The authors consider the ways in which educational responses to COVID19 exemplify opportunistic d... more The authors consider the ways in which educational responses to COVID19 exemplify opportunistic disaster capitalism. Prior to the pandemic, neoliberal influence increasingly impacted education systems all over the world, pushing for increased privatization in/of schools. COVID19 has created conditions for private technology companies to push for increased participation in public schools. That is, corporations are using this health crisis to further mobilize the neoliberal agenda, and encourage policies, practices, and technological infrastructure that will be used to rationalize ongoing online learning. In turn, we ask: What are the motivations and implications of inviting private EdTech into public education? How does EdTech encourage a move to online learning; c) what are the overall impacts of online learning? Under the veil of the panic of a global health crisis, our public education systems in Canada are being put at risk.
Youth Practices in Digital Arts and New Media, 2015
In this chapter the author discusses a comparative case study undertaken during 2010-2012 at two ... more In this chapter the author discusses a comparative case study undertaken during 2010-2012 at two very different Canadian secondary schools located in the prairies. Two educators are examined and both are notable for their outstanding practices in teaching digital technologies: specifically addressed are lived experiences of two art teachers involved in designing, implementing, and running their own new media programs. A specific focus is on innovative curricula development and flexible, creative, pedagogical practice situated in the formal learning sector or environment. In this chapter there is a specific center of attention placed upon educators' narratives, their teaching circumstances, and dynamics shaping their particular lived situations. Through examination of these model programs, I will discuss best practices of two teachers who have met with success.
International Journal of Education the Arts, Sep 2, 2014
As a result of cheaper, accessible, and user-friendly technologies, there is an increasing volume... more As a result of cheaper, accessible, and user-friendly technologies, there is an increasing volume of videos created by children, yet these works often lack excellence. Strong pedagogical practice is important to nurture excellence in video production, but there is scant literature in this area. In this paper, I examine best practices through a case study of three outstanding, diverse Canadian new media/video art programs at the middle and secondary levels in which students consistently gained recognition. I specifically looked at background information on each school, the structure and pedagogical approaches of the programs, and the strengths of each program. Although I found that the three programs had different focuses, curricula, and teaching styles, the programs shared a project/content driven, student-centered curricula, combined with collaboration, and community outreach. The most significant of my findings was a focus on artistic and creative practices as opposed to technological ones to foster outstanding school video programs.
Creativity in Digital Art Education Teaching Practices JOANNA BLACK AND KATHY BROWNING S ince the... more Creativity in Digital Art Education Teaching Practices JOANNA BLACK AND KATHY BROWNING S ince the introduction of personal computers, art educators increasingly have adopted new digital technologies into their pedagogy, yet overall that adoption has been a slow
The development of an innovative pedagogical model based on case study research about human right... more The development of an innovative pedagogical model based on case study research about human rights education regarding discourses of power and food in relation to visual arts education and human ecology education will be examined. The authors outline two ongoing studies about "di-giART" and Human Rights: New Media, Art, and Human Ecology Integrated Projects. These projects have been held at the University of Manitoba, Canada for pre-service teachers training to be secondary level educators: the research has been ongoing since 2013. As a result of the studies, meaningful curricula and innovative pedagogy have been developed using contemporary technologies. Key to the studies is not only the incorporation of creative teaching and learning about digital technologies at the higher education level but also integrating human rights issues into curricula. The authors' approaches to teaching human rights issues to pre-service teachers are described in which they incorporate creative technologies to foster an innovative pedagogical model, and develop productive learning using digital technologies. Student's new media practices from preproduction to postproduction are delineated and benefits from using this approach are discussed.
This presentation is based on a unique Summer Institute at the University of Manitoba, Canada in ... more This presentation is based on a unique Summer Institute at the University of Manitoba, Canada in which the presenters examined the relationship between pedagogy and the popular mass media from ([6] Butler, 2000; [12] Maruri, 2012) and beyond [11] Dalton (2010). The image of the teacher provides thematic explorations of school culture, pedagogy, human rights, equality, race, gender, bullying, poverty, stereotyping, and power relations [7] Bulman (2005). The authors of the paper describe a case study which was carried out in a Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Education and Master of Education program at the Faculty of Education over a two-week period in August of 2013 with 24 pre-service public school teachers and technical college instructors.
