Having completed the ELPC course and taken part in professional practical placement I have a different view on what it means to be a successful educator and what aspects I still need to develop to be the quality teacher that strive to be.
One of the biggest realizations was the fact that what works in theory or in my head may not work in practice. I now know that you can plan a lesson for hours on end and then step in the classroom and think, "oh no this isn't going to work' or the students whip through it reluctantly for 5 minutes then demand to move on. It has become evident through my professional practical placement to be flexible and get to know the students on a more personal level to gauge what they are interested in and what learning styles they have. I also learnt that what might work on my computer might not work on theirs! I learnt this the hard way. After spending a weekend putting together slides for a smartboard presentation, most of the sides did not work on their computer. I spent my lunchtime going crazy on the computer trying to find appropriate replacement images. This incident has shown that when working with technology don't take if for granted that it will work every time. Plan ahead and have a practice run through so if any problems occur you have time to fix them.
There are still some gaps in my knowledge and I have become aware of what I still need to develop in my teaching. I need to keep up to date with ICT developments and study how I can use smartboards to their greatest potential, rather then just using them as a presentation tool, how can I get the students to engage and interact. I am taking steps to stay up to date by following art educators blogs, so anything new and helpful to my teaching that comes up I am informed of straight away. I have seen the possibilities of using ICT in the visual arts classroom from online diaries to learning new techniques in online tutorials and interactive games. My aim is now to refine my methods of integrating them into units of work effectively and not as a random add on. They can be used to not only educate but also as a tool for classroom management, an aspect of teaching I still need to develop from research into theory and practice.
The units studied in the ELPC course have provided me with information on how to use them in my teaching and made me aware of the issues surrounding their use. By listening to lectures and having hands on practice and investigation in computer lab work I have gained the confidence to use ICT to support my teaching. As mentioned in previous posts the network of support in this course and sharing ideas and issues amongst peers has helped me develop my approach in incorporating ICT. I will use it as a portal to information and as an interactive and engaging tool relevant to the students needs and working methods.
I have come away from this course informed and inspired to teach visual arts using practices that incorporate ICT.
