“Net.art and Net. Pedagogy: Introducing Internet Art and Digital Art Curriculum”
After reading this research article I still feel that I do not have a straight answer on weather or not Internet art should be considered a form of art. I would argue that fine art is different and a more tradition art form; however, we cannot exclude art being created on the Internet from the art world. Artwork being created on computer programs and placed on the Internet is still an art form because it is originally coming from someone’s imagination. On the other hand, I do not think it is necessary for high school students to learn about Internet art in school. If students are interested in Internet art they should study it on their own. High school art classes could touch on Internet art but for the most part should mainly focus on more tradition art forms and not works that are causing controversy in the art world.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Clements: Week 1 Response
I felt that the video "Growing Up Online," while valuable, was overly dramatic. Yes, there are some serious risks when using the Internet, however, I feel that it is the responsibility of the parent to educate their child about these risks prior to providing access. Perhaps my views will change when I have children of my own, but I think it is unacceptable to blame a lack of awareness or not having grown up with technology to justify ignorance. If you are willing to bring it into the lives of your children, you must take the time to educate yourselves on the risks, the types of sites out there, social networking, and other communications that exist.
The amount in which we rely on technology is definitely something I feel needs to be addressed...It seems that people are constantly needing to be connected via cellphones, texting, email, instant messaging etc. While I appreciate the ability the Internet provides in allowing us to interact with people from other parts of the world and the accessibility to a plethora of information, I feel our reliance on technology is ridiculous. Where is the balance? It seems as though the majority of communication is straying away from face-to-face conversation. How will today's children be able to interact outside the confines of their computers and cellphones when they enter the world of work? I believe the need for constant gratification has made us less patient and more irritable.
To sum it all up, I think that the Internet and other technology are amazing tools. They allows for rich educational and personal experiences when used properly. However, when they are used inappropriately or in excess the become detrimental to our well-being. As teachers it will be challenging to find ways to integrate the appropriate amount technology in our classrooms.
The amount in which we rely on technology is definitely something I feel needs to be addressed...It seems that people are constantly needing to be connected via cellphones, texting, email, instant messaging etc. While I appreciate the ability the Internet provides in allowing us to interact with people from other parts of the world and the accessibility to a plethora of information, I feel our reliance on technology is ridiculous. Where is the balance? It seems as though the majority of communication is straying away from face-to-face conversation. How will today's children be able to interact outside the confines of their computers and cellphones when they enter the world of work? I believe the need for constant gratification has made us less patient and more irritable.
To sum it all up, I think that the Internet and other technology are amazing tools. They allows for rich educational and personal experiences when used properly. However, when they are used inappropriately or in excess the become detrimental to our well-being. As teachers it will be challenging to find ways to integrate the appropriate amount technology in our classrooms.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Response to Video
It was very interesting to watch a documentary about a culture in which we all feed into. After watching the video, I became more aware of the constant need to always be connected. It’s a harsh reality that we often depend on the Internet and text messaging to communicate with our friends and family. We have become less personal even though through these technologies we expose our true selves even more.
The impact of technology on adolescences and our society truly is an issue that needs to be address. I agreed with many aspects that were brought up in the video, for example cyber bulling, inappropriate images and materials, are issues that we need to talk to our students about. I felt it was extremely funny when the lady was giving a lecture about Internet predators and how you should “STOP, BLOCK, and TELL”. Instead of learning about “stop, drop and roll”, children these days are “Blocking”.
Overall, I felt the general view on technology was very negative. To a certain extent, the dependence on technology is not a good thing because we are learning that we can be entertained all the time and instantly gratified. Children these days seem to be more hyperactive with the constant stimulus. As soon as they are doing something that isn’t related to Internet games or texting friends, they become “bored”. However, times are changing and there will always be something new and different that will challenge our culture. There are many benefits to technology in our daily lives and if people really do feel concerned about the overused of it, then we need to learn to balance. As far as technology in the schools, we can’t allow it to consume the way we teach but we could use it to reach our students. Either way, in any aspect of life, there needs to be healthy balance.
The impact of technology on adolescences and our society truly is an issue that needs to be address. I agreed with many aspects that were brought up in the video, for example cyber bulling, inappropriate images and materials, are issues that we need to talk to our students about. I felt it was extremely funny when the lady was giving a lecture about Internet predators and how you should “STOP, BLOCK, and TELL”. Instead of learning about “stop, drop and roll”, children these days are “Blocking”.
