Foundations of Art Education

In the course Foundations of Art Education, I have produced several writings, presentations, and artworks. Additionally, per the requirements of this course, I have published a digital portfolio, where my artwork, resume, and teaching philosphy are available for viewing.

Observation book

In response to the Eight Studio Habits of Mind, a framework for art educators developped by Ellen Winner with Harvard's Project Zero, I produced a photography e-book. Specifically, I was thinking about observation. When I received the theme of "observe", I thought about how impatient social media has incentivized us to become. To sit for an hour and do nothing but observe our world is unimaginable in our high-pace society. I connected my thoughts on impatience to a hope I had brainstormed, that being learning + literacy, and an obstacle to the enjoyment of life, that being apathy + unconsciousness. I believe that the medium of photography, especially in a slow-paced manner, can lend itself well to observation. Therefore, I sought to use photography and notes to seek non-instant gratification from observing one's environment and then present this reflection in a book format.

What I produced was an arrangement I took in public of the VCU campus from the same viewpoint; my notes comment on the movement of peoples in public space. The e-book is not available for public viewing due to my wishes not to infringe upon the privacy of the individuals whose photos were taken in a public space. I will not share their likenesses widely nor without consent. This is a series of private, digital observations.

Textured teaching: a lesson plan

With a classmate and on the subject of Textured Teaching, I presented on experiential teaching. Experiential pedegogy in the classroom entails the incorporation of senses to involve students in a manner that is memorable and engaging.

You can access the outline of the lesson plan my partner and I devised below.

Learning objective: Experiential 

  • At the end of the lesson, students will be able to explore and visually communicate their senses and relate to the experiences of others

Focus exercise: 2 minutes

  • On each small paper, a prompt is written on the back

    • Students will generate their own prompts when we ask about adjectives relating to senses

    • “What are some adjectives related to touch? Taste? Hearing? smell?” 

      • 16 students = 4 adjectives per touch, taste, hearing, and smell

    • One teacher asks the class questions , one teacher writes down the class’s answers

    • Papers with prompt/adjectives on the back are then re-passed out to students

Guided practice: 3 minutes

  • Materials: art supplies & small squares of paper

    • Pass out papers and art supplies at same time

  • Students create art communicating their adjective prompt using markers, crayons, colored pencils, etc.

  • Prompt students to imagine a memory they have connected to the adjective on their paper

  • When time is up/ students have fully expressed their prompt, everyone walks around the “gallery”, looking at the generated images (prompt is not visible)

  • Discussion about how fellow artists communicated their sensory adjective 

Independent practice: 5 minutes

  • Teachers pass objects with a sensory qualities (AND larger papers):

    • Hearing; doorstop alarm, keys, rubber band, bicycle bell, harmonica

    • Touch; tennis ball, play-doh, pop-it, ice pack, tarot cards, plush toy, pride flag, towel

    • Smell; perfume, bar soap, scented christmas tree, wax melts, spice

  • Students handle placed sensory objects around the tables/classroom

  • Students visually respond to the objects sensory qualities, creating artwork that evokes feeling or memory

  • Prompt students to consider how their memories or experiences relate to the sensory object of the teachers’

Instructional input: 3 minutes

  • What is experiential textured teaching?

    • Texture coming from the community and engagement with diverse identities & sources

    • Teaching a text by incorporating senses: memorable & engaging

    • Textured teaching is a way to show students why something matters by bringing it to life

    • One reason to teach a text by incorporating sensory or experiential learning is for it to connect with students who are unfamiliar with the experience 

  • Relevant art educator

    • Integrating Arts Across The Elementary School Curriculumby R. Phyllis Gelineau

    • We relate to an activity Gelineau mentioned:

      • Dividing students into groups and assign them primary/secondary colors

      • Students provide responses to “(color) is…”

      • NOT simple observations; YES deeper thinking and connections

      • Possibility to extend exercise by BLENDING groups/colors

    • Using art to aid multicultural understanding and appreciation 

    • The benefits of art education and application to Gardner’s multiple intelligences theory

    • Art as a vehicle to comprehension, with activities allowing students to connect more meaningfully 

Closure/debrief: 3 minutes

  • Partner (with person next to you) about the artwork you made and your memory/experience related to the object

  • Choice to group share

Contemporary artist presentation

In my research into Laurie Anderson, I discovered how relevant her artwork is to the theme of technology’s impact on humans. With my classmate, Elijah, we partnered up and gave a joint presentation on how contemporary artists Laurie Anderson and Bill Viola correlate on the technological theme. our presentation has opportunites for the activation of various teaching techniques, if given time.