Indiana's need for a 21st Century Partnership

I was pleasantly surprised to see such a site. It speaks a lot about how far behind the educational systems are when it comes to technology and our students.
One thing that I found so surprising was that out of the 50 states that we live and teach in, less than ten is part of the 21st Century Partnership. I looked through different websites of where I teach and surrounding corporations, there was nothing that I could find that dealt with a mention of this partnership program.
This site said a lot about the four skills of life and career skills, learning and innovation skills, as well as information media and technology skills are explained to encompass core subjects and 21st century themes. They were all backed up by lessons, curriculums, and assessments to better the learning environments of both teachers and students.
To me the site was very informative and had a lot of positive things that I can use and learn from, especially the communication building activities and the sites that had a great deal of art resources from art history to creating art. They were sites that I had never heard of before and were very informative.
For this to work in my corporation it would have to have studies done, presentation to school boards and administrators, and most of all the parents. It seems that I am in community that is afraid of change that is what this is all about. The need for this much change would go on deaf ears at first, but the teachers have to take the initiative to make this change a reality.

Link:

http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/

Where has all the PASSION gone?

Art is a salvation for many people with in the world that we live in. Is possess them in a way to live their life in a way that allows them to see everything in a simplistic form and then break down by colors, perspectives, and proportions. It consumes you in a way that shuts out the world and allows the artists to enjoy the “high” that it gives you.
I try to take a piece of that feeling and share it with my art students and allow them to take a glimpse from the artists view. Most humans, any age, lack the confidence to create a single piece of art. The scariest thing to a person about to draw or paint is to look at that blank piece of paper or canvas and make that first mark or line or brush stroke. To some it is more horrifying than a scary roller coaster. I encourage anyone to make that first mark or brush stroke even if it is a doodle, it is a start. Once you make those first marks don’t stop! Keep making marks until something catches your eye. It could be anything or nothing but patterns and shapes.
This is the beginning of one the most powerful combinations within art; Creativity and Imagination and so starts the beginning of the passion that comes from art.
Without these two powerful words there would be nothing in this world to live for. Life as we know would become dull and plain like a blank piece of paper or canvas….
Seek out life and paint it your own color!!

Taking Art beyond the Classroom

For years the art room has been the hub of of all art education. Little to no technology being used and the occasional field trip to the art museum that the ride there would last longer than the visit itself.

But what if that wasn't the end of the trip? What if you your classroom was visiting the Louvre museum in Paris and you have never left the building? With the use of an educational blog students can respond to blogs that are posted by art historians, artists, and other art classes that are posting on the blogs. Students could read about and respond to historical facts about artists, even respond to artists blog that talk about their own work and want feedback.

Being a middle school art teacher in small rural town, the students I teach know little to nothing of the artistic world that they live in. I want to to offer my students a different way to learn and art and being able to express themselves in ways they would have never imagined through a mixture of technology and artistic expression

What a magical way to get the students of today's society back into seeing the world from a new artistic view.

Why is technology so imporatnt to art?

Gone are the days of the slide projectors and the large reprints of artists works from the past. Now in the art room there are rows of computers, ceiling mounted LCD projectors, Smart boards, and students that are waiting to see what is next. As an art educator, it is my responsibility to keep my students engaged and creatively stimulated. I was taught long ago from my professor, "If you lose your students, then you lose yourself."

You must keep the students involved, and by the use of technology I can create interactive lessons that the students can use and take with them into the science, social studies, or literature classes. I feel that the art room has been neglected long enough with the absence of technology. Now it's my turn to change that!! I owe to the kids and my love of art.