SoRo Students Learn Technology
And Problem Solving Skills
By Anneke Van Fossen

Fourth graders at South Royalton School are in the early stages of a unique artistic experience. In their weekly art classes, the students will be working with digital cameras, projectors, and other equipment included with the Hewlett-Packard grant received by the school.

Art teacher Gaylynn Huyghebaert, one of the faculty members on the H.P. team, will be learning the unfamiliar technological skills along with these students, helping to develop problem-solving abilities as well. She said she chose to do this project with this particular class because she has observed that they are a cooperative and attentive group.

The assignment incorporates photography, drawing, and children’s games into a record of contemporary culture.

The students began by devising a list of games of which photographs could be taken. They came up with many active outdoor games, such as basketball and various forms of tag. Then, in small groups sharing a digital camera, the students took several photographs of the games in progress.

Huyghebaert has loaded the photos onto her laptop computer, creating a file for each group. She plans to set up a slideshow so that each group can share their photos with the entire class. Eventually, each student will choose one photograph to copy in their own two-dimensional drawing.

Upon completion of this project, the equipment from the H.P. grant will have been used for additional purposes. Both the students and their teacher will be more familiar with the ever-increasing possibilities of modern technology and the students will have captured a piece of their culture and recorded it through a new approach for others to view.

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