SIGGRAPH 1998: SIGKids – ACM SIGGRAPH HISTORY ARCHIVES

SIGGRAPH 1998: SIGKids


Overview:


    Kids: Reaching Out to Our Future

    What would you give to see today’s world through a child’s eyes? Picture your sense of wonder, with all the digital tools for the imagination. Think how far your mind could soar, the worlds you could create, the places you could explore. In the last 25 years of discovery, computers have revolutionized the way we communicate and how we see the world. However, we’ve seen only a fraction of the full effect. Wait until we see what kids who have grown up with computers will accomplish in their lifetimes. They’ll be free of the obstacles we faced in these early stages of technology. To see the future, we really need to look through the eyes of kids, and we need to help them show us what computer graphics and interactive techniques can really do.

    SIGKids Community Outreach

    This is the purpose of integrating the sigKIDS and Community Outreach initiatives, to reach out and affect the future of computer graphics by helping kids uncover its promise. We not only want to showcase the technological accomplishments of select kids but also to inspire communities to offer all kids the opportunities this technology provides. In today’s society, every child is at-risk. The magic of computer graphics offers the means to spark a lifetime of learning for even the hardest-to-reach students. The exhibits and activities of sigKIDS and Community Outreach help show us how kids can empower themselves and overcome physical obstacles or melt social boundaries with innovative technology. Differently-abled kids are obtaining better tools to communicate and interact with others. Disadvantaged kids can aspire to new career opportunities. This is possible when they have increased access to the technology plus guidance and inspiration from educators and professionals.

    SIGKids Art

    The sigKIDS Art Show features 30 pieces selected from over 150 submissions. The students who created these images come from a variety of backgrounds. Some live in rural communities, others in large metropolitan areas. Some attend public schools, and others attend private schools. Some are in elementary school, while others are one step away from college.

    The common thread that ties these diverse groups together is the com-puter and its use as a tool in the creation of beautiful imagery. Much as pencils and charcoal can be found in any art student’s toolbox, access to a computer for artistic expression is becoming more commonplace for younger students.

    Both teachers and students are discovering the very powerful effect that computer graphics can have on their art programs. Students may work in multiple types of media and, with a scanner or digital camera, import these materials into the computer for further manipulation and modification. Students who love photography may find new and exciting ways to express themselves by scanning their pictures and processing them with software.

    Students can also output their work in a variety of ways: color or black-and-white, inkjet or laser, scaled down or blown up into poster tiles. Each of these allows students and teachers to experiment and find the best way to present a given image.

    The images that you see here represent a variety of projects and techniques. Some were done as backdrops for poems that the students composed. Others were the result of a high school 3D computer animation course that stresses creation of models and materials. Yet others were created by manipulating an image on the computer, printing it out for overhead projection, and then using this scene to create the final artwork.

    Our jury included two high school teachers, an educational researcher who works with elementary and middle school students, and a professional computer animator. We hope you enjoy their selections.

    Scott Lang
    SIGKids Art Guy

SIGGRAPH 1998 SIGKids/Community Outreach Co-Chairs:


SIGGRAPH 1998 SIGKids Co-Directors:


Subcommittee Member(s):


Jury Member(s):


Conference:


ACM Digital Library Publication:


SIGKids:
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