For this weekly blog posting your topic is:

1. Click on these links and explore the sites:

http://www.adobe.com/education/k12/adsc/

http://www.apple.com/education/

2. Find one resource from each site that you would use in your art classroom in the future.

Be sure to include the active url hyperlink in your blog specific to contect you would use.

3. Explain how you would use each resource in your classroom.

http://www.adobe.com/education/instruction/teach/acrobat-curriculum.html

I chose this link because I think it is essential for students to become technologically advanced as our society does as well. I also think it is important for the teacher to create an open resource for students to access and use for communication. The idea of using a program to help students create and organize and access their portfolio is a great resource. I can personally use this tool to look over and review students work in an easy, organized fashion. Also, I would be able to create my own lesson plans the students would be able to access anywhere on a computer. I know from experience this can make such a difference when students miss class or need to review the material once more. Overall, I think this resource can be very helpful for my students and me.

http://www.apple.com/education/teachers-professors/online-tutorials.html

I think this link is an excellent resource for teachers. Learning how to create online accessible sites for students to become part of opens an entirely different learning center for the children. Learning how to plan and organize, collaborate and communicate, and managing classroom work flow seem to me to be three essential elements to running an effective and efficient classroom. I would definitely use all of this tutorials to learn how to create an online learning center for my students. I would do this in attempts to benefit my students and myself.

Blog 11

A. How did you decide which blog to review?

I chose to review Christina's and Cynthia's blogs because I know them and I thought they might have great blogs to look at!

B. Why did you select the individual posting to comment on?

For both, I chose to pick their self-portrait blogs because I found these to be most interesting to look at and review. I really enjoyed finding examples of self-portraits an reviewing their sites gave me a great opportunity to see more!

C. How could you use a Blog in your classroom as a communication tool? If not, why not?

I think using a blog in a classroom would be a wonderful communication tool! Students would be able to communicate with eachother in a structured format. They could be monitored and it would be a great way to share ideas and keep in touch throughout a class if perhaps someone might have missed or are behind in their work. Creating a way for the students to become more in touch is a great tool in a classroom.

Parental Involvement

From the RSS feeds you set up in class, select 2 quality feeds that relate to:
• the importance of parental involvement in eduation
• communication tools that educators can use with parents/guardians
• what/why/how/where/when of communication between educators and parents/guardians

Discuss your opinion on how you could use this information in your K-12 art classroom.

http://englishcompanion.ning.com/profiles/blogs/three-basic-steps-towards

I think this link explains effectively the importance of parental involvement in their children's lives. It is ultimately the parent's job to become and stay involved. Typically, children will not reach out and this is why it is essential for parents to be aware of their responsibilites and the positive outcome their involvement can have.
It is also important for educators to establish a firm line of communication with parents to keep parents informed about their childrens success, problems, obstacles, etc. I believe important tools to be used can be weekly newsletters, email, phone, more time and effort. This of course may not necessarily be practical for some teachers, but if the students best interest is truely in hand, it should not matter the time and effort put forth, because that will only result in positive outcomes.


http://www.arttherapyblog.com/videos/movie-highlights-kids-with-disabilities-and-art-therapy/
This site doesn't specifically point out the relationship between educators and parents but to look deeper into the meaning behind this idea, it is relevant that the effort and compassion put towards something can have amazing outcomes. This one individual teacher made a huge impact on these childrens lives, and I think this is a prime example of the positive results involvement can have on a child and this can be multiplied when both educators and parents both alike are contributing. Art Therapy can not only be conducted in a school setting but at home as well, and parents can become part of their childrens success. Art can be a wonderful outlet for unsettling emotions and children with disabilities can use this as their own personal outlet.

I personally would love to work with children with disabilities. Using art as a communication tool can be very successful when used correctly. I hope someday to use those tools in my classroom while also making a great effort to keep parents informed and involved in their children's lives.