Vase designs by Florence Fell (Year 11, Middlemore), Vernon Harrison (Year 11, Selwyn), Charlotte Houry-Trimble (Year 12, Middlemore)
“Having 1:1 iPads in my classes allowed me to get really creative when developing this new unit,” says Lauren Lethbridge (HOD Classics, Taylor, 2006–07).
“I remember learning about vases from textbooks when I was here at the College, then being blown away when I actually got to see them for myself in European museums. They’re huge! The amount of detail and skill which goes into the designs is also really amazing. Since we have no chance of visiting Greece anytime soon, I was excited to find a digital solution to enhance my students’ understanding”.
Students were introduced to 3D models of ancient vases using the app SketchFab. They were able to look at different vessels from any angle, then use augmented reality to project the vase into the classroom. This enabled them to resize the vases and get a better sense for how they would look in real life, before making them as large as possible for some amusing photo opportunities!
After learning about the different techniques used to paint the pottery, the classes used their Apple Pencils to create their own designs on their iPads. “For those of us with less confidence in our artistic abilities, working digitally made the creation process much more accessible,” Lauren says. “Unlike the Greeks, we could bring in photos to trace, zoom in, and erase our mistakes with a single tap! I’ve found that experimenting with the medium to be a very effective way of helping students to understand the advantages and disadvantages of different techniques in ancient art, which they can then apply to their analysis in exams”.