Promising pedagogical practices is described in relation to incorporating ICT (Information, Commu... more Promising pedagogical practices is described in relation to incorporating ICT (Information, Communication and Technologies) with the study of Human Rights issues in Visual Arts Education for teacher candidates. As part of a course, 'Senior Years Art,' students at the Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba during 2013-2014 experienced a class project entitled, 'digiART and Human Rights: A New Media, Arts Integrated Project.' For this course the authors drew upon a pilot course held earlier in 2011 as a Faculty of Education Summer Graduate Institute in which significant curricula using new media was connected to the theories outlined in the Human Rights Education Paradigm by Tibbitts (2002) specifically related to the (1) values/awareness model (2) accountability model and (3) transformational model. The authors found that models 1 and 3 relate to pedagogical approaches regarding ICT in visual arts education. In this article the writers will describe one outstanding student's process learning about ICT in relation to examining the Canadian immigrant experience. The pedagogical approach used has the promise for wider relevance across subject areas. Since the early 1900s there has been a significant and formidable connection between visual art and human rights education. Related to its early beginnings are the progressive democratic concepts of John Dewey, later superseded by the social reconstruction theories of George Counts in the 1930s (Milbrandt 2002). Following Counts, Paulo Freire in the 1960s provided a theoretical and educational position in order to deal with humankind's oppression in unjust societies, having himself experienced childhood poverty, hunger, and later in life, a military coup in Brazil. Correspondingly, during this time period, Theodor Adorno of the Frankfurt School developed critical social theories about the culture industry that informed art
Canadian Review of Art Education Research and Issues, 2009
Change is occurring in our society, in our workplaces and in our classrooms. More than a decade a... more Change is occurring in our society, in our workplaces and in our classrooms. More than a decade ago, Gregory (1995) strongly advocated for art educators to consider interactive, digital technologies as significant to the future of Art Education. Roland (1990) concurs, writing:
Never has it been more urgent for educators to be aware of the perils of research in education us... more Never has it been more urgent for educators to be aware of the perils of research in education using digital searches in today's world of disinformation, misinformation, artificial intelligence and censorship. As a result, we are more reliant on strong researchers than ever before. In the discipline of Education, students are often asked to research issues pertaining to curricula, pedagogy, educational information and theories. Pupils are using Internet and digital library searches to gain knowledge within public and private K-12 schools and within higher education. In this article, an Educational Librarian and an Education Professor outline their approach to educating all Faculty of Education students about using digital platforms in relation to unmasking fake news, artificial intelligence (AI) usage, and increasing Internet censorship. Using case study research, we examined 34 Bachelor of Education students in training at the high school level who created environmental digital art projects. Information/media literacy was taught in order to provide students with the necessary tools to identify credible, diverse, well-informed, strong, and robust research. In addition, they needed to be able to discern when artificial intelligence was utilized. Outlined are students' projects. Our findings include "top ten" practical suggestions for educators at all levels when teaching students about effective researching in our current digital era.
Navigating and Combating "Digital Information Minefields" in our Era of Digital Deceit, 2022
In our post-truth era, it is becoming increasingly difficult for people to deal with fake news, a... more In our post-truth era, it is becoming increasingly difficult for people to deal with fake news, artificial intelligence, increasing algorithms, Internet censorship, and resulting manipulation of digital users. Social media usage and digital technologies are utilized not only in people's daily lives, but also in educational contexts. In this perplexing political and corporate landscape, a university Education Librarian and Education Professor working in a Faculty of Education have teamed together to examine ways to address this minefield in their case study research involving ninety-one students. Outlined is a collaborative, responsive, pedagogical approach in which critical research skills and educational curricula are delineated and related to creative and participatory educational practices. An emphasis is placed on arts-based inquiry and student imaginative collaboration. This pedagogy enables students to become more critical consumers and skilled producers of knowledge, facilitating student research and communication of well-developed ideas within their own digital and teaching lives.
