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THE PRACTICE: PERSONAL CONTEXT -- Choice-based art education regards students as artists and offers students real choices for responding to their own ideas and interests through art making.
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Content Presented By:
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Teaching for Artistic Behavior Partnership
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What is it?
Personal context focuses on two essential elements: (1) developing students as artists and (2) providing real choices.
Students as Artists
The student is the artist. This statement is the foundation on which the concept of choice-based teaching and learning is built. In an authentic choice-based environment, students have control over subject matter, materials, and approach. As art is created from the meaningful content of students' lives, teachers will find that interesting issues related to multiculturalism and visual culture will arise. Students and teachers can address these issues in an ongoing and organic manner to shape student self-discovery and learning.
Real Choices
Choice allows teachers and students to honor authentic learning processes and value intrinsic motivation. Students who believe in their work are motivated and engaged. Brain-compatible teaching and learning is appropriate and desirable for enhancing art making. Opportunities for scribbling, experimentation, and play are necessary experiences for beginners. Student understanding is the goal.
Questions to Think About
- How can you provide for students who will come to class needing structure or ideas?
- If students have true choices about what they create, how can you handle subject matter that might be construed as inappropriate for the school setting? Should you establish parameters from the beginning or deal with this on a case-to-case basis?
- What strategies can you use with the student who repeats ideas for the sole admiration of his peers with no apparent growth over substantial time?
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