Art: 21 - education

summary

The Art: 21 site is the PBS.org Web resource of an ongoing broadcast series featuring artists and their works of the twenty-first century. Their Online Lesson Library is a doorway to curricular resources presenting contemporary art and artists for the classroom, hosting a wide range of thematic lesson plans for Visual and Performing Arts, Language Arts, and Social Studies curricula. Educators are encouraged to select the activities, materials, and ideas that meet their individual interests—an entire thematic unit of study, a particular hands-on project, or questions to foster dialogue.

positives

This site is very well researched, written, and produced. Navigation is easy, consistant, and intuitive. An amazing resource to stimulate ideas and adapt lesson plans to contemporary issues in the arts. Art: 21 provides an OnLine Library, Student Art Projects, Professional Development, Teaching Materials, a Glossary of terms, Outreach Events, a Discussion Forum, and online Exhibitions.

For every lesson plan Art: 21 has a resource link to the Board of Education Standards for Visual & Performing Arts, Social Studies, Language Arts, and the Sciences. A wonderful resource!

development

Keep it fresh, there are no art works from late 2004 or 2005.

use in my class

see lesson plan day 2

Open Ends Guide For Looking

summary

Open Ends Guide For Learning is a section of the SFMOMA Web site that is a virtual guide exploring a number of artworks included in the SFMoMA 2000 Exhibition series Open Ends.The exhibition explored the period from 1960 to the present, an era that has seen connections between traditional forms of art and new artistic processes and interests. In order to incorporate all of these changes, Open Ends included a wide range of objects, images, and room-sized installations. Some of the most important art works from the last forty years were exhibited next to works by emerging artists of today.

The Open Ends Guide for Looking site encourages students in grades K through 12 to develop skills for analyzing and enjoying art. Using an inquiry-based approach to learning, the objective of School Programs, which is the program that the Guide for Looking is a part of, is to foster dialogue and facilitate students' abilities to find meaning in modern and contemporary art. The Guide for Looking offers a tour through artworks of the Open Ends exhibition asking students a series of open-ended questions and encouraging them to look carefully and think differently about works of art. The web site provide education related links as well.

positives

Student centered guide to advances in technology how those advances have changed the definition and function of the visual arts.

This web guide of artists and their works included in the exhibition Open Ends, addresses CA State Board of Education Standards for Advanced Visual Arts: 5.0 - 5.4: Connections, Relationships, Applications.

They offer two ways to explore the guide: by theme or image overview.

development

not nearly as rigorously developed as the Art:21 site. Navigation is inconsistant, confusing, and they have not targeted who the users are. Open ended questions for students potentially address, but do not hit the point of giving relevance to new artistic processe.

In the teachers notes section it would be useful if their were notes for each artist, rather than general, and quite obvious suggestions like "make sure your slide projector is working."

use in my class

I will use this as a resource for students to research artists who use contemporary technologies as well as artists who made a dramatic shift from traditional forms of representation.

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Gardener's Art Through the Ages

summary

"The market-leading text for the art history survey course, GARDNER'S ART THROUGH THE AGES has served as a comprehensive and thoughtfully crafted guide to the defining phases of the world's artistic tradition. With this book in hand, thousands of students have watched the story of art unfold in its full historical, social, religious, economic, and cultural context, and thus deepened their understanding of art, architecture, painting, and sculpture."

This "TEXT BOOK" on art history is a great resource for how the history of art has been written by the dominant culture. There is little on the history of art outside of the European and western canon of godheads that define the Classical, Baroque, Renaissance, Modernist, and Postmodern movements in art. There are token cave paintings included as well as some ancient Egyptian relics studied, and a chapter on the Far Esat that covers Japanese prints and some East Indian imagery. But a conspicuous LACK of women artists and non-Western artists are represente. The ethnic or nonwestern contributions are only recognized in how those cultures works were appropriated by the Modernists to put a twist in the Euro-centric movement of the day; like Modernist Max Ernst and his use of African masks and other African imagery appropriated for his own preoccupation with sex and the power of the phalic symbol; all defined under the guise of the "Primitive". Or Gauguin who's trip to Tahiti and portraites of topless Tahitian woman made him a godhead of the "Primitive" movement in Modernism.

positives

In order for students to think critically about art and history it is crucial for them understand how some artists are "written out" of the history books. This book gives a stunning picture of terms and elements of the genres covered. But most importantly, with a closer analysis, we can see that much of the history that I will include in my curriculum has little or no place in this text. And i will ask the students to consider Why?

development

It would be GREAT to see a text like this that breaks down all the appropriation as it was done by the artists throughout the history of art. Appropriation is an effective tool when used conciously to make a specific statement. But when used unconciously or for and end that has no regard for that which is being appropriated - the cultures that the imagery is being barrowed (or stolen) from - then the end product fails and we are left dealing with lies. It would be great if this text could tell it like it is, not the way some historians continue to romantisise the history of art as something very Ero-centric.

use in my class

This book will be used as a reference guide to the Classical and Modernist movements. I will also use it as an example of a "text" that excludes many talented artists and art movements with the goal of fostering a educational environment where students and teacher alike may assume oppositional viewpoints and encourage students to challenging what may be inaccurate or problematic in "text books;" a class room that encourages students to rewrite history.

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GLSEN

summary

The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) is an education organization ensuring safe schools for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. It began in 1990 when there were two Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) in the nation, only one state with policy in place to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students, and a general lack of awareness of the needs of LGBT students. LGBT youth did not have a voice in the education community or in the LGBT movement. There were few, if any, resources available for teachers to discuss LGBT issues.

This web site has numerous resources for educators and students who seek community and/or want to contribute to a truly equitable class room and school environment for all. There is a resource guide to local chapters around the US; a library of relevent literature that can be integrated into curriculum; surveys, stories, news items and other resources that explore why GLSEN came to be; resources related to GLSEN's Public Policy Platform and positions, along with ongoing legal and political battles around the country, and a section devoted entirely to students.

positives

This is a great resource for educators on the issues of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. This is an extreemly under represented population and issue in schools, and for that reason is cause for a general lack of awareness of the needs of LGBT students; streight teachers thinking gay or lesbian students are "on the wrong track" and trying to discourage them for being who they are; and biggoted and hateful voilence within schools, and outside schools among school aged youth. LGBT youth have little or no voice in the education community and the GLSEN Web site offers resources on how to give these students voice, create a "safe space" school environment; and guidence for educators on supporting students who "come out."

Great library of resources that can be included in curriculum materials over a broad range of content ares.

development

Possible development areas could be to expand the site to include lesson plans that integrate LGBT issues into the curriculum.

use in my class

I will use this as a resource for materials on LGBT issues that will be integrated into curriculum materials. Students will be required to research some of these issues as they relate to featured artists work. Also I will use it as a resource as LGBT issues arise by student inquiry and for support.

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Wikipedia

summary

Free-content encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

positives

Great quick reference on topics ranging from Culture, Geography, History, Life, Mathematics, Science, Society, and Technology. Up-to date with latest research and ifo IN SOME CATEGORIES. You can edit it too!!

development

It is of the essence: what it is.

use in my class

This is another way I will encourage the idea that we are creating history as we work, write, create. The more you partake the more your voice will be heard. (See how I am using the seminar text Art Through the Ages) I will use it on a regular basis for students to research what is said about a topic at this site and compair it with other sources.

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