Art is a subject where students may need a lot of support. Planning for personal, one to one tutoring can be tricky. Try this suggestion for dealing with large numbers.
When teaching Computer Art to Prep school students (4-5 year olds) you may need to sit by their side and make sure they know where all the tools in MSPaint are situated. You might have to show them how to use each tool time and time again. If the teacher can find a way to stay with the kids to ease their frustration - there will eventually be an AHA moment. Once they have a solid understanding of how to get started and can create pictures alone, the class will be very easy to manage.
As you arrive at the Computer Art Lab
- give one sheet of paper to every second student
- ask the students with the paper to go to the drawing table
- invite the others to go to the computer
- Begin by opening MSPaint
Now the room is setup for you to teach them how to draw a simple bus.
- Using Maths Through Art ideas ask them to use rectangles, squares and circles to construct the bus.
- The students at the table should be able to manage this without too much teacher supervision.
- If one or two have trouble drawing, arrange the students in cooperative learning partnerships.
- The students at the computers are now a much more managable size for you to companion while they adventure.
Take them through these steps
- open the computer
- find the shape tools
- draw the body of the bus with a rectangle
- draw the wheels with the circle tool
- draw another circle inside so that the tyres can be filled with black using the paint can
- create a head light with a circle
- design windows with sqaures
- depict doors with rectangles
- the rest of the bus can be constructed through student experimentation
- encourage them to experiment with the spray can, line and curve tools.
Time the class so that they can change places at half time.
This way they will all have assistance to experience this simple Computer Art excercise.
