Want to Learn More?!?

Do you want to learn more about incorporating technology into the art classroom?!? If so, there is a tab on this blog labeled "Technology Mini-Course." If you click on this tab, you can access a mini-course that could earn you 5 PGP's towards license renewal! How awesome is that?! You can also click here to access the course.

In addition to this course, I want you to have access to many of the tools that I have discussed on this blog in an easier to manage location. Click on the image below and it will take you to my symbaloo webmix that contains many helpful resources that I'm sure you will find useful in your art classroom!

Enjoy!

Will Technology Take Over?

        I have spent much time analyzing and applying new technology in the classroom in my teaching career, thus far. However, the whiteboards, laptops, and tablets are just the beginning of the technology that will be integrated into my classroom throughout my future lessons. New and innovative technology tools are being developed daily. The likelihood that these new innovative tools will be useful for our students is high and we will want to teach our students to utilize the tools to improve their learning. I remember during my student teaching, we had an LCD projector and thought we had won the lottery. Now, I have an ActivBoard and cannot imagine not having this resource for my teaching. Times change and new opportunities arise. We have to embrace change and innovation if we are going to prepare our students. In our society today, technology is an vital part of our classroom and teaching. It is also an essential part of our students’ futures and their lives outside of school. As I’ve said before, I feel like technology is a true asset if used in the proper manner. There has to be a balance of hands-on lessons, as well. I’m sure that there are some teachers who “overuse” the technology tools they have just because they are available. I am not going to eliminate a project from my curriculum just because it does not revolve around technology. I may, however, find a technology resource to enhance the lesson if it is beneficial. The opportunity for new innovative lessons and improvements should be taken as it is presented, but teachers have to create a sense of balance in their classrooms.


         I may be naïve, but as an art teacher, I feel like all the technology in the world could never take the place of me in my classroom. I feel the same way about drawing applications on tablets. They are really neat and useful, but they will NEVER take the place of drawing with crayons, pencils, markers, oil pastels, charcoal, etc. Painting is irreplaceable as an art form, as is sculpture. We have many applications and web 2.0 tools available now, and many more to come, but none of them will take the place of creating art with our hands. Students producing creative artwork and having a teacher helping hands-on is priceless. As long as there are projects, experiments, dissections, and so much more, teachers will be needed in the classroom. Online learning may work for some subjects and people, but kids need human interaction and social environments in order to truly develop and I just don’t see the schools environment being eliminated entirely. Our role may change to just guiding learning and leading students in their own projects as opposed to standing up front lecturing. I feel like the role of educators in the 21st century has already changed and we are giving our students more ownership and responsibility for their learning. I love that education is leaning in this direction. I’m excited to see what the children of today will be doing with all of this freedom and innovation when they make it out of high school and college. We are training students to be successful and problem solve and I really feel like we are preparing them for what they may encounter later and we are promoting ground-breaking ideas. New emerging technologies like cloud computing, gesture based computing, mobile and tablet learning, game based learning, and learning analytics will likely be integrated into our classrooms in the next few years and we will need to accept the changes and learn from them as we go. We are teaching our students to problem solve and use critical thinking skills and I feel like it is only fair that we, as teachers, do the same. Education has come a long way from the one room school house of yesterday and it is sure to go much further. We have to embrace the opportunities and use them to benefit our students the best we can!

Stupefy!!!

This week I've been exploring game-based learning and wanted to try out a game that I thought might be able to be used in a school setting. I have read all about complex games that help students with decision making skills, developing strategies, and improved hand-eye coordination. While the game itself does not have a specific subject area, there are many lessons and benefits of complex games. I chose an XBOX 360 game called Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I.  I chose the game because of the complex nature and also because it is based on a children’s novel. Also, let’s face it, I love Harry Potter. This game is most certainly a complex game. There are many small goals throughout the game and the end goal is to defeat Voldemort and his death eaters. Having read the book, I know that I haven’t even scratched the surface in completing my goals and missions, yet. The game leads Harry, Hermione, and Ron through the parts of the book. At each part of the story that the death eaters may be around, you must cast spells and defeat them. There are new spells and potions to gain as you go through the missions. Additionally, the game makes you choose the path that you are going to take and you have to keep your strategy in mind.

I had two excellent assistants to help me try to defeat the death eaters!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I...tougher than I imagined!

