Sunday, November 17, 2013

M6 Reflection

Advantages

Using technology in the classroom is a great way to supplement the learning experience. It also gives students access to many things that would otherwise be unattainable. “The use of technology within art and music education has the potential to transform the learners’ experiences” (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 371). Electronic portfolios, virtual field trips, and image manipulation programs are among some of the most popular ways to use technology in an art room. Electronic portfolios allow students to upload and share the work they are creating while virtual field trips enable them to view famous works of art in museums. “As a result of students actively looking and sharing, more learning will take place” (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 365). Image manipulation programs are highly used by artists. Roblyer & Doering (2013) say, “An art studio would not be complete without an image manipulation program like Adobe Photoshop, which enables students to edit clip art or digital photos” (p. 368). When speaking about programs like this, they also mention, “by demonstrating how easily images can be altered, helps foster the development of visual literacy skills” (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p.368). It is becoming increasingly popular to integrate the use of iPads to utilize these programs and complete activities. The first link discusses some of the best things about using an iPad for art education.

This link names apps that can be used in an art class and provides a video on some of the uses.

Disadvantages

One of the major disadvantages of integrating technology into the classroom is funding. The website lists information about this as well as the learning curve for teachers and students. Although these can be big obstacles to overcome, I feel that the benefits outweigh the limitations. There are ways to get funding and training that are needed to implement this type of technology into the classroom. “Teachers need to know about the technology and how to use the technology that affords learning specific concepts and strategies within their classroom” (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 371). We must keep up with changes so that students are prepared for higher education and careers in their chosen field. The following article talks more about this and expands on why we should embrace technology.

1 comment:

  1. I agree that using technology in the classroom can be a great supplement to your lessons. Technology can provide an opportunity for your students to be actively engaged. “As a result of students actively looking and sharing, more learning will take place” (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 365). You listed some great technology resources in your post. I look forward to trying out virtual field trips in my classroom.

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