Why Art Is Important

  In many school systems there is a debate about whether art is to be cut from the school to give children time to learn about other subjects more. Since I am going into art education, I believe art plays a very important role in a students life and should remain in schools. After doing some research this article proves some very good points about the same topic and is aimed towards parents, but is a good read for anyone. (Read it HERE)
  Children nowadays are growing up differently than we did when we were young. When I was younger, if I had free time, especially in the summer, my parents would tell me to go play outside with friends and to go make something. For me I normally would go make artwork and experiment with all the materials I had, but children now choose differently. For this new generation technology is always at their fingertips; its everywhere! For them it is easy to pick up a controller, cell phone/laptop or to watch TV. These children aren't experimenting with new things and using their creativity with their hands. They then enter classrooms, art for example, and have very little experience with it. As an art teacher we have to make them more interested in the arts and find ways to use different technologies as well as using the old tools that are normally used to create art.
  This article speaks about how children in art classes get to use the creative part of their brain in art class and create something different from the cooker cutter things they do in other classes. They are encouraged in art classes to be unique from their fellow classmates and to think outside of the box. Comparing this to classes such as math where there is only one answer students get into the rhythm of thinking in a straight line and getting to a finishing point. It is important for them to get a class where there are encouraged to do the complete opposite and are praised for it.
  Art is often argued to be hard to test students in and because of that there is no way of telling if all the students are learning the correct information which will help them in their futures. However, through art class students are learning to channel all their emotions; the good, bad and sad, into their artwork and create something which is a master piece. If students can at least take that much away from their art classes, they can know how to channel all those emotions in their future if they start to have problems. Art can help bring them back to a peaceful state if not teach them more.
  There are so many possibilities to go with art, and each person can take them with them as they grow.

Using Technology in the Classroom

  Our world today has become so involved in technology and young children who are entering schools now are growing up with all this technology that teachers now need to know how to use that technology to help them learn.

  In the article HERE, it talks about five ways teachers can use technology to help their students. Technology is always growing in our world, and with the growth comes new to teach our students. In the article is discusses how as teachers we need to educate ourselves on the technology first and after we understand it,we can than teach it to our students. If we try to teach our students and use a program we don't know very well our confusion can confuse them as well which can ruin the lesson. 

  Just like we can get confused working on a new program, so can the students. If you are using a specific tool within a program, but the students don't know how to use the program, their confusion can lead them to give up, or learn the wrong way. To avoid this we need to include learning how to use these new programs into our lesson plans and teach the students how to correctly use them.
  Another way we can help use technology in the classroom is to make sure not to shy away from specific programs because they seem to big or because they may not be recommended by others. Exploring new technology ourselves and finding out if it is a good learning tool for the students will help us as teachers understand what to look for in programs to be considered bad or good. It is important for us to decide for ourselves what we think will work best for our students. Being open to new ideas and programs can help us be more open to other ideas as well and help us become better teachers ourselves. 

  One of the later points they make in the article is talking about online programs that allow students to submit work through there to make it easier for teachers to grade. These can be great time savers and can help students getting into the habit of submitting things on time correctly and with deadlines. Practicing this is schools will help the students for the future when they have to submit resumes online or getting into the habit of having deadlines with strict due dates. For the teachers this can also be helpful in making things more organized. It makes it easier than handing back out papers and taking up valuable class time which could be used for teaching and learning. 

  A final point that is made is about how teachers should embrace the student common core standards. There are many different forms of technology which will help teachers use the standards in their classrooms and help give teachers ideas on examples to use to aid them in teaching. By sticking to the standards, we can make sure our students are learning the right information and are prepared for the next level they are going into; Whether it be ninth grade or college or off into the future. 

Teaching Philosophy

  Seeing the smile on a students face when they have created artwork they love is what I work for. I love teaching students how to learn new ways of creating art. Each and every student is creative and I want them to leave my classroom being able to express themselves through art. Whether it be through drawing, painting, sculpture, or any other form, I was them to feel comfortable with art. 

  In my classroom I believe it is important to teach the new techniques and vocabulary of all art forms, but I also believe the history of where the art started is just as important. When students learn about where something came from and how other people used that same medium in the past, they can become more appreciative of the medium and think differently about their future projects. By looking at past artists and studying that persons thought process and how they manipulated their tools to get the outcome, it can give a student a new way of thinking, which they can add to their own artwork and creative thinking process. 

  When each student enters the class some may have disabilities, but I want every student to leave the classroom believing they can create artwork in their own unique style that can be interesting in its own way. I don't want students to feel there is an exact outcome in their artwork that I will be looking for. I want students to be creative and not be afraid to try new things. I want them to experiment, get dirty, and above all, have fun. Art class is where students should be able to come and channel all their thoughts and ideas; anything that is going on in their life, into their artwork to create something that is truly wonderful. There are no wrongs in art, just different ways of doing things. 

Myself

  Currently, I am a student at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in the Art Education program. It is currently my fourth year and I will be student teaching in Spring of 2016. While attending Oshkosh I am also on the Women's Track and Field team. Being an athlete while in college is a lot of work and may sound crazy to some, but I have fallen in love with both and can't imagine my career here without them. (There is a little reasoning to the madness)
  Since I was young I have been playing the role of teacher with my friends and siblings. I have always enjoyed teaching others new things, especially art. Even with my love for teaching I never considered it a career possibility until my teacher in Middle School encouraged me to apply for an art school for high school. I ended up making it into the program and became fully involved with the arts. During the morning hours I would take my core classes, then my afternoons would be filled with different art classes to learn about each different medium and art style.
  Senior year rolled around and I took a class which allowed me to go into an elementary school and observe an art class being taught. I later helped out with the lessons and towards the end I finally knew what I wanted to be in my future; a teacher! Now were back to the present.
  Here in Oshkosh I currently live in a house with five other girls. It sometimes gets a little crowded but we all make things work. We have all turned into one big family. My close family lives back in Appleton where I am from. Both my parents live there along with our two dogs. I also have a brother and this year he has joined me here in Oshkosh and lives in a dorm. Being able to have my brother around and show him the ropes is so nice and I hope he has just as great of an experience here as I have had.
  When I do have free time in my busy schedule outside of school, track and working in the campus art galleries, I like to enjoy the outside weather (at least when its warm, and sometimes the snow too). I also love listening to music while sketching. It is always a nice way to relax and take a break from all the studying and projects.
  On a final note, I'm excited to became a teacher and can't wait to see what the future has in store for me.