13.1 Let's Take a Selfie

SELFIE:

• Showed my process
• Explained my outcome
• Linked to vocabulary
• Found multiple possibilities
• I persevered through the work
• Eliminated carelessness

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Expand my technology experience by approaching new technologies I have never experienced before and increase my comfort level with technologies by creating more advanced artwork.
• Develop my teaching skills by helping students in current class with technologies I am already comfortable in.
• Expand my creative thinking process through different technologies.
• Think continuously on how technologies can be a great learning resource for my future students.

I have looked through all the blog entries since the beginning of the course, New Media, New Forms. Having a graphic design background, I have encountered most technologies that were introduced in the course. One of my learning objectives was to increase my comfort level with technologies by creating more advanced artwork. I have met this objective through playing with the 3D printer. In a group, we printed a brain together. I have an experience with using the 3D printer, but I have never produced an advanced work through the printer. I also wanted to "expand my technology experience by approaching new technologies I have never experienced before." I have never played with circuits before and it was a really fun experience for me. I think I have definitely increased my comfort level with the technologies I have experienced before and expanded my technology experience by exploring new technologies I have never encountered before.

For some of the technology projects, I had an opportunity to complete them within a group. I was able to help my peers with some elements they weren't familiar with. I have a lot of experience with Adobe Illustrator and was able to help my fellow peers with the design program. Working in a group was very helpful, in my opinion, because technologies can be tricky to work with sometimes. However, by working together, my teammates and I were able to figure out complicated things together.

My third learning objective was to expand my creative thinking process through different technologies. I think I have met this goal by completing the projects. Since many projects required me to come up with creative solutions by using technologies, I had to think constantly on what I wanted to create based on the technology that was introduced during that week. I really enjoyed doing the projects because they weren't just about using the technologies.  We also had to put our own creative twist to the projects.

By reading articles on technology usage in classrooms and sharing reading takeaways on the blog, I have thought continuously on how technologies could be great learning tools for students in a classroom setting. I really enjoyed reading the Section 4 articles. One of the memorable articles for me was when Stager explained that computers will play an important role in a student's learning experience in an art classroom. I learned that it's crucial for an art educator to introduce computers in more creative way by presenting programmings or digital paintings.

I thought that using a blog for this course was great because it was easy and fun to share my ideas and outcomes with my classmates. By uploading journal entries on a blog, I was able to Share my process and Explain my outcome. Through my entries, I was also able to Link my vocabulary that I learned during a certain week. By looking at classmates' artwork, I was inspired and Found multiple possibilities. There were some instances when I was having trouble with certain technologies. The circuit project, for example, was the most difficult for me. However, by researching other solutions, I think I persevered to complete the project successfully. I also tried to Eliminate my carelessness by paying attention in class when the digital steward was presenting.