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Castro, J. (2012). Learning and Teaching Art: Through Social Media. Studies in Art Education,
53(2), 152-169.
Type of Article: Research Based
Summary: This article presented findings from a design-based research study that explored how
the dynamics of learning and teaching art change through implementing social media in the
classroom. Specifically, the study observed how using the open source Elgg
(http://www.elgg.org/) platform affected the curriculum and pedagogy with a goal to gain insight
on how learning and teaching art changed in this environment. The Elgg platform was design to
mimic social environments students were familiar with using allowing students to post blogs,
digital photographs, and videos and also allowing them to send messages, chat and open
discussions. There were two phases to the study, with the first four weeks being dedicated to
reshaping ideals of happiness in culture and personal lives by using weekly writing prompts and
the art documentary Euphoria as a basis for inquiry. The first weeks curriculum was predesigned
with the following weeks curriculum incorporating the students discussions from the prior
week. The second phase focused on collective knowledge. Basically, the curriculum asked
students to conduct artistic inquiry based on the evolving dialogue, images, video and text
produced in the online environment.
The results of the study showed four characteristics of learning and teaching in an online
environment:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Learning through Looking and Dialogue

Learning through Encounters with Difference
Dynamics of Attention and Learning through Social Media
Shifting the Spatial

In short, the study found that teaching art through social media changed how the learning
occurred as it was not based on the ideas of one individual. The learning was based on the fact
that the identity of the teacher and student shifted and both were co-participating in a dynamic
and collective system of meaning.
Critique: The study reinforced the benefits of an online learning community where teacher and
student are participating in the learning process together. In this study, Learning occurs at
multiple scales, from the individual to the collective, in complex systems. (158) All participants
become teachers and learners in this classroom model. While the study does suggest a positive
outcome from using social media in the art classroom, there is a detail of this study I find
concerning. The study was conducted with a group of 15 students as an extra-curricular activity. I
believe the study would have more accurately determined impacts of social media in the art
classroom had it been conducted with a more varied sample group including at risk students, and
English Language Learners (ELLs). These two subgroups of the general population of a school
often struggle with ability, motivation and self-direction, which are key elements needed when
students are learning in an online environment. Despite my concerns with how this study was

conducted, I do believe the topic warrants that further studies be conducted to prove or disprove
the impacts of social media on the art classroom.
Lowther, D.L., Ross, S.M. & Morrison, G.M. (2003). When each one has one: the influences on
teaching strategies and student achievement of using laptops in the classroom. Educational
Technology, Research and Development, 51 (3), pp.23-44.
Type of Article: Research Based
Summary: This study was intended to offer understanding into the extent to which a schools
laptop program impact students education and learning. To start, a pilot study was conducted to
evaluate the first year results of the implementation of the laptop program based on Anytime,
Anywhere Learning (AAL). Students participating in the pilot study were provided a laptop for a
monthly lease fee of fifty dollars. Therefore, sampling was dependent on families interest in the
study and ability to participate because of monetary costs. After the first year, the design of the
study was redeveloped to include analysis of preprogram achievement scores, all teacher
participants being NTeQ trained equally, and measures of student performance in problemsolving and writing skills.
There were two research questions being focused on:
1. Is teaching and student behavior different in laptop compared to control classrooms?
2. Do students achieve differently in laptop classrooms?
The results from the second year of the study indicated that teachers in the laptop classes were
implementing more student-centered teaching strategies, like project-based learning, independent
inquiry, teacher as coach and cooperative learning. In general, laptop classes were observed to be
busier and have more active learning environments. Consistent throughout both years of the
study was the frequent use of the laptop as a learning tool rather than just for delivery of
instruction.
Critique: While the article does suggest that student one-to-one devices positively impact
student achievement, there are a few details of this study I find concerning. The study was
conducted in a district that predominately serves suburban middle-class families. I believe the
study would have more accurately determined impacts on achievement had it been conducted
with a more varied sample group including at risk students, and English Language Learners
(ELLs). Also of concern, the observations of classrooms conducted in the study were said to be
prescheduled. If a teacher knows that they are being observed, they are going to make sure they
have planned a model lesson. The data from these types of prescheduled observations would
not be valid as they are not a true representation of what is actually occurring in the classroom. I
believe the observations should have been unannounced. However, I did find it appropriate that
the observers were not aware that the data they were collecting was in reference to the one-to one
program. Lastly, with the changes that were made between the year one pilot and year two study,
I do not believe that the two years are comparable anymore. There were too many factors not
considered to accurately pinpoint that an increase in student achievement was linked to a one-toone device. Despite my concerns with how this study was conducted, I do believe further studies
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should be conducted to prove or disprove the positive impacts of one-to-one on student

