Art Technology Integration: Digital Storytellying as a Transformative Pedagogy in Primary Education

Abstract

AbstractThe emergence of new media provides new tools for promoting critical thinking and creativity in an environment that encourages collaboration, co‐authoring and sharing ideas and artworks with audiences. Embedding new media in art lessons and integrating art with other disciplines not only promotes visual competence but also transversal competences necessary for the future lives of children. Despite the many benefits that this process entails, there is still no broad integration of new media in art lessons or art integration through technology in primary schools, as teachers are often oblivious of the new possibilities and means of engaging children. However, there is a need to embrace today’s dominant culture of communication if we really want to prepare children for the future. This article is about art technology integration in the primary classroom. It discusses ways of studying important real‐life issues with children and of bridging the gap between school life and daily life. It reports on two case studies with sixth grade classes (11–12 years old) that engaged in a stop motion animation project to communicate messages that were important to the children. Children shared powerful stories, anchored in real‐life contexts and developed critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity skills. The findings contribute to the discussions about arts integration that are grounded in empirical qualitative data. The implications of the study move beyond the art subject itself and highlight how generalist teachers can embrace interdisciplinarity and art integration, and view art as transformative pedagogy in the curriculum.