2017 NAEA AET Art Education Outstanding Community Award
The National Art Education Association (NAEA) Art Education Technology (AET) Awards Committee has honored Laura and Matt Grundler with the AET Art Education Outstanding Community Award. This Award is given annually to honor an individual (or team) in the field of art education who has made noteworthy service contributions to AET and/or the field of art education technology.
The Grundlers are advocates of digital technology in connection to visual art education. Using digital technology and new media, they have created amazing free resources and online spaces for art educators to meet, connect, collaborate and share. As founders and moderators of #K12ArtChat and #K12ArtChallenge; as contributors to EducationCloset.com, an online hub for arts integration and STEAM; and as educators, they embrace the leadership, dedication, impact and advocacy in the field of art education technology which make up the heart of this award.
The AET Awards committee "decided that, based on the diverse and extensive scope of your community service experiences and the significant impact of your endeavors in the field of Art Education Technology you (Matt and Laura) have been awarded the AET Art Education Outstanding Community Award,” said Dr. Joanna Black, University of Manitoba.
Laura holds a M.E. in Educational Administration from the University of North Texas and is currently the K-12 Visual Arts Coordinator in Plano ISD.
Matt received his B.A. in Graphic Design from Western State Colorado University and is the K-5 Art Teacher at Brinker Elementary.
Team Grundler was honored on March 3 in New York City, during the National Art Education Association (NAEA) conference. The Art Education Technology Awards are designed to honor those who have dedicated their art education career to excellence in service, teaching and/or researching the emergence of art education with technology.
What the nominators had to say about Team Grundler:
Art teachers from across the nation and beyond are following their weekly Twitter chat #K12ArtChat.
This incredible duo [have enhanced] online professional development which nurtures the teaching of art, emphasizing best practices in art education technology and addressing issues in art education practice through social media.
As a team, they have made outstanding contributions to AET and the field of education technology in the classroom, in our digital community and beyond.
The online community developed into a close and intimate network of teachers around the world.
They have made a great impact on the community of teachers who interact with them each week, and I’ve seen firsthand how educators open up to new curriculum and practices as a direct result of their work.
Plano ISD is truly fortunate to have this dynamic team of educators, working with colleagues and with students, embracing traditional methods as well as new technologies to keep students motivated and learning, they are the essence of the teaching spirit in the 21st century.
Congratulations on this well-deserved honor.
Email your congratulations to Laura Grundler and to Matt Grundler.
About AET
Art Education Technology (AET) is an issues group of the National Art Education Association (NAEA). Their mission is to encourage and exchange knowledge and ideas related to new media technologies in the making of visual art, art teaching and research in art education.