Overall, I felt the general view on technology was very negative. To a certain extent, the dependence on technology is not a good thing because we are learning that we can be entertained all the time and instantly gratified. Children these days seem to be more hyperactive with the constant stimulus. As soon as they are doing something that isn’t related to Internet games or texting friends, they become “bored”. However, times are changing and there will always be something new and different that will challenge our culture. There are many benefits to technology in our daily lives and if people really do feel concerned about the overused of it, then we need to learn to balance. As far as technology in the schools, we can’t allow it to consume the way we teach but we could use it to reach our students. Either way, in any aspect of life, there needs to be healthy balance.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Assignment...
I found the Frontline video incredibly pertinent and interesting. In many ways I related to what these adolescents were experiencing in immersing themselves in their own personal universe through the Internet. I can say with certainty that I still experience that “immersion” today. It is my escape from the monotony at times and can be a kind of release to converse in and surf through the Internet. I found that the parents were a little irrational and tended to overreact to the situation the kids are in. It feels to be a matter of fearing what they do not understand. Also it seems to me that the adolescents are more aware of the dangers that lurk than the parents themselves and yet they are not given the opportunity to prove that they do. It is a matter of trust, understanding, and communication, something that obviously was not going on in some of the families. The internet is a place for self discovery and a place to create who they are as unique individuals, and I feel that I wholly understand an respect that within certain limitations.
Response 1
There are many ways that teenagers use computer technology and the internet as positive means of personal expression and exploration. The internet provides adolescents with a much-needed place to voice their opinions, socialize with peers, and express their ever-changing identities. Unfortunately it is also a very powerful and complex tool that can all but take over an adolescent's life. Many of the teens in the video described the internet as "addicting". Several of the older teens worry about whether or not they could survive without it, since they are so used to being online all the time. Like the parents in the video, this concerned me.
I'm not saying that teenagers shouldn't have myspace or facebook accounts. (I have both!), But I do feel that they need to be made aware of the possible repercussions and negative consequences of exposing too much about themselves online. They need to know that living their life as on open book is simply not safe.
The bottom line is that the internet is here and it's not going away. It is not a passing fad. But parents and educators need to realize that adolescents are not "victims" of the internet, but rather willing, active participants. The world they have created online is very real to them, because they themselves have created it. What is dangerous is when an individual lives their entire life on line, and loses touch with reality.
I'm not saying that teenagers shouldn't have myspace or facebook accounts. (I have both!), But I do feel that they need to be made aware of the possible repercussions and negative consequences of exposing too much about themselves online. They need to know that living their life as on open book is simply not safe.
The bottom line is that the internet is here and it's not going away. It is not a passing fad. But parents and educators need to realize that adolescents are not "victims" of the internet, but rather willing, active participants. The world they have created online is very real to them, because they themselves have created it. What is dangerous is when an individual lives their entire life on line, and loses touch with reality.
weekly response
As someone who has spent there fair share of time on the internet, and who is guilty of communicating regularly by it with friends, it’s hard not to feel a little bit like the kids they interviewed in some cases. The freedom to allow teenagers who are social outcasts in some cases, who are trapped in a community that doesn’t understand them and ridicules them for their differences based on social norms expected of them. I see the internet as an undeniable window of communication to ease their anger and sadness, by their ability to reach out and find other people who perhaps share the same interests as them and give them a chance to interact with peers who will accept those differences.
Which is not to say I think that they should be allow uncontrolled access or have no safety measures taken to ensure that they don’t end up getting involved with people who might hurt them. But from what I saw I felt a lot of the parents they spoke to in some cases were being crazily over protective, and ignoring their teenagers rights to privacy completely. Self destructive teenagers are going to be self destructive with or with out the help of the internet, and treating them like prisoners isn’t going to change that. They will always find another way to do it, or get more and more secretive of it.
Which is not to say I think that they should be allow uncontrolled access or have no safety measures taken to ensure that they don’t end up getting involved with people who might hurt them. But from what I saw I felt a lot of the parents they spoke to in some cases were being crazily over protective, and ignoring their teenagers rights to privacy completely. Self destructive teenagers are going to be self destructive with or with out the help of the internet, and treating them like prisoners isn’t going to change that. They will always find another way to do it, or get more and more secretive of it.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Week 1 Response
Although I am not surprised by how much time a lot of teenagers spend online and on their phones texting, as opposed to having face-to-face interactions with each other, I do find it somewhat depressing. A serious disconnect exists between people when all their interactions are filtered through a computer screen or a cell phone. Young people could be using their time in much more productive and enriching ways. However, I don't think this problem is unique to teenagers. Everywhere you look people have their iphones, blackberries, or whatever in their hands, texting, sending emails, or just playing around. There exists this need to constantly be connected to some form of electronic communication. Teenagers, by nature, tend to be borderline obsessive about certain trends and fads and in this case seem to be leading by example. While it is clearly a problem, I wonder if the whole issue is being over dramatized or sensationalized in this video. Teenagers are certainly secretive and parents cannot constantly monitor what the children are doing, but the video makes it seem like the parents are completely helpless and overwhelmed in the face of electronic communication. While the video is informative and raises some important questions, it seems that it has focused on the extreme end of this issue.
