Art

=ART = = =

= Technology =
 * Computers
 * Adobe Photoshop
 * Adobe InDesign
 * Internet, used for research and submission of assignment

= Curriculum Standards =

Connections, Relationships and Applications Benchmark B: Apply and combine visual art, research and technology skills to communicate ideas in visual form. Historical, Cultural and Social Contexts Benchmark B: Create a work of art which incorporates the style or characteristics of artwork from a culture other than their own

= Description =

This project teaches students about various famous artists throughout history, and allows them to creatively present that artist’s style to other class members through designing a page layout describing the artist. Students will be working in the CAT lab to utilize the Adobe CS3 editing suite, mainly Photoshop and InDesign.

Each student is assigned an artist throughout history, along with biographical information about that person. They are also given a template page that is setup within InDesign for them to layout their design. Students can research their artist online to obtain any additional information, photos of the artist, photos of their artwork, etc., and will then arrange the information and graphics in their page design, using their best judgement of page layout techniques to create a visually aesthetic and informational page. The design/layout of the page should be representative of the artist’s style.

By providing students with a pre-designed template for image and text insertion, students can easily plug in their information and resources while learning a bit about design, which will help them prepare for such classes at the high school level. They will save their finished page and submit it via email to their teacher, who will compile them into an electronic book to give to the class.



= Supporting Research =

In the article, “Technology makes art education a bigger draw,” Laura Devaney, Senior Editor for eSchool News, discusses how technology has changed the way that art is taught in the classroom and also broadens artistic ability to a far greater number of students and aspiring artists. This is because students don’t necessarily have to be talented in traditional art skills such as painting, and sketching. Through interviewing other art educators, Devaney states that “ certain software programs and emerging web-based collaborations are helping establish a strong base of conceptual understanding–regardless of raw manual or technical talent.”

Devaney, L. (2008, Sept.) //Technology makes art education a bigger draw.// Retrieved from eSchool News Website: []

= Tried & True or New & Innovative? =

Graphic design utilizes fairly new & innovative technology, particularily within high school and middle school education. Traditional art education consists of producing tangible items, but with technology advancements, teachers are finding electronic design to be a useful tool for student creativity within art education.