Artistic Thinking: Read and React Week 6

Read:

Chapter 2 & 3: Searching & Social Bookmarking by Digital Diet

Chapter 2

In this chapter, the authors discuss using the very popular search engine Google for finding information and suitable webpages. The authors explain that by using Boolean search operators – AND, OR, or NOT- between keywords can help to refine a search so that the user receives more specific, useful results. Also clarified is the way that Google operates through indexing by analyzing webpages contents and links and creating PageRanks for websites based off the number of sites linking to its content. Through understanding how Google displays search results, students can refine their techniques for finding information and produce more specific search results.

Chapter 3

            This chapter is about using the social bookmarking tool Delicious for navigating the vast number of websites available. By using trusted networks of friends and colleagues, students and teachers can share, access, and save the best websites. The authors discuss tagging websites with searchable keywords for easier access – otherwise the web again becomes to large and confusing. In the classroom the authors recommend social bookmarking tools for collaborative, group research and sharing.

Intertextuality by Duncum

            In this article section, the author shows an image of a “low tech” intertext decorating a classroom wall. Often discussed in Visual Literacy and Visual Culture, the author points out that images draw from a variety of other sources, such as texts, music, and other images. The author describes how intertexts connect images and texts regardless of their perceived social value.

React:

            My TA that enjoys “Stumbling” through the web found an interesting site today: http://www.behold.cc/  It’s an image search engine for Flickr that allows you to search for high quality images that are open for sharing, by specifying what type of use you would like. Also within Flickr, under License, you can identify what rights the photographer has allowed, such as remixing or commercial use. Very useful for starting discussions about copyright and usage the classroom!

References:

Churches, A., Crockett, L., & Jukes, J. (2010). The Digital Diet: Today’s digital tools in small bytes. Canada: 21^st Century Fluency Project.

Duncum, P. (Jan. 2010). Seven Principles for Visual Culture Education. Art Education, 63(1), 6-10.