achievement so that districts can make better choices for their students.
Foster, A., Katz-Buonincontro, J. (2013). Integrating the Visual Arts Back into the Classroom
with Mobile Applications: Teaching beyond the Click and View Approach. Journal of Digital
Learning in Teacher Education, 30(2), 10-17.
Type of Article: Research Based
Summary: This study addresses how teachers can select appropriate visual arts mobile
applications and use them to successfully integrate art back into the classroom. The study uses a
content analysis approach using two frameworks: Technological Pedagogical Content
Knowledge (TPACK) along with the Inquiry, Communication, Construction and Expression
framework. The results of the study show the extent to which sixteen mobile applications
promote physiological features, physiological learning principles, pedagogical voice, sociocultural dimensions, aesthetic understanding and creative self-efficacy.
The main research questions were:
1. To what extent do the top downloaded mobile applications that focus on visual arts
promote technological pedagogical content knowledge for use in a classroom context?
2. To what extent do the top downloadable mobile applications focusing on the visual arts
present opportunities for inquiry, communication, construction and expression in arts
education?
The results of the study showed that the mobile applications are designed in an imbalanced way
that fails to holistically develop and sustain learning opportunities for students in the visual arts
beyond a click and view approach. It is further suggested in the study that teachers Play,
Curricular activity, Reflection and Discussion Model (PCaRD). In this model, students engage in
naturalistic play with a mobile application, reflect on play with friends and then engage in
curricular activities connected to using the mobile application.
Critique: This study is an excellent resource for providing art teachers with insight to top
downloadable visual arts apps. One of my concerns in reading this study is that the search for
visual art applications was conducted on the IOS platform and only free applications were part of
the study. The study should have included other platforms, such as Android, to expand the
sample. Also of concern, the search terms used to find the applications was limited to three
terms Art museum, art, and painting. I feel there are more terms that could have been
incorporated into the search.
While the study does suggest that the applications reviewed in this study fail to provide complete
learning experiences, I appreciate the fact that the PCaRD was brought to attention. I do not feel
the applications are worthless to the learning process and PCaRD approach would be very useful
in allowing teachers to incorporate mobile applications in a meaningful way.

Budge, K. (2012). Art and Design Blogs: A Socially-Wise Approach to Creativity. International
Journal of Art & Design Education, 31(1), 44-52.
Type of Article: Research Based
Summary: This study explores how artists, designers and makers who blog about their work, use
a social approach to encourage creativity with a sense of community and environmental and
ethical awareness. The blogs being researched in this study were evaluated using a reflexive
research methodology. From the study of twenty-five blogs, five key themes emerged from the
data: sense of community, sharing of creative practice, environmental awareness, support for the
creative work of others and awareness of globalism.
The main research questions were:
1. Is there a way to include participation in the broader art and design blogging world as a
part of art and design education?
2. What can we learn from such a social approach to learning in art and design programs?
This study shows that there is value in blogging as a socially-wise approach to creativity in
learning environments because the students participating in this community will be the artists of
the future. Promoting social approaches in art education allows students to see that there are
many ways that artists work and that creative processes are more varied than often suggested.
Critique: While I do believe this study is accurate in its research of the twenty five blogs and
their ability to encourage creativity, I do not believe the research was done allowing for any
decision about the effects of blogging in the art and design classroom. The five themes
determined by the data are all topics that should be considered in an art and design classroom
and blogging may be a socially-wise approach for students to increase their creativity.
I do believe that this calls for further research to be conducted. I would like to see a follow up
study which includes a classroom actually participating in the creation of personal blogs and the
following of professional artists blogs. Even if a second study was conducted, I believe there
would be too many variables to consider in accurately determining whether or not blogging
increases creativity in the art classroom.

