As I've outlined in more detail in the Manual, the curriculum works best with the following resources. However, they are NOT required. Below, you'll find recommendations for alternatives.

• One-to-one computers or chromebooks with adequate internet connection

• Google accounts

• ability to take and/or upload photos

• youtube is not blocked by a content filter

Because the curriculum is student-paced, it is imperative that each student have independent access to the lessons. To achieve this, I provide the lessons via a learning management system (LMS) like Canvas or Google Classroom. Students also need computers to post their work to their digital portfolios. If the number of devices is limited or you have no devices at all, consider the following options.

To provide access to the lessons, create a class set of binders. Print each lesson and make copies for each binder. Each day, students can be expected to pick up the next day's assignment and add it to one of the binders. If they haven't reached that lesson yet, they'll flip back and work from where they left off the day before. 

To turn in work, use a physical journal. Encourage students to take progress photos with their phones for personal self-reflection. In the past I've used brad folders for students. Each day they added a journal entry or writing assignment, they would turn the journal in, open to the day's writing, on a table by the door as they left. I would grade them during the passing period and put them into a class bin for students to pick up the next day. At the end of the week, I would have students write their grades on a slip of paper (along with a number corresponding to their alphabetic order, to make adding the grades to the gradebook quick and easy. 

If you have access to computers irregularly, you can combine the strategies above with a digital portfolio. At the end of each goal, or at predetermined points, have each student photograph their completed work and post it to a Google Site. 

If devices are mobile like tablets or phones, Google Sites will not be a reliable option for digital portfolios. The editing side of Sites is only supposed to work on computers, though I've had some success with students using the "request desktop site" option on their phones. chromebooks and laptops work great with Google Sites, but if you're working with tablets or students' phones, you will want to find another option for digital portfolios. I'll discuss that more in the next section. 

Note: You'll need to edit the Plug and Play lessons to correspond with how you expect students to complete and turn in their work. 

The curriculum uses Google Sites as digital journals. If your students don't have Google accounts, they can't use Google Sites. You have three options. Either have the students create Google accounts for use in your class, allow students to use personal Google accounts, or use a different platform. I've used Edublogs before with some success. They give teachers access to their students blogs with moderating tools, but it's not free. Another option I haven't tried, but I expect could work is using a blogging  or website creation platform such as Blogger or Weebly. I don't know what kind of access the student could provide to you on these platforms. When choosing an alternative platform look for these features:

• editing access - You want to be able to edit their posts in case they post inappropriate content.

• publishing options - You don't want to force students to publish their work to the world, so look for a platform that allows posts to be viewable without public publishing. 

• sharing - You want to be able to share the work with parents, so look for a platform that allows the student and teacher to add viewers.

My students have chromebooks which makes taking pictures and uploading them to their Google Sites quick and easy. If you have different devices you may need to allow students the use of their phones to take pictures. If phones are strictly forbidden, then progress photos may need to be eliminated, but you could provide a few digital cameras at the end of each goal for students to document their completed work. Uploading all the photos to a central cloud location for students to access their pictures or putting them onto a few thumbdrives may both be good options for distributing photos from a camera memory card. 

YouTube is an extremely useful learning tool. If your school blocks it, and you feel administration is open to discussion on the topic, advocate for your program and the programs of others by arguing that students need to learn good researching skills and videos are great resources. Pretty much every video on the internet is housed on YouTube, so by blocking it, they're blocking students from an immense amount of useful content. My district had it blocked for a long time. We made it work, but it can be frustrating to students. You may need to spend some time teaching them to check the link on search results before clicking. If it comes from YouTube or other blocked sites like Pinterest, keep scrolling. You may also need to provide more books in this scenario. Keep your eye on the clearance sections at used book stores and make sure the community knows you are always looking for art books. 

There are several videos in the Plug and Play lessons that are embedded from YouTube. These videos won't work if the content filter is blocking YouTube. You have a few options here.

• get these specific videos unblocked by the content filter as opposed to all of YouTube

• replace the YouTube videos with videos you own or create 

• override the content filter on your own computer and watch the videos as a class on a projector 

• Allow the students to use their personal devices to view the video

Regardless, make sure the videos in the lessons are either accessible, replaced, or removed. 

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