Art Pad Review
Sandra Patrick, August 03

Art Pad is a Graphics Tablet supplied by Selwyn Electronics, a Kent company based near Sevenoaks. It may be purchased separately for £35 (including Art Dabbler) or as part of a teachers' pack consisting of the graphics tablet, Art Dabbler software and a teachers' book.

The Graphics Tablet
Art Pad is a cordless, pressure sensitive pen and graphics tablet.
Features of the tablet include:
3 Button cordless pen and 5”x3.75” graphics tablet
Adjustable pressure sensitivity
Tip pressure changes line width, colour density and opacity
Can be used as a mouse replacement or alongside mouse
Plug & play USB device
Compatible with Windows and Macintosh systems.

Teaching with the Art Pad - Key Stages 1 & 2
A 64 page (A4 sized) full colour book with instruction on how to install and set up the Art Pad. It comes with a CD of resources linked to topics covered in the QCA units for Art, Design Technology and ICT. It includes ideas for sketching, handwriting practice, tracing, freehand drawing as well as suggestions for use with digital images.

Art Pad comes with Art Dabbler software. This is a complete painting program with a palette of pens, crayons, paints and choice of nibs and brush sizes.

The Teaching & Evaluating ICT book provides a complete set of photocopiable evaluation sheets, covering all the QCA units for ICT.
"I can..." assessment statements covering every ICT unit, with child-centered language.
Lesson planning using guide pages that include details of the resources required.
Photocopiable assessment sheets provide a record of achievement for each child.

The Art Pad graphics tablet is an ideal way of allowing children to use ICT in an imaginative way in Art. Children are able to draw directly onto the tablet holding an object which feels and acts exactly like a pen or pencil. This is much easier to control than drawing with a mouse.
Although Art Pad comes with its own software it is possible to use it with any drawing package. Therefore if children are already familiar with Colour Magic, Fresco or Serif Draw they may continue to use thatsoftware. It may also be used with the drawing package, 'Drawing for Children' which may be downloaded free of charge from the Mark Overmars Free software site.

The tablets may be installed along side each machine in a suite or on classroom computers and laptops.Once installed they add another tool to the computer allowing Art lessons to take place in a computer suite!

How a Kent Primary School is using Art Pad to combine ICT with QCA units in other subjects.
Years 1/2 Unit 2D Design and Technology - Joseph’s coat
ICT Unit 4B Developing images using repeating patterns linked with Art unit 2B Mother nature - Designer
Years 3/4 Design Technology Unit 6B Slippers
Year 5/6 Art unit 6A People in Action

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