Leake, M. (2014). Social Engagements With Contemporary Art: Connecting Theory With
Practice. The Journal of the National Art Education Association, 67(5), 23-30.
Type of Article: Theory-into-Practice
Summary: This article addresses social learning theory and students exploring contemporary art
both inside and outside of the classroom to spark dynamic social learning interactions. The
article asks the reader to consider the question: How might we as educators reconsider how
community engagements with contemporary art and social learning theory are relationally
interconnected and why is that important?
The article references how technology, including blogs, is a contemporary forum for articulating
subjective truths. (28) Blogging in this sense allows students to become part of a contemporary
art community. Social media, such as blogging, is supported by social learning theory in that
there is a community connecting on social issues and life experiences, in this case through
contemporary art. There is an ongoing and generative process of knowledge acquisition
unfolding between participants. This article suggest that exploring contemporary art both inside
and outside of the classroom is an effective approach to connect learning about real-world issues
and concerns with our own personal experiences, thus reinforcing how art is a reflection of life.
(25)
Critique: This article was a very interesting read for an art educator. I believe that Leake did
offer valuable insight into the relationship between social learning theory not only through
contemporary art, but art in general. Art educators have the responsibility to ensure students are
learning about art both inside and outside the classroom and the authors suggestion of using
blogs to explore contemporary art is a great resource. Through blogging, students become part of
a learning community that allows for social learning interactions to occur with artisans from
around the world. It allows learning to be centered in worlds beyond the classroom and students
develop their relationship to those worlds.
While I do appreciate the author relating blogging in contemporary art communities to social
learning theory, I do believe there could have been further discussion of other technology tools
that could create further social learning interactions for students. I believe that other social media
such as Facebook, Twitter and Deviantart could be possibilities to shift student learning from
being classroom centered to a social media community.

Jones, B., Overby, A. (2015). Virtuaal LEGOS: Incorporating Minecraft Into the Art Education
Curriculum. Art Education, 68(1), 21-27.
Type of Article: Professional Practice
Summary: Digital technology is not new to art education, as many art educators have explored
virtual environments for teaching and learning. However, what might not be so familiar to the art
educator is the implementation of game-based learning, specific to this article, Minecraft.
Gaming as a learning tool fits within the art education paradigm because of the aesthetic
choices players make during gameplay.(22) It is also mentioned in the article that video games
such as Mineccraft can help with issues of visual perception, interpretation, and aesthetics within
a digital space.
Using Minecraft in the art classroom can help art educators teach basic programming skills
required for creating interactive digital art, pixel art, and offer challenges in creating buildings to
scale and using perspective. Besides teaching key art skills, Minecraft also encourages students
to create, collaborate and reflect.
Critique: This article does a great job at empowering art educators to incorporate Minecraft into
the classroom. The authors give a clear explanation of the benefits of game-based learning and
how Minecraft can enhance the art classroom. The article also expresses how user friendly
Minecraft is and how it can easily be adapted for different skill levels. Differentiation occurs
automatically within the game.
There are issues that might cause some art educators to be skeptical of incorporating digital
technologies into the classroom. Since there are no instructions with the game, only user created
YouTube videos, teachers might be a bit intimidated to start using the program, especially if their
own technology skills are lacking. Also, there are many art educators who have not made the
shift in teaching the digital generation and therefore do not see the value of games like
Minecraft.

Burwell, C. (2013). The Pedagogical Potential of Video Remix: Critical Conversations About
Culture, Creativity and Copyright. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 57(3), 205-213.
Type of Article: Professional Practice
Summary: This article suggest that students are generating new ways of producing knowledge
as well as new forms of identity and community through multimodal spaces such as Facebook or
Pinterest and the practice video remix or musical mash up. In the article, the author focuses on
how remix can become a part of the classroom curriculum.
The art form of video remix opens up discussions of digital text and explores possibilities for
students to analyze their everyday media involvements, which becomes important when young
peoples identities and worldview are shaped through digital text and interactions. Burwell
suggests that the use of video remix in the classroom opens up discussion of theoretically rich
concepts such as media ideology, creativity, appropriation, intellectual property, and fair use.
(212)
Critique: I did find this article very informative on the use of video remix in the classroom. I
can see remix as a powerful teaching tool and a way to teach literacy through the arts. Video
remix opens the door to literacy as students create a vocabulary for critiquing not only a remix
but other digital texts. I believe that incorporating video remix into the curriculum is a great way
to bridge the gap between teachers and 21st century learners. In respect to art education, I agree
with Burwell that it is important for students to be able to view digital media, discuss it, describe
it and reflect on it.
I also appreciate that the author gives steps for immediate implementation of remix in the
classroom. However, I think that before teachers begin to incorporate remix into their classroom,
they should ensure that they themselves and their students understand copyright and fair use
practices.

