Connected class 2

Before I write up our second ‘Connected Class’ session I want to thank Kim (Ceramic artist) and Carla (Photographer) for their insightful reflections regarding session 1. You can read Kim’s reflection here, and Carla’s here.

Last week’s ‘Connected Class’ looked at ideas of augmented reality. Our ‘big question’ considered how we might use this within our studio work and whether it provided us with a different dimension to current practice. Here we are, listening and tweeting away:

We had a fantastic discussion both during watching and after watching the video resource (I am still working on these resources and have decided that simplicity is the answer – it’s a learning curve for me as an educator, using social media in this way and I need to be a little more elegant in how I prepare resources).

Interestingly, we came up with two prevailing themes. One of these was the tremendous power of these new technologies, and our need to safeguard and protect the vulnerable. We critically examined the relationship between the digital and physical world – as an extension to this, some of you might be interested in the ‘What does it mean to be me’ philosophies presented here.

Our second theme considered the great educational value that such technologies might have. In reading responses again, I notice a third strand running through out discussion – that of the narrative, and how technology disrupts and develops the traditional narrative patterns. Megan asked some really interesting questions about fan fiction and the escapist nature of certain fictions and I hope we get the chance to explore some of these later if we keep classes going in to next term.

You can see our storify below, and the whole of the discussion can be seen on #HCA1 (twitter).

Kim has just mailed me with her reflection on this week’s session, where she discusses how digital technologies link her previous work to her current ceramics work and hints that she will be using them as part of her final major project next year. I think the combination of the supremely tactile qualities of ceramics (and the connotations of traditional ‘craft’ ceramics carries) juxtaposed with the very different mode of exploring the world digitial technologies offers could be extremely interesting. You can read Kim’s reflection in full here.