As far as what this means for teachers, I think it is important to keep up to date with advancements in technology, however, there should still be room for traditional teaching practices. Again, it seems that there must be some sort of disconnect between students and teacher when the entire class is being lead over the computer. I wonder how much quality interaction can occur when students are staring at a computer screen the entire class while a teacher is lecturing. At the same time, it would be foolish to completely write off computers and technology and have no knowledge on how to use them nowadays. The internet and computers in general can be useful learning tools, but their use should be monitored. There is just as much useless junk on the web as there is educational information. I was most disturbed when one of the boys interviewed said that he does not read books and completely relies on sparknotes. I find that pathetic, but how can we go about solving a problem like that?
As far as what this means for teachers, I think it is important to keep up to date with advancements in technology, however, there should still be room for traditional teaching practices. Again, it seems that there must be some sort of disconnect between students and teacher when the entire class is being lead over the computer. I wonder how much quality interaction can occur when students are staring at a computer screen the entire class while a teacher is lecturing. At the same time, it would be foolish to completely write off computers and technology and have no knowledge on how to use them nowadays. The internet and computers in general can be useful learning tools, but their use should be monitored. There is just as much useless junk on the web as there is educational information. I was most disturbed when one of the boys interviewed said that he does not read books and completely relies on sparknotes. I find that pathetic, but how can we go about solving a problem like that?
Growing up Online
Computers will begin to shape us as much as we've seemed to shape them. They are a medium themselves as well as recursive way of finding resources. I think they are pretty much external brains that make it less important to plan ahead and store information but that isn't the topic is it? It's about how they are replacing parents influence, fulfilling a fantasy life where cyber-fame can replace "real world" fame. They are a vehicle that creates alienation as they simultaneously cure alienation by becoming the virtual form of a global community.
They are the symbol of postmodernity. Exploitation will always happen at least their is a traceable code that supports evidence of a crime if one should happen. People need to be informed of the serious consequences of revealing too much personal information online. What seems especially difficult is that it is hard to know what types of security you can trust. I wish there was one security program that you could test on every site you are asked to put down your social security number or whatnot . It will be a dangerous world if our dependency on the internet goes too far. Honestly though, I don't know what to think about the internet because it thinks for me so much of time.
They are the symbol of postmodernity. Exploitation will always happen at least their is a traceable code that supports evidence of a crime if one should happen. People need to be informed of the serious consequences of revealing too much personal information online. What seems especially difficult is that it is hard to know what types of security you can trust. I wish there was one security program that you could test on every site you are asked to put down your social security number or whatnot . It will be a dangerous world if our dependency on the internet goes too far. Honestly though, I don't know what to think about the internet because it thinks for me so much of time.
Video Response
Each part of the video was interesting and thought provoking. I want to comment on the role of young adult's online existence in the classroom. I thought it was interesting to hear two different perspectives from teachers. One teacher spoke of feeling out of touch with the technology that her students are so accustomed to. Another teacher, who seemed to have more technological abilities, is willing to accept the changing atmosphere of the classroom as a result of advancing technology. He brought up the point that for students to walk into a classroom without technology must feel like walking into a desert.
This is a complicated issue with many sides. I feel as though educators must find a balance in the middle. A teacher who uses a computer as a resource in the classroom may better connect with students, but at the same time I feel it is important for students to take a break from the fast paced world of technology and get back to basics. It is scary to think of young adults not reading books like they used to. Also frightening is the issue of online cheating. With so many issues already facing teachers today, this adds another complicated area. What constitutes cheating now as compared to when we ourselves we in grade school? How can we monitor student work with so many websites giving shortcuts or even answers?
technology?
I was honestly a little disturbed by the "Growing up online" video. I did not realize how much time and energy teenagers spend on the Internet; it's scary. Besides all the cyber-bulling and chatrooms that promote anorexia and other taboos, the Internet can be a great tool to capture student's attention in the classroom. I think smart boards, computers, and classroom blogs are a great way to keep the attention of students as well as incorporate their life style in the homework. However, i do feel that we should still keep some traditional education styles to enhance students listening, reading, writing, and attention span abilities. For example sparknotes.com is completely unacceptable and teachers should read the sites information on their assigned book to catch students that are cheating. Also class discussions and interactions with one another is still very important in the everyday world and should continue in the classroom to build people skills. It is scary that the Internet is such a huge part of everyday life, even for adults. Is it necessary to have the internet on our cell phones? I feel that people spend more time talking to each other through technology and hardly any time interacting with each other in person.
