Journal article review of : Jumping Into Art History written by Savilla Banister and Rene Steingraber

This journal article was about incorporating technology into art history. The article described how art students at East Broadway Middle School are learning about famous artists and the works they have produced. In their class they are using digital cameras and software to create personal video blogs sharing what they have learned about the artists they have chosen to research. Students form cooperative groups and pick an artists that they want to study and research. They then organize the information they found, examples of work and detailed information, and discuss the images they found and determine what images they think best represents the artist's style. When they have compiled all their information they then create their videos which they edit and style. After all the videos are finished the students combine all the videos of the classroom in to one DVD and every student gets to take a copy of that DVD home.

Q1: How does this type of activity help the students in the learning process of art history?

A1: I know from experience that if get to the point that I am explaining information to someone then I have a fair knowledge of that information. With the students verbally and visually showing what knowledge they have gathered they must know the information to discuss it. Its one thing to read about a subject, but if you revise that subject by discussing it then you are relearning the information and it will stick with you.

Q2: What kind of benefits do the students get from doing this type of activity in the classroom.

A1: The biggest benefit that these students get from this activity is the experience with the technology and learning how to use it to benefit them intellectually. This type of activity is also a great teamwork builder, and team working is a high demand skill to have no mater what field you are working in. Another great benefit is to the learning process with the personal videos that each student made. Now all the students have copy of what the class learned and can go back to that information.