Art and the internet cont...

Writting a Thesis is hard. I knew it would be hard but it is down right excruciating. I have been doing nothing but reading and writting about what other people think about the internet and using it in the art education classroom. The problem is that all that I have been finding is still somewhat removed from what I want to say about using the internet in Art Education. I have found many resources on how to dress up the same old lesson plans by adding a compnent of internet research (just replacing the library research). Much of what I have found is also out of date and not yet a decade old, which is the problem with a topic that evolves so rapidly but also allows for a lot of room to say a lot about it.

The digital age is upon us and I feel the internet is a dynamic communication tool that can open up new worlds to students and can facilitate new ways of thinking and learning. Since I am not currently teaching I can not use my theories on my own class. The other preservice teachers also writting their thesis along side me have not a clue as to how to begin integrating the Web into their curriculm.

I am looking for those who have stepped over the threshold and have made honest efforts in integrating the Web into their curriculum and more specifically interactive Web tools such as blogging and Webquests. I need more ideas and I neeed help traversing the wealth of tools and information that is available.

I fear that I am coming to the point that many educators begin, the internet and it's resources are to vast, and complicated and they are better left to the experts. I will stick to what I know and that will be good enough.

Down to business

Now that I have made two posts that get the personal stuff out of the way it's time for me to get down to business. Since blogging is new to me most likely few people will read my posts unless I get out there and read there's (this is my husbands advice), or post some questions that could generate some discussion. So this is what I am going to do.

First question.
Why are teachers, especially art teachers, so afraid of computers and the internet and using them in their teaching?(obviously not all of them are but the majority of those I meet are).

Who is that Handsome guy?

More Photos of my son Noah. Not to brag as a mother or anything but I have been blessed with a very photogenic kid who likes to get his picture taken. Who could ask for more, especially as a photographer. Soon I will be posting some of my other art work and will hopefully be able get some comments on it.

My First Blog

I've seen it done before. But this is my first Blog experience. I have several witty friends who have Blogs and have much more interesting lives than I. Or atleast can write in a way that makes their lives seem much more interesting than mine.
But down to business.
I am starting this blog partly becaus it may offer me some connections in the world that I have not already made that will be useful. The real driving force is the Graduate Thesis that I have undertaken. My thesis is on the "utilization of interactive wed based technology in the highschool art classroom." Blogs are one of the areas I plan to explore. I couldn't very well explore something like this, even in a scholarly sense, without participating in it. So here I am. Ready to embark on the world of blogging, and for the masses reading this, I would also like to point out that I have already learned to include "twitter" on my blog, which I hope buys me a little " geek street cred."
Probably not.(oh well)