While playing this game, it is nice that there are short instructions that guide you to learn which buttons control movement or spells. It is difficult to remember what all of the buttons do all while being attacked with vicious spells from death eaters! I chose “easy” and almost immediately said to my fiancé, “this is difficult!” There is definitely a learning curve and you must have persistence to play the game and continue making the decisions necessary to complete missions. Whenever I failed a mission, it was a little easier the second time around. I did not kill enough death eaters or I was caught with my invisibility cloak on meant that I had to go back to the last time it auto-saved from the last mission. I like that games like this really make kids, and adults, think about how they messed up and correct it in order to move forward. It is very much like many instances in real life. I look forward to learning new spells and hopefully catching on with this game so that I can eventually defeat Voldemort! I really like that this is the type of game that saves throughout and you can continue at your own pace. I learned that these games are NOT easy. I also discovered that I can only play these games for a short time period and then I have to take breaks. I also tend to get frustrated easily when I can’t figure out how to complete a task. I reminded myself of some of my students while I was playing this game. It gave me an interesting insight into how they feel sometimes at school.

I have learned that video gaming can be very beneficial to students in learning real life skills and tactics. I never realized how much concentration and memory is needed for these complex games. There is also, surprisingly, quite a bit of reading involved in the learning of the games. I like that literacy is necessary to complete tasks. So many of them also involve calculating what move is best for your character and mission. I have truly seen what video games can do for children in today’s society through not only my reading, but through actually experiencing the learning myself. I certainly have more respect for the children who are relentless in their gaming techniques and are very goal oriented in their missions. Gaming is much easier to watch that actually participate!

Game-Based Learning: Where to Start

Below is a playlist that I have created on mentormob to help with what can seem to be a daunting task to take on if you are unfamiliar with video games, in general. Many teachers are skeptical to incorporating video games into their curriculum. This playlist features videos and articles that will convince you that, if done in the correct way, game-based learning can truly benefit our students. I also feel like the engagement of our students will immediately be improved because they are so into the games! While there is not a video game for EVERY lesson, I would suggest researching the games available and incorporating them so that our students can learn practical life lessons they will need in the future! Enjoy!

Create your own Playlist on MentorMob!

Pencil Me In

I read the book Pencil Me In, by John T. Spencer, this week and was intrigued by his approach to writing about digital integration in education. His book is a fiction story following 19^th Century teacher, Tom Johnson, through the integration of such new and innovative technology such as pencil and paper, telegraphs, photographs, cameras, etc., into his curriculum. The entire novel is written in a metaphorical sense in that the integration of these tools then is similar to the integration of technology tools like tablets and netbooks of today. There are the pencils (computers), plogs (blogs), SmartCharts (whiteboards), telephones (cell phones), pen pals (social networks), iTablets (iPads), and other relative comparisons. The book started as a blog, Adventures in Pencil Integration, and evolved from there. I really like that while he “dated” the blog as the 19^th Century, he didn’t date it in the sense that he is talking about specific technology that is used today, but might not be used in a year or two. It is humorous in nature and sends his message in a unique way that was enjoyable to read. Spencer’s overall point of the novel is that integration of new innovative tools is important, but we also need to keep sight of the practices that work with the most basic of tools, such of our voice. There is no right or wrong way to integrate and use new tools, but it is process that each teacher needs to develop in order to best benefit their students and class.

I feel like the book takes the reader through the journey that teachers take when integrating something new and not really knowing the best way to both take advantage of the opportunity for new tools, but also to do what is best for students and the projects at hand. Mr. Johnson has quandaries throughout the novel about the way that pencils are being used in his classroom and whether they are a benefit or a distraction. When they are no longer being used to accentuate a lesson or project, it is time to use another medium. One of the programs that Mr. Johnson has to teach in his class is, “the Career Readiness Achievement Program.” I did laugh as I read this knowing that this was C.R.A.P. It was a program full of worksheets and had much in common with what many teachers are still forcing on their students in class. They wonder why they are not engaged! Mr. Johnson and some of his colleagues come to the conclusion that student guided lessons are the best way to teach for students to be prepared for critically thinking in the real world. He mentions pen pals as a metaphor for social media networks of today and teeters back and forth on the pros and cons of having these as part of the classroom activity. There are some risks involved for the students; however, they also get to collaborate with each other and students around other areas. I feel like the use of social media and collaboration across borders is truly dependant on the project and the group of students. It just isn’t black and white, just like with graphite, there are shades of gray. As mentioned in many of my previous posts, I feel like the use of technology is very important in teaching and education today, however, I also know that hands on creativity cannot be replaced by a technology gadget. As an art teacher, I will ALWAYS feel like there is no replacement for creating with your hands, no matter what technology tools become available. Some methods are just timeless.

