Interactivity #4:

My Spreadsheet Link
URL: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AngLn3bH0AEKdEg2UlpTcURQcE1qNWZSS0dYVEQ1SXc


I chose this particular lesson plan because it was carefully planned out and professional. Additionally, I am a huge advocate of utilizing art history within the classroom rather than just art production. Understanding where art originated from and how it affects different cultures, people, etc. is extremely important. I thought that this lesson plan was not only an interesting topic, but challenging for students and uses a large variety of both teaching strategies and technologies. 

I did not find gaps in this lesson. There was an abundance of teaching strategies, which switches from teacher-oriented, to student-oriented, depending on the session. Out of five sessions, there are a variety of activities including venn diagrams, presentations, group-work, etc. I believe that the abundance of teaching strategies helps this lesson not have any gaps. Both the computer and the projector are sufficient for these teaching strategies, but I went ahead and added a couple more ideas including iPads and movies. It may be a good idea for this lesson to include more of a variety of technologies rather than just two.

This lesson could be done through textbooks, supplemental readings, and paper handouts. The curriculum standards could have all been completed this way. BUT, I believe in order for this lesson to be successful in a classroom today, more updated technology is essential. Since this lesson is over five sessions long, having only paper material may drag out the lesson and make it less interactive.  The creator of the lesson could have made up this lesson without the mentioned uses of technology, but they carefully chose the tools. They understand the importance of introducing several technology tools in the classroom instead of resorting to "older" and more familiar ways. 

Vershire, Vermont Meets Technology

NY Times Article: School Cut Off from Technology Faces its Intrusion

During my spare time, I enjoy reading the news including posts on Huffington Post and The New York Times. I like being in-tune with what's going on around the world (I would like my students to do the same). One of my favorite sections is the Education section. Today, while exploring the New York Times, I read an article called, "A School Distanced From Technology Faces Its Intrusion" (Link provided above). 

A Short Summary

In Vershire, Vermont, a simple life is valued higher than technology. There is little cell phone reception and its schools offer courses where students can learn about nature without technology like a GPS and cell phone. Though this town is known for it's older style, this fall the town will be introduced to high-speed Internet and better cellphone coverage. Currently, students use prepaid cards to make phonecalls and there's a limit to the bandwidth on the computers. 

My Reactions

I really found this article interesting. I find it hard to imagine living somewhere without technology playing a major role in life and in my education. The school and town of Vershire, Vermont is concerned that their students will become more like "us": constantly feeling the need to check our Facebook and social media sites, etc. To resolve this, the school will be making a policy where students must hand their cell phones over.  I am still contemplating whether I think this is a fair policy, but I do agree with the teachers' thoughts: "...their goal is not to encourage their students to live without technology, but to make them think more carefully about their use of it" (3). Though a town like Montclair, NJ is much different than Vershire, Vermont, we both want the same thing in regards to technology and schooling. Technology is useful within the classroom if it means using a computer for research, or using a white board or SmartBoard. But for students to be checking their cellphones or browsing the Internet, I personally believe it is not appropriate in the classroom.

Hurricane Sandy

My Personal Thoughts on this Experience 

& How it Relates to Being a Future Educator

Hurricane Sandy did not personally effect me very much. I was fortunate to have power the whole time and there was little damage to my home. With that being said, I feel empathy for those who were more effected and was (and still am) concerned about those around me. I have had time to reflect on this experience for awhile now, and can see how this disaster has effected my fellow students, teachers, etc.

Most of my assignments have been pushed back with new due dates. I see that this is one way teachers have handled the situation, and I agree that many of these assignments needed extra time. I began thinking about this on a more personal level. What would I do as a teacher? 

I believe I have taken a lot of my own experiences in school and that these experiences will shape me into the teacher I want to be. For example, some teachers failed to email or contact their students during Hurricane Sandy, even afterwards, and this really bothered me. Therefore, I know as a teacher, if I was in the same position, that I would try everything in my power to contact my students. I felt unsure as to what was really due, or if we had class, or if the assignment due the next week was actually due. I had many concerns that were not answered through technology--something we take for granted on a daily basis.

Communication is now based largely around technology. Whether it's through an email or text message, we rely on these technologies every day. Hurricane Sandy was therefore extremely rough for some people who are attached to these forms of communication. I can admit that I am one of them. The experience of Hurricane Sandy has helped me realize that when I am a teacher, I have to be sensitive to my students and their attachment or how they rely on technology as well. This includes being easily reachable, and open to the problems with technology (such as loss of power, loss of saved work, a crashed computer, 
etc).

