“How does technology democratize artistic expression for secondary school students in an art focused school?“

With the right tools and inspiration students can suddenly be artists. In one 6-12 public school campus, students are required in some grades to complete nine weeks of a media arts class and others are using technology integrating science, math, engineering and art. According to Billington (2013) in the article Art teaching for a New Age , the author notes that curricula is becoming more flexible and students are now encouraged to go outside of their content class to master the tools needed to make the art they want to make. “ The means of artistic production are widely available, resulting in what I call a radical democratization of artistic expression” (Billington 2013).

Dawson, in the article The democratization of creativity (Dawson 2017), the most important aspect is greater than human expression. He explains that almost every artistic domain, including film, music, photography, and writing has been unleashed, both in the ability to produce extremely high quality content very inexpensively, and has made it available to a global audience. Two instructors that were interviewed agreed with Dawson in that the more creativity we have the better we are able to discern what is best and what is mediocre.

Media Arts I

When we think about art classes, textbooks, sketchbooks, acrylic paint and brushes may be the first tools to come to mind. Now art classrooms are using more digital tools to create and represent student artistic expression. In light of this shift we will examine how the boundaries of art are changing and if there has been increased participation in arts classes with the integration of technology. At one secondary school campus, the Fort Hayes Arts and Academic Metropolitan Education Center in Columbus, Ohio, all students are required to take at least 9 weeks of Media Arts in order to gain exposure and experience in using and creating art using technology such as Final Cut Pro X and Adobe Creative Cloud Suite.  The Media Arts I class serves as a preparatory course for the pre-professional Media Arts programs at Fort Hayes. After taking the course, students will be equipped with the foundational skills related to three areas of Media Arts: photography, film-making and audio production. Eighth grade students will learn how to use the media tools as a form of artistic expression, to communicate effectively and as a way to connect with other content areas. Additionally, students will be equipped with the foundational skills and knowledge necessary in professional level, industry-standard software needed to make their media projects truly exceptional.

Nate Clemente, Media Arts Instructor describes the advantages and disadvantages of art and technology integration.  In order for students to use technology in a way that will prepare them for future careers technology classes have incorporated art into the curriculum. The belief is that by exposing students to art it allows them to think more creatively and promote inquiry, dialogue and critical thinking skills. The idea is for students to be exposed to real-life situations and problems and have their own ideas about how to solve them. Digital storytelling, creating and designing and communication and collaboration through integrated art and technology projects are being created by students who research and define a topic of personal interest. He is keenly aware that students can and do consider themselves artists with the tools available to them. Many see videos and photography on TV and on the Internet and choose to recreate what they have seen.

The challenge becomes navigating through the plethora of mediocre projects to find quality examples for students to emulate. Furthering the challenge is figuring out ways to showcase and highlight exemplary student work so it can be distinguished amongst the rest. Along these same lines, Mr. Clemente requires students during the summer as a prerequisite to his course to watch PressPausePlay, [http://presspauseplay.com/] which is an 80 minute film that is available free online that explores the idea of democratization of art and creativity which is enabled by technology. Students are then to write a reaction paper describing their roles as consumers and creators of technology.

Media Arts I Lessons

In order for students to use technology in a way that will prepare them for future careers technology classes have incorporated art into the curriculum. The belief is that by exposing students to art it allows them to think more creatively and promote inquiry, dialogue and critical thinking skills. The idea is for students to be exposed to real-life situations and problems and have their own ideas about how to solve them. Digital storytelling, creating and designing and communication and collaboration through integrated art and technology projects are being created by students who research and define a topic of personal interest. Students at Fort Hayes are doing just that by creating short videos after becoming quasi-experts on their topic. Racial stereotyping, teen pregnancy, impacts of video game violence, and homelessness are some of the community concerns that students have chosen to research and present.

Mr. Clemente noted in his interview that students are using many skills and crossing disciplinary boundaries in order to create their end of the year projects. Mr. Clemente’s class also blended his media arts course with the 8th grade science teacher to apply the concepts of motion and reference points in science. Students created animations using Adobe Photoshop that demonstrated and reinforced the science concepts. Additionally, Mr. Clemente created an interdisciplinary project with the English teacher in order to better understand the concept of conflict in writing and literature. Both teachers integrated photography into the curriculum as students brainstormed ideas and took photos of different types of conflict ranging from person vs. person to person vs. nature. One of the goals of the project was for students to think abstractly about the types of conflict and how to represent them through symbolism.

STEAM Technology

John Maeda, then president of the Rhode Island School of Design, championed the STEAM movement (Amplify 2017).