The International Journal of Education and the Arts, 2014
As a result of cheaper, accessible, and user-friendly technologies, there is an increasing volume... more As a result of cheaper, accessible, and user-friendly technologies, there is an increasing volume of videos created by children, yet these works often lack excellence. Strong pedagogical practice is important to nurture excellence in video production, but there is scant literature in this area. In this paper, I examine best practices through a case study of three outstanding, diverse Canadian new media/video art programs at the middle and secondary levels in which students consistently gained recognition. I specifically looked at background information on each school, the structure and pedagogical approaches of the programs, and the strengths of each program. Although I found that the three programs had different focuses, curricula, and teaching styles, the programs shared a project/content driven, student-centered curricula, combined with collaboration, and community outreach. The most significant of my findings was a focus on artistic and creative practices as opposed to technological ones to foster outstanding school video programs.
noted, in reference to the COVID-19 pandemic, "With social distancing and repeated lockdown measu... more noted, in reference to the COVID-19 pandemic, "With social distancing and repeated lockdown measures, feelings of isolation and loneliness… [have caused an] increase [in]… anxiety and depression". This anxiety has seeped into our digital classrooms. How, we asked, could we work in creative and productive ways to examine this pandemic phenomenon? Using ourselves as research subjects, we chose to model the ways anxiety could be redirected and used as a resilient creative practice. Beginning June 2020, inspired by generative and co-participatory activities with students, we pushed ourselves into new directions. An irrepressible, manic curiosity consumed us, a kind of "anxiety of dissolution" (Loveless 49). To address this, we asked deeply reflexive questions about how we, as artists/researchers, could learn from this heightened pandemic anxiety. How might this moment alter our imaginings? How might curiosity guide us? Responses to these questions spoke to our autoethnographically-informed creation-research strategy(ies) for producing "bodies of evidence" (Horn qtd. in Ray 15). We addressed issues of location, loss, and refuge by engaging in critically collaborative deliberation as we developed visual and time-based work.
Promising pedagogical practices is described in relation to incorporating ICT (Information, Commu... more Promising pedagogical practices is described in relation to incorporating ICT (Information, Communication and Technologies) with the study of Human Rights issues in Visual Arts Education for teacher candidates. As part of a course, ‘Senior Years Art, ’ students at the Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba during 2013-2014 experienced a class project entitled, ‘digiART and Human Rights: A New Media, Arts Integrated Project. ’ For this course the authors drew upon a pilot course held earlier in 2011 as a Faculty of Education Summer Graduate Institute in which significant curricula using new media was connected to the theories outlined in the Human Rights Education Paradigm by Tibbitts (2002) specifically related to the (1) values/awareness model (2) accountability model and (3) transformational model. The authors found that models 1 and 3 relate to pedagogical approaches regarding ICT in visual arts education. In this article the writers will describe one outstanding student’s ...
The urgency to establish laws for using generative artificial intelligence (GAI) is upon our soci... more The urgency to establish laws for using generative artificial intelligence (GAI) is upon our society. At the end of the year, 2022 OpenAI made available to an international public its groundbreaking software, ChatGPT which is utilized by 1.8 billion users per month. Never before has a technology application been so successful so quickly. In this paper, the author outlines a history of artificial intelligence (AI), discusses ways in which generative artificial intelligence (GAI) technologies are used today, and delineates the future use of GAIs in education for all areas of study. A focus is on analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of GAIs with particular attention to the consideration of human agency versus machine agency. The author examines ways to avoid problems using GAIs currently. Also considered are ways in which human beings can use GAIs in the future while maintaining their own power, autonomy and control. To support this, Marshall McLuhan's laws for the electronic media are revised as "Laws of Generative Artificial Intelligence" to aid educators from kindergarten to higher education for teaching in the "GAI Era".
