Name of App: Artsonia
Reviewed By: Ravan Magrath
Details: Artsonia will run on Android Devices, iOS Devices and is also Web Based
Cost: Free
Review:
Let me begin by saying that Artsonia isn’t really what I was expecting when I read the brief overview supplied by Common Sense Media. Common Sense Media essentially described it as an online art museum where kids could explain their artwork and receive feedback from other kids. That sounded super cool to me even though I don’t have an artistic bone in my body. I would have figured this app would be kind of like an online forum where any student could share their artwork and could be used in both formal and informal environments. Well, I was wrong in many ways and right in a few, which seems to a reoccurring theme for me. So, according to Artsonia itself “Artsonia is the largest student art museum in the world, featuring millions of student artworks”! So, it is an online museum featuring student work, but what I didn’t know going into it is that you essentially need your account created by a teacher. Now, that doesn’t change that this still could be an excellent mobile learning tool as students can upload their work from any location as long as they have a device with a camera or access to a computer with a scanner. Therefore it doesn’t limit student creations to those only developed at school, which is great. I guess I am just frustrated by the idea that there may be millions of students that would love to have access to a tool like this, but because their teacher never signed up and created login’s for them, they now don’t have access. So, I signed up as an educator and it seems as though once a teacher is registered, they create class rosters which should create individual accounts for each student. Artsonia requires that parent permission be given as part of the program is emailing the parents with suggestions of their child’s work that can be purchased in many forms and formats. Once the housekeeping is out of the way, it seems as though the teacher or the students can upload the artwork and say a little bit about it via a title and a description. The teacher, as well as other students from classrooms all over the country, will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the artwork. Now, I’ll be honest, I made the mistake of logging out once I created the account and Artsonia will now not recognize my login, so I can’t accurately test all of those things. Since I was not able to personally see this app from the student view, I watched a video to get the student perspective (I will insert the video below). From the brief tutorial I watched, I think that students of almost all ages would be able to be successful as uploading their artwork. Obviously, if you were using it for the littles (k&1), they would need some assistance, but I would say students from 2nd grade and up would be capable of uploading work without help. Overall, I think this app can be an excellent way for students to showcase their artwork and to receive meaningful feedback from teachers and students. I did leave out the fact that Artsonia funds itself through the selling of the student artwork whether it be a print or on coffee cups, t-shirts, etc., but that also a portion of that money goes to the art program at each school also. I can say that the art teacher in my school was looking forward to using this application which is one of the reasons why I chose to review it and after reviewing it, I plan on helping her set this up for her art classes.
Websites:
https://www.artsonia.com/teachers/
https://www.commonsense.org/education/app/artsonia-kids-art-museum
Videos: