Social Media/Networking

These days, more people then not are utilizing social media or networking for on reason or another. Students and their parents use things like facebook and twitter daily communicate with people or get news regarding their lives and the world that they live. As future teachers, I believe that we should be utilizing these services to engage students in the learning process, share information with them and their parents and communicate with other educators.

The most amazing thing about the internet is that you can find virtually anything; including countless resources for teachers. Teachers can benefit from connecting with other professionals to troubleshoot, enhance, modify, and develop lessons for their classes. Teachers can even use these technologies to connect with other classes to do pen-pal type lessons where the students can actually get the chance communicate with other students via Skype or facebook. I have found in my own research that there are numerous blogs and websites for art teachers that have a plethora of information, including ideas for lessons and alternative material choices. Teachers should be using these websites, if not to just give their students interesting projects, but to also help themselves to be better more effective teachers.

Students are already spending a great deal of time on things like facebook and twitter, so why not let them use it in the classroom? I am a huge advocate of utilizing modern technologies in the classroom if it means getting the students engaged in the learning process. I would love to start a group on facebook for students to submit writing assignments, comment on works of art or class discussions, or see the instructions and examples for a project they are working on. I don't know if its possible to have a closed group on twitter, but as a teacher I could post a work of art and as an assignment have the students "tweet" instant reactions to work. There is an ongoing issue regarding literacy in this nation and I believe that students should be engaged in writing activities across the curriculum. Making students "tweet" reactions will force them to pick a point and be succinct with their reasoning. I can also imagine that students may be more likely to complete an assignment if it has to be done on facebook, since they probably come home and log on right away anyway.

These technological services that are so readily available to us should also be used to inform students and their parents about what is happening in the classroom. Like I eluded to earlier, since a majority of people are already familiar with facebook then teachers should use that to communicate with students and parents. Teachers can post pictures of student work to show parents what is happening in the classroom, as well as communicate about issues that may be taking place. If a teacher is posting assignments up on facebook in a privet group (open to students and their parents) then parents can also keep tabs on their child's work and assignments. Blogs can also help you advocate for your class. We face a lot of budget cuts in art education so we have to help keep our program runnings by showing the community and administrators what we are doing. Hanging up art work in the school is just fine, but if we want support we need to show everyone (via the internet) what the students will be missing if it is cut.

In closing, I don't only think that social media can have a place in the classroom, I believe it should. Technology, and our use of it is progressing rapidly that we need to embrace it in the classroom. If students are comfortable writing and expressing their ideas in this format then why not let them? Our goal as teachers is to get them to enjoy the learning process and if that means submitting a write up or artist statement on facebook, or "tweeting" a description instead of typing something up and printing it out then that is fine by me.

Skills vs. Facts: Preparing Students for Today's Society

There is a lot to consider when we ask the question "what do students need to know to become productive members of today's society?". Our society has been developing and changing at a rapid pace therefore so is the information student need to know. In Dan Brown's video "An Open Letter to Educators", he brings up some very valuable and note worthy points that as future educators we should be aware of. One of which being that in a growing technologically dependent world, teachers need to make appropriate changes to their teaching, lessons, and assignments.

His main argument about skills verse facts, and that we should be teaching skills is completely logical. He argues that in a world were facts are know to everyone and anyone via the internet, there shouldn't be as much of an emphasis on remembering the facts that are accessible virtually anytime and anywhere. Instead teachers need to be focusing on teaching students skills that can be applicable to a variety of situations. I agree one hundred and ten percent with this point. Even while I was growing up and in school, I was never able to believe that I would need to know how to solve some complex algebraic equation in my every day life. Today if I did find myself needing to know how to solve such an equation I wouldn't hesitate to look it up on line, or find a tutorial on YouTube. Teachers need to be prepared for their student to do the same thing and what good is twelve years of schooling if all the students are going to do is look up everything online? Teachers need to focus on building a students problem solving skills and creative thinking. Yes, these lessons are embedded into every subject, but I think that teachers are still emphasizing too much on correct answers oppose to how students reach their answer. Assessments don't have to be so cut and dry. There should be room for students to explain how they got to a certain place or defend themselves in a paper. When these students get into the work world they will be more successful if they can find a faster/cheaper/better way to get something done instead of just getting it done the same way it has been for the past 20 years. Business can't grow and expand without creative and inventive people working for them.