I enjoyed reading the book on the surface, although, it was somewhat monotonous for me towards the end. I occasionally had to go back and read sections again because there are a number of pronoun agreement issues or words that did not make sense in the writing. I was quite surprised at the number of mistakes in a published book about teaching. I guess, overall, it does not affect the storyline; it was just frustrating, at times. On the one hand, I would recommend the book for the ideas upon which it is based. I would absolutely have to preface the recommendation by saying that the grammar and writing leaves something to be desired in many instances in the book. Taken as a whole, I enjoyed reading it more than some of the more research based texts that I have read for education because it was a novel. Spencer admits, himself, that there is not really a clear story arc, and it really is more the idea behind the story.  

I really have a benefit of teaching at a school that has already gone through many of the steps that Tom Johnson and his colleagues took in order to integrate technology into their classrooms. Many of the lessons that Mr. Johnson learns in the book are old news to me, as we have gone through the questions and struggles ourselves, at Delaware, and we’ve come out ahead on the other side for the benefit of our students. I think that, more than anything, after reading this book, I just feel overwhelmingly lucky to teach at Delaware Elementary with the staff and students that I get to work with every day. It is evident that not everyone is as lucky.

Appetizing Art Apps

With access to iPods and iPads in the classroom and millions of apps, how do we know which apps are best for our students? When researching, there are many articles detailing the best tested apps for specific needs. This is a good start to finding apps for your students. From there, in my opinion, it is best to test them out yourself. If you know the type of lesson you are wanting to teach your students, you know what type of app will work best! There are many free or very inexpensive apps that are useful in the classroom for all subject areas. As an art teacher, I will be focusing on apps that allow my students to CREATE, with a focus on artistic creation! There are a plethora of apps that are available for this and I will link the title of each app for some of my favorites. I also would like to share some of the best art history and/or interactive apps that are also useful for art lessons.  

Creating and editing iPod/iPad apps:

The Warhol: D.I.Y. Pop

This is a really cool app that lets you create your own pop art. Students can create their own silkscreen just like Andy Warhol did...only digitally! You can upload a picture or take one and go through the whole process of cropping, exposing, under painting, and then sharing. The app also allows students to meet curators from The Andy Warhol Museum who demonstrate silkscreen printing and share inside information on Warhol and his artwork. This is an awesome addition to a pop art or Warhol lesson.  

Type Drawing
This is one of my all time favorite creating apps! It is literally painting with words! Type Drawing allows you to type in a sentence, name, word, or anything you would like and then drawing with the letters you typed in. You can change the font, size, and color or the words in your picture. The pictures can then be shared. This is so fun and creative, I can't imagine anyone not having fun playing around and creating with it. Type Drawing has a Flickr Gallery that is downright AMAZING! I highly suggest you check it out! 

Flip It!

Flip It! allows you to make a flip book with drawing, but on a mobile device! A student can do a simple drawing and then when you add the next page, the previous is faded but still visible so that you can have the movement work to the best advantage for the book. This is a great introduction to animation for students and just fun, overall.

Animoto
Just like the Animoto website online, the Animoto app allows photos to be uploaded and set to music to make interesting movies. I really love that students could use the same device to take pictures and videos, edit, and create a final product without having to transfer to another device. Fantastic app.

123D sculpt

This app allows students to practice the idea of sculpting without having to get so dirty. I do not have a kiln, therefore, it is not as easy for my students to experience sculpting. We use model magic, but it is just not the same as using clay. While this app is also not the same as using clay, students can push, pull, smooth, pinch, grab, flatten, bulge, and paint their creation with the app. They can also take pictures of their work and share them.

Lego photo

Lego photo is just a neat editing tool that turns a photo or picture into one made out of Legos. It is really neat to see the transformation. I really picked this because it is a great connection between our Lego engineering class and art class for our students.

