Arts and Tech Blog

The past week has given me many things to be thankful for, including some time off from grad classes as I have moved, and needed time to get organized.  As I sort my life out of boxes, I have been reflecting on the semester so far, and all of the resources I have been introduced to.  This class has made me much more aware of the many educational resources available for use, and given me a lot of ideas on how to implement these resources within my classroom.  The week also gave me a chance to realize how important Internet use is to me, I felt very isolated not being able to see the news, access my email or change my fantasy sports teams.  Finally I have Internet back and will be able to complete my web quest homework, as well as keep up to date on what is happening in the world.  Now its time to finish getting settled into my new home and play catch up on the important things that I had to put aside for a few days.

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend!

So I thought Garageband was the coolest program, and still think it is great, but did not realize the pressures of recording my voice.  Before I started teaching, public speaking was one of my biggest fears, fortunately I was not only able to overcome that fear, but now feel very comfortable speaking to a group of people.  That being said, for some reason I froze when it was time to record my voice for the Garageband Podcasting assignment.  I must have rerecorded it 15 times, and still was not happy with the way it sounded.  Maybe I don’t like the sound of my own voice, maybe it was the added pressure of having the microphone in front of me and seeing the audio register in the program.  Whatever it is I think I will need to do a lot more recording before I am completely comfortable with the process.  Oh well, I guess its like anything, practice makes perfect. 

Podcasts are wonderful resources for information on a wide variety of topics.  The ability to produce your own podcasts is a valuable asset as an educator and the Garageband program makes it so easy.  Not only can you lay down the vocal component of a podcast, but you can add background music and sound effects as well as a slideshow to compliment the vocals.  This program would be a tremendous asset to anyone in the music field, but it excites me as an art educator because you are able to produce something for students that shows them images while explaining and analyzing them.  This software enables educators to really hit a variety of senses for their students, and podcasts can be used anywhere there is Internet access for iTunes.  Students can also load the podcasts on their mp3 players, making your classroom portable.  I cannot wait to get into the Garageband program and produce my own podcast.

I would like to take an opportunity to wish a very good friend Happy Birthday – hope your day was a good one, you deserve it.

I love the use of pod-casting as an educational tool, be them created by the teacher specifically for the class, or one of the educational podcasts found on iTunes.  It seems as though today it is impossible to get teens to put down their MP3 player, so why not harness that technology to benefit them in the classroom?  With the number of free pod-casts available through iTunes, teachers of any subject can find video or audio pod-casts to compliment lessons.  Or, if a teacher would like to make customized pod-casts, that is possible too for a minimal fee.  The use of technology could help increase student interest because the iPod or any other MP3 player is something they are familiar with using and enjoy.  As I looked through the iTunes selection of pod-casts I immediately thought of one of my students who is in the process of learning English as a second language.  The day after class I showed him the free pod-casts designed for native Spanish speakers learning English and he was so excited to have some extra tutorials.  Too often teachers think of MP3 players as something that is a distraction to students instead of harnessing the technology for the benefit of education.  It is time to spread the word, pod-casting works to complement education.

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, remember those that may not have a meal at all.  Donate food, or time to a food cupboard or community shelter to help those that are in need, and give everyone a reason for being thankful.

Warning – This blog is not for class – Sorry Dr. Ransom

As I voted this morning I could not help but feel that I was taking part in a pivotal moment in the history of this country.  Given the current struggles that our country is encountering the new President will be taking on many difficult issues.  Maybe that is why it seemed as though this election has more meaning than either the 2004 or 2000 elections did.  That is why it is important to remember that whether you are red or blue, change is coming. 

As the numbers begin to become clear, it is great to see how many people got out to the polls and made their voice heard.  I had the wonderful experience of seeing some of my students take a bus ride to their polling places and vote for the very first time.  The enthusiasm these student showed for voting coupled with the memories of my first time voting added to my excitement for this momentous day. 

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=SPECIALS39  Go to Local election photos on the right of the screen to see the students voting for the very first time

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wxxi/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1406674&sectionID=7  This link will bring you to the WXXI story about our young voters

So to all those voters out there, thank you for doing your job and making your voice heard.  And as you can see the title is a bit of a play on words.