Note: To protect the privacy of our members, e-mail addresses have been removed from the archived messages. As a result, some links may be broken.

Lesson Plans


Re: contemporary art museums' educational programs on the Internet

[ Thread ][ Subject ][ Author ][ Date ]
Diane Gregory (dianegregory)
Mon, 06 Jan 1997 19:31:16 -0600

Miyuki Shimazu wrote:
>
> I am a graduate student in arts management at the American University in
> Washington, DC. I am going to develop an educational program on the
> Internet for the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden as my thesis
> project. As you know, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is one
> of the Smithsonian Institutions and the national contemporary art museum.
>
> In order to make an appropriate program, it is neccesary to consider what
> art teachers want the contemporary art museums' web sites to provide. I
> would appreciate any sugesstions anyone would have regarding this issue.
>
> I am very glad to belong to this serious discussion group. I am sure
> that this discussion group is a reliable way to initiate the direction of
> my thesis. Thank you for your help in advance.
>
> PS: Dear Ms. Deborah Howes
> Thank you for responding to me. I really appreciate your
> encouragement. I'll talk to you soon.
>
> Miyuki Shimazu
> 3615 38th Street N.W. #309
> Washington, DC 20016
> (202)363-9172
> MS9661a

Dear Miyuki:

Your thesis project sounds wonderful. I have three suggestions for you.

First I suggest that you do something different than everybody else. I do not think
we need another web site that provides links to the same art web sites that
everybody else lists. Something different may be online lessons for students that
require students to use the web in creative ways to study various concepts etc.
related to the Hirshorn collection. You could use frames to keep them at the
Hirshorn site while also visiting other related sites. You could have students
engage in reflective writing by providing online question forms for students to
answer, print or send to someone else via e-mail.

Second, provide art lessons for students of all ages that require them to move from
the mediated world of the internet, to the real world of immediate experience and
back and forth. This could include both online and off line activities in art history,
criticism, studio and aesthetics. Your web site could be a place to share discoveries
and ideas. It would be grand if you solicited ideas from students. I would envision
something like a collective journal.

Third, whatever activities you provide on or offline, make sure that these activities
are active, learner centered, collaborative and community based. Also your
activities should encourage creative thinking, hypothesis testing, intuition,
risk-taking, problem solving, etc. When you plan your program, consider ways to
make technology become a very flexible, human tool for higher order learning.

Best of luck with your project. I hope my suggestions are helpful.

Cheers,

-- 
Diane C. Gregory, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Art Education
Art Education and Technology Specialist
Department of Art & Design
Southwest Texas State University
San Marcos, TX  78666
512-245-2611 work
512-707-1864 home
dianegregory