Lessons Learned: Art Education in an Expanded Field

Abstract

This article argues for the implementation of an expansive notion of art education that embraces the extraordinary potential of technologies as new art materials and encourages students to gain fluency and confidence in technology-infused art making. It is the outcome of a reflective-in-action research methodology, presenting select takeaways from 12 semesters spent teaching new media to pre-service teachers and collecting written feedback in the form of student blogs. The four “lessons” presented include the importance of stepping back from technology in order to re-approach it creatively, the power of making, the need to expose students to the vastness of technology in a variety of ways, and the value of making students stewards of their own learning.