Video
It’s scary to me how little control parents can have these days over their children. Our generation may understand the computer more than the previous one, however, know matter how much we know or think we know there will always be a bit of catch up that we too have to play. We can only hope to teach our children to respect themselves so that they can make wise decisions about what they want to publish about themselves. The tighter a parent wants to control their children it seems the more the children always want to rebel. At its very core however, adolescence is the same from generation to generation - children are struggling with their identity and trying to find ways to express themselves – while the surrounding environment changes around them. Regardless of technology, eating disorders, insecurities, the need for attention, all present themselves in many ways. There are human emotions and cues that should not be ignored and can be found outside cyberspace.
Homework
The Frontline video was a little scary for me because I feel as though technology is moving so fast and I am not moving as fast. I do feel as though the article was biased toward one type of adolescent personality. Some use technology more than others and it seemed as though the interviewers primarily focused on those who were overtly attentive to technology. Overall I am happy to be taking this class to learn more about computers because I know I will have students such as the ones in the film who will be much more computer savvy than myself.
Homework
I found some of the issues that were brought up in this video to be rather interesting. Though some of the things discussed do not seem to be very relevant in my opinion. One thing they reference often is that they refer to the first generation to grow up with the internet as a world completely separate from their parents. I think that while this may be an issue for that particular generation, it won’t be a significant issue for very long. I was 13 or 14 before I got internet, but at this point I am well versed in its use and I believe that the generation that my children will be a part of will not have that problem. While they may not use myspace, and facebook, I think that I will have the capacity to learn and understand their internet activities as my parents generation could not. The generation that they refer to in this context will certainly be less naive about the internet that their parents. A lot of the same problems will probably exist but there will be a base for understanding on the part of the parents as well. The generation of parents emerging from the first internet generations will be able to communicate ideas about this technology and through it, and will generally be more aware.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Response: Growing up online
I wonder where the line will be for future generations in regards to what intimate things they will allow the general public to see? Living almost my entire adolescence with instant messenger, the internet and blogs at my discretion, I could relate to a lot of the student's accounts of it being essential to their social existence. When you are scrambling to be accepted, find some semblance of yourself and survive the everyday droll of being a teenager, the internet is a place where you can instantly find connections. The level of discretion that many of the students seem to lack in their filtering of what they post or say on the internet is really hard to grasp.
It also seems like many of them understand the possible repercussions of these illicit images, videos, etc. and choose to post them anyway. I wonder if in the future it will be the norm for people to have this type of thing floating around in caches and it would not hinder employment or anything of the sort in their lives. Instead of running around trying to stop or monitoring the students maybe parents and schools should set up their own sites to help mediate things. There could be websites or forums used to unite students, connect them, help them organize things and work out problems while at school. This may allow a student who is being bullied to maybe use their own form of communication to reach out for help to their school community or counselor's office.
Jenna
Growing up Online
Adolescents today are active participants in a culture that centers on the internet. Those who did not have the internet when they were young may not understand the lifestyle of a generation that has grown up using it regularly and for hours at a time. It is easy to pinpoint a number of things about the internet that makes life as a teenager increasingly dangerous, but as was stated during “Growing up Online,” the internet is a permanent fixture in modern society. As future educators we need to be able to understand students’ attachment to the internet, and to be able to give it a place in the classroom. Adolescents go online not only to keep in touch with friends from school, but also to find alternative ways to express themselves. Art teachers in particular need to respect students’ need for personal expression. In response to this, educators need to make it a priority to speak to students about safety online, and need to accept the internet's place in our society and in schools.
Growing Up Online
We live in a society where the internet is growing more and more every day. I remember when my family first got a computer, and we first go AOL. I was in middle school, and I was completely hooked. Every day after school I went online and met people from all over the US to talk to. Back then, digital cameras didn't come out yet, so it was more typing than uploading pictures. Now, I am still online, and I look at these younger generations, the generation of my brother and see the differences between what I did online and what they do online and its such a difference.
The internet has its good and bad factors. The internet is also here to stay, and its true we do need to learn how to adapt to an online society, especially when teaching. We need to constantly update ourselves and know what children are doing . Just like antibiotics, the fast food industry, and other battles the world has, the internet evolves us.
