Teaching art in an age of technological change

[[abstract]]The study focused on twelve Ohio K-12 art teachers and how they use computer technology in teaching art. Data was collected from interviews, classroom observations, researcher's journal, collected artifacts, and extensive literature review. Questions investigated include: Who are these art teachers? What are their teaching goals? How do they use computer technology? What factors influence their use of computer technology, including personal goals and beliefs, as well as cultural/environmental factors? I also investigated issues of constructivist and collaborative learning, gender, and inequity. Twelve cases are presented. The cross-case analysis showed that teachers who use computer technology in teaching art more likely to be teaching in high schools, to have years of teaching experience, and to be willing to take the initiative. They are also teachers who admit that they don't always have the answers. They continue to learn and embrace the knowledge and skills that students bring to the class. Art teachers have both similar and different teaching goals. Their uses of computer technology often relate to their general teaching goals, and are influenced by their beliefs in art, technology, teaching, and learning. The most common computer uses are for art making and conducting research. Most (eleven) teachers feel that the use of computer technology does not much change their beliefs in art teaching. Individual factors about teachers, especially their goals and beliefs, outweigh the influences of district policy, yet factors at the school level also determine the way technology is used. These teachers use computers in constructivist ways to a certain degree, but there are few cases of projects in which students work in small groups for problem solving, or communicating with people outside of the school community. Inequity does appear to exist, at least in terms of computer access, and most art teachers have not observed gender differences