With the semester's end slowly approaching, it's time to trace our paths back through the weeks of learning. There have been so many things passed down to me that it's hard to keep track of them all.
To really get the ball rolling, the best way to talk about my philosophy on technology in the classroom is to refer back to the famous quote from Spider-Man: "With great power, comes great responsibility." --Uncle Ben You can give a student all the training in the world on what is right and wrong, but that won't determine how they'll use it. That's why teaching them digital citizenship will be so crucial in the long run. Through this quote, I will show them the ropes to being a good digital citizen and what that means; however, it will mean that I can only show them the steps and that whether they choose to follow it is their responsibility. As for modeling these ideals, it would be best to have posters hanging around the room with steps to being a responsible digital citizen because I cannot constantly monitor or worry about what students are doing if I am going to be conducting class. It's likely that I will be focusing on leading them through the projects with questions they have and tips I've accrued, so most modeling will have to be streamlined in that fashion or echoed in instructions when necessary. In terms of the frameworks for technology integration, the best one suited for art classrooms is Project Based Learning. The entirety of art curriculum is based around the creation of projects in order to build understanding on everything that goes with art. With that being said, a lot of projects will require new skills to be learned if this is the first digital art class they've been able to take. With projects, though, it allows for problem solving for when one bit doesn't seem to work and involves innovation to get things to work or understanding of what doesn't work. Project Based Learning will likely be the most used framework for the future lessons I design. The most prominent technologies I will likely use to improve my class would be virtual reality, augmented reality, 3d printing/design, and drawing tablets. A lot of the classes that I've been a part of so far had us rely on the computer and mouse for digital art. Of course, there are tools in the programs to make this easier but there's something about the inclusion of a drawing tablet that gives things a personal touch. It would allow students to have direct control like they would with a pencil over clicking and dragging with a mouse because of the natural gestures that correlate with traditional media. As for VR and AR, I want students to be able to create something and have the option of seeing it interact in an environment. The HTC Vive is one of such VR headsets that has access to a 3d drawing program where the participant can immediately start drawing in the 3d space. With this they would be able to design 3d spaces and add details before putting it into a maneuverable space for a VR headset. The same can be said for AR where they design models on computers before importing them to a AR program to use. Through all of these things, they would be able to apply things outside of a monitor. The students would be able to work out problems with devices that can be transferred to multiple professions and help design the future versions. By being to have a hands on experience with the tools, they will better understand how many different ways things can be viewed. There are limitations, of course. Some students may not have access to a computer at home or the advanced programs that are being used in schools. Any efforts that could be put forth in the classroom would be unobtainable at home. It would be difficult to find a balance because of how reliant electronic art is on technology, but that would only be a worthy adversary to conquer for education. As for management, it is likely that I will implement a figurative "ban-hammer" for irresponsible use of technology. A ban-hammer is a popular term used in online communities when someone breaks the terms and conditions of posting multiple times resulting in the moderators bringing down the ban-hammer. It is likely similar to a gavel in how it can pass judgment. I am planning on creating a prop called the "Ban-hammer" that I will use to deem whether students are on task or off task in subtle manner of tapping their shoulder. If they reach three taps, then I will have them refrain from using the computer unless they can prove that it was helping them with their project. Now, you might be thinking "If you don't allow them on a computer to do their work, then how are they going to do well?". If they are consistently off task using a computer, then I will have backup assignments available that will fulfill those requirements. This is used to enforce the idea of using technology properly in the classroom, and in some cases the distraction of online videos and social networks is too great for some to handle. Others might have YouTube open for music purposes or background sounds to focus, but I would be looking for those that are consistently misusing the computer during class time. Some of the greatest tools I have in my technology toolbox are: Screencast O' Matic, Creative Commons, and BulbApp. Screencast would allow me to create walkthroughs and tutorials for students that pertain directly to the assignment we're working on. There are other tutorials available online, but this would allow me to be available outside of the classroom by basing videos on questions in class and create pre-class overviews they could watch on their own. Creative Commons would be an excellent place for them to review the rules and meaning behind the Creative Commons lingo on image sites like Flickr and other places that utilize the signs. BulbApp is a specialized art website that allows students to create digital portfolios. It is similar to a digital classroom format where you can create a group for students to join, but its main purpose is for students, and artists in general, to have permanent portfolios available at the click of a link. This way students can always reference their artwork and have a permanent online archive available to them. It is hard to say what I will do in the time between now and my first job as a teacher. Based on what I've heard from people this past semester, it seems like a safe bet to register as a substitute teacher first to test the waters. This way I'd be able to get a sense of where I'd prefer to be. It may end up being where I pursue a career in animation or illustration over education with my Electronic Art major. I think that in order to grow as a teacher using technology, I will continue to explore all that is available for art education and general education needs. It is likely that I will not see the growth of technology until my senior year in 2019, so I will have to make note of what I find and see floating around. In doing so, I will investigate and experiment with the tools I find and make a note about how I could use them. The answer to what I'd do in my first position is similar to how I described the time between now and then. It may end up being where I am not an educator, at first or ever depending how things play out. If I had to say, though, it'd be through the continuous use of what is readily available for students and teachers. I'd do what I could to make sure students had access to what's being used in the art program at home and in class. The most important thing would be making sure they have the materials they need to succeed over whether or not they can do something. That's why they're in school--to learn how to do something. They can't do that if they never have the materials made available to them.
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Joel SchreinerBorn on December 17th, 1996, Joel Schreiner entered the Electronic Art program at CSU right out of High School. From there he decided to set his eyes on becoming an educator alongside an illustrator and concept artist. Archives
December 2018
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