October 22, 2010

By: Kevan N. from Anoka, MN
Comments: 9

Posted By: Kevan Nitzberg
On: 8/31/2008 11:15:12 AM

The Summer Design Institute held at the Walker Art Center this past July, was a fascinating opportunity to not only understand the transformative properties of design-based education, but also how the collaborative nature of that learning paradigm certainly will cause a shift in focus in terms of how visual arts education will need to be addressed in the classroom. One of the popular tenets of visual arts and fine artists has to do with individual expression and personal voice which has typically created the assumption that art making on its face, is a rather isolated, solitary activity that has little if any room for multiple voices engaging in conversation and dialogue. That, of course, flies somewhat in the face of what in fact actually transpires in a classroom setting. There are certainly verbal exchanges that do take place in that environment, not only informally between peers, but also in more structured venues such as class critiques and discussions related to the material being studied. The collaborative nature of design-based education brings the importance of those guided and impromptu conversations much more into prominence as part of the creative process. How students actually engage with each other in the making and analyzing of the work at various stages in its creation, will need to be much more carefully structured in the development of the lessons that are designed around the material being taught if a more design-based paradigm is to be adopted. As we move ever more into becoming a visually oriented society, the importance of educating people to be able to use those abilities to not only successfully communicate intent, but to also be able to become more conceptually literate, will become increasingly necessary. As technology continues to advance at an extraordinarily rapid pace, we need to strive to help students to become more self directed in their approach to their own learning. Having them be able to engage in collaborative discussions fostering the sharing of observations and insights for the purpose of fine tuning their creative skills, will become essential to not only their own personal success but to the benefit of society as a whole. Kevan Nitzberg Art Dept. Chair, Anoka H.S. Anoka, MN.

Posted By: Juliana James
On: 9/21/2008 11:27:04 AM

Look at one of the things our Saint Paul Public School arts department is doing (check out the website www.thecenter.spps.org/APP.html) I am going to challenge myself to apply for a $5,000 grant for design based art. Here is the text from my district for more info on how this grant application rolls out: 2008-2009 - Arts Partnership Program Application Announcement Deadline to Apply: October 20, 2008 Awards: Six Awards of $5000. Program: The Arts Partnership Program (APP) is a standards-driven district program which addressed student learning in the visual and performing arts. The program supports Saint Paul Public Schools regular education schools, Alternative Learning Programs (ALP), and Small Learning Communities (SLC) to collaborate with local arts organizations to carry out quality arts projects which expand and deepen students learning in the arts and through arts integration and improve educator effectiveness in assisting students to meet arts learning objectives. The ultimate goal of APP is to ensure that students involved have a high quality standards-based education in the arts. This year, the Minnesota Academic Standards in the Arts that once approved will go into effect in 2010, will be used to help define APP projects. These are found at: https://www.thecenter.spps.org/Arts.html Creating, performing, and responding to works of art engender creativity, self-confidence, and critical thinking skills – qualities central to success in school, work, and life. Research shows that arts experiences are particularly beneficial for students who learn best through hands-on experiences. An Arts Partnership Program project is one that has specific and measurable student learning objectives in the arts, is standards-based, involves a core group of students, integrates the expertise of a local arts organization and allows students to express themselves creatively. In order to expand the horizons and capacity of the school an APP project must be carried out in collaboration with a local 501c3 arts/community organization (not individual artist) and take place in 2008-2009. Schools and arts organizations should discuss student and school arts needs, plan the project and complete the application together. A partial list of local arts organizations can be found at: https://thecenter.spps.org/Community_Arts_Organizations.html A list of Saint Paul Schools can be found at: https://www.spps.org/Schools.html For past partnership recipients and project synopses example see: https://www.thecenter.spps.org/APP.html Awards: Projects will be awarded through a competitive process. Finalists will be selected by a panel of experts with scoring based on APP program goals and criteria.