Technology: Friend or Foe

In my field of education, which is art, I feel that technology is becoming more and more needed to teach a various different kinds of arts that require different kinds of mediums. I feel technology is helpful for doing research on art related topics and presenting presentation. There are also certain types of art such as graphic design, 3-D design and so on that rest solely on the advances in technology. It is because of this connection between technology and art that many art programs still only teach the basics in art technique such as drawing, painting and clay work. Many school can not afford many of the programs that are needed in teaching such classes as graphic design and 3-D design, so they do not offer them. I believe when mixed in with many of the basic techniques of art, technology can broaden a students experience in art. This will give a student a taste of what is out there in art instead of just limiting them to certain mediums. I believe the use of technology should be added to what is commonly being taught in the art classroom today in order to give students a well rounded art experience and give students whatever tools they need to express their creativity.

Controversial Issue in the Educational System

There are many controversial issue that are affecting the educational system. We were asked to write about one of them and share our opinions and thoughts about the issue that we write about. The issue of the Pledge of Allegiance in schools today has always interested. Some people believe that it is perfectly alright, some believe are total against it and some people are borderline. The issue with the Pledge of Allegiance is that there is a line within it that state "One Nation, Under God...." By making students recite the Pledge at the beginning of the day, we as a society are mixing the realm of religion and public school together into one which by law is not to happen. We are also not taking into account that all students do not believe in the Christian God. There are many students that attend public school that do not practice Christianity. By making them recite the Pledge, we are kind of making them renounce their faith. In my opinion, we should not say the Pledge of Allegiance at school or we should come up with an alternative.

My very first post!!!!!

Why do we teach?

There are so many different reasons why I believe educators teach. The reason why I want to teach is that when I was in elementary, middle and high school, I had so many excellent educators (ie. teachers, administrators, community members, family, etc.) that cared about me and made sure I did my best so I could succeed in the future. I want in some way to thank them and repay them. By becoming a teacher I believe I am helping this group of people by following in their footsteps, educating and supporting the next generation so they can succeed in their future. In some way I believe that is the purpose of all educators. (You know it is not for the money!) I believe educators today want to give back to society by educating the next generation, supporting them so they can achieve and be the best person they can be.

What is the difference between school "work" and student "learning"?

There is huge difference between these two concepts, "school work" and "student learning." School work is something a student does in the classroom (ie. labs, projects, etc) or outside of the classroom (ie. homework, reports, studying, etc.) This work is given by educators for the purpose of student learning, but this is not guaranteed. Students might do school work and learn all the material that is covered in that work, but students might also get nothing outside of the school work, complete the work only to get it done. Student "learning" is when the student actually knows and understand the material that is taught in class.

What makes for good teaching?

In my opinion, there are many qualities that a educator can have for a good teaching. The first thing that I believe makes for good teaching is excitement for the material and excitement to actually be there. If an educator has this excitement, this will help get the students excited to be in school learning. Educators must also make sure students actually learn the material that they are teaching in class. There are many times when students comes from a classroom and can't remember a thing that they were just taught. Educators must make sure the students understand all that is being covered in the classroom. This will guarantee that the student is learning. I also believe that students learn more when they are engaged with the lesson. More hands on activities will engage the student, resulting in children's learning and therefore good teaching. Support is another quality that is need for good teaching. Support should be everywhere in a school system: between teachers, between administration and teachers, between teachers and their students, between students and their peers, etc. If there is support between all, this will make for good teaching. These are a few qualities that I believe makes for good teaching.