This past Friday I had the privledge of learning about Bluffton Elementary School's animation program. While animations being created by elementary is an achievement on it's own, the way the program is managed blew me away.

The program is not a regular "arts special" class. Teachers have to sign-up to take their class to the lab. As part of the deal, teachers must have an academic plan to accompany the class. For example, if a class is working on the American Revolution then students create animations that visualize various aspects of the war.

The subject matter is limited to a teacher's imagination and willingness to work the teacher in charge of the lab. Students love it. More than one incident of sudents crying when they could not get to the lab has been reported by both teachers and parents. This could prove to be a model for ways to not only integrate technology but also art into education.