Using Graphic Design in the Classroom

Article: Graphic Design Online
Author: Jill M. Olthouse

This article was all about on-line creative programs. Normally, if a classroom wants to edit photos or do anything artistic via the computer they would have to spend a ton of money on Photoshop or Fireworks programs. Most teachers, sites, or school districts do not have enough money to spare to pay for such expensive programs. Jill Olthouse has found a free way to do this. She has found some web apps that are free that will do the same jobs for students. Web apps are computer programs delivered online. With these apps students can go online and get started immediately. The good thing about these programs is that children can exercise their creative minds and get their creative juices flowing. This may help them later in life if they decide they want to get into a career like graphic design. This article goes in depth on which apps do what for which students. That is very helpful because if I were to use these programs in my in my own classroom it would help to know what program to use and who can use it. For example, the National Art Gallery’s NGA Kids Arts Zone is an online laboratory of artistic exploration where students can play with art brushes and paint, collage design, 3D objects, and kinetic arts.

These programs are very important for all children. Art in education is a very important thing to have. Children need to be creative as well as book smart. These apps enhance student creativity while meeting national arts and technology standards. I would love to use these programs in my own classroom! For a lesson I think I would have them make a masterpiece of their own, on any of the apps we will have learned how to use, and then write a story about it. This would bring a Language Arts aspect to the art. Hopefully the kids will have so much fun doing it and be so excited to tell us about it that they wont even realize they are learning!