My Take on "Life on the Screen"

While reading James Daly's article, Life on the Screen: Visual Literacy in Education, I noticed myself either nodding my head up and down or saying "ehh" out loud as well.  The article turns into a questionnaire with George Lucas, a famous filmmaker and his take on education.  What really grabbed my attention was when Lucas was asked " What do students need to be learning that they're not?"  The first thing was " They need to understand a new language of expression."  He is referring to visuals and I think it was a very interesting and enriching way to put it.  I agree that technology is something wonderful and should most certainly be used in the classroom.  However, my "ehh" reaction comes in where Lucas seems to think these things are not being utilized in the classrooms.  He makes a comment about how the teaching is still done in a style representing the 19th century, and though that holds true to most every day to day class,  technology is certainly advancing our classrooms in every subject of every grade level.  It's just not applicable in every lesson.  Lucas even brings math into perspective; after doing 3 technological lesson plans tailored to high school math assignments, it is a great tool - but I could never incorporate visual technology into ever lesson I teach.  It's just not logical.

Coming from a visual learner, it is extremely important to show the students in creative and technological way.  Just like Lucas explained, students need to learn and understand what is appropriate, what sets the mood of something.  Students need to understand emotion and explore the arts.  But it seems as though because we still do math with a pencil and paper, and because students still take notes during lecture that he thinks technology is not being implemented in the class, but it is.  And I know it is, because I've been a student for 17 years now and I have experienced a number of devices and technology in the classroom.  I have been given the chance to explore the arts and find my passion.  So I think we are listening to Lucas, because it's already happening.