Imagine teaching a child to ride a bike. You put them on a bike, give them a shove, and watch them go careening down the hill only to crash in a bloody mess after a few terrifying feet. We would never think of doing that. We put on training wheels and run beside them guiding and balancing them until they build up the skill and confidence to take off on their own. When I joined Kevin Kloppenburg’s Art & Experience class he was discussing the topic of the art of seeing as the first step in art appreciation. His students will write an art criticism essay as one of the final projects for his class. Since most students have no idea how to write an art criticism essay, the final paper for the class could be a high risk, high ambiguity project. Instead of assigning the paper and expecting students to know how to write it, Kevin tells his students, “I don’t just push you down the hill, but I show you exactly what I expect.”
To teach the process of art criticism, Kevin makes it relatable by discussing Norman Rockwell and how his iconic images chronicled the history of the 20th century by showing Americans doing American things. Using Rockwell’s paintings, Kevin was able to personalize the major events in American history in a way that made these events come to life. Kevin selected the painting “The Problem We All Live With” for the students to write their first art criticism essay. This painting depicts Ruby Bridges, the first black girl to go to an all-white school in the south, being escorted to school by federal Marshalls. It is a powerfully emotional piece and Kevin brought it to life with a personal story of his own meeting with Ruby at a book signing ceremony. He also connected this topic to the related court case of Brown vs Topeka Board of Education. Most students do not know that Linda Brown, the namesake of that case, moved with her family to Springfield and graduated from Central High School. By bringing this case close to home, Kevin made the topic more relatable to the students. Stories and pictures touch a part of our brain that tap into our emotions. Research has shown that triggering emotions make the information surrounding it more memorable and helps our students learn.
Kevin used Rockwell’s relatable and classic American paintings to put his students in the role of an art critic. He admitted that he was keeping the training wheels on the bike for the first paper he was assigning to help them down the hill safely and risk free. His first assignment was low risk with low ambiguity to decrease their stress and ensure that they will be successful in their first art criticism essay. He broke down the paper into easy steps and in some cases gave the students the exact words they could use. Some of the main things that should be addressed in the paper would be the focal point of the painting, possible symbolism in the painting, and why the colors were chosen and how they evoked specific emotions. He not only explained each phase of art criticism including description, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation but also provided possible verbiage. “Norman Rockwell’s work shows the changing American _____ in a _____ style. The title of the painting is _____. I believe Rockwell chose this title because _____. The artist uses symbolism such as _____ to depict _____ and _____ by showing _____.” Kevin was providing the scaffolding for the students to build their essay. Nevitt Sanford’s Theory of Challenge and Support states that for our students to develop we need to provide them with the correct balance of challenge and support. If we give too much of a challenge, students will become frustrated and quit. Kevin has found a way to give his student support to build confidence and skill then he takes off the training wheels as they progress so they will become independent and competent.
Bad joke to start the week
Why did the algebra teacher confiscate the rubber band pistol? Because it was a weapon of math disruption.
Last thought
“Education is only a ladder to gather fruit from the tree of knowledge, not the fruit itself.” A. Einstein