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Collaboration and Communication: An Authentic Connection Between Core Course and Art Educators
No full textThis research study is focused on the impact of prosperous collaboration between core course and art educators on providing an authentic education where students can view their learning as meaningful, relevant and engaging
Applied Art Thinking Workshop
Get PDFABSTRACT OF PROJECT
Applied Art Thinking Workshop
This is an action research project, testing my hypothesis that art thinking techniques can be used to develop creative-thinking skills. I implemented two workshops to test my idea of using art, and in this case drawing, to help people develop creative-thinking skills. The first workshop was virtual, intended as a pilot to resolve any process issues. The second workshop was in-person as a part of the CREA Conference in Italy.
Prior to discussing the outcomes and key learnings of the workshops I spend a big portion of this paper explaining the three key areas of inquiry which inform my workshop design: art education research, art thinking, and drawing as a thinking tool. The conceptual framework of my workshop design is that creative-thinking skills are developed while practicing drawing techniques and that drawing is a thinking tool. The intent of my workshop design is to help people define problems in a deeper, more meaningful way to identify the right problem before jumping to a solution. This refers to the first phase of the creative problem-solving process.
Both workshops were successful in achieving my intended learning outcome. All participants saw a problem in a different way, and some experienced “aha” moments. There are a few key lessons I learned along the way, detailed in this paper, that I plan to apply in a Ph.D. art education research program
Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring The Science of Reading into the Upper Elementary Classroom- A Review
Get PDFIn recent weeks, the New York State Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled her “Back to Basics” plan to improve reading achievement in New York State. As part of her plan, Governor Hochul has proposed that millions of dollars be allocated in the state’s budget to train “20 thousand teachers in Science of Reading Instructional best practices and announced an expansion of SUNY and CUNY’s microcredentialing programs for teachers focused on the Science of Reading.” (Hochul, 2024). With the Science of Reading becoming a major component in reading instruction, this new text, Shifting the Balance: 6 ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Upper Elementary Classroom (Egan Cunningham, Burkins & Yates, 2024). could not be a timelier publication. The following review will give insight not only to the well-designed layout and recurring content of the chapters but will also take a peek into each of the six chapters and examine the “hits” (major important content and components of each chapter), as well as a discussion of any “misses” (components or content that can be improved upon) that a chapter may contain. What the review focuses in on, are the multitude of “hits”, most of which are well designed “Zooming In” lessons that bring the research connected to reading instruction, i.e., The Science of Reading into the upper elementary classroom through well-designed and explained instructional routines and practices for teachers to incorporate into their own teaching repertoires.
References
Cunningham, K E., Burkins, J. & Yates, K. (2024). Shifting the Balance: 6 ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Upper Elementary Classroom. Portsmouth, NH: Stenhouse.
Office of New York State Governor (2024). Governor Hochul unveils second proposal of 2024 State of the State: ‘The Back to Basics’ plan to improve readin
Book Review: How Education Policy Shapes Literacy Instruction: Understanding the Persistent Problems of Policy and Practice
Get PDFAbstract: This review of How Education Policy Shapes Literacy Instruction: Understanding the Persistent Problems of Policy and Practice, edited by Rachael Gabriel, explores the most pressing educational concerns and their relationship to history and policy, written by scholars from all over the country, such as retention, intervention, early childhood and English language literacy acquisition, and coaching. With the current Science of Reading (SoR) movement and all the related laws that are being passed throughout the United States based on current educational reform measures, this review explores the relationship to past, present, and future literacy legislation, through a historical lens, and the ever persistent, recurring nature of the reading wars. The review also sheds light on enduring questions, practical problem-solving strategies, and calls to action for teachers, administrators, and policy makers
Technical study and conservation treatment of a Victorian-era taxidermy bird group
Get PDFDuring the Victorian era, taxidermy objects played the roles of educational tools, decoration, and personal adornment. The object at the center of this paper falls into the second category: decoration. It is a taxidermy bird life group, made up of six bird specimens, papier mâché rockwork, and dried plant material mounted on and around a faux tree armature. Owned by the Buffalo Museum of Science, it came to the Garman Art Conservation Department at Buffalo State University with no provenance record or attributions to a known maker. Two goals were developed at the onset of this project: to flesh out information on the maker or manufacturer of this object based on evidence gleaned from examination and material analysis, and to design an interventive conservation approach that would leave this object stabilized and aesthetically improved while retaining the character cherished by the culture that produced it.
