It's October now, and I'd say that the daily realities of a 12 month teacher ed/masters degree program are honing in on all of us MACers. If we're honest, I think we've all had our moments of self doubt over the course of the last couple of weeks as we attempt to organize the multiple assignments that are coming at us from every angle. As the days start to blur together, I find myself more and more in need of a greater purpose or perspective as to why I am here.
My EDUC 649 term project is now on its way and I have chosen a topic I am passionate about: The place of the arts within public education. After reading about 10 articles and searching for websites and blogs about the topic, my interest in this area has already grown significantly. The current title of my work in progress: Arts Education: Whose responsibility is it? Though my current areas of study do not pertain directly to the arts, I'm in the process of figuring out how I can tie artistic expression into the psychology and Spanish classes I will be teaching. In EDUC 650, I am working on a personal inquiry project that will answer the following question: What are some ways that a foreign language teacher can foster creativity and require students to use their imaginations while still covering all of the content for the unit?
My passions still are divergent and I often struggle as to how they all fit together in the bigger scheme of life. Maybe they cannot all be combined into a single career and reach their fullest potential. But, if there is any profession that has the potential to combine them, it is the field I have entered into. As a teacher, I will have the privilege of inspiring kids to stay out of the box that society tries to put them in. Potentially, I will show them that a person's life is not defined by what they do for a living, but who they are as a person.
As for how this relates to technology? Well, technology is a brilliant way to teach minds to think creatively. The scope of information and resources on the internet is unfathomable and the potential for class projects that go beyond the normal writing assignment, quiz, or presentation is limitless.
So, as an arts advocate, I plan to find ways to incorporate beauty and creativity into my classrooms and lessons as often as possible. I will also work within the school community to advertise and lift high artists of various kinds. As for future work in this field, I am currently exploring my options. The organization below is one of the most vocal groups I have found thus far on a national level. Watch this, and maybe you'll get a taste of where I am coming from:
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Emily, for spans of hundreds of years art had tried to separate itself from the rigid confines of technology. In fact, I would argue the technology did not really become integrated into the field of art until the late 19th century. Furthermore, technology, like we experience it in our educational technology class, probably didn’t begin to emerge until modernism evolved into postmodernism. If you are searching for ways to bring art into the classroom, I believe the tech workshops will provide you with a lot of inspiration. Through digital storybooks, websites, and podcasts, and multiple other mediums, I think your students will have many tools that lend themselves quite easily to art production. While I do not think it is the average teacher’s duty to educate his or her student about art, after all that’s what the humanities, music, and art classes are for, I do think teachers should attempt to incorporate some form of assessment that encourages students to exercise creative thought. Certainly, I do not think students should be forced to demonstrate their content mastery through an artistic medium, but it wouldn’t hurt to offer such a possibility. Although, then, you would have to devise a way to grade it…
Hi Emily, I too am a passionate supporter of the arts. Specifically music, theatre and dance. I think educating students in the arts in addition to the traditional subjects is an important part of fully educating an individual. I love singing and performed in the group Amazin' Blues when I was an undergraduate here and in various choirs since then. My son Rick is a tenor and sings in the University choir at Eastern Michigan and two choirs on Sunday. My oldest daughter loves dance-ballet, tap and jazz, and continues to dance at college.My youngest daughter enjoys tap, jazz, and hip-hop.
I think one way the fine arts could be incorporated into the classroom is through virtual performances on the computer. Perhaps you could even video stream a live performance into the classroom. I believe it is important for all students to be exposed to various aspect of the fine arts. It will broaden their horizons and enrich their lives. And who knows, it may even inspire a budding artist.
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