Educational Exploration of the Web: Helpful Sites For Teachers and Students

My last two blog entries consisted of close examination of recent phenomena in the field of art and education - the first, a look at an alternative lesson plan and the second, a critique of the Education platform in the current presidential campaigns of both John McCain and Barack Obama. This week, I have explored the web for resources similar to those used to research my last two blogs that could be helpful for any internet user, primarily students and teachers, when desiring more information about curriculum or current events in art education. Using the Webby and ISMA criteria to pick and choose the good from the bad, I have thoughtfully sorted out the top twenty most useful, interesting and creditable web sites, and placed them in the Linkroll on the right. Sites range from charity organizations, to foundation web sites, to resource forums, all hoping to facilitate educational progress. The first group of web sites I'll look at are the resourceful ones that generally exist to assist teachers in finding fun, creative lesson plans either about art or incorporating art. The first, Art Junction, is described on its website as a "collaborative art space for teachers and students." It is one of the most aesthetically pleasing web sites I encountered, as well as easy to use. The main aspect of this website that sets it apart from the other is the "ATC" page, in which it introduces and explains Artist Trading Cards, miniature works of art made on notecards and traded between artists. Other sites similar to Art Junction in the Linkroll are Draw Space, specifically for drawing lesson plans, Teaching Palette, and KinderArt, which offers lesson plans for younger folk.

Listed on these resource web sites are also blogs that discuss the topic of art education as well. In addition to these blogs, I only listed one or two other outside blogs because most that I tended to find were teachers posting their students' artwork via blog (though, I think that is a wonderful idea). However, I did include the blog from the Smithsonian called "Eye Level," which seems to keep up with interesting and current events in mostly just art, but also sometimes art and education. Another art education news feed I found in cyberspace was Art Edge, which is also simultaneously a place for teachers to find resources similar to the sites l listed above. The site is run through Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. While it was easy to find visual art plans on the web, it grew more and more difficult to find resources for performing arts teachers. After some careful research, I found links through random blogs to other organizations' websites that are especially for theatre, music and dance. These sites include Creative Drama and Theatre Education Resource Site, Drama-education.com, Dance in Education Services and the National Dance Education website to name a few. Most listed are just the foundation's website, but a site like Creative Drama and Theatre Education allows its visitor to access ideas for classroom activities, books to read, and plays to perform. Still, I had a lot of trouble finding resources for music programs, which I think may have to do with the fact that music teachers already have their lesson plans in the music they teach students to play. Nevertheless, I included the site School Music Matters, which emphasizes the importance of music programs in schools.

The last of my discoveries on the internet include sites that promote awareness of the importance and benefit of art in education, and even provide outlets (whether it's a extra curricular program or a college's program) for students wanting to get involved. The first site, ComedySportz LA, I chose because when I was in high school I was involved in this improv group. I found it to be extremely rewarding in not only the educational sense, but also in the growth of my self awareness and self confidence. ComedySportz is a national Improv organization, that caters to adult actors as well as college and high school-aged actors. For high school students looking to continue their art education, a website like Find Your Art School is there to narrow down what kind of art institution a student is looking for rather than having to be limited to art programs in regular universities. Overall, I found my research on the web to be very insightful, and the sites that I discovered are great indicators that art education awareness is increasing not only in the World Wide Web, but in our daily lives as well.