CEP 811 Reflection

Throughout my CEP 811 course, Adapting Innovative Technology to Education I have learned about effective strategies to implement when integrating technology. The instructional design principles process had me re-evaluate my lessons for optimal goal-directed teaching focusing on motivation, socialization, audience and technology needs. The Universal Design for Learning focused on reaching “all” learners. During this session I was re-introduced to the fact that all my students learn differently and to be sure to design my curriculum to accommodate all backgrounds, strengths and diverse needs. I think this is always in the back of an educator’s head, but I believe more could be done in the classroom to increase success. I have since implemented written, verbal, and visual directions for most projects in my art room. It is especially necessary when introducing a new technology to the students, when not knowing individual skill levels.

Web-based technologies are great for schools, especially since many are free! Google Docs is an excellent example, as well as Google sites. I was glad to be introduced to Merlot. It is a great resource for teachers to use in the classroom. I found great interactive web-based technologies to integrate into an art classroom. The completion of this course has helped me reach some of my personal technology goals, by becoming more familiar with integrating technology into an art curriculum and feeling confident to implement these elements into my classroom, such as a classroom website and interactive web activities. The World Wide Web is full of resources and I feel like I have only begun experiencing the tip of the iceberg, I am excited to continue my journey of educational technology. 

Online Learning Experience: Virtual Field Trips

Online field trips are very beneficial to an art classroom. Due to this technology students are able to visit art museums they would normally never get to see, they can visit online galleries and museums from around the world. Schools are no longer funding field trips as often as they use to, so using online field trips is also an economical solution to a lack of field trip funding. Along with online museums, using Google Maps to locate museums allows students to visually see where they are in the world. I love Google Maps street view function as well, so students can see the museum as if they were driving by. 

The pedagogical strategies that would be employed with online field trips would obviously include distant learning and integrating technology, but I believe that active learning would be a large part of the experience. Just like an actual museum, in most cases students will be able to explore the online gallery or museum at their own pace and order. Students will be able to reflect on what they are learning while it is happening through taking notes, asking questions and creating discussions. One of the great parts of online field trips is if you want to learn more about an art piece or artist, open a new tab on your web browser and type the topic in Google! 


Technologies that would be hard to integrate into my classroom would be requiring students to be active on a blog or wiki. I think that as a teacher, having a blog or wiki for students to check is more applicable for me rather than students contributing to one of their own. I teach in a very poor farm community and many students have mentioned to me that they do not have access to the Internet outside of school. If this is true or not,I do not know, but I have to assume they are telling the truth. As participation, I can only require the amount of time I give the students to access the Internet with me in the classroom. I would like to see a blog or wiki being used almost as a tutoring or studying tool for students outside the classroom, so they can learn from their peers.