Faces iMake

This app allows students to create a collage type artwork using different objects as opposed to painting or drawing. This is a very important type of art can creation and this app allows for the students to really see how art can be made out of anything. This can be a great addition to any collage lesson in class.

Art History and Interactive iPod touch/iPad apps:

MoMA

The MoMA app has a plethora of information about the artwork housed at The Museum of Modern Art in New York. This app has visual tours, audio tours, kids tours, you can add music to your MoMA tour, take pictures and share them, listen to MoMA podcasts, watch MoMA videos on iTunes, and so much more. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to guide themselves to what is most interesting to them. I love this app for myself and even more for my students!

Love Art: National Gallery, London 

The National Gallery in London app gives students access to artwork that is halfway around the world. The app includes more than 250 works of art that are from the gallery. There are video and audio experiences to accompany the artwork. A really neat aspect of this app is that the images are zoomable are are high resolution. Again, this app is great for letting students be their own tour guide and relate to artwork. 

Louvre

The Louvre app allows students to visit the Louvre museum while at school. The app has over 100 of the artworks that are at the Louvre in Paris available and close up views of the details in the artwork. There are also videos in the app about the Louvre itself and on the artwork it houses. A great accent to a lesson in art history and an exploration that can be guided by students.

PixPop Art

This app is a game that students could play as a way to focus on the skill of observation in relation to art. A student has match a small close up of part of a famous artwork with the part of the larger work of art. They truly have to look at the details in the art in order to match the tokens to the full artwork. This is a great app for the early finishers in class and it incorporates art history and observation.

Whiteboard Collaborative Drawing

This app is a painting/drawing app, but the neatest aspect is that two people can use devices and draw on the "whiteboard" simultaneously! Peer to peer interaction and teamwork at it's finest. Students can also use the app to write as opposed to drawing, if desired. The link is to the free version, but there is a paid version with more options available. My students are always wanting to work together and giving each other pointers on how to improve their artwork and with this they can work together through the magic of Wi-Fi!  

What Websites Would We Want?

There are so many resources on the web to aid to the inclusion of technology in the classroom, it is sometimes difficult to discern what is best to use for which lessons. In this day in age, it is imperative that we incorporate technology tools into lessons so that students can go beyond the textbooks and get to creating and applying what they are learning. We need to ensure that our lessons are impactful and that we are utilizing what little time we truly have with our students. The technology that we choose to use in class has to fit the needs of our students and the curriculum, or it is not going to work as well as it should. There are so many web applications available, but my focus was on elementary art, because that is what I teach every day!  While creating a resource for my classroom on some of the best web 2.0 tools for art, I had certain criteria that had to be met in order to be included. The criteria were either pass or fail. If it doesn’t pass all three areas, it has no place in my curriculum. Simple as that! My three questions that I asked myself when evaluating tools were:

1.    Does it relate to art standards, creating art, evaluating and researching art history, or editing creations?

As an art teacher, the focus on art discovery, creation, and history is the main aspect of my lessons. Any technology that I infuse into my teaching has to be able to fit with the curriculum of my classes and enhance the lesson.

2.     Is it going to be easy and useful for students to use in grades K-6 for artistic purposes?

There are many tools that are applicable for art, but they may not all be easily grasped by young students in elementary school. The tools must have simple steps and be easily explained to students.

3.   Does it allow my students to create and edit in a way that they are unable to do otherwise or allow them to explore art in a personal and meaningful way?

We have books and DVDs on artists and the students should be able to explore art on their own and connect to artwork that they may not see otherwise. I also want my students to utilize the unique tools available for creating or editing artwork that is either not possible or not easily done in class by hands on production.  

In the following resource, I have included web tools that will be useful for sharing, creating, editing, and interactive art history exploration. Each icon is directly linked to the source for easy access and use!

Sharing Tools:

Prezi

Prezi is a web based presentation tool that utilizes a single canvas, as opposed to slides. It allows the user to zoom in on specific areas of the canvas and create a “path” for presenting. Students can create a prezi on any topic and share with others.

Google Docs

GoogleDocs allows the user to create and share documents, presentations, spreadsheets, drawings, tables, etc. It allows the user to import links and other items as well as share or embed the creation to allow collaboration. Students can share any document or presentation they make with the teacher and other students in order to collaborate and share.