Response - Growing Up Online
After watching the Frontline video, I thought about my adolescent days. I felt that online was a place where parents could not go. My brother and I use to have a Xanga page, where we would blog about our days and so on. My father would find the link on his own computer and read it. He would tell my mom and she would ask us about what we have wrote, rather if it was good or not good. Since then, my borther and I would not write a lot on the xanga page because we knew that my dad would look at the site every day. When facebook came along, it was originally for only college students. And as the months and years went by, anyone could join. Just last year my dad had joined facebook. there was nowhere to hide. It may be annoying that he was able to get to all the internet sites that my brother and I were on. It was the only way for my parents to get updated on what was going on in our lives. I think because of this, mybrother and I were pretty conscience of what to put up online, that we did not want our paretns to see.
Response
I think the desire to broadcast oneself in ways others would consider private is definitely a trait unique to teenagers. These young girls who post pictures of themselves in a provocative way or a group of kids who post a video of drinking and vomiting are essentially going through a phase, even if it may seem stupid and irresponsible. It’s the same as reminiscing about shenanigans from your high school or college days. You might shake your head and say to yourself, “what was I thinking?” There’s no doubt that one day these kids will look back in embarrassment and also wonder what they were thinking. Making immature decisions and learning from them is part of being a teenager - the only difference is that these days, everyone sees it.
Like the report said, this technology isn’t going away. It’s important for parents to keep up with it and to help educate kids on being safe. Teenagers need to understand that anything they post online can be viewed by parents, colleges and potential employers. Hopefully arming them with the right knowledge will help them to make better choices.
Like the report said, this technology isn’t going away. It’s important for parents to keep up with it and to help educate kids on being safe. Teenagers need to understand that anything they post online can be viewed by parents, colleges and potential employers. Hopefully arming them with the right knowledge will help them to make better choices.
Resonpse - Growing Up Online
For me, the ideas expressed by Steve Maher and Parry Aftab were the most relevant to our experiences as teachers. Media and technology is a huge part of our student’s lives, and it is a loosing battle to take a stance against it. It almost seems against the nature of culture today to exclude technology from education. The trick is using technology in a way that is beneficial to the students and the teacher.
Maher also made an excellent point about how remembering information is not as important as accessing and assessing information. Part of our responsibilities as teachers using technology in the classroom is to educate students on how to access and use information. Furthermore, if teachers are going to be using technology I think it is important to discuss moral and ethical issues as related to the internet. For example, what should be kept private vs. what should be public? What are good practices for using information found on the web? What is needed is an open and ongoing discussion between students, teachers, and parents about how they use the internet for both social and educational purposes.
I was also struck by something that Eve Skinner said in her follow-up interview. Eve questioned how the prevalence of technology in young peoples lives is affecting their sense of being in the moment; they are going through life as viewers and not as participants. It is now more important to record an event than partake in it. I think this issue is real, and needs to be addressed. How do we get students to reflect on the value of an experience as an active participant when it has become the norm to be a viewer?
Maher also made an excellent point about how remembering information is not as important as accessing and assessing information. Part of our responsibilities as teachers using technology in the classroom is to educate students on how to access and use information. Furthermore, if teachers are going to be using technology I think it is important to discuss moral and ethical issues as related to the internet. For example, what should be kept private vs. what should be public? What are good practices for using information found on the web? What is needed is an open and ongoing discussion between students, teachers, and parents about how they use the internet for both social and educational purposes.
I was also struck by something that Eve Skinner said in her follow-up interview. Eve questioned how the prevalence of technology in young peoples lives is affecting their sense of being in the moment; they are going through life as viewers and not as participants. It is now more important to record an event than partake in it. I think this issue is real, and needs to be addressed. How do we get students to reflect on the value of an experience as an active participant when it has become the norm to be a viewer?
Response: Growing Up Online
I think it’s very important for teachers and parents to embrace the fact that kids are growing up online, while arming the students with knowledge about how to be safe and responsible. I believe that the generation gap and lack of understanding of the importance of the student’s online identity is what leads to the most danger. With open communication between adults and children, the internet can offer creative outlets for young people that were not available when I was an adolescent. The girl, Jess, who created Autumn Edows represents an entire population of young people. I would be curious to know whether she considered herself an artist or took art classes at the school. Myspace gave her the opportunity to be a photographer, actress, makeup artist and model. The online age is combating the idea that only certain artists can define the period and end up in museums and books. Now, anyone can display personal artwork, receive feedback by the public and even become famous because of it. The artistic self-expression happening on social networking sites provides a great opportunity for art teachers to incorporate this interest into the classroom. To me, profile photos are similar to CD covers and I would love to create an art lesson about it. Online profiles can spark ideas for lessons about the different types of self-portraits, personal symbols, photography collections, graphic design and creative writing. I see this as an age that is opening a lot of doors for art education.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
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