Art teachers utilize digital technology and new media for learning and creating. Students develop humorous designs that combine two objects to create a new invention, explore the world of animation with thaumatropes and storyboards, embellish colorful collagraphed pizza slices to display at a local pizzeria, and more.
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Just what are media arts? The concept may be initially confusing to some, as media can be either traditional or contemporary, but the acceptance of media arts as a term understood as embracing new forms of technology is supported by the National Art Education Association (NAEA) and its participation in the development of the National Core Art Standards for media arts.
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Philadelphia is home to a lot of great museums, but a true fan favorite is Pizza Brain, a brick oven pizzeria and the world’s first Museum of Pizza Culture. Kids love pizza, so it seemed like a natural fit to have an exhibition of student pizza art at this local institution.
A colleague once complained that he couldn’t teach technology because our students didn’t have computers. Of course, you don’t need a computer to teach your students about technology. You don’t need a camera or an iPad to teach new media. The dictionary definition of technology is “the application of scientific knowledge for a practical purpose.” Computers are a subset of technology, but the subject is bigger than that.
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Nothing seems more magical than flying on a carpet high in the sky, looking down over beautiful places. Ever since Disney’s Aladdin was released, I’ve been trying to dream up a way to recreate that experience in the artroom. With iPads, a few creation apps, a muslin fabric green screen, and inspiration from stop-motion animation, we found a transdigital art-making approach to do just that with my third-graders while teaching oodles of art concepts
Do you aspire to implement innovative ways to incorporate STEAM into your K–12 arts curriculum? Fractals are an engaging way to celebrate art, science, and math. What’s more, fractals are nature’s DNA, and examples can be seen all around us, from the microscopic patterns on a snowflake to the vast contours of a coastline.
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When selecting projects for students, it’s important to know what will connect them to their own visual and material culture. I have learned that what worked for students ten years ago probably won’t resonate with students today. So, it’s important to stay informed about what they are tuned into if you want to keep your lessons engaging.
A while back, I took a graduate course called Developing Innovators and Innovation Skills. I struggled to muster any enthusiasm considering the course began only two days after we broke for the summer. I was also leery of how useful the course would be for an art teacher. I was relieved to discover that the instructor could not have been more knowledgeable, and the material turned out to be malleable enough for any classroom situation.
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My students, like many teens, love to take selfies. I decided why fight the selfie tide when I could help students surf high atop the wave through digital photography, digital imaging techniques, and master artists? An odd combination, you might think, but not that much of a stretch.
Arts education is being shaken to its core. In June 2014, the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS), published, for the first time, voluntary National Core Arts Standards for five (rather than the traditional four) arts areas of dance, music, theater, and visual arts. While revising the 1994 National Standards for arts education, NCCAS added media arts as a fifth arts discipline.
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Eric Wong uses digital techniques to create dizzyingly complex architectural designs that go far beyond typical architectural renderings by incorporating elements of fantasy, science fiction, and illustration. His designs are epic in scale and could easily serve as designs for immersive video games. Much of his work proposes bold architectural solutions for the future of the United Kingdom, where he lives and works.
