Texas Trends in Art Education, 2001-2002 Page: 27
36 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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digital technology and media with art
education methodology in the art
programs of their schools. Such
experts can be located in two ways,
through:
1. Attending the annual
TAEA/NAEA conferences, as the
most useful and current information
can be obtained from those who
sponsor presentations and workshops
about the variety of strategies
devised to create workable solutions
for integrating digital media with art
education (Maresh, 1999; Farrell &
Rhame, 1999; Starner, 2000).
2. Finding art teachers and school
district personnel in their area who
have tackled this problem, and inter-
viewing them to discover how they
surmounted the challenges.
Experts Among Us
I advised one student to interview
Mr. Dale Baker, art teacher at
Westlake High School in the Eanes
ISD of Austin, Texas. Mr. Baker is
one of the many K-12 teachers who
can be considered an art education
pioneer because he created a com-
puter studio lab, curricula, and peda-
gogy for teaching his students about
electronic art and digital
graphics/animation, all on his own.
His efforts mirror those of a handful
of enterprising art teachers and
school district personnel throughout
the country. With few resources
available, these professionals have,
with great ingenuity, adapted and
adopted materials from anywhere
they could find them. They literally
have "invented" a way to explore
and map the terrain of an entire terri-
tory of art education that encompass-
es the frontier of integrating digital
technology and media with art in the
classroom. Their successful enter-
prises provide a variety of approach-
es that can be adopted by art teachers
and adapted to suit their needs and
those of their students. A brief
overview of Mr. Baker's efforts is
provided here.
Perceiving and Addressing a Need
Five years ago, Mr. Baker per-
ceived a need for his students to learn
about electronic media, digital graph-ics, and animation. The Austin area
has been called the second Silicon
Valley of the United States. He noted
that opportunities abounded for high
school graduates who have acquired
design skills for visualizing ideas and
problem-solving capabilities using
computer graphics techniques and
processes. Mr. Baker observed that
when he placed one computer in his
art classroom, students from the
school flocked to it, eager to learn
how to use it. He recognized that he
could attract a different type of stu-
dent to engage in study in art-stu-
dents not necessarily interested in
learning traditional fine arts studio
skills. And so he set to work.
The results? Today, Mr. Baker has
acquired a well-deserved reputation
for implementing a top-notch pro-
gram in Art I, II, and III that not only
incorporates the TEKS, but produces
students who have gained national
recognition for their work.
His strategy for success is instruc-
tive for those who desire to create
programs of study for students that
integrate the visual arts with digital
media. Mr. Baker began his venture
adopting a pragmatic strategy. One
step at a time, he began tackling the
challenge of obtaining computer hard-
ware and software, creating a dedicat-
ed space, designing curriculum, and
delivering instruction. Each step along
the way, he looked for practical solu-
tions to address immediate needs.And most importantly, he worked to
bring administrators on board with
him. He used a powerful tool of per-
suasion to do so: the rationale of stu-
dent needs, interest, and success.
Starting Out
Five years ago, Mr. Baker began
by purchasing only one computer, an
Apple LC2. He funded one half of
its cost with his art budget, and the
other half with help from the
school's booster club. The software
consisted of an art application pro-
gram (referred to simply as an
"application") that could be used to
create 2D images. Mr. Baker set the
computer in one area of the art
room, and let interested students
work on it. At first, the students
experimented simply with ways the
computer could be used to enhance
art work in progress.
Later, Mr. Baker showed his
principal the students' work.
Impressed, the principal worked
out a plan to purchase 6 more com-
puters. Mr. Baker selected as hard-
ware, Apple Power Macintoshes,
and a compatible Apple scanner for
scanning 2D images so students
could convert their own artwork
into digital data that could be
manipulated further with the com-
puter. For software, he purchased
applications for 2D image editing
and painting, vector graphics, and
3D modeling.
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Texas Art Education Association. Texas Trends in Art Education, 2001-2002, periodical, 2001; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth279689/m1/29/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Art Education Association.