Implementing Technology in the Classroom
By Renada Davis
Dr. Hilda B. White Fall 2005 EDU 6542
December 7, 2005
Technology Implementation In the Classroom The implementation of technology in the classroom is important to the development of productive learners as well as is necessary for functioning in today’s technological society. In this regard, it is advantageous for teachers to facilitate the use of technology in their classes in order to produce effective members of society. One basic way I plan to implement technology in my classroom is to use PowerPoint presentations to introduce students to subject matter instead of traditional lectures or whole group presentations. By doing this I will familiarize my students with the methods of using PowerPoint and thereby allow them to grasp how to use the medium. Then they will be given assignments to introduce lessons using PowerPoint as well as incorporate images from the Internet of art examples. Thus, the students cannot only communicate to their peers but can also provide art lessons at other functions that are accessible to all audiences (NETS-S Standard 4. Technology communication tools: students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences). Since collaboration is an objective that teachers are using to facilitate instruction then it is only natural that technology be incorporated to better enhance the group learning experience. I plan to allow students to pair into groups in order to research artists and art history information to create databases where they can easily compare and contrast similarities and variances in artistic styles (NETS-S Standard 3. Technology productivity tools: students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-based models, prepare publications, and produce creative works. NETSS Standard 5. Technology research tools: students use technology tools to process
data and report results). Instead of just reading about Impressionism, PostImpressionism, or Expressionism, students can research information together and create reports, queries, and tables that will better help them understand artistic themes. They can then print the information they have produced to have for assessments. When the students complete their databases they will produce brochures or pamphlets in Microsoft Word where they pretend they are a curator at a famous museum and outline a work from a period they have researched. They will have to use the knowledge they acquired from the database in order to complete this creative project (NETS-S Standard 3. Technology productivity tools: students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity). Art is a means of visual communication. Most students do not have a clear understanding of the purposes of art except to make a “pretty picture.” The internet is a great means for students to not only study art that may not be available in textbooks but is also a wonderful means to collaborate with up and coming artists, discover new art techniques, as well as have any information needed for perusal at their fingertips. For this reason, I plan to foster an appreciation of technology by allowing students to search the Internet for art that interests them. I will show them how they can order art supplies, find online art galleries, as well as artist’s websites. I will persuade them to join list serves as well as use free e-mail accounts available to them such as hotmail or yahoo (NETS-S Standard 2. Social, ethical, and human issues: students develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity.) I plan to do this in my classroom in the hope that they will be life long technology users. I also plan to make sure that they understand the
unethical use of plagiarized material and copyrighted items on the web. They will also know that the Internet is full of incomplete, false, and opinionated information that must be weeded out before accepted as fact (NETS-S Standard 2. Social, ethical, and human issues: students understand the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology). Composition and structure are two of the major elements that hold an artwork together. In the past artists would have to do numerous sketches in order to solve compositional problems in two-dimensional and three-dimensional designs. However with the advent of technology, artists can diminish time trying to compose artworks and actually spend more time on creating the finished project. For this reason, I plan to allow my students to use technological tools such as Microsoft Paint and Adobe Photoshop in order to solve these artistic compositional problems without having to complete preliminary sketches (NETS-S Standard 6. Technology problem-solving and decisionmaking tools: students employ technology in the development of strategies for solving problems in the real world). This software as well as others will be especially helpful in designing three-dimensional sculptures so that artists can get an idea of what their ideas will look like before construction. This way the students can solve artistic problems faster, with less wasted material, as well as see technological software applications for future career endeavors. Lastly, my students will have to create a user friendly website that demonstrates their knowledge of productivity tools, the Internet, and technological applications for the working artist. They will have to link their website to galleries on the Internet and have internal links to some of the projects they have created in class such as their artist
database assignment (NETS-S Standard 1. Basic operations and concepts: students demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operations of technology systems). In this way, my students will understand that art can have both traditional and modern functions. They will have used Microsoft Word, Paint, Databases, PowerPoint, Adobe Photoshop, Paint shop, as well as the Internet in art where they may not have thought that technology would be included. This will help the students not only in art but also in our technological society (NETS-S Standard 1. Basic operations and concepts: students are proficient in the use of technology). Truly implementing technology in the classroom is essential for student engagement, critical thinking, and understanding.