Changing Education Paradigms

I wanted to take this opportunity to share this video. I recently watched this video in my READ411 Language & Literacy class. I simply had to share it. This video brings up some very relevant points about today’s education system and the problems it faces. One of the most striking points made by narrator Sir Ken Robinson, the speaker who gave this talk at the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce), is that the “current system of education was designed and conceived and structured for a different age…it was conceived in the intellectual culture of the enlightenment.” (Robinson, Kenneth. "Changing Education Paradigms ." RSA. Address.) Sir Ken Robinson elaborates further this point as the video animates it, but I think this quote has the power to explain itself. 

When I heard this line everything seemed to click in my mind; learning about the history of education in my classes here at Montclair State University has made me aware of the fact that our education system was becoming the system that it currently is during the industrial revolution and age of enlightenment in the USA, but I never connected the relationship between this history and the system currently in place. Robinson is spot on when saying this, and I think this truly speaks to the issues facing education in 2012. As a student I personally believe that technology has not played a big enough role in my education. The inclusion of technology in my education does not reflect the inclusion of technology in the society in which I live. I believe that teachers and school officials are having difficulty including technology in the classroom not only for economical and social issues, but also because of the basis of our education system. We have maintained the same ideals in our classrooms for over a century, and these ideals are conflicting with the constantly changing technological society in which we live. I believe that in order to have coherence in the classroom we need to first reconsider the ideals which our education system has been founded.

Engaging Students

Last semester I took a class that has proven to be very valuable to me as a future educator. Instead of taking graphic design, my advisor suggested taking a class that would substitute for it; the class was "Digital Technologies for the P-12 Art Classroom." Prior to taking the class I was comfortable with the little technological knowledge; I truly thought what I knew would be enough. The class opened my eyes to the vast array of technologies available to be used by teachers and students in classrooms. Above is a video I created for the class; the assignment was to create a video which would serve in some way as an educational tool in the classroom. As the basis of art, the elements of art are very important concepts for students to grasp at an early age, and so in this video I shared this information with my prospective students in a fun and engaging way. Although this is, in comparison to the entirety of technologies that can be utilized in teaching, relatively simple, I believe it is a great way to try something new. This project is versatile in that it can be used by teachers of any subject matter. Traditional lecturing has its benefits, however, using more engaging ways of sharing information with students can be very successful in reaching and engaging a technological generation of students, and I think that more teachers should try this sort of educational project.

Interactivity #5

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The teacher with whom I conducted my interview works as an art teacher in the Manasquan Public School Districts. This teacher instructs a total of three different art classes, each with their own, specific focus. These classes are open to students in grades 9 through 12.

Overall it is evident that this teacher did not know much about the National Educational Technology Standards, neither for students nor teachers. When I first brought up the NETS-S and NETS-T the teacher did not say much. She commented that she had heard of them both however was not very familiar with the specific standards addressed in these two sets of standards.

As the interview continued I learned from the teacher that while the Manasquan Public School District had in fact begun to implement the NETS-S and NETS-T, the process was in its early stages. The implementation of these is not yet a top priority of the district and is not closely monitored by the administration, although teachers are being encouraged to utilize it. Upon my request, the teacher then elaborated on the inclusion of technology in the art classroom specifically. Students are encouraged and sometimes, depending on the assignment, required to use the in-class computer stations to find and print reference sources. The use of computers and printers in a classroom by no means totally satisfies the need for technological inclusion in a classroom, and I was pretty surprised to find that this teacher thought the opposite. Later, the teacher stated that there was definitely a need for professional development and training for seasoned teachers in regards to how to incorporate technology into the classroom. From a 3rd party perspective, it seemed as though this teacher was aware of the absence of in-depth use of technology in the classroom but had little knowledge of how to go about include it.

Overall I was very surprised by this teacher’s lack of knowledge in regards to technology use in the classroom and the standards which this use follows. This teacher’s lack of initiative to include technology in the classroom was the most shocking. I think the generational gap between this teacher and myself as a future teacher who is educated on how to incorporate technology in the classroom was extremely evident.

As a future educator I think it’s very important to be ready to incorporate the NETS-S and NETS-T standards in my teaching. Technology is undeniably a huge part of today’s school-aged generation, much unlike the generation of many of the older individuals who are teachers. That being said, as a teacher I would introduce slowly the idea of these standards to my fellow teachers. I would make sure to emphasize the fact that technology is an important part of today’s generation of kids, and that, without bringing such a culturally and generationally important aspect into education, we as teachers would be providing our students with an education that is not aligned with the society in which we currently live.

