As part of a unique relationship between Nintendo and the National Art Education Association (NAEA), art teachers in elementary, middle and high school classrooms have been provided with hand-held Nintendo DSi XL™ systems and copies of Art Academy™, a software title that offers interactive art tutorials for budding artists of any background or skill level. This partnership will give students a fresh, fun way to study drawing and painting techniques.
“The abundance of visual images being displayed through technology is transforming the ways art education in schools can be presented to students,” said Deborah B. Reeve, EdD, NAEA Executive Director. “In today’s schools, an emphasis is still placed on rational and analytic subjects like math and science. Art class is one of the few places where kids can exercise their creativity and develop flexible forms of thinking to build additional skills for their future. We are thrilled that the incorporation of Nintendo’s Art Academy into the classroom provides students with another creative outlet that supports teaching and learning in art, and the students agree.”
Art Academy was created exclusively for the Nintendo DS family of systems. It lets students use their stylus as a paint brush or pencil and offers lessons on color, shading, perspective, and more. There is also a Free Paint mode that gives students the opportunity to practice what they’ve learned and let their imaginations run free.
A recent study conducted by Wakefield Research for Nintendo found that 60 percent of surveyed parents agreed that there is not enough focus on art activities in their children’s schools. Art Academy provides a portable solution that can fill that niche.
Find out more about Art Academy at http://artacademy.nintendo.com. Learn more about the National Art Education Association at http://www.arteducators.org.
via Business Wire