Methods: I had my students create word clouds using the website www.imagechef.com. Normally, the students do not use or see any technology in the art room, except the occasional demonstration by their former art teacher on a smartboard. The objectives were to incorporate technology into the art classroom in a meaningful way and to allow students to create a project using an online resource that they could also use at home, encouraging art inside and outside of school. Word clouds were new to the students as well as myself. The website allowed students to pick the shape of the cloud, the background color, text color, and actual text. This allowed a unique opportunity for me to learn more about my students: favorite colors, animals, foods, sports, activities, etc.

Transformation: As stated above, normally, the students do not use technology in the art room at all. Word clouds may seem simplistic, but they aren’t for students who are just now being introduced to a technology inclusive classroom. Once all the students created their word clouds, we used them to decorate the art room, which had been quite bare and looked more like a storage closet. It has now been transformed into a warm, colorful, and welcoming learning environment. This project also helped the students practice some 21^st century skills like typing, responsible use of the internet, and connecting with a larger audience (the whole school uses the art room and gets to see the new decorations).

Results: I have never seen my students get so excited to complete an art project! Granted, they have very much enjoyed the projects we completed in the past, but creating art on the internet was something new and engaging for them. I presented the steps to complete the project, and the students created their projects the following week. They were so excited to get started, they needed no review of the process. They were all thrilled to get started, even the students who don’t normally like art class. We absolutely reached the goals of this project: they used technology in the art room in a meaningful way, and they made an artistic connection between home and school (many of them later showed me word clouds they created at home on their own and asked to add them to the art room).

Conclusion: This project was incredibly successful! My students learned how to create art on the internet, they were engaged, and they were excited. We didn’t have access to many devices to create the word clouds, so in the future I might plan to sign out more devices for the students to give them more time and access. I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about my students: their likes and interests, their previous experiences with technology, etc. This project has transformed my learning environment, and it will continue to do so in the future. It has confirmed my belief of the importance of connecting with your students.