It is an excellent way to reach students of different abilities and learning styles because students can proceed at their own pace. Computers and digital cameras can facilitate the assessment of artistic development. Students in the Worcester Public Schools participated in a pilot program in which they used digital cameras to create electronic portfolios of their work in the visual arts. Works on paper were transferred digitally onto computer disks. Through this method, students can compile examples of their work over several years in one compact collection.
Technology can also be a catalyst for bringing schools together with their own communities.
It takes something like this curriculum to open the door. The Internet also offers educators community-based resources for professional and curriculum development. The website from Art Works for Schools, an MCC Education Partnership-funded project based in Lincoln and Cambridge, includes a virtual workshop site for teacher training. Eventually, teachers will be able to share their curriculum ideas in an on-line forum.