ART 121 commentary

How has digital media affected your life?

Digital media has impacted my life by reading newspaper articles online, checking my email, or facebook. The biggest time I use the internet is when I need to research for things for my classes. I have never been a computer person. I rarely go on to "surf" the web because I do not have time to do so. After taking this class I have been exposed to different art programs I did not even know existed because I do not even have a mac computer. Everything I learned was new. Every shortcut I had to memorize because it was shorter than going up to the menu and clicking. I never really took the time to stop and think how much digital media is around me all the time. Most posters and photos are made using the programs I just learned about.

How do you anticipate it will help you in the future?

I am going to be a teacher and instead if having to buy elaborate posters, I have learned how to make them using the softwares. I plan to incorporate digital media in my classroom since everything is going to a digital world. Children probably already know more than me and using it in the classroom will cater to my needs.

My classes are supposed to be preparing me to teach!

I am enrolled in a class that is supposed to be integrating math and science. In the start of the class we were led to believe that the class would be informative and hands on with integrating math and science. As the semester has gone by the two subjects are still taught in isolation by two different professors: a math professor and a science professor. Our science professor really tries to do experiments that would be useful in the classroom. That professor has given us many resources to refer to when we start teaching. That professor has done ok with giving us preparation but the only math integration we do with science is adding a chart or calculating the speed. Is there anything else we can do with math?

As far as the math professor, that one is the worst professor I have ever taken! I have never had such an unorganized/unprepared professor who is knowledgeable in the field but cannot teach. Teaching is an art form that takes preparation not coming into class and making up classwork on the spot. The other day we took a quiz on "drinking levels". What the heck does drinking levels have to do with elementary students? the professor was making up questions as we went while looking at his iphone. Another question was "Why are flamingos pink?" I wish an administrator would have walked into class. The professor says things like "well what else can we do to take up time?" "what have I covered in the class?" "I do not have a roster of the class so I haven't recorded any grades" "You are not learning how to teach anything in this class just more content?" At least the science professor gave us all the standards for science for each grade through 8th grade and lets us know what area we would be covering. The math professor has given us no resources or grade appropriate lessons.

I have never been so upset with a class. I leave the class wondering what the heck did we do today? Is the professor serious about the job? We pay to be there and this is the instruction we are getting. The two professors do not communicate with each other and it all of the students can tell. The math professor doesn't seem to care and it is said because he is going to get the worst evaluation I have ever written.

Teaching is not something to come up with information on the spot. I want to be a teacher who has done the preparation for the day's lesson and not be struggling to "take up time!" I am glad my other classes have given more preparation.