“DESIGN CREATES THE INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS AND SOLUTIONS THAT WILL PROPEL OUR ECONOMY FORWARD, AND ARTISTS ASK THE DEEP QUESTIONS ABOUT HUMANITY THAT REVEAL WHICH WAY FORWARD ACTUALLY IS.”

Examples of art and technology integrated STEAM projects in action will be depicted and described. We will also investigate how art education has gained momentum and credibility amongst school boards and curriculum designers during a current time frame where funding and program cuts are being determined.

Similarly, Allison Vranken, the STEAM teacher at the Fort Hayes Career Center, instructs students in an integrated classroom setting. She teaches six sections of the STEAM Technology course and instructs over 160 students. Students enrolled in the STEAM course will be challenged to explore new ways of integrating art and design into the traditional STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math).

Careers in the 21st century will demand the kind of creative problem solving that translates critical observation, critical thinking, and hands on experiences that provide utility and meaning. Students will participate in design challenges, collaborate with Ohio State Engineering students, and investigate innovation through integration with the arts. In STEAM class, students will have the opportunity to explore their creative process across various disciplines, with a focus placed on cultivating creative thinking and inventions through an introduction to 2D and 3D design. Students will develop a foundation in both the technical and conceptual aspects of design and will be challenged to build upon this foundation to develop projects that emerge from their own curiosities and interests within the context of science, technology, engineering, art, and math.

STEAM Technology Lessons

Ms. Vranken has created several interdisciplinary projects that utilize skills across the disciplines to create live projects and promote problem-solving skills which she noted is a leading 21st century skill. A current project for all of her classes is the lenticular art lesson. Students can either take photographs or use watercolor to paint pictures that represent two sides of a current political issue in our country.

Political Statements and Lenticular Art Lesson 

Big Idea:

Students will use watercolor and lenticular art as a way to portray informed political statements in STEAM class and Intro to Drawing.

Objective:

Students will explore a variety of human rights and differing political opinions. This background knowledge will be used to form political statements. Students will learn to use watercolor and precision measuring skills in order to create a collaborative piece of lenticular art. Students will use lenticular art to illustrate the differing sides of their chosen political statements, as well as deepen their understanding of both precision and human involvement in order to create and show change through art.

I Can Statements:

• I can utilize resources to thoroughly plan, research and carry out a political statement of my choosing.
• I can use the 9-step engineering design process to help solve a design challenge and express my ideas in an open forum.
• I can present my ideas and research in visual form.
• I can articulate the effects of the context of my art in regards to my STEAM research.
• I can use watercolor techniques to create art.
• I can use a ruler to make precise measurements.
• I can use an x-acto knife safely and accurately.

Standards Covered:

Standards for Art Education:

• 1PE Examine and articulate the effects of context on visual imagery.
• 3PE Examine a variety of photographs
• 6PE describe the decisions made in the design of everyday objects.
• 5PR Investigate how to access available digital tools and innovative technologies to create and manipulate artwork.

Standards for Technological Literacy:

• Standard 8- Students will develop an understanding of the attributes of design.
• BM G-Requirements for a design is made up of criteria and constraints.
• BM I-Design problems are seldom presented in a clearly defined form.
• Standard 9 – Students will develop an understanding of engineering design.
• BM F – Design involves a set of steps and can be performed in different sequences and repeated as needed.
• BM G – Brainstorming is a group problem-solving design process in which each person in the group presents his or her ideas in an open forum.
• Standard 11 – Students will develop abilities to apply the design process.
• BM E – The process of designing involves presenting some possible solutions in visual form and then selecting the best solutions from many.
• BM I – Specify criteria and constraints for design.

Common Core State Mathematics Standards

• Measurement and Data – Demonstrate the ability to measure accurately with different devices and scales using both the standard and metric systems.

National Science Education Standards

• Science as inquiry – systems, order, and organization

Next Generation Science Standards

• Science and Engineering Practices 3: Planning and carrying out investigations
• Science and Engineering Practices 4: Analyzing and interpreting data.
• Science and Engineering Practices 6: Constructing explanations and designing solutions.

