My dream job would be one just like the one I have, only one with an adequate arts budget, and one that values the arts a bit more. I haven’t received arts materials in three semesters, and have shelling out the supplies on my own time and budget, with the hopes of being reimbursed. I also dream of cart filled with Macbooks, fully equip with the latest version of Adobe CS , where I could show students how to create online portfolios, digital video, and sound compositions.
Teaching in the visual arts is challenging because so much of what we do involves consumables and shoe-string budgets... it can be all too much sometimes I can say as a fellow art educator. Going paperless in many art rooms would provide students with many of the skills they need to be successful in our world... it would benefit them both personally and professionally to be technologically savvy.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. It is our responsibility as educators to stay as far ahead of the curve in preparing our students for the future, and unfortunately many schools are doing a terrible job in equipping students with the technological skills they need for the future under the auspices of budget crises. Our students' ingenuity and future survival in an ever-international job market could be disastrous without the proper training and tools to assist them in their development as learners. Though individuals who see school budgets in red and black may think your dream is not feasible in the current economy, one would think that those that control NYC public schools (who have lately have come from a business background) would have a keen understanding that the cost of up-to-date software and hardware are a worthy investment that will pay off in less than a decade when our students enter the job market.
ReplyDeleteI have heard people argue that technology is too costly for schools because of how quickly it needs to be updated, so why bother? But if students receive materials that are current and engaging, then they are more likely to see connections between content and its relevance to their own lives. Furthermore, students will be more likely to be driving forces in future technological innovations.
I share in your hope, and it is a disservice to our students that it has to be a dream for us.