The authors consider the ways in which educational responses to COVID19 exemplify opportunistic d... more The authors consider the ways in which educational responses to COVID19 exemplify opportunistic disaster capitalism. Prior to the pandemic, neoliberal influence increasingly impacted education systems all over the world, pushing for increased privatization in/of schools. COVID19 has created conditions for private technology companies to push for increased participation in public schools. That is, corporations are using this health crisis to further mobilize the neoliberal agenda, and encourage policies, practices, and technological infrastructure that will be used to rationalize ongoing online learning. In turn, we ask: What are the motivations and implications of inviting private EdTech into public education? How does EdTech encourage a move to online learning; c) what are the overall impacts of online learning? Under the veil of the panic of a global health crisis, our public education systems in Canada are being put at risk.
Youth Practices in Digital Arts and New Media, 2015
In this chapter the author discusses a comparative case study undertaken during 2010-2012 at two ... more In this chapter the author discusses a comparative case study undertaken during 2010-2012 at two very different Canadian secondary schools located in the prairies. Two educators are examined and both are notable for their outstanding practices in teaching digital technologies: specifically addressed are lived experiences of two art teachers involved in designing, implementing, and running their own new media programs. A specific focus is on innovative curricula development and flexible, creative, pedagogical practice situated in the formal learning sector or environment. In this chapter there is a specific center of attention placed upon educators' narratives, their teaching circumstances, and dynamics shaping their particular lived situations. Through examination of these model programs, I will discuss best practices of two teachers who have met with success.
International Journal of Education the Arts, Sep 2, 2014
As a result of cheaper, accessible, and user-friendly technologies, there is an increasing volume... more As a result of cheaper, accessible, and user-friendly technologies, there is an increasing volume of videos created by children, yet these works often lack excellence. Strong pedagogical practice is important to nurture excellence in video production, but there is scant literature in this area. In this paper, I examine best practices through a case study of three outstanding, diverse Canadian new media/video art programs at the middle and secondary levels in which students consistently gained recognition. I specifically looked at background information on each school, the structure and pedagogical approaches of the programs, and the strengths of each program. Although I found that the three programs had different focuses, curricula, and teaching styles, the programs shared a project/content driven, student-centered curricula, combined with collaboration, and community outreach. The most significant of my findings was a focus on artistic and creative practices as opposed to technological ones to foster outstanding school video programs.
Creativity in Digital Art Education Teaching Practices JOANNA BLACK AND KATHY BROWNING S ince the... more Creativity in Digital Art Education Teaching Practices JOANNA BLACK AND KATHY BROWNING S ince the introduction of personal computers, art educators increasingly have adopted new digital technologies into their pedagogy, yet overall that adoption has been a slow
The development of an innovative pedagogical model based on case study research about human right... more The development of an innovative pedagogical model based on case study research about human rights education regarding discourses of power and food in relation to visual arts education and human ecology education will be examined. The authors outline two ongoing studies about "di-giART" and Human Rights: New Media, Art, and Human Ecology Integrated Projects. These projects have been held at the University of Manitoba, Canada for pre-service teachers training to be secondary level educators: the research has been ongoing since 2013. As a result of the studies, meaningful curricula and innovative pedagogy have been developed using contemporary technologies. Key to the studies is not only the incorporation of creative teaching and learning about digital technologies at the higher education level but also integrating human rights issues into curricula. The authors' approaches to teaching human rights issues to pre-service teachers are described in which they incorporate creative technologies to foster an innovative pedagogical model, and develop productive learning using digital technologies. Student's new media practices from preproduction to postproduction are delineated and benefits from using this approach are discussed.
This presentation is based on a unique Summer Institute at the University of Manitoba, Canada in ... more This presentation is based on a unique Summer Institute at the University of Manitoba, Canada in which the presenters examined the relationship between pedagogy and the popular mass media from ([6] Butler, 2000; [12] Maruri, 2012) and beyond [11] Dalton (2010). The image of the teacher provides thematic explorations of school culture, pedagogy, human rights, equality, race, gender, bullying, poverty, stereotyping, and power relations [7] Bulman (2005). The authors of the paper describe a case study which was carried out in a Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Education and Master of Education program at the Faculty of Education over a two-week period in August of 2013 with 24 pre-service public school teachers and technical college instructors.