John Stossel's "Stupid in America"

Recently, I came across news reporter John Stossel's FOX TV special "Stupid in America.” The special focuses on the struggling schools of America and gives a firsthand look at exactly what is going on in today’s schools. Throughout the show, Stossel investigates many current educational issues. He questions the idea of tenure and the effects it is having on teachers and their students, as well as examines and compares the results being achieved by charter schools throughout the country in comparison to traditional public schools, amongst other issues.
The above clip is only a small portion of the entire special, however I found it to be one of the most telling clips from the show. Within this clip John Stossel visits a few charter schools across America, all of which are achieving high levels of academic student success with, according to Success Charter Network Founder & CEO Eva Moskowitz, anywhere between $4,000 and $6,000 less funding per child than what is being given to traditional public schools. The immediately obvious difference of school environment between these charter schools and traditional public schools is astounding. At 02:51, one young student states that while “reading is hard work”, it’s “rockin’ awesome,” and the enthusiasm doesn’t stop there. Stossel goes on to interview teachers of these charter schools, many of which teach longer days than any traditional school teacher, some days until 5pm. The teachers themselves express a selflessness and desire for their students’ success in the learning process.
The relevance of this special to integrating technology across the curriculum is especially evident at 04:16 in the clip. The use of technology within these classrooms surpasses the commonality in most schools of teachers having students use technologies in their learning process; in these schools technology is used heavily in the process of teaching. In one charter school teachers use ear pieces during lessons so that they can be “coached” by their superiors, in this case the principal, in order to have a more successful lesson. Teachers are fed questions which perhaps they didn’t think to ask, or may be told to try to reach out to certain students within the classroom who the teacher himself or herself does not notice is losing interest. Personally, I was shocked to see such technological innovation. The idea is so simple yet seems to be extremely successful to teachers. What does this mean for the future of education? As a future teacher I am unsure where I stand in regards to this particular use of technology in the classroom. I don’t underestimate the benefits of using this technology, however I think that this type of technology use would meet much resistance from teachers.

Interactivity #4

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While it is very likely that students and people in general have at one point or another seen some form of surrealist art, I don’t think that they are aware of what the style actually entails. My choosing of this lesson plan, titled “Digital Dali: Surrealism in Art Today”, was based on the above reasoning as well as the fact that it intertwines both art history and the process of creating art. From my own experience as an art student, a lesson in which I have to create art that connects to art history information I learn is the most successful type of lesson.

The major gap I encountered in this lesson was found between the curriculum goal, for students to enhance their creativity and better understand surrealistic techniques through technology, and the teaching strategies. The lesson plan said nothing about introducing surrealism to the students, and without such research and introduction it would be difficult for the students to comprehend the lesson. A background knowledge of the basic concepts of surrealism is necessary in order to benefit from this lesson and its Adobe Photoshop Elements techniques which would involve working with light, color, and movement. The lesson also failed to include the need for cameras, which are essential to having the photographs needed.

In order for the students to enhance their creativity as the lesson goal states, they should be able to take their own photographs to serve as a basis for the project. Without the use of cameras by all students it is implied that perhaps one photograph or stock photographs would be used in the lesson. This would severely take away from the ability of all students to enhance their creativity.

"Bully" Spring 2012 Documentary

Being an individual affected both directly and indirectly by bullying, I was very moved by this short preview of an upcoming documentary which focuses on bullying and the effects it has on kids. Bullying has always been present both in and out of schools, yet it does not receive nearly the amount of attention that is necessary for change. Are we doing enough to prevent tragedies such as that of Rutgers student Tyler Clementi, or of the 11 year old's suicide described in this documentary trailer? I strongly believe that the answer is no.

Although it is not apparent from the trailer, I am curious to see if the relationship between technology and bullying is addressed in this documentary. The ever-growing amount of youth who has access to the various types of technology has made bullying in the 21st century unique and much more challenging, I think, to fight. I think as teachers we need to be aware of the constantly changing face of bullying which is present in our society today. I think this documentary will show the brutally real effects of bullying, and rightfully show.

Interactivity 3- Generating a State of the Art Inventory

I think having this inventory can and will prove to be a very useful resource for myself in the future as a teacher as well as in the present as a student. Although my CURR314 class has only just begun, I can see a connection between this inventory and the basis of assessment of learning, which is the title and goal of CURR314. Our first reading for the class discussed the necessity for a balance of assessment in the classroom. To put it simply, a successful learning process needs both formative and summative assessment. Many of the technologies I researched can in some way be used for either a formative or summative assessment. This inventory will encourage me to think more creatively when thinking critically about how to assess my students.

In READ411, I will soon be presenting a lesson for my class with my fellow future art educator Kayla Blodgett. Being that the focus of READ411 is to understand and know how to improve the skills of dependent readers, our group project needs to in some way address dependent reading in the art classroom. After completing this inventory, I feel much more apt to do so. I think that utilizing some of the technologies listed in our inventory in our lesson will really allow me and Kayla to understand the unique challenges art educators meet when addressing dependent reading in the classroom.