I recently read about art teachers incorporating iPads in their classroom. Some thoughts ran through my head as I read the title… How did these teachers acquire so many iPads for art class? What could they possibly be teaching that needs an iPad? How can teaching art on an iPad compare to using the fine arts? Turns out there are many benefits from this new art tool, that I never realized.
There are a couple different stories and scenarios to how these teachers got iPads for their classes. One teacher works for a school that has iPads that circulate all over the school; one grade uses them at a time. She has enough iPads for everyone in her class to have their own. The other teacher only has six iPads right now. She has gotten these iPads from different sources. Some were donated, others she earned from a grant she applied for. This teacher has to come up with two lesson plans, one that includes using iPads, and one that does not (but they have to work together). That way her students can rotate lessons. This could be difficult at times, and it would be ideal to have an iPad for each student. That way everyone is on the same page.
These teachers stated many things that the students learn from using the iPads in art class. They do learn various fine art techniques such as drawing, painting, transparency, color theory and much more. On top of that, with the iPad they learn new digital skills along the way. Some digital skills that students learn can be applied to other classes. One teacher mentioned how forgiving art on an iPad can be. It is so easy to undo a mistake, and re-arrange a composition. There are obvious differences between the fine arts and art on an iPad. Thanks to certain apps on the iPad teachers are able to teach what is in their curriculum, whether the project is done on an iPad or with the original medium.
According to one of the teachers, “It is important for students to learn how to create digitally using 21st century technology in order to succeed in the future.” There is a lot of truth to that. As we have learned, technology is constantly evolving, taking us with it. Having the students learn these technology skills will help them down the road.
Check out the reading here:
http://ipadsinart.weebly.com/
This is a great way to incorporate technology in the classroom. But I can see how there might be a problem in providing each student with a pricey piece of equipment. I also wrote a post about teachers incorporating the use of smart phones in their lessons, but like you said, what if not every student had a smart phone? They would be in a disadvantage of the lesson. As great as it is in incorporating technology in the classroom, there is always the problem of funding and giving each student an equal opportunity.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post, and I think this is a great idea. Ipads have in many ways changed education already and I'm sure we will see the continued evolution of Ipads (or similar devices) in the educational system.
ReplyDeleteI wrote a post on my blog a while ago about Apps in education and similarly to your article, I found the ability to mix content knowledge with 21st century skills to be profoundly beneficial to students of many ages.
Once again, this is a great post!
-Peter
Yes I agree that students should be using these technologies, such as the iPad as another media for creating their artwork. As long as the school has the funding to purchase enough for all students. Many private high schools are requiring their students to purchase iPads. They are now using them to replace textbooks and downloading digital books.
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