I first found out about “Beyond Bits and Atoms” (BBA) from friends I made last semester in the course “Technology and School Change.” The course was only advertised to students that are in the MSTU major at Teachers College, which is why I did not plan on taking it before. The course was brought to Teachers College from Stanford after nine years of success. Many of the students that have went through the course went on to creating their own companies based on the final projects they developed in class. The course is about using creative technologies effectively in education, which I should note, is the most simplified description of the class I could come up with.
I was hoping that by taking this course, I would better understand how to use creative technologies so that I could relevantly use them in an art classroom. I find that the “new thing” for art education is to survive in education by using technology in the curriculum. By “survive” I mean that they are saved from being cut from schools. Whether it be because a school does not see the value of art, or because of budget evaluations. Many believe that revamping art education to include “21st century learning” (technology) will save them. But, there is also the issue of getting a budget to fund those new technologies. So, there are two aspects to consider. One, make sure that the technology being introduced is relevant to students’ learning, and not just for technologies sake. Second, to make sure that it is cost effective. With these considerations in mind, I hope that I find answers in this course and inquire more about technology in art education as I am exposed to more information.
Because of scheduling conflicts, I was not able to enroll officially, but I was given the opportunity to audit the course. The following posts will detail my journey and reflections in the class.