Lesson 2 Blog Entry:
Research Topics and Map
Currently my research question is: “How can high school art education stay relevant in the 21st century?” I want to demonstrate that today’s art education on the high school level has to use various means to remain interesting and real to students as well as their teachers. I want to
study the means by which exciting and fun lessons can be created to stimulate
lifelong learning in the arts as well as current interests. I plan to use the
elements of humor, play, contemporary issues, current events, and surveys of
student interests, and teacher professional development to achieve my end
result. To me, this is the combination of best of the ideas I have gleaned from
participating in this master’s degree program with the reasons I began the
program in the first place. I had to hear someone else state similar reasons
for joining this program for it to really become clear to me about what I had
been feeling. Before joining UF, I had begun to enter into a professional slump which has affected my students as well as me. I needed re-energizing
educationally and professionally. I believe this happens to many teachers in
all areas, not just in art education. But I think that ever-changing or “living”
lessons can help teachers and their students both at once. These lessons could have a central core and branch out from there into adjustable units that reflect current student
interests and the educational character of each year’s classes. I don’t know if
this is possible, but it would help me and possibly others if I could achieve it.
study the means by which exciting and fun lessons can be created to stimulate
lifelong learning in the arts as well as current interests. I plan to use the
elements of humor, play, contemporary issues, current events, and surveys of
student interests, and teacher professional development to achieve my end
result. To me, this is the combination of best of the ideas I have gleaned from
participating in this master’s degree program with the reasons I began the
program in the first place. I had to hear someone else state similar reasons
for joining this program for it to really become clear to me about what I had
been feeling. Before joining UF, I had begun to enter into a professional slump which has affected my students as well as me. I needed re-energizing
educationally and professionally. I believe this happens to many teachers in
all areas, not just in art education. But I think that ever-changing or “living”
lessons can help teachers and their students both at once. These lessons could have a central core and branch out from there into adjustable units that reflect current student
interests and the educational character of each year’s classes. I don’t know if
this is possible, but it would help me and possibly others if I could achieve it.
Hi Carolyn,
ReplyDeleteI think one of the fantastic things about education is that is does re-ignite some passion when we need it. That was certainly true for me. Maybe it's time to go get that MFA I always wanted...:)
Your idea is noble - wanting to consider the relevance of your high school art curriculum. I think your question needs to be narrowed a bit to be research-able given your parameters and timeframe. You certainly won't be able to answer this question in a definite sense for all students in high schools everywhere.
A logical way to narrow your question would be for you to make it specific to your students. Another would be to ask it in a way that mentions the different pedagogical strategies you listed. Something like, "How do certain pedagogical strategies increase how my students perceive the relevance of the high school art curriculum?"...
? Just took a stab at posing a question based on the ideas I have here. We can talk further if I completely misrepresented your idea or can help more in another way.