Blog Post #3

    Understanding copyright and fair use is crucial in the classroom, both for my own instructional materials and for guiding students in creating their own work. I plan to teach my students proper citation and formatting, ensuring they respect intellectual property while also encouraging their creativity. However, I wonder how I can effectively check their understanding—especially when they use their own sources. Is judgment my only tool for assessing authenticity, or are there better ways to ensure originality beyond traditional plagiarism checkers? These questions linger as I work toward fostering a classroom culture of ethical and original work.


    Lack of funding is a significant issue in public school art programs, making it difficult for students to access quality materials. As a sculpture student, I often spend upwards of $250 per project for wood and steel, which is not feasible for most students. To work within a limited budget, I plan to incorporate large quantities of affordable or recycled materials. For example, students could use recycled cardboard as a base, finishing their sculptures with plaster to add durability and surfacing. Another option is creating forms with wire and glue while repurposing old paper. One of the best things about art is that it can be made from nearly anything - all you need is a way to hold it together. By emphasizing resourcefulness, I hope to show students that powerful creative expression doesn’t have to come with a high price tag.


    I believe AI can be an incredible tool when used correctly, enhancing students' understanding and expanding their perspectives. In sculpture, having a clear vision of a final product is important, and AI can assist in problem-solving - especially in figuring out structural support or refining designs. However, I don’t think AI should be used for creative ideation. It can generate ideas, but true artistic expression should come from within. My biggest concern is students becoming overly reliant on AI and losing confidence in their own creative abilities. I want to encourage its use as a supplement, not a replacement, for original thought.


    Working on the Newsletter Design assignment challenged me to navigate Word’s formatting tools, but I found using the browser version particularly frustrating. It limited my ability to freely place icons and drawings, which made it difficult to achieve the polished layout I envisioned. If the platform had functioned more smoothly, I would have explored design elements more extensively. Since I don’t plan on teaching younger students, the assignment felt less relevant to my future goals, though I did gain experience in formatting documents. Adapting the project to a 10th-grade sculpture class made it more engaging for me, and while I may not use newsletters often in my career, the skills in structuring content and creating professional-looking documents will still be valuable.

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