Although I hate to admit it, technology has become a major influence on education. Not only has it changed instruction through the use of new tools, but it has also altered the curriculum. In order to be successful in our world today, students must understand how to connect in an increasingly virtual world. Many of them already know how to connect with their friends and to popular culture, but we must teach them how to channel those abilities for educational or professional purposes in a safe way.
The flow of information from technology has also influenced education. Students are used to multitasking and receiving quick flashes of information rather than practicing deep, concentrated study. Therefore I believe it is important as educators to teach students how to be critical consumers of information. In such a visually busy world, it is essential that students know how to process all the information that is thrown at them. As a future art educator, I would like to create a lesson plan that teaches students both how to create visual information, and how to become critical visual consumers.
For my final project in EDT 370, I must apply this lesson plan to a hypothetical classroom. This semester I am teacher assisting at a middle school, but my lesson plan will be designed more towards the high school level. Therefore I will take the demographics I observe from the district in order to create my classroom. For the purposes of this project, I will call the hypothetical school Sock Monkey High School, or SMHS.
General Characteristics
Because I am an art educator, I will be certified K-12. In the secondary level, this means that my classes will often be mixed with multiple grade levels. This lesson plan will probably be used in a higher level class that requires some sort of basic art prerequisite course. Therefore my class will most likely consist of 10th and 11th graders, and possibly a few 12th. Ages will range from about 15 to 17 years old.
The gender seems pretty equally mixed, but I have noticed a few classes in which there are slightly more girls than boys. Maybe this reflects some sort of art stereotype, or the fact that boys might be more inclined to choose a gym elective rather than another art class.
Race is not so equally mixed, as SMHS is mostly a caucasian district. There are Asians, African-Americans, and Latino-Americans included in the school, but they are a minority. A growing number of Bosnian refugees, however, have been attending. There are a few students who do not speak English well, but they are taught with a parapro or in an ESL classroom.
Attitudes are generally positive in the class because they chose it as an elective. Sometimes there are students who are disappointed because it was their last choice, but overall its a positive atmosphere. Interests vary widely, but those interests are easily accommodated within the outlines of a creative assignment. This also helps the classroom attitude because they can follow the directions while still expressing what is most important to them. Occasionally there is a student who is ODD and chooses not to engage, but peer pressure or a differentiated assignment helps in those situations.
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