Google+ Communities in the Classroom
The first group i joined on Google+ Communities was ArtistsNetwork they have accumulated alot of followers. Rightly so since they have collected quite a bit of media with hundreds of in depth how to videos as well. I really enjoyed the fact that members of the group can comment on the posts just so it gives the reader more insight into the project rather than just one opinion. They seem to post often and share valuable information. I think this is a great resource for teachers because everyone can share successful tips and tricks, such as from one video I found was that when you are doing water painting you should tape the paper down to not cause unwanted ripples. I also discovered from the the same video to wet the entire page so the paint will flow easier and you won't be destroying the papers particles. In another video i found on artist network was about painting with acrylics the tip I found useful was that when blending colors using a big paint brush with lots of paints is a lot easier and time saving than using a small brush. The artist can also have a visual effect on the viewer just by using a variation of the same color and finishing it off with highlights and shadows. I also followed another group called Art, which they share a lot of local artist original creations. They seem to post daily so there’s alot of things to get inspired from. It’s also a great way to get your name out there and leads you to other sources with more valuable information. I think in the classroom Google+ could be used as like a class pinterest board where everyone can build onto ideas and post their own findings. There’s endless possibilities on what to search for and it would be neat for the students to have this interactive site where they can be sharing educational resources.