I still wonder to myself why some of my teachers were not able to reach out before, during, or after the storm. It impacted my own personal learning because I was worrying. I felt as though I had no support. I do not want my own students to feel this way, whether it's because of a storm, or something else. As a teacher, I must remember that technology, though useful, can also cause problems. 

I have brainstormed some ideas to common technological problems I may experience in the classroom and some possible solutions:
1.) power outages: handwritten assignments and/or new due dates
2.) crashed computer: reinforce the idea to "save many times while you're writing" if they are working inside the classroom, be easy to contact through email or phone number so that students may contact me when it happens, extend due date to specific circumstances, assess the student in some other way (ex: orally) 
3.) No access to computer or the specific technology: find or create open computer lab hours, offer local library locations, time during class, groupwork/collaboration, or assess each individual students accessibility to the technology first-- if not enough students have the technology or way to use it, do not assign the specific project or tweak it.
4.) Students who are upset with the loss of their work: Be supportive, offer another option, be easy to reach, reach out first, be flexible  

Ipadagogy (Post 2 of 15)

In Chapter 3 of Rethinking Technology in Schools, there's a section on podcasting and ipodagogy. I've never heard of this term, though I have heard of podcasts before. I really enjoy listening to podcasts in my free time, whether I'm in the car or before going to sleep. I listen to NYC's Radiolab, and also a podcast called, The Moth. I'm usually not a fan of listening to audio without any visuals (such as books on tape, etc.). But these podcasts are intriguing and very informative. They make me think and I learn new information--information I may have never learned from a book or video.

It was only recently that I began to think about how beneficial this tool could be in a classroom. If I learned from this technology, I'm sure my students could too. In my Visual Arts Workshop class, one of the assignments was to create your own podcast. I worked with a partner and we created a segment about a blind photographer by the name of Sonia Soberats. The segment included a short biography of the artist and a mock interview with the artist herself. This could be an interesting idea for my students to do in the classroom as well.

From the reading, I learned that there are Podcast Networks specifically for education, which features podcasts from all over the world! Podcasts are a great idea and I can't wait to use them in my own classroom. Some ideas that come to mind:
1.) Creating my own podcasts for the students when I am absent (for the substitute to play)
2.) Having students listen to podcasts and draw or create a project based on the description they are listening to
3.) Have the students create their own podcast; artist bios, interviews, critiques, etc.
4.) Students researching podcasts themselves and finding ones pertaining to art
5.) As stated in the book, "lectures or homework assignments for students to download" (63, Rethinking Technology in Schools).

I also really like the idea of liberatory pedagogy and having students (and myself) share their podcasts online. The only concerns with this is making sure that it is done the right way. That is, I would be concerned about the safety of my students using the Internet, and making sure I follow the school's policies regarding student privacy and protection.

 Overall, I think podcasting is a tool I would like to utilize in my classroom. I began researching possible art podcasts that I could use in the classroom and have posted the links at the bottom of this page, as well as the podcasts I listen to on my own personal time.

I pose this question to my classmates: Would you consider using podcasts in your classroom? Why or why not? Do you know of any podcasts that would be beneficial to your specific content area?

The Moth Podcast
Radio Lab Podcast
This American Life Podcast
Art Podcasts:
MoMa Talks
National Gallery of Art-Notable Lectures

Group Activity Reflection

As a student, I have always found group-work to be especially challenging.  These challenges include: Trying to split the work up evenly, designating a task for each person, making sure no one slacks off, and finishing on time. For this interactivity, the group process was overall, authentic collaborative. We each researched our own information and then entered it into the table on Google Spreadsheets. Therefore, we were all doing our own work, but coming together by sharing one spreadsheet and helping each other with ideas.

For this project, though most of the activity was individual, we needed to communicate with one another through email and phone. Without collaborating in this way, our chart would not be as clear or uniform. This does not mean we did not encounter a few problems! Though the chart was pre-made for everyone, an idea to make it easier, some had problems entering their information into the table so that it looked uniform with the pre-made portions. We then had to adapt our strategy, and I aided them through the process of editing the spreadsheet. I believe in order for a project to be “authentically collaborative,” each group member must be adaptable, accountable, and responsible, as all of us were.