During this time of remote living the changing education landscape, and in turn the arts education landscape, seems turbulent with only one constant: technology. This article will discuss the holistic necessity of tech implementation in arts education; Why, Where, and How in the time of COVID-19.

Why Technology in the Art Room?

Although the dreams of a purely utopic technological future have all but disappeared from societal discussions, the benefits of incorporating more tech into our educational systems cannot be ignored. Technology is making the arts education process more participatory, and more engaging. Seeing technology through the lens of art helps to stimulate digital literacy in a world drenched in ever-adapting forms of technological advancement.

A new era of interest-driven arts learning is upon us, in support of arts education despite funding cuts seen across the board.  In fact, many young students are seeking out arts and gamification on their own. Overtime, as our culture becomes increasingly immersed with technology, the need for arts integration along those platforms has reached a new high. By simply integrating tech into the final years of K-12 education, students can better connect to the myriad of arts opportunities that are consistently overlooked when applying for programs and jobs.

Interest in arts and tech integration is not a new phenomenon. The National Center for Education Statistics found that within their 1999-2000 and 2009-2010 investigative studies regarding arts education, that both decade markers listed integrating educational technologies into music and visual arts instruction within the top two interests for professional development of educational specialists and teachers. Furthermore, the percentage of teachers who implemented technology into the arts classroom and saw moderate to significant improvement in their teaching, increased over time.

The interest is there, the results have been proven, but the divide between what is needed and what is provided in the arts classroom still remains. Schools are continuing to miss out on the opportunity to incorporate what is familiar in-home life into the classroom. Given our sudden push into the virtual landscape, the time to finally bridge the classroom gap between arts and technology is now.

Where Do We Start?

In the light of COVID-19, there have never been more reviews of virtual educational resources for teachers. Most of the applications are analyzed from the perspective of the teaching community, but art-specific lists can still be found quite easily. One excellent example of this is The Art of Education University’s “10 Ways Technology Can Enhance the Art Room”, in which they list individual recommended programs for each identified purpose of tech in the classroom.

Tech integration can aid in the teaching of arts courses, the understanding of arts processes, or the practice itself. Selecting even just one of the three to further enhance with the help of an online tool can make a significant impact in a student’s experience.

Almost every educational tool can be used effectively, but not by everyone. Educational practices can and should be tailored to fit the teaching style of the teacher, as well as the needs of the student. Each program considered should be weighed in the light of the subject, average classroom knowledge, and teacher’s comprehension.

Although in depth reviews of various technologies and programs can prove to be extremely helpful, many platforms have taken a step back and moved into resource sharing. Places like the Arts Education Partnership provide an overarching list of partner resources broken down by organization and type, to limit the time spent on less relevant applications.

How Do We Begin?

Technology has the potential to enhance arts education by way of diverse teaching practice, increased creativity, and cultural connectivity. And as mentioned before, tech integration can aid in the teaching, understanding, and/or the practice of art. But in order to be used well, teachers must analyze what resources are available and their capacity to integrate the technology effectively.

Education systems with the ability to provide access to computers, tablets, or even phones, can allow for a multitude of cross-platform practices to take place within the classroom. For example, arts research can take place within the studio, bringing a muse to the fingertips of a student in minutes. Another application could be digital portfolio building. With an increased need to self-promote and market as an artist, additional use of tech to document a student’s progress can be transformed into digital portfolios they can carry into the future.

If tech within the classroom itself is limited, teachers can still opt to use what’s available to present relevant resources. Additionally, teachers could provide a list of free, online applications applicable to current assignments so students can utilize the tech within their homes.

Knowing that access to technology is still not something all children have, use of said applications may be optional and/or given alongside a list of public internet access points such as a nearby neighborhood library. This will allow for the possibility of increased technological literacy within the arts sphere despite the lack of total integration.

Whether you are an arts educator or not, it can be difficult to find your footing amidst the COVID-19 closures. The marriage of arts and technology can make learning through this time all the more possible, and when mastered, lead to a more creative, competent classroom.

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Resources

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