A Successful Change Agent

New and emerging technologies offer so many exciting opportunities for business and education, yet the potential of technology is as effective as the individual who is using it. While I feel that it is very important to stay abreast of emergent technology and to explore the possibilities that it might have on our future, my real interest will always be the creative ways in which we can integrate and utilize these machines. In education, this means using technology daily, in innovative ways, to prepare students to be responsible, productive adults in the 21st century. Schools to be equipped with adequate technology on a limited budget; therefore, we need to find economical ways to keep schools up to date. Yet, I feel the need to reiterate…. Technology is just a tool; it is the human running the machine that makes the difference. That is why my primary focus will always be on the most effective learning experience that the machine is capable of offering students.

In visual arts, one of the most compelling uses of technology is digital storytelling. “Imagine a learning experience, supported and extended by the application of technology, that empowers students to create and contribute, all within the context of what they are expected to know and be able to do in the 21st century. Imagine that this learning experience provides students a compelling and competitive voice and enlarges the boundaries of their ability to communicate, potentially with a worldwide audience. This learning experience is digital storytelling.” (Retrieved August 7, 2009, from http://www.jakesonline.org/storytelling.htm ) There is always a story to tell, and students must learn how to communicate their stories using the tools available to them. Visual arts is becoming an integral part of communicating on the computer monitor today, and will certainly be a part of future communication. In our “flattened” world, students will need to know how to artfully communicate, and technology will be the means with which to do so.

Jakes, D. (2006, December 29). Capturing Stories, Capturing Lives: An Introduction to Digital Storytelling. Retrieved August 7, 2009, from http://www.jakesonline.org/storytelling.htm