Cricut in the Classroom
A student-drawn image
We are fortunate enough to have several electronic cutters in our innovation studio. It’s been really fun to help teachers – and students – figure out how to use our #Silhouette Cameo and @Cricut Explore 2 in an educational setting.
One of the best activities was our To Kill a Mockingbird locker gallery that we created with the 8th grade last year. It was creative, a cool app smash, and showed deep thinking – all at the same time.
The students began in the innovation studio by using SketchClub on iPad Pros to sketch images that the novel evoked for them. We saw a lot of gavels, birds and
justice scales! Students used a variety of apps for this. We showed them how to import a graphic and use layering to trace over it. This is where having iPad Pros and Apple Pencils is a real advantage, but it’s doable with other tech as well.
Once the students had their images, we exported them as .jpgs and then imported them into Cricut Design Space. We made sure the students didn’t use color (since we were ultimately cutting these out of vinyl), so it was super simple to import the images and then prepare them for cutting.
When the images were cut, the students applied these to their lockers and added their artist statements. What deep thinking these showed!
This was a profoundly moving activity on a number of levels. It’s not easy to create a tangible symbol of a novel, but the tools we had enabled the students to do so. By 8th grade, kids are quick to say that they’re not artists, but the combination of the iPad Pros and the Cricut made everybody feel good about their artwork.
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About
Debbie Harris is the director of educational technology at the Sager Solomon Schechter Day School in Northbrook, IL. Involved in Jewish education for over thirty years, she has an education degree from Northwestern University with a concentration in instructional media and a master’s degree in professional Jewish studies from Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership. She is skilled in using and teaching desktop publishing, video editing, presentation and animation software; and consults and presents regularly on integrating technology into Judaic studies. Her students podcast, blog, edit video and create claymations. She co-chaired the technology track for CAJE 33 in Vermont, is a SMART Certified Trainer for SMART Notebook, and a 2011 recipient of the Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education.
When not learning, teaching or writing about technology, Debbie likes to sketchnote and craft. She likes to knit, do calligraphy, sew, watercolor, paint fabric and just generally play with fun toys like scrapbooking supplies and anything with texture. Debbie travels to California every summer to paint tallitot with high school aged campers. Finally, she is incredibly proud of her two daughters; Lori, who teaches English at a community college; and Allie, who is the director of the URJ’s Camp Newman in California.
Look for her at:
Debbie Does Desktop
Flickr
Twitter
Diigo
YouTube
Ravelry
Email Debbie here
MuseForJews 
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