So while doing my observations my mentor teacher had an AP art history class. Now I know this is going to sound terrible but I found myself dozing off during class, I tried my hardest not to, but i'd feel my eye lids get heavy and that feeling to just lay my head down while i took notes and "rest my eyes". I probably shouldn't be admitting this to the public, but it happened. At the end of the class I'd scold myself but wonder... how could this have been different? How could he have created an energy, organization and knowledge based on fun within this curriculum and class. I was comparing his class and my art history class with Pro. Kerner and noticed that both of them lack the idea of student participation. Kerner though has much interest in her subject and even though it's very lecture based, her passion on the subject catches your interest, as well as her story telling techniques, and for me it's almost trying to find a question she doesn't have the answer for, since she seems to know everything on this topic.
Being an art ed student who doesn't really enjoy art history, but definitely understands it's importance and place within an art class, I should prepare myself for having an opportunity to teach a class like this. If this does ever happened I definitely want to attach my energy and enthusiasm to the subject, as well as incorporate not only information based lessons, but combining all aspects of art within the subject, performance, exhibition, carreer options within the art world, and process/technique. With all of that in mind I did some research on how other teachers have tried to make art history a fun topic to learn about. Some of their responses and experiments seem like they could really be effective.
One of the reasons I believe they could be effective would be the idea of incorporating play within the lesson. This is something that all my professors have talked about as a tool for educating. One of the techniques I read about was having the students act out famous paintings, or hold "un-birthday parties" for artists by researching the artists, creating or finding 5 objects that could represent that artist, wrapping the gifts up with hand-made wrapping paper depicting the style the artist used and then as a class have a tea party and have the student who did the research, unwrap the gifts and explain the research they did through the character-related gifts. This to me sounds like it could incorporate all the aspects of what I want to involve in my lessons for art history; there would be research, public speaking/ performing, art making and the idea of exhibiting your knowledge as well as your skill. I also believe having them participate in a physical and cognitive manner will really create a energy within the classroom that would be almost considered out of the norm for an art history class.
Another fun way I think you could execute an art class would be by having the students create art related to the art history period, acting out being the artists, or acting out a specific painting, or putting on your own museum gallery; having the students find art, print it out, you could even teach matting teachniques, and then have them create the information cards under the painting, afterwards, bring in a box of scarves, canes and hats and have the students act like sophisticated gallery goers, and some of the students could act like the artists and have a art show opening with cheese and crackers. This could help the students understand what it is to be a art curator, museum or gallery owner, as well as a art gallery visitor or artist, thus playing out different aspects and careers within the art world. Something to keep in mind with all of this is the appropriateness of the art or artist's concepts, how to keep it constantly educational and fun, organization of information and process, as well as assessment of progress and process. I do believe though the role playing and creating aspects of learning could seriously be a benefit to what is considered a boring aspect to art.
some websites that may interest a art history educator
and this one.
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