I attended the high school teacher toolbox professional development day at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I got to spend the day with the art teachers in the district I was student teaching at and many others learning about AI and artwork displayed in the museum, and I took a collage class.

The first knowledge indicator from standard 9 is 9A. This standard states that it "evaluates best practices and research-based materials against benchmarks within the disciplines." During this day, there was a presentation and conversations around the use of AI in art. Is it using someone else's work and how can it be graded? AI is brand new and there is still lots to learn and try out in AI. It can be fun to see where students take off in this new medium, but there will be challenges in making the art original. This event had me and all the other teachers thinking about the future and all the changes in art.

I learned about AI in the art world and how it can be controversial with copyright and who made the decisions to create a change. I also learned a lot about the history behind creating collages. There are so many techniques and materials that can be used besides paper. I enjoyed creating my collage while learning from others, for example, by turning something typically 2D into 3D. 

The Connections event takes place every semester on campus at Trinity Christian College. During the event, we get the opportunity to speak with administrators and representatives from a variety of school districts in the area and out of state. We also participate in mock interviews and prepare our resumes.

Knowledge indicator 9D states "identifies paths for continuous professional growth and improvement, including the design of a professional growth plan." This event is designed to show professionalism and allow attendees to experience what the hiring process is like. Representatives from the schools are there to give advice and give examples of interview questions. Each time I have attended, I have made updates and changes to my resume and thought about what questions I would ask in my interviews.

Each time I go to this event, I learn more about the interviewing process and what many schools' art programs are like. My biggest takeaways are the questions that I have been asked during a mock interview. These questions are similar to those from other mock interviews and will translate to when I am applying for a teaching position.