In Graphic Detail: New Arts Curriculum at Saddle River Day School Teaches 21st Century Skills

April 16, 2012 - PRLog -- The recent news that Facebook will purchase Instagram for a billion dollars underscores the increasing importance of graphic imagery in today’s society. According to Eileen Lambert, Head of Saddle River Day School in Saddle River, New Jersey, teaching children to think and reason has historically been done through language. However, the proliferation of computer technology and the explosion of the web have created a generation that is much more interested in graphics and images than in text.  “The need for graphic imagery is no longer a luxury but a necessity for a generation that is far more visually oriented than text oriented,” said Lambert.

Spearheaded by Lambert, the school invested in a new Graphic Arts curriculum that was launched at the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year and is designed to give students a taste of the real world of art and design.

Graphic Arts teacher Keri Eisenberg oversees the new graphic arts studio which boasts 12 iMacs with 27” L.E.D. oversize screens that provide a state-of-the-art work experience for students.  All work is printed in-house on an industrial Canon imagePROGRAF iPF750 36 large format printer that produces everything from vibrant full-bleed posters to crisp line drawings.   A large-format drum scanner to scan to larger work completes the studio.

Eisenberg, who worked as an art director for several Madison Avenue advertising agencies prior to entering the education field, was instrumental in selecting the equipment which is more often found in corporate art departments.  “At SRDS, our curriculum concentrates on print design which includes magazine advertisements, posters, T-shirts, logos and business cards – anything that is printed, said Eisenberg.  “The goal for me was to be able to give my students real-world experience and show them what people out there are doing and how they do it.”

The Graphic Arts curriculum, which starts in 3rd grade and continues through 12th, is designed as a series of problems to be solved visually.  In working their way through the curriculum, students learn how to use the software that is needed to create digital art, how to manipulate images and how to create a message with imagery as opposed to text.

In the future, Eisenberg would like to include other aspects of the computer art including animation and video, but for now, students have embraced the new curriculum. “Our graphic arts studio is packed to the rafters every hour of the day. If a student has an open period, they frequently want to continue to work on their graphic arts project,” said Lambert.

About Saddle River Day School: Saddle River Day School is a highly selective, co-educational independent college preparatory day school for Kindergarten through grade 12.  The School serves a diverse population of approximately 350 students drawn from 64 communities in New Jersey and New York on its beautiful 26-acre campus located in the heart of the Pascack Valley in Saddle River, New Jersey.