Promising pedagogical practices is described in relation to incorporating ICT (Information, Commu... more Promising pedagogical practices is described in relation to incorporating ICT (Information, Communication and Technologies) with the study of Human Rights issues in Visual Arts Education for teacher candidates. As part of a course, 'Senior Years Art,' students at the Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba during 2013-2014 experienced a class project entitled, 'digiART and Human Rights: A New Media, Arts Integrated Project.' For this course the authors drew upon a pilot course held earlier in 2011 as a Faculty of Education Summer Graduate Institute in which significant curricula using new media was connected to the theories outlined in the Human Rights Education Paradigm by Tibbitts (2002) specifically related to the (1) values/awareness model (2) accountability model and (3) transformational model. The authors found that models 1 and 3 relate to pedagogical approaches regarding ICT in visual arts education. In this article the writers will describe one outstanding student's process learning about ICT in relation to examining the Canadian immigrant experience. The pedagogical approach used has the promise for wider relevance across subject areas. Since the early 1900s there has been a significant and formidable connection between visual art and human rights education. Related to its early beginnings are the progressive democratic concepts of John Dewey, later superseded by the social reconstruction theories of George Counts in the 1930s (Milbrandt 2002). Following Counts, Paulo Freire in the 1960s provided a theoretical and educational position in order to deal with humankind's oppression in unjust societies, having himself experienced childhood poverty, hunger, and later in life, a military coup in Brazil. Correspondingly, during this time period, Theodor Adorno of the Frankfurt School developed critical social theories about the culture industry that informed art
Canadian Review of Art Education Research and Issues, 2009
Change is occurring in our society, in our workplaces and in our classrooms. More than a decade a... more Change is occurring in our society, in our workplaces and in our classrooms. More than a decade ago, Gregory (1995) strongly advocated for art educators to consider interactive, digital technologies as significant to the future of Art Education. Roland (1990) concurs, writing:
Never has it been more urgent for educators to be aware of the perils of research in education us... more Never has it been more urgent for educators to be aware of the perils of research in education using digital searches in today's world of disinformation, misinformation, artificial intelligence and censorship. As a result, we are more reliant on strong researchers than ever before. In the discipline of Education, students are often asked to research issues pertaining to curricula, pedagogy, educational information and theories. Pupils are using Internet and digital library searches to gain knowledge within public and private K-12 schools and within higher education. In this article, an Educational Librarian and an Education Professor outline their approach to educating all Faculty of Education students about using digital platforms in relation to unmasking fake news, artificial intelligence (AI) usage, and increasing Internet censorship. Using case study research, we examined 34 Bachelor of Education students in training at the high school level who created environmental digital art projects. Information/media literacy was taught in order to provide students with the necessary tools to identify credible, diverse, well-informed, strong, and robust research. In addition, they needed to be able to discern when artificial intelligence was utilized. Outlined are students' projects. Our findings include "top ten" practical suggestions for educators at all levels when teaching students about effective researching in our current digital era.
Navigating and Combating "Digital Information Minefields" in our Era of Digital Deceit, 2022
In our post-truth era, it is becoming increasingly difficult for people to deal with fake news, a... more In our post-truth era, it is becoming increasingly difficult for people to deal with fake news, artificial intelligence, increasing algorithms, Internet censorship, and resulting manipulation of digital users. Social media usage and digital technologies are utilized not only in people's daily lives, but also in educational contexts. In this perplexing political and corporate landscape, a university Education Librarian and Education Professor working in a Faculty of Education have teamed together to examine ways to address this minefield in their case study research involving ninety-one students. Outlined is a collaborative, responsive, pedagogical approach in which critical research skills and educational curricula are delineated and related to creative and participatory educational practices. An emphasis is placed on arts-based inquiry and student imaginative collaboration. This pedagogy enables students to become more critical consumers and skilled producers of knowledge, facilitating student research and communication of well-developed ideas within their own digital and teaching lives.
