Integrated Art & Technology Curriculum
Technology is awesome, but it is easy for students and teachers alike to forget that technology is just another word for tool. As we began to play with robotic spheres, we quickly realized the potential for pure play was great, but we needed to take some time to think about how these tools can be used to teach skills in the visual arts and beyond. Technology can be a marvelous conduit to learning, but only if learning objectives come first.
What we present here is a result of our considerable contemplation on the topic. We have prepared a “menu” of different activities, with each activity idea accompanied by an image, a short description, teacher tips (highlighted in yellow), and art history connections (highlighted in blue). Each activity is also categorized by accompanying disciplines including computer science (the integration of hardware and software through programming), engineering (strategic application of science and math to problem-solving), mathematics, science, and additional technology.
This menu is incomplete – there will always be more ideas, and we will add more detail as we and our students identify additional points of success or frustration. Experience with new robotic spheres may also lead to the invention or re-imagination of activities.
In preparing this document, we have primarily explored the various iterations of the Sphero and Ozobot. The Sphero line can be directly controlled using a mobile device or programmed to follow a specific set of instructions. The not-quite-spherical Ozobot can also be programmed to follow a set of instructions, or it can follow lines and commands drawn on paper.
We hope to continue exploring the possibilities of different robotic spheres, but if you get hands-on before we do and have some ideas to share, we would welcome them! If you have questions about any of the projects, we would likewise be glad to answer any questions you might have! You can get in touch with us via e-mail at and .
| Project Ideas: 1. Design a Tool Holder 2. Design a Maze / Containment 3. Design an Obstacle Course 4. Time-Lapse Photography 5. Path on Sand / Dry Pigment 6. Marble Painting 7. Paint Rolling 8. String Painting |
9. Reverse Printmaking 10. Spirographic Art 11. Linear Landscapes 12. Cubist Cut-Out 13. Color Fields 14. Abstract Line Art 15. Abstract Shape Art 16. Mobile |
17. Organic Tiles 18. 3D Geometric Sculpture 19. Programmed Skyline 20. Collaborative Shape Art 21. Linear Motion Art 22. Perfect Symmetry 23. Paint Experiments 24. Graphing Measurements |
The complete curriculum is available as a FREE PDF.
A marker holder for the Sphero Sprk+ is |
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