Everyone is going to want you on their team when the cohort creates videos in the Educational Technology class! I think you should definitely look into doing some work with Dr. Chris Greer, who teaches that class. The two of you have a lot in common. He came to technology through more of a graphic design/art kind of path. Considering the way the field of education is heading, I don't think it will be hard to combine your love of video and graphic design with teaching.
A question I have for you is, what do you think you've learned from your mother about what makes a great teacher and what the teaching profession is like? - Cyn
I think one of the most important things I have learned from my mom being a teacher is patience. Every student learns differently and a a different speed. Although she is an elementary school teacher, I know I can learn a lot from her that can be used with an older age group. I'm looking forward to talking with her more this year to find out what she thinks makes her an effective teacher!
You see to be quite passionate about technology. As an Art teacher do you think you might have any good ideas about how to work technology into the study of more traditional art forms?
That's a great question! And it really got me thinking more about it. I believe there are a lot of ways to combine technology with traditional art forms. One of the things I was thinking about would be having students do art blogs to document their work and process. They would also analyze different artists on their blogs amongst other things. Also, forms like claymation combine traditional sculpting techniques, photography, and some video-like editing styles. In the classroom, I could use videos and powerpoints to engage classroom learning. I'm so excited to be able to test out a few ideas as well as learn about many more!
Most definitely! I really enjoyed being the lab assistant for the mass comm department, and I always have in the back of my mind of maybe becoming a professor one day!
I loved reading your autobiography, Jenni! I know a lot of people have asked about technology in the classroom, but I'm really fascinated with your journalism background. Do you think that there is a prominent place for journalism in the classroom?
I do think there is a prominent place for journalism in the classroom! Journalism has many different styles and structures. With it, you are able to get people to think outside the box and write in a whole new way. The writing is very formulaic, which you can really observe if you watch the news or read the newspaper. The style can be seen across the media. Also, I find journalism interesting because you are almost like a detective--trying to figure out what the story is and what direction you want to take with it. Stories can be spun in different ways, and I think that's fascinating to think about.
Very cool autobiography! It was interesting to see your perspective from the other side of the art department- I took a few digital classes but never really got into it. I'm excited to work alongside you in class and see your take on being an art teacher.
My question is: While being in classes in the art department and experiencing all the very different teaching methods within it what will you take from these teachers into your own career? I feel that I got a taste of many very different teaching methods during my time spent there and am always curious as to what other students are thinking.
Well honestly, I only had two or three different teachers in the department, since all the digital classes were taught by the same professor. But what I liked most about his teaching style was the fact that he applied what we were doing in class to everyday life. He took his time, and really showed what we needed to do. With this, we were able to retain the information and apply it. Another one of the professors I had for art history made learning fun by cracking jokes, using visual aides, and really teaching us that art history isn't all that bad. We can learn so much from the masters of old, and apply it to art today. Art really hasn't changed that much over the years, other than the subjects artists focus on, and I think that's neat.
i enjoyed reading your autobiography, girl. thanks for sharing. i can relate to the part about you going down a path & then realizing it's not for you. i was all set to go to PT school, then i realized i needed something that kept me on my toes all the time. with teaching, that's pretty much guaranteed. i love the idea of my routine being unpredictable, whether it's a kid asking a question that ignites a debate or just feeding off classroom discussion & taking it a more in depth level of thinking. what excites you most about being in the classroom?
ps - i love dr. pepper, too! i guess we'll be all hyped up in class together, yah?
I think what excites me the most about being in the classroom is the fact that I will be making a difference in students lives. I look back on all the amazing teachers and professors that I have and am so thankful. I want to be a teacher where students go, "Wow, this is really cool!" And simply be excited about learning.
Oh and yes, I foresee us bonding much over the dr. Pepper. We can go out on midnight runs to the convenience store to grab some while pulling all-nighters!
I'm probably really lame when it comes to spending money since I'm more of a saver, but first I would pay off all my student loans, buy my mom the lake house she always wanted, buy an awesome new computer (I've always wanted an iMac!) and just save the rest.
Imagine: You the chair of the English dept at a High School (Journalism often falls under English). You have one particular teacher, been around quite a while and is well liked and effective (students achieve in his class and often score exemplary on standardized tests). BUT some of the students are starting to comment that his class is "boring" because it's just reading,, writing and discussion. There is no technology used in his classroom. At a faculty meeting, it comes out that because he isn't a fan of technology, and since he learned without technology, he doesn't see the need to use technology in his classroom. How do you proceed?
