine motor skills. (**Seriously, have you ever seen a kinder kid use a mouse? They can't figure out how to pick it up and move it when they run out of space on the desk!**)

Have you ever seen artwork by Piet Mondrian?

It's classic and easy for kids to reproduce. So, I had the kids log into Kid Pix and use the drawing tool to create some lines on their screen. Using our projector, I displayed some of Mondrian's art pieces for them to see, and then they used the fill bucket tool to create their own masterpiece. 

Some kids did better than others creating straight lines. It's hard for them!

 Some kids made lots and lots of lines...

 Others had fewer lines, therefore bigger squares.

Overall, this was an extremely successful project. I felt like it was valuable to be able to integrate art and technology. Art doesn't always have to include paint or glue and scissors. I think it's important to teach kids about famous artists and types of art. I definitely didn't learn enough about it as a kid, and I wish I knew more! 

Most importantly, the kids were super successful and they had a great time!