Journal Entry #18

Blog 18: How does learning in, through or about art change when we begin to look at moving beyond a standard, Western European based, middle class curriculum? What to these “special” cases reveal to us about the central issues for our practice as art educators?

The special cases we talked about teach us a lot about thinking outside the box. They also remind us to have a holistic approach to learning and treat each learner as an individual.

I focused on learners with cognitive disabilities and delay. They are generally more kinesthetic and sensory learners. They often stay in the manipulative stage longer than other learners. They are more objective than subjective and are often somewhat detached. As a teacher, it is important to have patience with a learner who takes longer to grasp concepts. It is important to engage the child at their own appropriate level, while still engaging the rest of the class. It is a challenge to approach learners individually and still be inclusive. We decided that it would be best to have the learner in a regular classroom context, because that would help them develop appropriate social skills with kids at their own age level. These children should not be held back in elementary school because they may never reach the appropriate level of learning. At this age, their social development is more important.

When discussing the content of their art classes, we decided that the developmentally delayed child could do art at the same level as their peers. They are generally good at expressing emotion and art is a useful tool for expressing emotion. The learner can also use physical manipulation, which is good because they are generally kinesthetic learners.

We also discussed gifted kids and how hard it is to find content appropriate for their level. It is often difficult to integrate this child into the classroom context because they are so far above the other children. They do not understand that extra work is a reward, not a punishment, and this often has the potential to socially isolate them from their peers. It is often a better idea to have this child in their own gifted classroom. We also discussed the multicultural child, and how important it is to acknowledge their history and differing viewpoint.

Basically, the most important part of looking beyond the standard classroom is remembering that every child is different and that having a holistic approach to a classroom means treating each child as individual. Keeping in mind the different levels and backgrounds of the learners in your classroom is essential to having a positive learning environment and a classroom where children feel safe and comfortable.