Great question! I understand that it is really hard for people who didn't grow up in a technology based environment to get into the practice of using it in the classroom. At my moms school, they gave all the teachers SmartBoards and my mom refused to use it because it was so difficult. I remember coming in with her for preplanning and sitting down with her to show her how to use it. But even if teachers are unfamiliar with technology doesn't mean they shouldn't use it! If the teacher is uncomfortable with it, maybe they could try out a few things that would get the students using it for assignments. They could act out scenes from their readings and film them, he could take them to the computer lab and have them rewrite a chapter from a novel (which would promote both creative writing and composition), or he could simply bite the bullet and try to learn a few technology things that can make his classroom interactive! I don't think some teachers realize that there are simple things they could do to promote technology!
Great Bio! I really enjoyed reading it. I recently have been interested in trying to make movies myself or write scripts for them. Do you ever write scripts for your movies or is it not in your interests?
I've written and produced several commercials for classes, but never a full on movie script. I normally leave those ideas to the more talented people who simply have a way with words! But I think it's so much fun to see a script come to life! I highly encourage you to try it out, and if you need any tips from me I'd be more than happy to help!
Hi Jenni, I'm pretty sure we have had a Rhetoric class together. Your picture looks familiar! I really enjoyed reading your story. I, too was a Mass Communication major. I was journalism, so I think it will be interesting to see how we can pull things from our major into our teaching strategies. You seem like a very creative person. Are you going to incorporate your creativity into your teaching style?
Of course! The more creative the better, that's my motto! There are so many things teachers can do to make their classrooms more creative and fun. With interesting projects, group activities, and other things, I'm hoping to get students to branch out from the norm and make learning fun.
Oh, and on a side note: I'm really excited that there's a fellow mass comm student in the program! I'm always interested in getting to know more about the journalism side. It'll be interesting to see what we have gained from our time in the mass comm program, and spread it into different directions (me with art and you with english).
Everyone is going to want you on their team when the cohort creates videos in the Educational Technology class! I think you should definitely look into doing some work with Dr. Chris Greer, who teaches that class. The two of you have a lot in common. He came to technology through more of a graphic design/art kind of path. Considering the way the field of education is heading, I don't think it will be hard to combine your love of video and graphic design with teaching.
ReplyDeleteA question I have for you is, what do you think you've learned from your mother about what makes a great teacher and what the teaching profession is like? - Cyn
I think one of the most important things I have learned from my mom being a teacher is patience. Every student learns differently and a a different speed. Although she is an elementary school teacher, I know I can learn a lot from her that can be used with an older age group. I'm looking forward to talking with her more this year to find out what she thinks makes her an effective teacher!
DeleteYou see to be quite passionate about technology. As an Art teacher do you think you might have any good ideas about how to work technology into the study of more traditional art forms?
ReplyDeleteThat's a great question! And it really got me thinking more about it. I believe there are a lot of ways to combine technology with traditional art forms. One of the things I was thinking about would be having students do art blogs to document their work and process. They would also analyze different artists on their blogs amongst other things. Also, forms like claymation combine traditional sculpting techniques, photography, and some video-like editing styles. In the classroom, I could use videos and powerpoints to engage classroom learning. I'm so excited to be able to test out a few ideas as well as learn about many more!
DeleteBlogging is actually a great idea. And I completely didn't think about claymation. Thanks!
DeleteI think it's so cool you had an "ah-ha" moment where you realized what you really wanted to do!
ReplyDeleteMy question for you is: Do you think you would ever, maybe, want to pursue teaching in the mass communication field?
Most definitely! I really enjoyed being the lab assistant for the mass comm department, and I always have in the back of my mind of maybe becoming a professor one day!
DeleteI loved reading your autobiography, Jenni! I know a lot of people have asked about technology in the classroom, but I'm really fascinated with your journalism background. Do you think that there is a prominent place for journalism in the classroom?
ReplyDeleteI do think there is a prominent place for journalism in the classroom! Journalism has many different styles and structures. With it, you are able to get people to think outside the box and write in a whole new way. The writing is very formulaic, which you can really observe if you watch the news or read the newspaper. The style can be seen across the media. Also, I find journalism interesting because you are almost like a detective--trying to figure out what the story is and what direction you want to take with it. Stories can be spun in different ways, and I think that's fascinating to think about.
DeleteVery cool autobiography! It was interesting to see your perspective from the other side of the art department- I took a few digital classes but never really got into it. I'm excited to work alongside you in class and see your take on being an art teacher.
