Choice-Based Art Education @ West Point Elementary School

What is it? Developing students as artists, providing real choices, shape self-discovery and learning.

Students as Artists The student is the artist. In a choice-based art room, students have control over subject matter, materials, and approach.

Real Choices Choice allows students to honor authentic learning processes and value intrinsic motivation. Students who believe in their work are motivated and engaged. Opportunities for scribbling, experimentation, and play are necessary experiences for beginners.

What is it? In a choice-based art classroom, students, teachers, and resources interact in multiple ways for teaching and learning.

Teacher Roles Teaching comes in many forms: direct and indirect (through visuals and references), whole-group demonstrations and discussions, small groups of students who choose a particular exploration, and one-to-one teacher to student interaction. This is possible because student independence is encouraged. The teacher's roles include demonstrating, modeling, facilitating, coaching, providing content, and altering that content as a result of observations made in class.

Student Roles Students provide much of the instruction. Student "experts" who work in one medium over time serve as coaches and peer tutors, enjoying further learning in the process. Student discoveries are shared with classmates and teachers. Students form cooperative groups in an organic manner. In this way, a great deal of information is transmitted student to student.

Art Resources The resources of the world of art, past and present, are available to students who find connections to their work in reproductions, books, Web sites, and multi-media materials. An evolving, open-system curriculum fosters an organic learning process.

Art Room-Studio The ideal learning environment supports student learning through the effective structure of time, the careful arrangement of space, thoughtfully chosen materials, and a method of classroom management that allows the teacher to respond to student needs.

Structuring Time Whole-group demonstrations are brief and frequent. Students are exposed to many art concepts and may choose to try something new every week or to continue working on one piece for an extended period of time. The permanent arrangement of materials in centers allows students to plan art works in advance of the weekly class.

Arranging Space The classroom is arranged to accommodate an enormous number of resources and materials and to facilitate both group and independent work. An attractive environment is an inspiration to art makers.

Managing Materials Organized arrangements of materials allow students to access and return what they need. This added responsibility is a learning opportunity. Choosing materials is an important part of the artistic process.

Providing Instruction The organized learning centers contain materials, resources, and written directions and allow for students to continue the work of their choice weekly, while the teacher can interact with students in multiple ways.

Assessment Assessment is ongoing and continuous with students showing evidence of learning in their daily activities. Multiple, formative assessments inform teaching, resulting in materials and instruction that are closely aligned with student needs and visual art standards.

Current Centers in use

• Computer Area has 8 Computers with Color Printer and Scanner.
• Painting Area has 6 Painting Easels with Tempera paints and 10 different types of paint brushes.
• Painting Area has a table with water color paint, water color pencils, water color crayons and water color pastels.
• Drawing Area has pencils, markers, crayons, charcoal pencils, soft pastels, oil pastels and color pencils.
• Artist Video Area has many master artist videos. Video based on artist of the week.
• Clay Area has firing clay, potters wheel, sculpturing sand and hand building table.
• Sculpture Area has color wire, recycled materials, oil based clay and yarn.
• Collage Area has color paper scissors, felt, yarn, magazines and glue.
• Melted Crayon Area has 4 stations with crayons.
• Book Area has many books about artists, how to books and Art Express text books.
• Art Game Area has games that are all art based.
• Black and White Photo Lab has 4 enlargers and is fully equipped.
• Artist Image Area has pictures and books on Artist of the week.
• Print Making Area has stamps, silk screen, scratch-foam board, fish print, and found objects.