The document discusses strategies for teachers to engage students through new technologies. It suggests assigning collaborative projects using blogs, wikis, and online timelines for art history. The teacher currently has students do a real-world art commission project, but proposes moving portions like the artist statement and portfolio online. The teacher plans to post a detailed syllabus, rubrics, FAQs, deadlines, and a gallery online for students. E-mail will allow consistent teacher responses to support a structured and respectful learning environment.

1. Engaging Learners with New
Strategies and Tools
Blogs, wikis,
Student class e-mail
interactivity
TEACHER LEARNER list, &
STRATEGIES asynchronous
TOOLS discussions
Problem
based Real-
learning Detailed world
Structured, syllabus, problem
supportive, and rubrics, FAQ
respectful section,
Learning timely and
environment effective
responses
Involve Collaborative,
learner in problem-
building based tasks
content
knowledge
Today’s learners are already using many types of technology, in their social life. As an educator,
I can take advantage of this free technology in the classroom. As an Art educator, I can assign
students to collaborate on what materials and processes are best for their projects though class
blogs. Students could create a wiki about 20th Century Artists. Using online timeline software,
students could create an art history timeline for a century. Through a class wiki, students could
discuss the artwork of the month, allowing them to develop their critical skills. Students can use
their cell phones to photograph two different artworks they can download into a blog where they
can compare and contrast.
I currently assign students a real world scenario in which they have a client who wants to
commission an artwork for their business’ foyer. Students are required to research online, to
locate two inspirational images for a client proposal. Once they have determined what they
might like to create, they present their proposal to their client (me). They need to locate
directions online for how to use the medium they have chosen. When they are completed with

2. their artwork, they must write an artist statement. This is currently done through a hard copy that
is filed in the class folder. In the future, each student can create their own e-portfolio that will
include all class documents and photos of their artwork, they take as representative of their
progress.
I can post a syllabus and rubrics for 5-8th graders, a list of FAQ’s, a gallery where they can
download photos of their completed artworks, a calendar for deadlines, a drop box for each class
to submit their completed assignments for grading and e-mail links for each class and for myself.
I can create a daily routine that allows me to be responsive to student e-mails that they know will
remain consistent.