The International Journal of Education and the Arts, 2014
As a result of cheaper, accessible, and user-friendly technologies, there is an increasing volume... more As a result of cheaper, accessible, and user-friendly technologies, there is an increasing volume of videos created by children, yet these works often lack excellence. Strong pedagogical practice is important to nurture excellence in video production, but there is scant literature in this area. In this paper, I examine best practices through a case study of three outstanding, diverse Canadian new media/video art programs at the middle and secondary levels in which students consistently gained recognition. I specifically looked at background information on each school, the structure and pedagogical approaches of the programs, and the strengths of each program. Although I found that the three programs had different focuses, curricula, and teaching styles, the programs shared a project/content driven, student-centered curricula, combined with collaboration, and community outreach. The most significant of my findings was a focus on artistic and creative practices as opposed to technological ones to foster outstanding school video programs.
noted, in reference to the COVID-19 pandemic, "With social distancing and repeated lockdown measu... more noted, in reference to the COVID-19 pandemic, "With social distancing and repeated lockdown measures, feelings of isolation and loneliness… [have caused an] increase [in]… anxiety and depression". This anxiety has seeped into our digital classrooms. How, we asked, could we work in creative and productive ways to examine this pandemic phenomenon? Using ourselves as research subjects, we chose to model the ways anxiety could be redirected and used as a resilient creative practice. Beginning June 2020, inspired by generative and co-participatory activities with students, we pushed ourselves into new directions. An irrepressible, manic curiosity consumed us, a kind of "anxiety of dissolution" (Loveless 49). To address this, we asked deeply reflexive questions about how we, as artists/researchers, could learn from this heightened pandemic anxiety. How might this moment alter our imaginings? How might curiosity guide us? Responses to these questions spoke to our autoethnographically-informed creation-research strategy(ies) for producing "bodies of evidence" (Horn qtd. in Ray 15). We addressed issues of location, loss, and refuge by engaging in critically collaborative deliberation as we developed visual and time-based work.
Promising pedagogical practices is described in relation to incorporating ICT (Information, Commu... more Promising pedagogical practices is described in relation to incorporating ICT (Information, Communication and Technologies) with the study of Human Rights issues in Visual Arts Education for teacher candidates. As part of a course, ‘Senior Years Art, ’ students at the Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba during 2013-2014 experienced a class project entitled, ‘digiART and Human Rights: A New Media, Arts Integrated Project. ’ For this course the authors drew upon a pilot course held earlier in 2011 as a Faculty of Education Summer Graduate Institute in which significant curricula using new media was connected to the theories outlined in the Human Rights Education Paradigm by Tibbitts (2002) specifically related to the (1) values/awareness model (2) accountability model and (3) transformational model. The authors found that models 1 and 3 relate to pedagogical approaches regarding ICT in visual arts education. In this article the writers will describe one outstanding student’s ...
The urgency to establish laws for using generative artificial intelligence (GAI) is upon our soci... more The urgency to establish laws for using generative artificial intelligence (GAI) is upon our society. At the end of the year, 2022 OpenAI made available to an international public its groundbreaking software, ChatGPT which is utilized by 1.8 billion users per month. Never before has a technology application been so successful so quickly. In this paper, the author outlines a history of artificial intelligence (AI), discusses ways in which generative artificial intelligence (GAI) technologies are used today, and delineates the future use of GAIs in education for all areas of study. A focus is on analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of GAIs with particular attention to the consideration of human agency versus machine agency. The author examines ways to avoid problems using GAIs currently. Also considered are ways in which human beings can use GAIs in the future while maintaining their own power, autonomy and control. To support this, Marshall McLuhan's laws for the electronic media are revised as "Laws of Generative Artificial Intelligence" to aid educators from kindergarten to higher education for teaching in the "GAI Era".
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