Integrating Technology Into The Art Classroom

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Reasons for Integration
Despite the multitude of adverse reactions to technology integration in the classroom, there are numerous reasons why it is necessary to adopt technology into the art curriculum. Technology can help today’s youth learn in ways that are more aligned to how their brains have developed cognitively, offer opportunities for students who may have viewed art as inaccessible in the past, and provide an outlet for sharing their art on a much larger scale. The digital age has changed the way human brains are wired to absorb information (Black, 2009). Today’s students have grown up in a very visual culture. Learners spend their lives inundated with visual stimuli and the brain has adapted to process all of the information …show more content…

This makes sense in many cases since these teachers are often the ones found in classroom computer labs to teach accounting, marketing, and general introductory business courses. However, in a visually-centered world it may be beneficial for art teachers to act as a conduit for technology related practices for other teachers in their schools (Mayo, 2007). Lin (2011) provides a case study in which a high school art teacher became a champion for technology in the classroom. The study analyzed the work of William Blidy, an art instructor at Newark Community High School in a small Midwestern town. In this school, technology is a major focus for administration, faculty, and students and is visible in all classes. Blidy stated, “School support can significantly affect an art teacher’s use of technology.” He was motivated to explore technological avenues available to him with the support of his school superintendent, other staff, and his students. He discovered an aptitude for technology integration for himself and teaches other educators ways that they can include technology into their curricula, as well as acts as the webmaster for the school website. Art teachers are ideal for leadership roles in school technology because they can instill the importance of aesthetic quality when sharing with other teachers the benefits of technology integration (2011, p.