Dear GIMP:

I've just retired from teaching Technology Applications for middle schoolers (7,8), and I wanted to share the numerous student projects that involved GIMP. Various groups of students turned to your product 30 different times to make things happen:

1) Raul Yzaguirre School For Success [RYSS] - Harmony Hills Elementary School Mentorship Workshop: Twenty-one students [eighth grade] from RYSS traveled to Harmony Hills Elementary School to mentor twenty third grade students in the use of graphics software. This mentorship process involved an intensive session of learning/practicing, and project application to make digital art:

http://tomrchambers.com/h_8_h.html

2) Raul Yzaguirre School For Success (RYSS) - Houston Coalition for the Homeless (HCH) "Three Decades of Achievement" Event [April 5, 2013] : A core group of eighth grade students attended the Houston Coalition for the Homeless (HCH) "Three Decades of Achievement" event downtown Houston, April 5, 2013. They displayed a selection of the eighth grade class Digital Art about the homeless to not only call attention to this social issue, but also celebrate their humanity. They explained their (and classmates') multifaceted project that involved Word, PowerPoint and GIMP (graphic arts software):

http://tomrchambers.com/hch.html

3) "Homelessness" Digital Art (GIMP) : Eighth grade students used GIMP (Photoshop equivalent freeware) to create Digital Art about homelessness. The art online is a selection from the 8th grade class. They used images of homelessness situations to manipulate in GIMP for the art work. Not only did the students call attention to the plight of the homeless, but also celebrate their humanity through the Digital Art treatment of the images.This activity was in response to a learning service (campaign) initiative by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR):

http://tomrchambers.com/h8_gimp/index.html

4) Raul Yzaguirre School For Success [RYSS] - Harmony Hills Elementary School Mentorship Workshop: Twenty-two students [seventh grade] from RYSS traveled to Harmony Hills Elementary School to mentor twenty-one second grade students in the use of graphics software. This mentorship process involved an intensive session of learning/practicing, and project application to make digital art:

http://tomrchambers.com/hh_g_ryss_11-12.html

5) GIMP for Gala: Seventh grade classes used GIMP (graphic arts software - Photoshop equivalent) to make Digital Art for the Tejano Center for Community Concerns (TCCC)-Raul Yzaguirre School for Success (RYSS) Gala/Fundraiser (October 19, 2012). They utilized existing photographs made by RYSS students on various field trips with the Houston Audubon Society:

http://tomrchambers.com/gimp_gala.html

6) Dublin/RYSS Space Weather/NASA Magnetospheric Multiscale [MMS] 2014 Digital Art Exhibition: Eighth grade students at Raul Yzaguirre School For Success [RYSS] [Houston, Texas], and fifth grade students at Dublin Intermediate School [Dublin, Texas] exhibited their Digital Art in Dublin, Texas [June, 2012] based on research of Space weather and the NASA MMS [Magnetospheric Multiscale] 2014 Mission:

http://tomrchambers.com/dub_ryss_exhib.html

7) My World Transformed: This project is a culmination of middle school students [Enrichment Class] at Raul Yzaguirre School For Success (Houston, Texas) working to explore their personal environment [bedroom at home] to provide photo documentation for the making of Digital Art. During the process, a greater awareness of "self" through possessions came to the forefront:

http://tomrchambers.com/ec_mwt.html

8) Raul Yzaguirre School For Success [RYSS] - Dublin [TX] Middle and Primary Schools Mentorship Workshops: Nineteen eighth grade students from Raul Yzaguirre School for Success [RYSS] traveled to Dublin Middle and Primary Schools [Dublin, TX] to mentor fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade students in the use of graphics software to create digital art re: Space weather and NASA's MMS [Magnetospheric Multiscale] 2014 Mission:

http://tomrchambers.com/ryss_dmps.html

9) DA_NASA_MMS_RYSS: Eighth grade students participated in a classroom assignment involving GIMP [Photoshop equivalent] photo software and research re: Space weather and NASA's MMS [Magnetospheric Multiscale] 2014 Mission. The students were tasked to research the various topics/concepts about Space weather [Sun, Sunspots, solar flares, CMEs (Coronal Mass Ejections), solar winds, Earth, Earth's magnetic fields, Earth's magnetosphere, magnetic reconnection, Auroas] as well as NASA's MMS 2014 Mission, and then translate the information in photo software as Digital Art:

http://tomrchambers.com/NASA_MMS_DA.html

10) FACE II: As a part of after school programming, this exhibition is a culmination of 7th and 8th grade students working to explore self-portraiture as Digital Art. It is in keeping with Mr. Chambers' project, "TOM SERIES"and the exhibition, "The FACE: Evolution of Portrait in Photography":