ReplyDeleteMy question is: While being in classes in the art department and experiencing all the very different teaching methods within it what will you take from these teachers into your own career? I feel that I got a taste of many very different teaching methods during my time spent there and am always curious as to what other students are thinking.
Well honestly, I only had two or three different teachers in the department, since all the digital classes were taught by the same professor. But what I liked most about his teaching style was the fact that he applied what we were doing in class to everyday life. He took his time, and really showed what we needed to do. With this, we were able to retain the information and apply it. Another one of the professors I had for art history made learning fun by cracking jokes, using visual aides, and really teaching us that art history isn't all that bad. We can learn so much from the masters of old, and apply it to art today. Art really hasn't changed that much over the years, other than the subjects artists focus on, and I think that's neat.
Deletei enjoyed reading your autobiography, girl. thanks for sharing. i can relate to the part about you going down a path & then realizing it's not for you. i was all set to go to PT school, then i realized i needed something that kept me on my toes all the time. with teaching, that's pretty much guaranteed. i love the idea of my routine being unpredictable, whether it's a kid asking a question that ignites a debate or just feeding off classroom discussion & taking it a more in depth level of thinking. what excites you most about being in the classroom?
ReplyDeleteps - i love dr. pepper, too! i guess we'll be all hyped up in class together, yah?
I think what excites me the most about being in the classroom is the fact that I will be making a difference in students lives. I look back on all the amazing teachers and professors that I have and am so thankful. I want to be a teacher where students go, "Wow, this is really cool!" And simply be excited about learning.
DeleteOh and yes, I foresee us bonding much over the dr. Pepper. We can go out on midnight runs to the convenience store to grab some while pulling all-nighters!
What would be the first three things you did with one million dollars?
ReplyDeleteI'm probably really lame when it comes to spending money since I'm more of a saver, but first I would pay off all my student loans, buy my mom the lake house she always wanted, buy an awesome new computer (I've always wanted an iMac!) and just save the rest.
DeleteImagine: You the chair of the English dept at a High School (Journalism often falls under English). You have one particular teacher, been around quite a while and is well liked and effective (students achieve in his class and often score exemplary on standardized tests). BUT some of the students are starting to comment that his class is "boring" because it's just reading,, writing and discussion. There is no technology used in his classroom. At a faculty meeting, it comes out that because he isn't a fan of technology, and since he learned without technology, he doesn't see the need to use technology in his classroom. How do you proceed?
ReplyDeleteGreat question! I understand that it is really hard for people who didn't grow up in a technology based environment to get into the practice of using it in the classroom. At my moms school, they gave all the teachers SmartBoards and my mom refused to use it because it was so difficult. I remember coming in with her for preplanning and sitting down with her to show her how to use it. But even if teachers are unfamiliar with technology doesn't mean they shouldn't use it! If the teacher is uncomfortable with it, maybe they could try out a few things that would get the students using it for assignments. They could act out scenes from their readings and film them, he could take them to the computer lab and have them rewrite a chapter from a novel (which would promote both creative writing and composition), or he could simply bite the bullet and try to learn a few technology things that can make his classroom interactive! I don't think some teachers realize that there are simple things they could do to promote technology!
DeleteGreat Bio! I really enjoyed reading it. I recently have been interested in trying to make movies myself or write scripts for them. Do you ever write scripts for your movies or is it not in your interests?
ReplyDeleteI've written and produced several commercials for classes, but never a full on movie script. I normally leave those ideas to the more talented people who simply have a way with words! But I think it's so much fun to see a script come to life! I highly encourage you to try it out, and if you need any tips from me I'd be more than happy to help!
DeleteOh I forgot to mention in my bio that I have a website! It's www.jenniferannejensen.com feel free to check out some of my video/audio/digital work!
ReplyDeleteHi Jenni, I'm pretty sure we have had a Rhetoric class together. Your picture looks familiar! I really enjoyed reading your story. I, too was a Mass Communication major. I was journalism, so I think it will be interesting to see how we can pull things from our major into our teaching strategies. You seem like a very creative person. Are you going to incorporate your creativity into your teaching style?
ReplyDeleteOf course! The more creative the better, that's my motto! There are so many things teachers can do to make their classrooms more creative and fun. With interesting projects, group activities, and other things, I'm hoping to get students to branch out from the norm and make learning fun.
DeleteOh, and on a side note: I'm really excited that there's a fellow mass comm student in the program! I'm always interested in getting to know more about the journalism side. It'll be interesting to see what we have gained from our time in the mass comm program, and spread it into different directions (me with art and you with english).