The analysis involved XRF and FTIR spectroscopy of the bird specimens, pigments, adhesives, and papier mâché, as well as polarized light microscopy of the pigments. Results of analysis were compared against 19th century taxidermy manuals, and observations from examination were compared against similar objects found in other collections and in auction listings online. The bird and plant species were researched and tentatively identified with the help of botany and ornithology experts. All of this research pointed toward the bird group being of commercially made origin, a class of object which has been rarely studied, and rarely documented in conservation literature.
A conservation treatment was designed by pulling methods and approaches from published resources on the components present in this object. Conservation literature regarding taxidermy specimens, feathers, plant material, and painted surfaces was consulted in order to arrive at the proposed intervention for this object, with some experimental techniques on the consolidation of plant material employed as well
An Examination of the Visual and Textual Influences on the Anthology of American Folk Music
Get PDFThe Anthology of American Folk Music is a collection of eight-four selections of southern vernacular recordings made for commercial record labels in the 1920s and 1930s and assembled into a unified collage by Harry Smith. Smith was an experimental filmmaker, painter, and self-taught anthropologist with a deep interest in renaissance hermeticism and mysticism who worked with Moe Asch in 1952 to release the six-record set and accompanying handbook on Folkways Records. The release was heralded by musicians and critics as an essential piece of influence on the folk music revival. Despite this, the Anthology sold poorly and quickly faced legal troubles for its unique interpretation of copyright law, making its ascent into a position of canonical significance puzzling. The work at hand establishes a partial biography of Smith as it relates to the assemblage and creation of the Anthology with particular attention to the visual and textual influences Smith brought to bear on his musical and cultural collage. Embedded in various avant-garde, literary, and occult circles alongside a deep study of mysticism and anthropology, Harry Smith wove together a patchwork of intellectual pursuits in his reimagining of the folk music tradition that was the Anthology. This work seeks to situate Smith within numerous currents while linking them to aspects of collage, particularly the renaissance cover art, detailed thematic index of correspondences within the handbook, and references to occult philosophers, renaissance alchemists, and founders of modern anthropology
Nineteen Figures and Counting: Contextualization and Conservation Treatment of a Jacob Spoel Painting
Get PDFThis study focuses on the research, technical analysis, and treatment of an 1852 Jacob Spoel painting (Untitled, acc.62.28, 80cm H x 105cm W x 1.75cm D) owned by the Memorial Art Gallery and described as a ‘family gathering.’ When received by the department, the painting was not in a fit state for display; it was not structurally sound and had a disfiguring varnish reducing the readability of the composition. Technical research, multimodal imaging, radiography, and instrumental analysis, including x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, cross-sectional analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, were carried out to understand the materials and techniques used by the artist. Results played a part in shaping the treatment strategy, and the painting was successfully stabilized and returned to a suitable condition for exhibition
Redefining Creativity: Applying Design Thinking in the Art Classroom
No full textIn my qualitative research study, my big idea was creativity. I specifically wanted to know how learning a design thinking process would impact fine art students’ creative confidence, because prior to my study, I found that a lot of my students would say things such as “I’m bad at art” and “I’m not an artist”, and I was curious about why they felt this way. I also wanted to know what the impact of learning a design thinking process would be on students’ understanding of creativity. My methodology was arts-based action research, and I used highly structured interviews, observations, student self-reflections, and student artworks as my data collection methods. I taught participants the Creative Design Thinking (CDT) process, which was adapted from the Henry Ford Learning Institute’s Design Thinking (HFLI DT) process. The main inductive themes I found in my data analysis were “frustration,” “uninspired,” “accomplished,” and “creative confidence.” I found that teaching visual arts students the CDT process positively affected their creative confidence by increasing their understanding of how the creative process works, which can help them in the future to feel accomplished when making art
Designing an Experiment for Playfulness in a Virtual Environment for Enhanced Creative Climate
Get PDFThis project investigated the integration of playfulness into virtual workshop environments to enhance creativity and participant engagement. The initial focus was on developing an online game to encourage mind-wandering and creative expression. However, research and discussions with faculty revealed practical challenges and potential distractions associated with implementing this idea. The project pivoted towards exploring alternative interventions and ended up with two interventions for virtual workshops as well as a companion blog with practical strategies. A wreck-it style welcome package containing fidget toys and creative prompts was proposed for individual participants. Additionally, a modified version of an in-person activity was designed for a virtual setting, encouraging playful competition and team building. The project concludes with a call for further research and collaboration. More research is needed on the impact of practices like games, fidgeting, and doodling in virtual environments to increase fun and dynamism. Practitioners and researchers need to collaborate to design experiments, collect data, and develop virtual workshop agendas that prioritize dimensions of a creative climate. Accessibility and inclusivity also require further attention to ensure participation for everyone, regardless of potential limitations