Blog 4

After reading the article "Teaching Students to Use the Internet as a Research Tool", I was left in a pensive mood. I thought about how much of an impact technology has on students to help guide them on learning the foundation of skills that will later benefit them their educational career. For example, in my private high school, it was a requirement that for each class when given a research assignment or essay, the teacher had to take the class to the computer lab and show us the proper web sites and tools for our papers. After the computer presentation, we were then taken to the library to be shown how to do the same research but with documents, articles, and books. When given the time to work individually on the assignment, many of the students, myself included, went to the computers to do our research. Looking back, you would think it would have been easier to just walk over and find a book to research, but no. It is and was much easier to simply search though reliable links to find information. In addition, it was much easier to write the paper and do the proper citing, that to this day, has benefited me as a college student. From this memory, the article proved to me as with my experience, that technology research is imperative for students to know. It is highly important for students to know which websites are reliable and which are not. It is a necessity to educate students the basic foundation of researching, since in the article, many students are not properly educated how to search properly on the web. As a future teacher, it must be a priority to give students the information on how to go to basic search engines or to even check the ending suffix to see if its a credible source. This article opened my eyes as to realizing that it is important for me to explain to students every detail of looking at authors, addresses, dates, origin, source,etc. so it may give students the basic foundation of proper scholarly writing. By doing so, it will save me and future teachers the problem of originality and plagiarisms, and give students the lifelong tools to being excellent writers and online researchers.



After doing and learning the Excel program, i was completely pumped to use it as a teacher. The benefit of learning how to be organized and on top of all the students' individual scores. It made everything seem so much easier, quicker, and professional. I was so amazed by this program, that i even went home and showed my dad, who is a principal in L.A. I told him how he could teach his teachers how to use it so it could benefit them as a school. He too loved the idea! Thanks professor!

Blog 3

After reading the article, i was very impressed on how much effect technology has on students. Before, i thought the computer was a way to give the students something to do, an easy activity for both the teacher and students. After reading, my perspective changed. Last year, i worked in a Kindergarten classroom, where as part of a 'center' was to be on the computer and chose a program to do. Many of the students who used it were ones who had Spanish as a second language. The program they did helped them learn basic words and concepts by having them choose the appropriate picture. This experience was further enforced by this article, because it is a prime example of the many benefits technology has on students. The student was able to teach him/herself through problem solving and being independant." Problem solving required students to do more than memorizing facts...[it] manipulates geometric constructions and test conjectures,then revise their strategy and refine their own understanding (pg. 9)." This new way of problem solving is much more efficient because it keeps the student active and engaged. My experience and the article further reassured the idea that technology is a huge contributor to the learning process. It gives the student and teacher opportunities to both benefit.

R.W.K.

Rikki Wemega-Kwawu
I loved his colors and his ability to use abstracts. He uses pictoral and abstract themes, that draw the viewer to gaze and use his or her own imagination. He has no restrictions and to me, his work is inspiration becasue he has no professional schooling and is self taught. His work is complex and very detailed. The details represent African decor and i love the titles he has for each...because you are able to focus on the title which takes you to emotion or idea he wishes to portray.

K.A.

Kwardo Ari
When i saw this artist at, i was very touched bby his inspiration to paint. his childlike paintings are made to expose his attitude and views about society. he chooses to paint child like, especially since his name Ari means eyes. His name causes him to portray the world around as big,well aware eyes yet sincerity and the honesty of a young child. His inspiration to paint is also to promote and teach about socail injustice and abuse of power, while also showing small gestures can lead towards love. I love the colors of his painting and the childlike drawing.

J.C.

james Cudjoe
This artist is from Ghana, and paints to depict important memories he in visions while growing up. His use of bright colors exposes a bold vibe of the busy rushed life in an urban area. My two favorite pieces he made were done to pay homage to his hometown and mother. 'Human Life' has a busy life of a city, depicting the difficulties of surviving day to day from the profits at market. Just as in 'market Woman', J.C. paints to pay homage to his mother, who would everyday go to market to sell things in order to pay for his schooling. His painting captures the feelings of happiness and excitement after being successful at the market. If it had not been for his mother, J.C. would have never had such inspiration to paint such beauties.

K.N.

kobinu Nayarko
He painted a colorful and eye poping picture of fishmolded together in a wave motion. This painting stood out to me, simply for the fact that the artist loves to paint elements of the coastal area. This native who was raised by the coast, loves to depict the ocean and all the characteristics the coast symbolize in his village: source of food, wealth, adeventure, moral sancution, serenity, life, and inspiration. In Workshop II, K.N. uses the fish to represent recognition of the natural wonders of subaquatic world as expressions of divinity. I love the colors and how abstract the fish are positioned.

Balboa Park & Muesum of Man: Part II

On Sunday, my mom came down to visit me, and in order to enjoy our time together, i planned for the day to go down to the Healing Festival at Balboa Park. She had never been there before and i thought it would be really cool to show her around S.D. The previous times that i have gone to Balboa Park, it strongly reminded me of this similar park in Mexico City, where my mom used to take me, Chapultepec. It has a castle from the era when Napoleon invaded Mexico City. The castle is well kept and is surrounded by nature, as are the museums at Balboa Park. The museums here have a gorgeous exterior, which in my mind remind me of that park. Haha...so anyhow back to the story (lol).The Festival was really interesting because their was a bunch of booths set up with a bunch of organic and healthy foods and techniques on how to live a more 'earthly way' of living. The vibes i got there reminded me almost of a hippie manner of living life, just like they live in San Fransisco. My brother goes to Berkley and every time i go up there, i feel like everyone lives life like that since residents there are more liberal and take extreme measures to support their values. At the festival, the sounds of a children's drum circle could be heard while visitors stood in line for complementary messages and yoga lessons. Food was being sold, which again was all organic or ethnically versatile. After eating a veggie hot dog and grubbing on kettle corn, we sat by the stage to hear various artists and singers perform while along the side, gypsy-like girls danced passionately and fluently with hula hoops. Children and other girls joined in, looking like a bunch of Greek myth nymphs dancing and frolicking around in the outdoors. As the day got later, the vibe of the festival slowly converted to a reggae one, where a bunch of guys had dreadlocks and the sound of Rastafarian music took place. It was a very interesting experience that was concluded with a quick visit to the Museum of Man for my earth science class. While i was there, the museum had an exhibition with various art exhibitions. The idea of killing two birds with one stone was genius, having completed two tasks for two classes with one visit. Yes! =D