Use of Digital Media

I currently use an e-textbook with students in Visual Art K-5.  The book has many great links and the general information is a good starting point.  In an effort to engage all students in art class I am constantly searching for ways to present information in interesting ways.  I create powerpoint presentations, use my Smartboard to search for flip charts relating to the content and supplement my print collection by searching Google images.  Using Discovery Education I decided to focus on Vincent Van Gogh.  I cover Van Gogh in all grades K-5.  Van Gogh's work is inherently kid-friendly due to the strong lines, bright colors and sense of motion.  I use Van Gogh and his work to teach about color, line, movement, balance, texture, value and unity.  I found a great video called Painting Pictures in which children describe Van Gogh's Iris painted in 1889.  This video could be used as an introduction to young students on how to describe what they see as they look at a work of art.  In another video, One Minute in a Museum, cartoon characters describe and discuss Van Gogh's Starry Night, 1888.  In art class we often discuss works of art at length to discover the story of what is in the image.  Students use vocabulary, accountable talk and critical thinking skills to decipher the featured artwork.  Through the discussion and critique of the featured artwork students discuss the goals and objectives of the upcoming lesson.  Digital Media would help make this process more efficient as I only have 40 minutes with the class every 6 days. Video clips are a great way to inject interest as long as they are not too long and the pace is age appropriate.   I also found several Van Gogh images on Discovery Education.  I usually search Google images for examples but it is good to know that DE is an option as well.  Digital media is a great way for students to learn about a subject from different points of view.  When students are immersed in a topic from multiple angles, the more engaged they become with the experience of learning.