Educators 2009 : Page 7
Keeping the art room Even with the slumping economy, many area school districts aren’t slashing art programs. “Art and sports used to be the first place we’d look when making (budget) cuts, but that’s just not the case anymore,” says Frank Ruggirello, a spokesperson for the Plymouth-Canton Community School District, the third largest in the state with around 19,000 students. “Even though the district is already bare bones, we’re going to do everything we can to maintain our art program and keep it going strong.” Liz Margolis, a spokesperson for Ann Arbor Public Schools, agrees. “While we are definitely going to have to make budget cuts, we’re trying to make sure those cuts won’t be touching our classrooms. We have no plans to eliminate any of our ‘specials’ (like art).” While art programs are still thriving, there have been some changes. Wendy Sample, the art resource teacher at River Oaks Elementary and coordinator for art programs in Dearborn Public Schools, remembers times when her students had district-wide field trips. Big field trips are no longer possible, but Sample notes plenty of other art-inspired events that augment students’ classroom experience. Each year, for instance, the district puts on a student art show at the local Padzieski Art Gallery. Sample and Fisk also bring in guest speakers to give students a better idea of what artists do. Not your mother’s art class “Some think you just send (students) to art class and give them crayons to make drawings,” explains Sample, “but there’s a lot of theory behind what happens in the classroom.” For example, she uses Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) – a program developed by art educators Abigail Housen, Ed.D., and Philip Yenawine – to guide her teaching principles. The VTS program has several strategies for helping students evaluate art, but in a nutshell, it comes down to having students stop, look, think and speak. Sample describes how this works in her classroom: “As a group, we analyze a painting. Kids have to observe and defend their answers about what’s happening in the painting. We ask questions, like ‘What do you see in the painting that would make you say that?’” The conversation and critical thinking that takes place during these discussions can instill in students a greater ability to express themselves and to be more observant of what’s around them, believes Sample. “That kind of questioning can easily be transferred into other subject matters.” Innovation and attention to developing students’ critical thinking through art drives Fisk’s classroom instruction, too. Just this year, Fisk changed from a teacher-directed to a student-directed approach. “In the past, I might have taught students about van Gogh’s Starry Night, and then have students imitate the technique,” says Fisk, who recalls “losing half the kids” in the process. “This year, the students are more engaged, because it’s more meaningful to them.” Fisk remembers one student who last year struggled through a unit that focused on the work of Georgia O’Keefe. Under the student-centered approach, the fifth-grader has thrived. So far this year, he’s created three books, cutting the wood for the binding, punching holes in the paper and binding the paper together to create sketchbooks. “I know it’s a catch phrase, but sometimes when I stand there looking at students’ work,” says Fisk, “I can see the wheels turning in their heads, trying to figure out how to make something work.” Process vs. product When asked what she wishes parents understood more about art instruction, Fisk quickly points out, “Especially at the elementary level, art is more about the process than the product. It’s not about everyone having a pretty picture.” Instead, students learn, under the direction of their art teachers, how to take their own intangible ideas and communicate them to others through various media like paint, clay and paper. While this process might sound simple, Fisk explains that it takes skill for students to “come up with the idea, figure out how they’re going to make it, then make it and reflect on what they’ve done.” Art can build students’ confidence in their ability to tackle new ideas – not just in what they’re creating in the art room, but also in other classes. “Art instills (in students) a confidence for risk-taking,” says Fisk. “I think that’s a skill that would definitely help in other subject areas, especially writing.” A day at the DIA The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) tries to create a welcoming atmosphere for all its guests – especially younger ones. Jennifer Czajkowski, director of Interpreter Programs, who’s in charge of making art accessible and engaging for visitors, says, “One of the things we try to do here is encourage parents and kids, grandparents and kids, to talk about what they see here. Art is so rich in meaning, it can engender discussion and conversation between generations.” She offers a few tips to parents on how to make the most of your visit to the DIA. • Let your kid be your tour guide. Within the DIA’s 130 various galleries, your child is bound to find something that interests her. By letting your child wander and explore, with you in tow, “kids feel more empowered, and they feel like the museum is a comfortable place for them,” says Czajkowski. • Read the signs. This might seem obvious, but Czajkowski and her staff have put a great deal of thought into how to present the artwork. Signs leading to galleries and next to paintings are easily scannable so you can quickly read the large type and succinct summaries. • Take your time. Czajkowski urges parents not to try to rush through the museum to try to see everything. “Part of the fun of visiting the museum is discovering the different spaces. We have wide-open spaces, smaller spaces, even a spiral staircase.” Exploring is part of a kid’s experience, and the museum gives them a chance to do that, believes Czajkowski. • Bring a sketchbook. Along with allowing plenty of time for discovery, Czajkowski suggests letting your kids make sketches of favorite paintings. Her own children, ages 10 and 14, pack pencil and paper when visiting the museum. “Sketching is a really good way to practice skills like focusing attention and hand-eye coordination.” • Don’t be shy about talking. It’s a museum, not a library – so while you shouldn’t let children yell or scream, you should definitely try to get them talking about what they see. “You can think about a painting as a tool for conversation,” says Czajkowski, who advises that you use paintings as a prompt to talk about your values with your children. • Have fun. Although it isn’t a hands-on museum, there’s still plenty for children to experience at the DIA. For example, in one gallery, visitors can sit down and experience what it would have been like to be at the table of a wealthy aristocrats in 18th century Europe. • Visit during family time. On Fridays, the DIA keeps its doors open until 10 p.m. and plays music to add to the festive, kid- friendly atmosphere. You can also find special family programs on Sundays like storytellers, puppet shows and live music. For more on what’s going on at the DIA, visit www.dia.org. MetroParent.com • FEBRUARY 2009 / Metro Parent 35
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