Kate Zehnter, Art Teacher
Timberlane Regional High School, Plaistow
Principal: Leslie R. Murray
The Computer as "Just Another" Teaching Tool for the Arts
Target Grades: 9-12
Description: The computer, Internet, digital camera, and PowerPoint software were used by high school art students to create a document that analyzed not only the art work the students generated in the classroom but the visual arts found in museums. The project was an interdisciplinary approach between the high school art teacher and the media generalist.
A brief overview of the student assignment:
- Create a painting in art class that you always wanted to paint
- Analyze your painting using the Principles of Design and Elements of Composition
- Use the digital camera to take a picture of the completed painting
- Transfer the image from the digital camera to the computer
- "Surf the Net" using pre-selected Internet museum sites incorporated into the library home page to find works of art
- Determine historical and cultural contexts, analyze, critique, and interpret the artwork you selected
- Prepare a PowerPoint document which includes visuals and written analysis of your painting and the museum artists you selected from the Net
- Present the completed document to the class using the computer and box light.
In my professional opinion, the creative use of interactive technology combined with the opportunity to incorporate the student's art project with known artists encouraged students at all levels of learning to succeed in their search for new knowledge.
Application of the Curriculum Standard #4: analysis of the visual arts in relation to history and cultures are demonstrated in the samples of two student projects.
Contact: Kate Zehnter
Timberlane Regional High School
36 Greenough Road
Plaistow, NH 03865
(603) 382-6541, fax (603) 382-8086
kzehnter@yahoo.com
