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Lesson Plans


Reading and writing in art

[ Thread ][ Subject ][ Author ][ Date ]
RWilk85411
Sun, 5 Sep 1999 18:06:24 EDT

It seems that some of us are forgetting that students learn in different ways
and they need to demonstrate that learning in different ways to make it fair
to them. Not only that but, if they are incapable of speaking or writing
about their artwork, they have not really learned very much.

That is why every lesson in my classes includes the opportunity to write/and
or speak about what they learned and how they used it. I also, personally,
feel that it levels the playing field in my classroom to give them more than
one way to demonstrate their learning. I, like almost everyone on this list,
have students with learning disabilities, ESL students, as well as students
who have no limitations but whose writing skills may be better than their art
skills (due to our education system). I try to give them all a fair shot.
Sometimes they have learned more than their art work indicates.

Then there are also fields in art that do not require production. I don't
want them to feel that there is no room for them in the world of art if they
don't have a truckload of production talent. I have had two very good friends
who went into art history because of their love of art and lack of production
talent. One was the best art history teacher I have ever had. She was also
one of the few truly inspirational teachers I ever had. What if she had been
made to feel that there was no place for her because she didn't possess very
good manual skills?

No, we don't just talk, read, look at and write about art. We also make art.
It is possible to do it all without any real strain. To argue otherwise, to
me, is the same as to defend monkey-see-monkey-do projects over teaching art.
Reatha

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