No abstract

This Vissual essay intends to discuss possibilities of reframing conceptions of arts and arts education from an art activism perspective and describe the Web-based research platform INTER-Action. The platform is a virtual space for researchers interested in arts-based research, a/r/tography, collaborative research and community arts. Following Paulo Freire's ideals, INTER-Action members claim that educational methods need to change in order to reach a sustainable future. They believe that contemporary community art practices in educational settings can be explored as rituals of transformation in a period of disenchantment and loss of hope, a consequence of centuries of rationalism, materialism and individualism. resuMen Este ensayo visual pretende tratar las posibilidades a la hora de reformular conceptos en relación con las artes y la educación artística desde una perspectiva del activismo artístico así como describir la plataforma web basada en la investigación INTER-Action. Dicha plataforma es un espacio virtual dirigido a investigadores/as que centran su estudio en las artes, la a/r/tography, la investigación colaborativa y las artes basadas en la comunidad. Siguiendo las ideas de Paulo Freire, los miembros de INTER-Action afirman que los métodos educativos deben cambiar para alcanzar un futuro sostenible. Creen que las prácticas artísticas contemporáneas basadas en la comunidad en el contexto educativo pueden ser examinadas como rituales de transformación en un periodo de desencanto y pérdida de expectativas, una consecuencia de tantos años de racionalismo, materialismo e individualismo

The development of a collaborative culture in the teaching profession is a challenge that ought to be addressed in initial teacher education. The involvement in a European programme that connects different educational institutions allowed student teachers to explore a learning environment created to enhance the use of technology, foreign languages and innovative methodologies. Student teachers from two countries, Italy and Spain, used digital resources to collaborate and design a project for kindergarten and primary children. By means of a qualitative study the impact of the involvement in a teacher network and the actions that must be undertaken so as to take into account learning ecologies in university teaching was analysed. In this case study, the voices and perceptions of all the participants are shown highlighting the suitability, opportunities and challenges of the involvement in a teacher collaborative network in initial teacher education. The positive impact on teaching practices suggests the potential of expanding student teachers learning environments created by digital technology.