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A Video All Teachers Should Watch

Best and Worst of Tech and Topics

It was great learning about all of the technology available out there. Since there is so much technology and what is available is ever changing, it is nice to have a class that helps us explore the useful ways to use technology. I enjoyed being exposed to all of the useful ideas that I can use in my classroom. This class has encouraged me to find my own PLN's and start building my own knowledge base.

What was not so enjoyable was the required work such as the website. The structure of the site and the required elements are stiff and lack personality. There are so many great ways to make a site, why are we confined to a layout that suggests a limited understanding of technology?

Does Technology Make Us Better or Worse Teachers?

It depends how we use it. Often times I think technology gives us the excuse to become lazier. It is possible for a teacher to think that a lesson needs less time because technology will make it better or we need to do less research because we can find the information on the internet. We must remember that technology is just a tool, it is was we do with it and how well we prepare that makes us better or worse teachers.

Improve a Lesson with Technology

Technology exists to make our lives easier. Otherwise what would be the incentive to invent and innovate? Technology is a large part of the real working world and our personal lives. Using technology in the classroom, where a teacher can model its effective use, will help students integrate proper tech use in their lives.

Value in Learning from Fiction

Students can learn a lot from both fictional and factual works. Most fiction holds some truths and can often can relate back to life situations. Why else would we read historical literature and then claim that we know more about a period in time, such as any Jane Austen book. We have a greater understanding about women's role in everyday life in 19th century England because of Austen's books.

Science Fiction not only has true aspects but also has fantasies, dreams, and futuristic visions that scientists have yet to discover. Computers and the internet were once a fantasy and have become a reality. I do not know this for a fact, but I would venture a guess to think that the idea of a computer in one form or anther was once written in a science fiction book. It was a fantasy that was brought to fruition by creative minds who first read about it in a work of fiction.

Portfolio Assessment

A portfolio is a great way to see a snap shot of what a person has accomplished. A portfolio can show a person's personality based on the quality, type, and amount of work. Assessing a portfolio gives the viewer a good idea of what to expect out a teaching candidate.

Video Critique

Things I did well in my video:
I used my space as best I could
I was audible and excited
I feel that I communicated effectively
My presentation went smoothly

Things I could improve:
I was pretty tied to the podium as a result of the technology
I repeated words/phrases a lot, such as "hands are really important" and "uhm"
My presentation was a little long, I could cut out a few slides

Video Editing

Video editing is a great tool to use in the classroom. I foresee myself videotaping a lesson or the steps in an art process and posting it to a classroom blog/website for students to go back and review. This will save me, the teacher, time so that I can help students who are at other stages in the project. This will also give students ownership of their own learning as they can find the information they need on their own.

Use of Technology in my Lesson

I used a Powerpoint presentation for my lesson. I found that Powerpoint was a straight forward way to communicate the needed information. I was able to use text as well as high quality images for the lesson. Students will easily be able to understand the presentation.

Websites and Blogs for Class

Using a website and a blog for classroom purposes is a great idea; I plan on utilizing the internet as much as I can in my classroom. Having a website or blog allows me to post a daily assignment, additional information on a topic, or instructions for absent students. Utilizing the internet as a tool when appropriate gives students ownership of their learning. The student will be able to decide how much he or she wants to learn more about a subject.

Creative Commons

Here is a link to a beautiful sunset.

Motivating Students

The ability to motivate a student is a challenge that every teacher faces. In the short time that I have experienced inside a classroom I have met many students who are uninterested in the subject matter and who stubbornly refuse to try to learn. As a student observer I both am delighted and frustrated by the challenge, how do I encourage a student to engage himself in art, a subject that I both love and am intrinsically motivated in.

Here are a few ideas that I have come up with:
-the teacher must be excited about the subject he/she is teacher
-who doesn't want to learn something from someone who loves what they do?
-incorporate technology when appropriate
-inappropriate use of technology stagnates and impedes the learning process. Using technology as a tool enhances learning and highlights learning not just the technology.
-engage students by using their own interests
-students want to learn about what they are interested and will try to learning at a deeper level because they will know how to apply and synthesize the knowledge.
-set goals that the individual student can obtain
-if a student does not feel that he can be successful he might not want to try to begin with. The same is true if a task is too easy, the student may wonder why he is forced to do busy work and want something that is more challenging.
-allow students to experience consequences
-consequences can be positive and not just negative. They can be big or small. They can be a feeling of accomplishment or a tangible reward. The important thing is that the student feels responsible for earning that consequence.

As I gain more experience in the teaching field I hope to find more ways to motivated the reluctant student.

Legal Presentation

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Legal Brief

Good Presentation

A good presentation is interesting to the audience. It provokes new thought into the listeners and encourages them to seek more information.

The actual presentation gives the necessary information. It should not be overly visual or contain distracting auditory embellishments.

The presenter should be energetic and excited to present. He or she should know the content well and be able to present without the use of a visual aide if need be. The presenter should be aware of his or her tone of voice and visual presence while presenting.

Article Summary

Most of the course curriculum in visual art classes is summed up in one final project: the yearly portfolio.  This is a collection of each student’s best work throughout the course and is meant to demonstrate the new skills he or she has gain through the year.  Teachers can use the portfolio as a way to ensure that benchmarks are being met, as a way to document topics that were covered, and student progress.  Students in elementary school often use a portfolio to keep and show off his or her artwork to friends and family members.  For high school students, a portfolio can be used to gain entrance into college art programs.  A study was conducted at Northern Illinois University that investigated the usefulness of using technology to digitize student portfolios.  The study found that the use of media was beneficial on many levels and, when done in even small amounts, increased student involvement and learning. 

It is understood that many school districts do not have the necessary money to keep up to date on the latest technological advances.  Some schools struggle to maintain a computer lab, let alone have art classes dedicated to the use of computers.  However, according to this article, Digital Portfolios in Visual Arts Classrooms by Debra Fitzsimmons, found that using a digital camera to document student work in process, encouraged students to reevaluated and reconsider different aspects of their projects in all of the art mediums that were examined, that which includes graphic design, sculpture, photography and ceramics.  A sculpture teacher commented that by printing out pictures of the projects and having an informal critique allowed students to hear thoughts and suggestions that in turn made the artwork stronger. 

From an intellectual standpoint, using digital media encouraged students to reflect on their work.  Using the computer to organize a portfolio allows for instantaneous viewing, the ability to categorize work in many different ways quickly, and the ability to see themes and processes of the artist.  All of these allows and encourages the viewer to analyze the creative works.  A graphic design teacher noted that the use of a computer allowed his students to shut out background noises and really focus on the creative process at hand.  He found that students walked away with a greater understanding of the course material than if he taught the subject matter without technology.  

The First Entry

I foresee blogging as adding value to the art classroom as a digital diary for students.  This can be a place that students collect their thoughts without the worry of loosing them.  They are able to share ideas and find new ones through the posts from classmates or other bloggers who they have the ability to follow.