There were many important ideas expressed in the two articles and video. I thought it was interesting to compare the three materials. The main ideas in each material tied together all three into a bigger picture. In the article, Media Literacy is Vital in the Age of the Image, the separate hemispheres of the brain are discussed in relation to learning. The left side of the brain processes information presented in the form of numbers and words and the right side is nonverbal side that processes images. The right side of the brain is becoming more important as we are exposed to constant ads, movies, tv, and media. Many experts believe, “the process by which we take in information is often more important than the information itself, and our culture must quickly adjust to a point where there is more of an equilibrium between the two hemispheres, between word and image.” This has led to a shift in educational thinking. Visual literacy has gained a new importance in school curriculum. We can see this shift in the curriculum at Bates Middle School. This middle school integrated art into their everyday curriculum; every teacher and subject now incorporates art into the classroom. This program has had magnificent results, suspension rates have dropped and achievement in reading and math has excelled.
Personally, I have never been in a similar classroom as the classrooms at Bates Middle School. Throughout my schooling art was always a separate class and rarely incorporated in my core classes such as math, science, and English. Luckily I went to a Liberal Arts high school so arts were highly valued, although they were not incorporated into the classroom. Ceramics, dance, theater, and digital media are just a few examples of the art classes students took.
Keeping the photo blog in EDIT 2000 is somewhat challenging to me because I have trouble keeping up with the assignments. I think the blog is very useful and helpful though. It has taught me how to manage time, connect with others through technology, and use creativity and images in school work. Overall it has been a new experience that has linked school and technology. I have enjoyed learning how to make a blog and use it to connect with others.
Sources:
http://www.edutopia.org/stw-arts-integration-video
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/visual-art-critical-thinking-andrew-miller
Campbell and Computer 
The fact that you went to a liberal arts high school is really awesome. I personally didn’t, so it is interesting to read about the types of classes you were exposed to.