The inevitable proliferation of ICT processes in the work of many artists and most designers, characterised by innovative imagery and exciting design concepts, is regarded by the SCCC (2000.p29) as presenting a substantial challenge to schools, offering exciting opportunities to orientate within the post-industrial world of work. Accordingly, HMI (1998.p6) reports that teaching approaches need constant re-examination to reflect a blend of traditional and contemporary technological processes. Yet, Sefton-Green (1999.p148) condemns the British education system as always having had a schizophrenic approach towards the traditional and the modern, criticising the frequent occurrences where contemporary needs and aspirations, are incompatible with outmoded values and practices.

A secondary school art teacher's views - the way it is on the Western front.

The rapid growth of ICT, electronic imaging and multimedia processes currently providing artists and designers with new ways of forming images and developing design concepts and ideas, offers exciting opportunities for schools and colleges. These helter-skelter developments in the use of technology within the design industry pose a considerable challenge to art and design departments. Sefton-Green accuses the British education system as always having had a schizophrenic approach towards the traditional and the modern, reporting that there are many instances where contemporary needs and ambitions are in conflict with conventional values and practices. On the one hand, multimedia thus feeds into a shared notion of a creativity curriculum, whose general arts activities develop not only a range of transferable skills but develop children as individuals...and on the other, offers an inventive and innovative way into traditional subject knowledge. We have a revolution happening at breakneck speed, and according to Andy Ash, if art departments in schools and colleges do not engage with it, art departments compete with other departments in schools for control of it, innovate and think big about it, art departments will be left behind and their resources will be further controlled by others.

At Dunfermline High School we have grabbed opportunities with both hands, and created a few of our own. Acting alternately as cheeky chappies asking Chris Van der Kuyl or Apple Computers for help and curriculum brokers negotiating projects with the Dundee Contemporary Arts or Dunfermline Athletic Football Club, we make our own luck in the development of a scheme of live projects where pupils experience risk, and learn more about the real world of designers than any video, text book or worksheet. We chase our own funding, whether in kind or hard cash from Fife Careers or the Carnegie Trust Dunfermline, seeing entrepreneurialship extending to pedagogical strategy.

The resourcefulness of the pupils seemed to justify proceeding with inadequate resources. Pupil Andrew elaborates:

The way in which we worked together as a team allowed us to learn a lot quicker from one another as we picked up how to use the program.

Fellow pupil David confirms: ...

thrown in to this environment head first as far as I can see this only inspired me and pushed me on, and I hope the next generation will feel the same.

Yet an interesting caveat from David arises as he reflects: the whole thought of being part of a £2000 project dependent on my work, and in helping those unfamiliar with this kind of work and equipment... all my work over the past few years has been similar to this, but this was different because before I was the only one who would really lose out if I came up against problems and couldn't complete my work, but if I failed here, money would have been lost, time would have been wasted and the future of this project would probably not come into fruition.

Pam Meecham sees the development of a visual literacy, concomitant to an understanding of the ways in which technology is allowed to function in our culture, as an important part of the art teacher's remit. This is not merely a question of learning what technology can do, important though this is; technology is only a tool that can be organised to operate within the parameters set for it. Technology does not have to be a simple reflection of society's dominant order. It can also be made to determine the direction of a society. The work on display at the Computers in Art and Design Education (CADE) conference in Glasgow School of Art comprises several projects including: A Rapid Prototyping collaboration with Dundee by Design (DBD), which was exhibited in the Dundee Contemporary Arts and the Lighthouse, with great encouragement from Chris Wood and Julia Fenby respectively. These are works which were commended by the judges in the DBD competition.

A major collaboration with Dunfermline Athletic Football Club, Vis Entertainment and Apple Computers in the production of a CD-ROM of a day in the life of the club has recently concluded. The main project currently under development is in partnership with the Rehabilitation department at the Queen Margaret Hospital where youngsters will create an interactive presentation for both patients and visitors, apart from the usual highly exciting collection of free animations which lead where they lead...no brief required! These youngsters are the future...we should nurture them well.