It is important for all educators to create curricula which resonates with student interests. However, art educators are more than just teachers and visual artists, they are lifelong art advocates. Since the arts are not universally valued and secondary art courses are in the form of electives, art advocates have to do everything they can to keep art education alive. One way to advocate for the arts is to create interesting art lessons that challenge students to grow as both artists and thinkers.
Art education is more than just creative expression, it incites innovative thought and perception. Unlike other disciplines, which align with the right and wrong mindset of standardized testing, art education gives students the opportunity to develop skills that transcend the classroom. Art educators do not have a strict guideline when creating their curriculum and can reinvent and breathe new life into their program. However, American artist and educator Olivia Gude (2013) believes that “the range of projects that are actually taught in most schools has remained strikingly similar for several decades,” (p. 6). As a lifelong advocate for the arts, I agree with Gude’s analysis that art educators need to strive to utilize contemporary art practices. As well as implement projects that allow students to expand upon their creativity and transform their understanding of the world.
Along with utilizing contemporary art practices, art education should incorporate technological art practices. Students of varying ages are growing up with digitally mediated experiences “and many young people face those experiences with few, if any, critical tools for engagement,” (Kraehe, 2018). Students face digital encounters everyday and many students informally experiment with digital art. Therefore, technology and digital encounters should be used as learning tools, as opposed to being predetermined or one-sided. It is important for educators to examine “what is gained and what is lost in the digital age,” (Kraehe, 2018). Not everything in art can be enhanced or improved within technology. If educators utilize technology, there has to be a purpose within the art making process.
If educators become aware of how students consume technology, then they can utilize these technology encounters for creative production. By infusing technology with traditional art practices, students can expand their perception of art, therefore making art education more inclusive. “Technology presents new ways for students to think about their learning, express their ideas, and problem solve. When used thoughtfully, students discover increased capability in taking control of their learning, customizing and organizing information, and utilizing more collaborative ways of working together and sharing information with a wider authentic audience,” (Parrish, 2016, p. 168). Students can learn fundamental skills, such as curating an online presence and building a brand. In addition they can collaborate and problem solve through 3D printing, maker fairs and more. Technology should be seen as a tool, rather than a hindrance to traditional art, and there are many ways to incorporate technology into the art making process.
“Technology presents new ways for students to think about their learning, express their ideas, and problem solve. When used thoughtfully, students discover increased capability in taking control of their learning, customizing and organizing information, and utilizing more collaborative ways of working together and sharing information with a wider authentic audience,” (Parrish, 2016, p. 168). Technology should be seen as a tool rather than a hinderance to traditional art.
As an art teacher, my philosophy is to teach students how to think like artists, not just how to create art. Students should evolve into critical thinkers who can communicate their vision in a multitude of ways. Students should “explore, experiment, and arrive at unique solutions on their own. Design methodologies allow students to practice becoming problem solvers because the act of designing follows a repeatable process for solution finding,” (Rolling, 2016, p. 17). The way I plan to utilize technology within the classroom depends on my classes and resources. However, I never want to remain in my comfort zone and will continue to strive to make art education interesting and enlightening for my students. I aspire for my students to become skillful individuals who challenge themselves in all facets of their life.
References
Gude, O. (2013). New school art styles: The project of art education. Art Education, 66(1), 6-15. Retrieved from: https://www-tandfonline-com.mutex.gmu.edu/doi/abs/10.1080/00043125.2013.11519203
Kraehe, A. (2018). DIGITAL ENCOUNTERS. Art Education., 71(3), 4–6. Retrieved from: https://search.proquest.com/docview/2111104153?accountid=14541
Parrish, M. (2016). Toward transformation: Digital tools for online dance pedagogy. Art Education Policy Review, 117(3), 168–182. Retrieved from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10632913.2016.1187974
Rolling Jr, J. H. (2016). Rolling Out the STEAM Engine For Art And Design Education. STEAM Special Issue 2, Art Education Journal. Retrieved from: https://www.arteducators.org/research/art-education-journal