Coloring Outside the Lines

Coloring Outside the Lines: A multimedia exploratory course combines the skills of technology with important art concepts

By John McCombs

This article discussed the difficulties the American Embassy School in New Delhi, India regarding its students not knowing enough technology. The school realized they needed to create a more effective technology program so that their students would be more proficient with computers. The students were given a project to complete that would include the use of Microsoft Draw, Microsoft Paint, Adobe Photoshop and Knowledge Adventure's HyperStudio. This allowed them to learn how to use the combination of different programs to create on thing at the end.
In this particular school, the students received either pass or fail grades in the class. They had the opportunity to look at the work done by their classmates and to critique and give helpful comments.
There is still a debate among some schools, whether technology should be integrated into the curriculum or to create separate technology courses for the students to take and learn from. It is important for schools to experiment with integrating technology into the curriculum, because it may be a very beneficial way for students to learn new and advanced technological systems.

Q1. At what age can you start to integrate technology into the curriculum?
A1. I believe you can start to integrate technology into the curriculum at any age. I think you should let children become familiar with computers at a very young age, this will give them a familiarity and an understanding of how to use technological devices.

Q2. Is it important to still use traditional ways of teaching?

A2. I think we should still use traditional ways of teaching. Children still need to be able to read out of a book and have the patience to do things like this. If we do not use some of the old basic ways of teaching, students will not have learn to have a decent attention span to study or learn in a proper manner.