http://tomrchambers.com/ec_face2.html

11) Raul Yzaguirre School For Success [RYSS] - Junior and Primary Academies Mentorship Workshop II: Eighth grade students mentored fifth grade students in the use of graphics software [GIMP (freeware Photoshop equivalent)] to create digital art:

http://tomrchambers.com/ryss_jr-primary_2.html

12) Bullying Digital Art: Eighth grade students participated in a classroom assignment involving GIMP 2 [Photoshop equivalent] photo software and research re: bullying via the Internet as part of the NCLR [National Council of La Raza] initiative/campaign against bullying. They were tasked to translate their research in photo software as Digital Art. As a result, greater understanding of the social problem came to the forefront with acquired skills of manipulating photographs ... utilizing various tools and filters within the software:

http://tomrchambers.com/bully_gimp_8.html

13) Raul Yzaguirre School For Success [RYSS] - Junior and Primary Academies Mentorship Workshop: Seventh grade students mentored fifth grade students in the use of graphics software [GIMP (freeware Photoshop equivalent)] to create digital art:

http://tomrchambers.com/ryss_jr-primary.html

14) Alexander's Angel: This exhibition is a culmination of Mr. Chambers' enrichment class [6,7,8 grades] working with their Houston Audubon Society field trip photographs [Alexander Chapel, Cedar Bayou Methodist Cemetery, Baytown, Texas] of an angel figurine to make Digital Art.:

http://tomrchambers.com/hi2_gimp.html

15) RYSS "Core Values" Project: Seventh grade students participated in a classroom assignment involving GIMP 2 [Photoshop equivalent] photo software and vocabulary building through word identification/meaning via the Internet. The students were given the RYSS four "Core Values" [Junior Academy theme] ... HONOR, RESPONSIBILITY, COMMITMENT, CITIZENSHIP ... to research the meaning of online, and then translate those meanings in photo software as Digital Art. As a result, vocabulary enhancement came to the forefront with acquired skills of manipulating photographs ... utilizing various tools and filters within the software.:

http://tomrchambers.com/core_values.html

16) The Banner Ad: Advertising on the Internet: Seventh grade students participated in a classroom assignment involving GIMP 2 [Photoshop equivalent] photo software to create a banner ad/Web banner to begin to understand this form of advertising on the World Wide Web. This form of online advertising involves embedding an advertisement into a web page. Its purpose is to attract traffic to a website by linking to the website of the advertiser. One standard size used by the students: 728X90 pixels:

http://tomrchambers.com/7_ban_ad.html

17) Raul Yzaguirre School For Success [RYSS] - Harmony Hills Elementary School Mentorship Workshop: Nineteen students [seventh grade] from RYSS traveled to Harmony Hills Elementary School to mentor nineteen third grade students in the use of graphics software. This mentorship process involved an intensive session of learning/practicing, and project application to make digital art:

http://tomrchambers.com/ryss_hh.html

18) HAS Art: As a part of after school programming, this exhibition is a culmination of 6th and 7th grade students working with their Houston Audubon Society field trip photographs [High Island and Galveston Bay, Galveston, Texas] to make Digital Art:

http://tomrchambers.com/hi_gimp.html

19) SARAH: As a part of after school programming, this exhibition is a culmination of 6th and 7th grade students working with their photographs of a particular headstone at the Old City Cemetery in Galveston, Texas to make Digital Art. The point of the project is to add relevance to the study of Early American History by making a connection with an individual ... "a real person" ... who was born shortly after the American Revolution, and whose remains are now at the cemetery ... just a few feet below the headstone. This immediacy of the remains and the original headstone brought this history "closer" to the students as they documented the gravesite, and later, made Digital Art to pay their respects to Sarah. [March 30, 2011]:

http://tomrchambers.com/sarah.html

20) DA_LA7_RYSS: Seventh grade students participated in a classroom assignment involving GIMP 2 [Photoshop equivalent] photo software and vocabulary building through Grade 7 Language Arts word identification/meaning via the Internet to make Digital Art:

http://tomrchambers.com/DA_LA7_RYSS.html

21) FACE_RYSS: As a part of after school programming, this exhibition is a culmination of 6th and 7th grade students working to explore self-portraiture as Digital Art. It is in keeping with the exhibition, "The FACE: Evolution of Portrait in Photography" at the State Novosibirsk Historical Museum, Russia, February 16 - March 14, 2011:

http://tomrchambers.com/pt_face/pt_face.html

22) Raul Yzaguirre School For Success [RYSS] - T.H. Rogers School Mentorship Workshop: Twenty-nine middle school students [eighth grade] from RYSS traveled to T.H. Rogers School to mentor their photo/art students [9-12] in the use of graphics software. This mentorship process involved an intensive session of learning/practicing, and project application to make digital art:

