“Adapting Art Critiques to Address Digital Harm” by Cindy Jesup

Cindy S. Jesup, 2015, Caught in the Net [Collage].

“Adapting Art Critiques to Address Digital Harm” explores the ever-changing world of technology and its implications within the classroom. With a focus on pre-service art educators and the development of techniques for fostering digital awareness via the critiquing process, it aims to equip future art educators with the necessary skills to effectively address digital awareness and digital harm through art. By implementing a critiquing model to facilitate critical analysis in the art room, students are provided with the fundamental skills of new media literacy as they analyze, understand, and participate in the art room. They become more thoughtfully aware of their digital profile during interactive conversations about art, the skills they develop during critical analyses transferring to deliberate choices in other aspects of their lives. As the critiquing skills acquired may be applicable to all elements of life, the modified analytical critique offers a suggestion for promoting digital awareness to teachers who want to help students prepare to both meet the challenges and reap the benefits of modern technology.

The attached image is a collage created by Jesup entitled Caught in the Net, which portrays her concerns surrounding the issue.  Within the article she describes “born digital” students who have experienced digital abuse as “caught in the net.” Jesup now works with pre-service art educators at the university level to develop strategies towards increasing digital awareness. Through heightened awareness, she aims for future “born digital” students to become better suited to avoid the metaphorical net.

Congratulations, Cindy Jesup, for this exceptional and outstanding achievement!