Event Title
The Benefits of Studio Thinking for Middle School Students Beyond the Visual Arts Classroom
Description
Research conducted by experts from the fields of both business and education has proven that creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking are just a few of the essential skills students must have to be successful in our current and future global society. It also shows that US schools are failing to equip students with these necessary competences. Educators cite Federal and state education regulations mandating increased standardized testing as well as expanded academic content coverage as reasons for this deficit. This project seeks to address these academic shortfalls with a unit of study based on the Studio Framework, developed by Harvard’s Project Zero. Designed to be implemented in a visual arts classroom, this unit of study focuses on the skill of active self-reflection for learning, one of the Studio Habits of Mind. It includes a unit overview, organization of learning and activities, as well as three methods for evaluation. Arts education offers a potential solution to address the needs of our current education system, and equip students with many of the skills, habits, and characteristics needed for success in our global society.
The Benefits of Studio Thinking for Middle School Students Beyond the Visual Arts Classroom
Research conducted by experts from the fields of both business and education has proven that creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking are just a few of the essential skills students must have to be successful in our current and future global society. It also shows that US schools are failing to equip students with these necessary competences. Educators cite Federal and state education regulations mandating increased standardized testing as well as expanded academic content coverage as reasons for this deficit. This project seeks to address these academic shortfalls with a unit of study based on the Studio Framework, developed by Harvard’s Project Zero. Designed to be implemented in a visual arts classroom, this unit of study focuses on the skill of active self-reflection for learning, one of the Studio Habits of Mind. It includes a unit overview, organization of learning and activities, as well as three methods for evaluation. Arts education offers a potential solution to address the needs of our current education system, and equip students with many of the skills, habits, and characteristics needed for success in our global society.