That brings me to my final point. The need for creative individuals is why art education is so important in schools today. Unfortunately too many people believe that art classes are just about drawing and painting and maybe some art history. However, a comprehensive art education is about much more then learning how to draw. A real art education, teaches students problem solving and how to work through the creative process. In art students aren't taught one way to complete a task, instead they are encouraged to find new ways to communicate their ideas, and how to answer questions visually. In short, art teaches students to enhance their own creativity and apply it in their everyday life.

Digital Autobiography

When starting this entry I made a list of some of the technologies that I frequently use. That list consisted of things like my iphone, laptop and television. Afterwards I started to think about the other major technologies that I use regularly like my car, microwave, and even the heat and air conditioning that control the temperature in my house. Obviously I could go on forever about all the ways that heating, insulation, running water, and plumbing have effected not only my life, but that of the nation and others around the world. So instead I decided to pick the few things that have had a significant impact on my life more recently.

The first technology that came to mind when I received this assignment was a negative experience I had my first year here at Montclair State University. Because I hadn't taken a math class sine my junior year in high school and thus did less than good on the placement test, I was placed in a remedial math class. My placement wasn't exactly a surprise since math was never really my strongest subject but I was surprised when I showed up to my first class and every student was placed in front of a computer. We sat down and were instructed by the 'professor' to sign in to this program and enter this code hear and what not. Afterwards the 'professor' told us about how the class was conducted solely on the computer program and that we were excepted to get through a certain amount of lessons each week and (this is the best part) that the 'professor' would be in and out of class room and sometime not be available at all in class. I knew right away that this was going to be a problem for me. In the coming weeks my extreme dislike for math was only deepened. The math itself wasn't very difficult, but due to the fact that it was never explained to me I had a hard time grasping the concepts. The fact that when ever you made a mistake the screen would light up with red arrows and tell you what you did wrong in bright red text only made me feel worse about my math skills. This was by far the worst experience I have ever had with technology. There was such a feeling of isolation in that class that that alone made it a non-conducive learning environment. I also had and issue with the fact that a computer was teaching (if you could even call it that) me how to do something that I was already struggling with. I don't understand how having this class taught in such a detached formate makes any sense. This experience alone is why I have such an issue with computer guided classes in elementary and secondary schools.

On a much lighter note; the next technology that I believed has impacted my life greatly is one of transportation. I know my life would be drastically different if I did not have the access to a vehicle. For one, I live in a more rural/suburban area where you can live a half hour away from your friends and your going to drive through a great deal of woods to get there. Not having a car while living in an area like that would mean almost complete isolation. I have found that having access to a car is really freeing. I am not subject to the schedules of other people or of mass transportation. I can make my own schedules and do what I want when I want to do it.

The last technology that I chose, I imagine is pretty typical of much of my generation: the cell phone. I remember being in kindergarten when my father got a car phone in the mid 90's and it was quiet a big deal. By the time I was finishing middle school in '03 I had my own cell phone in case of an emergency. Now I am in my early 20's and a phone that you can fit in your pocket can do the most incredible things. I was lucky enough to get an iPhone when it first came out and now can't imagine what I would do without it. Just the thought of getting into an accident on my way to school or on country back roads to my boy friends and not having a cell phone to call for help panics me. All the times I've gone into the city, I've done so with the help of the 'map' app on my phone. I've looked up addresses of restaurants and museums to make plans, and on more than one occasion help out friends figure out what movie a quote was from, or who originally sang a particular song. I have to admit though that I'm not the biggest text-er. Yes, I love how convenient and quick it is, especially for quick questions, but I'm really not one of those people who are texting the entire day and feel detached from society if I don't check facebook or my email every twenty minuets. I really like cell phones/smart phones for their practicality: they are great to have if you get into trouble (and car accident or lost), I have used it to get last minute emails from teachers who have canceled class, and to ask a friend a quick question via text.

