News Release

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 15, 2006
Contact: Martha Deutscher
Voice: (703) 588-3265
Email: Martha.Deutscher@hq.dodea.edu

Buffalo Cow grazing on the Prairie

DoDEA Connects Art students to World-Class Collection

ARLINGTON, VA — Thanks to a contract enacted last year between the DoDEA international school system and the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM), students now have the world of art at their fingertips. Curators, visiting artists, world class art historians, and art educators from the Museum are available to students and faculty via e-mail and the DoDEA intranet and all students now have access to the Museum's entire digital collection via the web. Each area of DoDEA has also conducted a teleconference where SAAM personnel delivered lectures and answered student questions in real time on subjects such as outdoor public sculpture, and portraiture. "The lesson plans are great. The images are even better then I expected" said Debbie Ozmet art teacher for grades K-6 at Pope Elementary School, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

The contract is the first of its kind for an international K-12 schools system and demonstrates DoDEA's commitment to innovative uses of technology in the classroom. "The program offers our students a chance to experience the world of art. That world is now quite literally open to them" said Mark Bignell, who is responsible for DoDEA's fine arts curriculum, "and our teachers create their lessons with the help of world class art historians. It is an exciting innovation."

"The program is one of the many ways that DoDEA works to provide exceptional educational programs that help our students succeed in a global environment" said Dr. Tafoya, DoDEA Director "we plan to continue and enhance the program into the next schools year."

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