Creating and Editing Tools:

Animoto

Animoto is a web application that allows the user to upload photos and videos and then create a presentation with music. The program analyzes the photos and videos and creates the presentation so that it is in rhythm with the music selected. It looks somewhat like a movie trailer when finished. It also allows the user to share the presentation when complete. It would be a great tool for students to use to make a presentation about a core experience trip they took.

Blabberize

Blabberize is a fun web application that lets the user upload a picture, then select a “mouth” for the photo. It lets you edit the size and shape of the mouth so that it fits the picture. You then can record a message. You could have students read a story, tell about an artist or author, analyze a piece of art, or any other type of lesson or presentation you are working on in class.

FotoFlexer

FotoFlexer is a website that is stellar for editing images and photos. The user can upload a photo or picture and then add filters or effects. The user can also decorate, distort, animate, and many other changes. We use this in art class for pop art, as there is a pop art effect that creates a Warhol type picture.

Wordle

Wordle is a tool that allows the user to generate a “word cloud” from text that is provided by the user or from a blog or website with an RSS feed. The “word cloud” that is created makes words that appear more frequently larger in the cloud. You can edit fonts, layouts, and color schemes.Wordle can be used by students to create a "word cloud" from books and stories from class, their own writing, or many other projects.

Tagxedo

Tagxedo is similar to Wordle, but it also allows the user to type in a word to search and it will create a “word cloud.” It allows the user to edit the shape, colors, layout, etc. Tagxedo would also allow the user to add the cloud created to products for purchase. Students could use this in the same way as Wordle.

Spell with flickr

Spell with flickr lets you type in words and then it searches flickr for photos of each letter typed. The user can continue to click each letter until the composition is as desired and then it can be embedded or shared. It is a really neat application for art purposes.

Scribbler

Scribbler allows the user to draw a simple picture and then when finished, hit scribble and it “sketches” what the artist drew. You can edit the colors and line thickness and then hit stop when it has reached the desired work of art. The artist can then take a screenshot of the artwork and save and share.

Storyboard Generator

This is a neat web application that lets a student either use a script that is already done or use their own script they write to create a storyboard to go with it. It allows the user to choose camera shots and camera movements to go along with the script. It is a neat beginners look at movie making and the art factors that go into it.

Storybird

Storybird allows the user to create a story and add their own illustrations or use artwork that is available on the site. It really lets students see the process for writing and publishing a book, but with the ease of doing it online.

Interactive Art History Tools:

Artsology

Artsology has many games and interactive investigations that explore art history and many other aspects of art. Students could spend hours on this site and not get bored, and they would be learning about art history without even realizing it.

Art In The Picture

This is a really cool site because students can explore art by choosing from lists by last name, art movement, country, or century. They can also choose the most popular artists or most popular paintings. A great place for students to explore art on their own.

NGA kids

The National Gallery of Art for kids website is great because it has some really neat interactive art exploration/creation applications for students to use. They use these on my activboard and their netbooks when they complete work in art class. The site also has many other links for resources.

MoMA Destination Modern Art

This is an interactive application that students can explore at their own pace and they lead the learning. A great introduction to modern art and very appropriate for even kindergarteners!

Google Art Project

Google Art Project is a really need application that allows the user to digitally visit and explore seventeen different art galleries. Students can control where they are “looking” and also view the artwork from the museums individually. My favorite part of this application is that it allows the user to zoom in drastically on the artwork and it shows so much detail that is important for exploration. The visual of van Gogh’s brushstrokes are difficult to describe without being able to show students in detail exactly how he painted! Fantastic!

Spell with flickr...so cool!

Spell with flickr...click and try it out!

21st Century Learning: Delaware Elementary Style

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. The pictures in the video below show the students at Delaware Elementary at their finest! They are working with technology, doing hands-on projects, and collaborating with others. 21st century skills are so widespread that students have to be using multiple skills during every lesson and all of the projects on which they are working. I believe that classes today still need to have a balance of human interaction and group learning, hands on production, and technology use. Our students need to know the technology that they will have to use when they have jobs in the future and we need to prepare them for this, but they will also need to know how to work with people and that should be part of our teaching, as well. 21st Century learning is truly a comprehensive process that requires numerous types of teaching and collaboration such as those shown in this video. Enjoy!