Lesson Delivery/Procedures:

• Students will be introduced to the topic of Human Rights as rights that we are all given at birth.
• Class discussion used as an example about how to incorporate a political statement with a human right. (Charters vs. Public Schools.) Right to Education.
• Teacher will facilitate students choosing partners and topics
• Students will use resources such as the Internet and CCS subscriptions to research their political topics and varying opinions. .
• Students will view a variety of art pieces making political statements.
• Students will use class time to discuss and complete with their partner “Lenticular Design Packet”
• Students will create 2 thumbnail sketches, each with varying viewpoints of their chosen topic/political statement.
• Teacher will facilitate lesson on color theory and watercolor techniques.
• Students will practice color gradations, water inclusion or exclusion to create translucent and opaque colors, as well as glazing techniques.
• Students will paint their final sketches using the skills learned in practice sessions.
• Students will practice a variety of measurements using a ruler and a yardstick.
• Students will mark 1’’ measurements on photos, chipboard, and poster board.
• Students will score chipboard with x-acto knives.
• Students will cut paintings into 1’’ strips and place modge podge onto chipboard
• Students will fold chipboard along scores
• Students will use hot glue gun to glue lenticular image onto the poster board
• Student will mat the image next to their artist statement
• Students will display their art in a FUSE production

Assessment of Student Learning:

Formative

• Formative assessment takes place throughout class as students are working and teacher is facilitating. Each day certain goals will need to be reached and a checklist format will be used for each student as the teacher circulates the room.
  • A. Student Packet
    • Discussion Questions – 5 questions, 2 pts. Each
    • 2 Thumbnail Sketches – 10 pts. Each
  • B. Water Color TechniqueColor Theory Blending – translucent and opaque – 10 pts.
    • Glazing Technique – 10 points

Summative

• Summative assessment will take place in 3 formats, each with rubric.
  • Project packet (30 points)
  • Watercolor Technique/Painting (40 points)
  • Lenticular Art (40 points)
  • Artist Statement (20 points)

Materials:

• Watercolor paper
• Watercolor paint
• Color printer/scanner
• Internet Access
• Chip board
• Poster board
• X-acto knives
• Modge podge
• Paint brushes – varying sizes
• Rulers
• Pencils
• Hot glue gun with sticks
• Project packet
• Project rubric

Acknowledgements:

• Cooperating Teacher – Megan Evans – Fort Hayes, Art

THE POPPY PROJECT

Another lesson Ms. Vranken along with her colleagues in the math, science, art, band and landscape architecture departments collaborated on the Poppy Project. Using a CAD program called Autodesk, which is a drafting software application, students designed poppy flowers to honor veterans and recognize the rich history of Fort Hayes, a military base turned 6-12 school campus.

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“After some reflection, students in math classes figured out how to turn a three-dimensional object (a poppy) into a two-dimensional object (what would become the pattern to create the ceramic poppies) — one of their goals.

They used the clover-shaped pattern to cut clay, which they then shaped into poppies.

Each poppy was uniquely formed based on a student’s preferences and skill level.

When all of the poppies were constructed and fired, students glazed them using a custom red coating donated by Buckeye Ceramic Supply in Hilliard.

“It was a messy process,” LeVert said, but an enjoyable one.

“It was such a big collaboration, with so many different kids from so many different classes.”

The students spent last week arranging the poppies in the garden area and “planting” them with posts.

“Every poppy flower, though made individually — when they’re installed, they look like a poppy field,” Evans said. “Individual identity steps aside a bit.” (The Columbus Dispatch).

 Works Cited

Hertz, M.B.  (2016). Full STEAM Ahead: Why Arts Are Essential in a STEM Education. Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/arts-are-essential-in-mary-beth-hertz

Milner, A.  (2014). PBL and STEAM Education: A Natural Fit. Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/pbl-and-steam-natural-fit-andrew-miller

Buffington, S.T.  (2013). Art Teaching for a New Age. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://www.chronicle.com/article/Art-Teaching-for-a-New-Age/140117/

Thomson, K., Purcell, K.  & Raine, L.  (2013). Section 6: Overall Impact of Technology on the Arts. Pew Research Center:Internet, Science & Tech. Retrieved from http://pewinternet.org/2013/01/04/section-6-overall-impact-of-technology-on-the-arts/

Dawson, Ross. (2013). The Democratization of Creativity: The Most Important Aspect is Greater Human Expression. RossDawson. Retrieved from http://rossdawson.com/blog/the-democratization-of-creativity/

Ward, A.  (2015). Poppy field symbolizes 150 years of Fort Hayes. The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved from www.dispatch.com/content/stories/life_and_entertainment/2015/05/15/1-poppy-field-sympolizes-150-years-at-fort-hayes.html

Logan, L. (2017). Q&A: John Maeda, RISD president and STEAM advocate. Retrieved from https://www.amplify.com/viewpoints/q-john-maeda-risd-president-and-steam-advocate

**Pictures and interactive videos courtesy of the teachers and students of  Arts Impact Middle School and Fort Hayes High School.