Many technologies have changed the way I live my life on a regular basis, but I think these three are the ones that have had the most profound impact. My opinions on computer guided classes would not be the same had I not taken that class and my day to day life would be starkly different if i couldn't drive to school. Technology, like all things has its positive and negative aspects and I think our opinions on it depend entirely on previous experiences.

T.H.E. Journal: National Ed Tech Plan Puts Technology at the Heart of Education Reform

This article summarized the key points of the recent technology educational reform plan. This new plan is intended to overhaul national schools by focusing on incorporating technology heavily on a broad basis. Overall I agree with what the plan is putting forth; I do believe that there is a need to "..focus what and how we teach to match what people need to know and how they learn." and in a growling technologically dependent world students should know how to and be comfortable using these technologies. The purpose of school is to do more than teach children how to read and write. School teaches students how to become productive members of society, and as our society becomes more technological, so must their learning. To be clear, I don't believe that their learning should be focused or centered around technology. I do, however think it should be used to facilitate their learning to the point where they are comfortable using it as a tool.

One thing specifically I like about this plan, is it focus on the teachers, because after all, how can students learn at their highest potential if they do not have the highest quality instructors guiding them? The plan calls for "ensuring that our professional educators are well connected to the content and resources, data and information, and peers and experts they need to be highly effective. And it calls for leveraging the power of technology to support continuous and lifelong learning." I think that by making sure that our teachers are properly prepared and outfitted on its own can have a huge effect on student learning. Teachers should be constantly looking for ways to engage their students, and these days that means incorporating more technology, therefore the teachers need to be given said technology.

Another point I agreed with was that of assessment, something that I feel will always be a point of debate. Technology has that instant gratification that can help teachers and students keep track of learning and comprehension so the chances of students falling behind can be significantly lowered.

Like I stated earlier, I agree with the majority of this plan. I think that they have the right idea on how technology should be integrated into the schools, and a realistic outlook on its potential impact. What concerns me however is what individual states and school districts will do with this. Putting up SmartBoards and handing out iPads wont't improve test scores overnight. This is a progression and therefore the implementing of technology needs to be as well.

NY Times Article Review: In Classroom of Future, Stagnant Scores

This article dealt with the concern that this recent push for incorporating technology in the classroom isn’t actually helping they students. Educators state that increasing the use of technology in classroom results in more engaged and enthusiastic students. Unfortunately administrators and tax-payers have an issue supporting the millions of dollars this initiative cost with out seeing the results in standardized test scores.

I’m sure many people can understand not wanting to pay for products that don’t work, but my issue is that I firmly believe that standardized test don’t tell us everything we need to know about student learning. If teachers are reporting that their students are more engaged in activities then they should be taking advantage of that. Utilizing such technology teaches students how to collaborate and do research online as wells as using software that they will encounter in future schooling and the work place. That being said, I have to state that I do not agree with idea that teacher should be “…guides on the side”. Technology can definitely do a lot of good, but they should never take the place of an instructor. I once had the experience of taking a computerized math class (math never being my best subject), and it was awful. There was a ‘professor’ that would occasionally walk around and if she noticed that you were so lost the step-by-step instructions were popping up to help you reach the answer, she might help you. Overall though, this professor did little to nothing to enhance my learning and the math program left me more lost and frustrated than I was when I started the class. This experience is the reason that I have such a problem with letting technology teach. Teachers should be active in student learning and using technology as an aid for their students to understand curricula and to develop enthusiasm for lessons and projects.

I feel as though technology definitely has a place in every classroom and a certain amount of the budget should be allocated for funding said technology. I also feel as though teachers should be continuing their own education so they learn how better use these tools to enhance their student’s learning. Perhaps test scores are stagnant for the time being but I’m sure that over time as students become accustomed to working with this technology in an academic setting and teacher are comfortable using the right amount, scores will improve.

Introduction

My name is Maxine and I am starting my fifth year at Montclair State University. I am a fine arts education major concentrating in photography with a minor in dance. As well as being a full time student here at MSU, I am also a dance instructor to first through twelfth graders. I am looking forward to graduating in May and looking for a teaching position in which I will be able to put into practice the skills I have learned during my time at MSU.