Art & Activity: Interactive Strategies for Engaging with Art

Overview

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The most transformative learning experiences happen when students move from passive observers to active creators. This course offers techniques for activity-based teaching, a methodology that uses hands-on engagement and multimodal prompts to make modern and contemporary art resonate with your students. By adopting the strategies used by leaders in the field of museum education, you will learn how to turn your classroom into a dynamic studio where students think through making art. You will also gain fluency in designing activities that bridge the gap between works of art and the lived experiences of your students. Whether you are a new teacher building your first lesson plans or a seasoned professional looking to reinvigorate your curriculum, this course provides a toolkit of creative prompts that foster close looking, and critical thinking. Finally, you will learn to facilitate learning environments where students use art as a vehicle to express their own voices and identities.

Syllabus

Introduction to Art and Activity

Welcome to Art & Activity! Art can be a powerful catalyst for building skills and understanding across a wide range of subjects. In this module, we'll lay some of the groundwork that will prepare you for the rest of the course.

Activities for Analyzing and Reflecting

In this module, we’re moving from theory to practice with videos that discuss drawing, sound, movement, writing, and game-based activities for building skills in analysis and reflection. Through demonstrations, descriptions, and lesson ideas, you'll discover some of the ways that activities empower students to look closely and think deeply about works of art, while also making personal connections to their own lives.

Activities for Creating, Imagining, and Connecting

In Module 3, you'll discover lessons and activities that appeal to various types of learners and nurture your students' creativity, imagination, and empathy. We will continue moving from theory to practice with videos and readings that discuss drawing, sound, movement, writing, discussion, and design thinking activities.

Assessment Strategies

In this module, you’ll shift focus from activities to assessments. The two videos address self-assessment for you as the facilitator and assessing student work. Additionally, you’ll gain access to resources you can consult and adapt for your assessments.