http://tomrchambers.com/ryss_throgers.html

23) DA_SS8_RYSS: Eighth grade students participated in a classroom assignment involving GIMP 2 [Photoshop equivalent] photo software and Grade 8 Social Studies research via the Internet to make Digital Art. Aspects of Early American History [First Semester] were searched and researched in combination with downloaded images to visualize the information for greater retention. This project was shown [slide show] as a part of the 6th annual Carnival of e-Creativity & Change-agents Conclave [2011 CeC & CaC], Sattal Estate, Bhimtal, India, February 18 - 20, 2011:

http://tomrchambers.com/8_hist_gimp.html

24) Raul Yzaguirre School For Success [RYSS] - Crespo Fine Arts Academy Mentorship Workshop: Thirteen middle school students [seventh grade] from RYSS traveled to Crespo Fine Arts Academy to mentor 26 fifth grade students in the use of graphics software. This mentorship process involved an intensive morning session of learning and practicing, and an afternoon session of project application to make digital art. The workshop has set a precedent, and there is discussion of it being implemented at other schools. Chambers states, "I'm always proud of all of my students, but I am particularly proud of these 13 seventh graders who eagerly took on the challenge of doing more for themselves, their school and their community":

http://tomrchambers.com/ryss_crespo.html

25) The Banner Ad: Advertising on the Internet: Seventh grade students participated in a classroom assignment involving GIMP 2 [Photoshop equivalent] photo software to create a banner ad/Web banner to begin to understand this form of advertising on the World Wide Web. This form of online advertising involves embedding an advertisement into a web page. Its purpose is to attract traffic to a website by linking to the website of the advertiser. One standard size used by the students: 728X90 pixels [view slide show]:

http://tomrchambers.com/b_a_7_9-10/index.html

26) Paul Revere: Seventh grade students participated in a classroom assignment involving the Internet and GIMP 2 [Photoshop equivalent] photo software to research/study Paul Revere/The American Revolution and make Digital Art. This project is currently featured in the School Spotlightsection of The Paul Revere House Museum website [view slide show; download slide show; school spotlight PDF]:

http://tomrchambers.com/pr/index.html

27) Gulf Coast/East Coast Digital Art Collaboration: Sixth, seventh and eighth grade students are exchanging images with students at Eisenhower Middle School [Wyckoff, New Jersey, U.S.A.] for manipulation to generate Digital Art:

http://eastcoastgulfcoast.blogspot.com/

28) DA_SCI7_RYSS: Seventh grade students participated in a classroom assignment involving GIMP 2 [Photoshop equivalent] photo software and vocabulary building through Grade 7 Science word identification/meaning via the Internet to make Digital Art. This project was shown as a part of the 5th annual Carnival of e-Creativity & Change-agents Conclave [2010 CeC & CaC], February 19 - 21, 2010, Sattal Estate, Bhimtal, India:

http://tomrchambers.com/DA_SCI7_RYSS.html

29) The Banner Ad: Advertising on the Internet: Seventh grade students participated in a classroom assignment involving GIMP 2 [Photoshop equivalent] photo software to create a banner ad/Web banner to begin to understand this form of advertising on the World Wide Web. This form of online advertising involves embedding an advertisement into a web page. Its purpose is to attract traffic to a website by linking to the website of the advertiser. One standard size used by the students: 728X90 pixels:

http://tomrchambers.com/banban/index.html

30) DA_7_8_RYSS: Seventh and eighth grade students participated in a classroom assignment involving GIMP 2 [Photoshop equivalent] photo software and vocabulary building through word identification/meaning via the Internet to make Digital Art. Exhibitions: East End Gallery, Houston Institute For Culture, Houston, Texas, U.S.A., January 7 - February 16, 2009 [PARENTS TOUR]; 4th annual Carnival of e-Creativity & Change-agents Conclave [2009 CeC & CaC], Sattal Estate, Bhimtal, India, February 27 to March 1, 2009; Talento Bilingue de Houston, Houston, Texas, U.S.A., August 3 - October 29, 2009; Lobby Gallery, Bob Lanier Public Works Building, Houston, Texas, U.S.A., November 6, 2009 - April 25, 2010; City Council Lobby Gallery, City Hall [Cultural Affairs, Mayor's Office], Houston, Texas, U.S.A., April 26 - May 17, 2010:

http://tomrchambers.com/DA_7_8_RYSS.html

TOM R. CHAMBERS "Move forward and upward until further notice."

Teacher, Technology Applications College Prep Academy [6-8]
Raul Yzaguirre School For Success
Houston, Texas, USA
http://tejanocenter.org
Student Projects: http://tomrchambers.com/RYSS_TCCC.html chambers.t@ryss.org

Documentary Photographer and Visual Artist http://tomrchambers.com
tom@tomrchambers.com
chambersdva@yahoo.com
281-889-9966