Our facial expressions can tell someone a lot about how we feel about something or situations in our lives, sometimes even better than verbal communication. Being able to read these expressions and change the environment around us could help the human race acheive the goal of becoming monumentally more happy people. Throughout the article "Making Mona Lisa Smile," the author mentions many studies and facts relating to the Facial Action Coding System, which enables computers to identify human emotions. This would be very useful in the classroom because the studies shown have very intelligent figures present, the article includes a thourough explanation about how the FACS operates and succeeds, and how the technology could improve the willingness to learn and the ultimate goal of maintaining happiness.

First of all, in paragraph 6, the diction in the paragraph and the implementation of an interview with an intelligent figure relating to the product prove that this machine could make a vital difference in a classroom-style learning environment. For exmaple, author Nick D'Alto interviews Dr. and Prof. Thomas Huang of the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science at the University of Illinois. Dr. Huang works with other professors such as Nicu Sebe on the FACS, and in this pragraph he states many important facts about how computers could alter the learning environment based on how the student feels. Dr. Huang says, "A classroom computer could recognize when a student is becoming confused or bored. Then it could modify the lesson, like an effective human instructor."

Being able to modify a lesson for a single student rather than an entire group could make a huge difference. Rather than the teacher having to chage the whole lesson for the entire class, the computer could "read" and individual student's face and effectively personalize the lesson for that student alone. This technology could supply a much needed change to the sometimes ineffective teaching of an instructor.

Also, in paragraphs 7 and 8, detailed instructions are given on how the machine works and how it can detect fake emotions from real emotions. For example, at the end of paragraph 7, the author states the difference between the muscle movements in a real and fake smile. He then states how the machine looks for the muscle movements and formations of a real smile rather than those of a fake one. Also, in paragraph 8, even more examples of differences in muscle formation are used to show how the technology will in fact work in a classroom environment. The differences between a fake and real smile may seem like an easy task to distinguish in real life, and it may appear to be a problem for a machine. However, the information written by D'Alto from the interview with Dr. Huang show that the machine will have no problem distinguishing a real, genuine happy smile from a fake, intentionally deceiving grin. Therefore, a student could not effectively trick the machine into changing a lesson in a classroom environment.

Finally, in paragraph 9, a study on facial expressions and their relation to emotions is cited. In this study, many important ideas about feelings carried out by humans are stated with truthfulness and security. For example, the Facial Feedback Theory of Emotion states that moving your facial muscles can not only express emotions, but can even help produce them. This states that real emotions can occur from just making a face. Even if the person who was making the expression originally was not feeling that emotion, they may in fact feel that way after one small change in their expression. Also, the author references a "renowed drama coach," Constantin Stanislavsky, who states that he forced his actors to reproduce the actions of smiling and frowning so they genuinely feel happy or sad when on stage. Overall, a change in one small part of your face can change how you feel, and if this technology is implemented into classrooms throughout America, that one small change could alter the way students feel about learning.

In conclusion, the Facial Action Coding System (FACS), as mentioned in Nick D'Alto's "Making Mona Lisa Smile," could be used in classrooms to successfully "read" the faces of students, alter the lesson in some way just for them, and make sure each student is happy with what they are hearing and seeing. If this technology is implemented into classrooms around the globe, students will be more excited about their learning experiences, possibly receive much improved grades, and be more happy people in gerenal. If the faces of the next generation are happier than ever, what's to come afterword could be even better.