Blogs In the Classroom

As I peruse my certification in Art Education, I clearly love all of my arts courses. However, when I found out I needed to take a tech course I was a bit leery. Even in the first two weeks though, I have learned many different ways to incorporate technology into the art world.

One of those ways could be the use of weblogs or blogs. It could be very easy to get the rest of the school and parents involved with the students' artwork by posting them on a weekly blog. Specific pieces could be chosen that showcase the great job each student is doing in the classroom. It would be much like a virtual gallery that would have different exhibitions weekly. Then at the end of the semester those top pieces could be shown in an actual show at the school.

Another way blogs could be incorporated in the art classroom could be as a reflective tool. Students could go onto their blog sites and reflect on the pieces they are making, the history they may be learning, and how it personally affects them. It would be a great way for me, as the teacher, to receive feedback on how the students feel about my projects.

But there can be some disadvantages to using technology in the art room. There is nothing better than seeing a piece of artwork right there in front of one's face. If too much technology is used to display images, the beauty of a tangible piece of artwork could lose its spark. Art is very hands on and heavy in material use, with too much technology that could be lost.