Has Technology Redefined Learning?

While there are still many classrooms that shun the use of technology in school, I feel like learning happens outside of the classroom so much that it would be crazy to say that technology hasn't redefined how we learn. You can turn on the TV and see a website for every product advertised and this means the information is, most literally, a click away. At the grocery store, you can see many people on Pinterest or All Recipes on their smart phone gathering items for new recipes found online! Shopping centers and products everywhere now have QR Codes that can be used to gather instant information directly on your phone. So, has technology redefined learning? You bet. 


So many schools are now truly using technology as one of the main aspects of their teaching! In all classrooms today, the interaction with both the teachers and other students in the class is so important. The nice part of having technology in a classroom is that the social interaction can go way beyond the walls of the school. Alan November discusses shifting control from the teacher to the students and how important, yet difficult, that can be. Students have plenty that they are interested in learning about, we just have to listen. There are so many tools that we can allow and teach our students to use on the web. All you really need to do is search for Web 2.0 tools and you will find a plethora of websites that can be a great addition for your lessons and the students' learning. Technology tools like Type With Me and Skype are great ways to help them connect to others around the globe that are interested in the same subject. Just this week I used Type With Me for a group note taking experience for my graduate class! It is especially cool to look at the time lapse of the note taking between all four of us. We all had different Aha! points from reading and watching the same material and it allowed me to look at the material and see ideas that I may have missed, otherwise. 


Check it out!

I am an art teacher and anyone can tell you that usually the best part of art class for the students is the process of actually creating artworks! I couldn't agree more. I do utilize my smart board in the art room to allow for better demonstrations. I also use the size of the smart board to my advantage in the study of art history. It allows me to show artwork in a way that it makes a big impact on all my students. Art is very visual and kinesthetic and the smart board allows me to show techniques on a large scale so that my students understand the process better. One of the websites that I use with students often is the National Gallery of Art Kids site as well as the Museum of Modern Art's Destination Modern Art interactive website. The students love to use the interactive options on both of these websites on their netbooks or the white board. We also have iPads that we can use to explore the Museum of Modern Art MOMA apps. Even though we do use technology in the art room, I still feel like the hands on human aspect of creating is the most important part of my lessons. I think that classes still need to have a balance of human interaction, hands on creating, and technology use. Our students need to know the technology that they will have to use when they have jobs in the future and we need to prepare them for this, but they will also need to know how to work with people and that should be part of our teaching, as well.

How Can We Create Amazing Digital Citizens?

This is a topic that means a ton to me. We are a very fortunate elementary school in that we have netbooks for all grade levels and grade level sets of iPod touches and iPads to use for our lessons. Our population is 95% poverty and I love that while our students may not have access to these technology tools at home, they have a plethora of them at school. While we have the access, our students sometimes do not have the knowledge necessary to use the tools that we have. I have created an action plan that our staff can implement each school year with all grade levels in order to improve our students' digital literacy and citizenship. A presentation of the steps we will take as a staff to ensure amazing digital citizens at Delaware:




A little more detailed explanation of the presentation, but not as many pictures. :o)


Digital Citizenship Action Plan

Literacy...How Is It All Connected?

What is literacy? Wikipedia states that it is "the ability to read for knowledge and write coherently and think critically about the written word." There are so many new forms of literacy today that go way beyond reading and writing! We are so lucky to have the technology and information readily available in society today. There are many ways that these types of literacy are interconnected. Below is a graphic that shows the ways that I see the forms of literacy connecting in an almost circular infinite manner. Everyone would likely have a different viewpoint of the connections, this is just what I see!

In addition to the graphic, I have a link to the explanation of why my mind sees the literacy connections this way. I also have a definition of each literacy and an example of how it might be used in a classroom utilizing digital tools. I hope that this opens your world to all the literacy that surrounds us every day! Please click on the"New Literacies...Explained" link below and check it out!

New Literacies...Explained

Let's Paint the Ceiling!

Just a quick post to brighten the day...my after school program of first and second graders in 2011 painted ceiling tiles for the elements and principles of art. A few did some of the famous artists we study, as well. I've painted two and we are adding to the collection of ceiling tile paintings as time permits. They are just too pretty to not post them! :o)

BEFORE:

AFTER: