Beyond Crayons: December 2009

During my first year of professional experience I began teaching a kindergarten class at a private daycare in Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. Although I was trained as an art teacher, I am teaching science, social studies, math, literacy, and art. Almost every aspect of my classroom includes an art component. I incorporate Visual Thinking Strategy and Reggio Emilia experiential learning approach into every subject. Also, the class is broken down into groups of three. Peer-to-peer learning is encouraged and critical thinking is the word of the day. This blog documents some of our projects.

Teaching philiosophy

The goal of art education is not to turn every student into an artist but to inspire every student to think like an artist. That process entails student engagement in creative activities that examine and state ideas or feelings about themselves and the worlds in which they live, speculate about the future, and examine the accepted notions of morality. Also, by interpreting the meanings of works by others in terms of themes, subjects, and ideas students will understand the significance of their own works in the larger context. My hope is that through the intellectually enriching reflective activities and critiques students will be able to change their purpose, and thus change the course of their lives.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

From Studio to Classroom Studio Work

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Why blog??

This blog documents the progress of my education at Pratt Institute. Through this medium I hope to establish an ongoing dialogue with future and current educators to receive input on various ideas and classroom projects.