Critical Literacies Investigated Through Art Education and Digital Visual Culture in the Third-Grade Classroom

• In Event: Pushing Boundaries Through Digital and Visual Methodologies

Abstract

The researcher spent one academic year visiting a third grade classroom and art room, engaging with one art teacher, one third grade teacher and 25 third graders as researchers of digital visual culture. This paper reports on the activities and analysis of participatory action research that placed tools of animation, voice thread, video interviewing and web design in the hands of third graders to investigate their visual art and English language arts curricula. In a project funded by the National Art Education Foundation in a classroom of multi-racial, multilingual learners from urban economically strapped communities digital divides were eradicated and traditional media, literacy skills and digital media intertwined to invent new literacies.

Author

• Patty Bode, The Ohio State University - Columbus