Myer, E. (2009). Photography Education in a Web 2.0 Classroom. Knowledge Quest, 37(4), 3639.
Type of Article: Professional Practice
Summary: This article explores a teachers journey in implementing Web 2.0 tools in a
photography classroom. Myer used Web 2.0 tools such as blogs, wikis and social networks to
engage and inspire his photography students. Using these tools, Myer was able to showcase
student achievement, open new lines of communication with current and former students,
manage classroom workflow and collaborate on projects with teachers I have never met. (36)
To start, Myer was simply looking for a way for students to publish their work to an audience
who could quickly respond and so, he created a photo blog. Next, he used Facebook groups to
organize his photography lasses into Facebook groups. Myer used a wiki to communicate
classroom expectations with his students as well. Skype also became a collaboration tool for
Myer as he worked on projects with his advanced students.
Myer contributes his students level of professionalism and enthusiasm to the use of Web 2.0
tools in his classes. He suggests that his students are not just completing work to get a grade, but
that they are actually learning and have a deeper understanding of design elements and principles
and are more aware of their personal aesthetic.
Critique: Myers use of Web 2.0 tools seems to have had a positive impact on the levels of
learning occurring in his classroom. The way that he is using these web tools is certainly
engaging for his students. Just as the author, I find it very important to showcase the
achievements of students and a blog is a perfect way to take work from the hallways to the
world.
However, I have to question the use of so many different tools. I can see the tools as a great way
for the teacher to organize and manage students, but I also think it would be rather confusing to
students to remember to check the wiki and to check in on the Facebook groups. I think he and
his students would benefit from a web 2.0 tool that allowed for multiple uses for the teacher and
the students.

Buechley, L., Zoran, A. (2013). Hybrid Reassemblage: An Exploration of Craft, Digital

Fabrication and Artifact Uniqueness. Leonardo, 46(1), 4-10.
Type of Article: Professional Practice
Summary: Craft, Destruction and Restoration are the areas of discussion of this article. Digital
fabrication, specifically 3D printing, is at the heart of this article. The crafting process results in a
unique artifact created by a craftsperson. Digital fabrication allows an object to be designed on a
computer and be produced by a machine. The marriage of craft and digital fabrication that we
explore is made possible by destruction. (6) A handcrafted object can be destroyed and in turn
the opportunity for restoration is made possible by 3Dprinting.
This authors coin the term Hybrid Reassemblage as their approach to using digital fabrication to
restore broken ceramic pieces. Buechley and Zoran believe craft, digital fabrication, destruction
and restoration can be integrated into a hybrid creative process. This creative process asks the
craftsperson to surrender the original meaning of the object and transform it into a memorial. The
authors view the destruction and reassemblage as a rite of passage for the craftsperson, as he is
forced to accept the reality of change.
Critique: I find the idea of students being able to create an object using a computer and having
a machine 3D print the object to be fascinating. However, I do not see the idea of hybrid
reassemblage to be a creative process appropriate for the high school classroom. Nor do I see,
the point of destroying a handcrafted item only to turn around and recreate it using a machine. In
my opinion this is a waste of time and ultimately devalues the craftspersons original piece of
work. Where is the art in this process?
As the article has piqued my curiosity about students being able to 3D print their original
designs, I wish the authors would have spent some time discussing original 3D printed works. A
project that utilizes a 3D printer would encourage students to be independent thinkers, problem
solvers and inventors. I wish the article would have explored these aspects of 3D printing in the
art classroom.

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