Today’s students are growing surrounded by all kinds of technology. They are interested in these gadgets, which is why they’ve grown quite skillful in using them. It’s also why it’s so important to use them in teaching them things like art education.
Using technology in art class will raise your students’ interests, encourage them to promote in class, teach them new skills, and simply benefit them in more ways than you could possibly imagine. With this in mind, here are some different types of technology that you may consider using in your art classroom with your students.
Digital Art Galleries
Make sure that you have a computer or laptop in your classroom for whenever you’re conducting an art education course. They will prove invaluable whenever your students are learning about a specific artist or type of art because you’ll be able to take them online. Once you’re on High Speed Internet you will find lots of great websites where your students can take virtual tours of art galleries or learn more about the artists that you’re introducing them to.
3D Modeling Software
A lot of artists don’t realize that there are 3D programs available for them to use to see what their creation will look like before they’re even done creating it. While you may be thinking that this type of software is going to be expensive, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that there are some really good free programs available for you to choose from too. Your students will really enjoy using this type of software on the computers or laptops that you’ve chosen for in your art education classroom.
iPads
While many young people already know how to use computer software programs such as Photoshop to create works of art, iPads are bringing a whole new vibe to art education. This is because art students will need to know how to use a stylus to create art on an iPad. Here you’ll actually have a different feel than that which you would have if you were using a mechanical pencil and a sketch pad. Of course, it also helps that many of these programs do a lot more than simply let you draw something. Your students will have a lot of fun creating their works of art. This is because their iPad will allow them to sketch, paint, write, storyboard and animate in ways that were never before possible with computer software programs like Photoshop.
Digital Cameras
Besides having computers and laptops available for your students to use, you should also have at least a couple of digital cameras too. Of course, your students may actually have their own digital camera tucked neatly within their cell phone that they carry with them to school each day. They may enjoy using this too. Regardless of what camera is used though, your students are bound to appreciate having the opportunity to photograph their artwork to put inside of the digital portfolios that they are creating. You will appreciate having a digital database of the lessons that you teach since you can refer back to them in upcoming years.
Now that you have a better understanding of why using technology to teach art education is so important, you’ll want to make sure that you are using it in your classroom. The aforementioned programs are just a few examples of what’s available out there for you to use. Take some time to look through these things and you’re bound to see just how easily you can tie them into whatever you’re teaching your students in your next lesson plan.
Author Bio: Ryan Ayers is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to education. In this article, he describes new technologies in the field of education and aims to encourage further study with an art education masters online