An inclusive approach to distance education for teachers of art: possibilities and conflicts

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present a new training approach for teachers of art within a method developed through a virtual environment of distance education. The theoretical notion which supports this research is based on the referential of Peter McLaren, an educator who centers his theory on the critical perspective of multiculturalism. The means through which I propose to present the multicultural education approach to teachers entails a dual mode distance education method. That is, some are on-site meetings and others are meetings made on a distance. It is considered that, due to the necessity of use of the technological media, teachers have to handle several technological image devices. To give continuity to the preparation process of Internet art teachers, a virtual space was created in this research, containing four modules where teachers can find tools to nourish their pedagogical practices. It is necessary to prioritize, in the current teacher training scenario, the teaching of contemporary art and its relations to the past and to other culture’s artistic manifestations. Having this in mind, the overlapping of contemporary themes with multicultural issues and with the matter of technology in schools is fundamental. Currently, great part of the artistic production requires some sort of interface with technology.