submitted by Brian Bushner
Students at Hoosick Falls Elementary School were treated to a hands-on learning experience based on art. Naomi Meyer from the Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery visited Hoosick Falls Elementary School to teach about art, ideas, and the human experience. Naomi was joined by Caroline Declercq-Blake.
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Naomi uses Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), developed by a Harvard professor to access the arts via what individuals see by asking “what’s going on.” Naomi explains, “Students can define what they mean by going back to the source – looking at the art or creating art and crafting the definition from there.”
VTS is also a method of discussion that is used in many art museums but has been adapted for use with elementary students.
Second-grade teacher Leslie Green said, “The presenters encouraged the students to interpret the paintings through a second grader’s eye.”
Works created by artist Alma Thomas, an African-American Expressionist painter (and an educator herself) were used for the VTS learning project. Thomas’ work is well known for her use of patterns, rhythm, and color.
One student, “Emma,” said, “I liked that we got to make our own project with tissue paper that looked like the artists artwork, and we could make anything we wanted.”
Using this method through art provides a jumpstart to thinking deeply which can translate to doing so with math, science, and social studies. Art is a great starting point because students can utilize their existing visual and cognitive skills to develop confidence and experience. This is all based on using what they already know to figure out what they do not yet know.
Green said, “This project allowed students to use what they saw in Alma Thomas’ artwork, be creative, and express themselves through their own projects. The finished products were all unique.”[/private]