Teacher Philosophy
There is power in the ability for young people to choose how they express themselves creatively.
People learn in a variety of ways. I personally like “hands on” and “project based learning” for art and media spaces. I like to show students how to do something, via demo, and then give them the opportunity to try it on their own while I serve as a guide to help them polish their skills and final works. My goals for students are for them to learn how to use tools that will enable them to forge their creative ideas, build on those skills and exercise them for their future endeavors. Another goal is for them to be able to express their voice and create art from a place that is familiar to them and how they see their environment.
I like to teach by using hands on demonstrations because I think it is essential to the “making” process. Art and media are hands on processes and they need to be taught in a way that allows learners to practice the skill versus a theory based environment. Demonstrating tools, showing works made by other young people, giving learners the chance to practice, experiment and explore their own ideas is an effective way of engaging young creatives. When these learners can put their hands on the tools and try it for themselves, it builds their confidence as they become more and more comfortable.
My students have met goals, by completing their projects, in my past work with the Clubhouse Network (aka Computer Clubhouse) & Boys & Girls Clubs. I know it works when they have completed a project and when they come up with an idea to make something on their own after learning skills they've acquired in the space. The use of digital tools in a maker space like environment has been very powerful for my past students being able to realize their creative visions.
My future goals for growth as a teacher include learning about more technologies that can be used for art and media making. Serving as a resource for other educators to bring technology into the art creation process and to teach fellow educators how to use those tools.
There is power in the ability for young people to choose how they express themselves creatively.
People learn in a variety of ways. I personally like “hands on” and “project based learning” for art and media spaces. I like to show students how to do something, via demo, and then give them the opportunity to try it on their own while I serve as a guide to help them polish their skills and final works. My goals for students are for them to learn how to use tools that will enable them to forge their creative ideas, build on those skills and exercise them for their future endeavors. Another goal is for them to be able to express their voice and create art from a place that is familiar to them and how they see their environment.
I like to teach by using hands on demonstrations because I think it is essential to the “making” process. Art and media are hands on processes and they need to be taught in a way that allows learners to practice the skill versus a theory based environment. Demonstrating tools, showing works made by other young people, giving learners the chance to practice, experiment and explore their own ideas is an effective way of engaging young creatives. When these learners can put their hands on the tools and try it for themselves, it builds their confidence as they become more and more comfortable.
My students have met goals, by completing their projects, in my past work with the Clubhouse Network (aka Computer Clubhouse) & Boys & Girls Clubs. I know it works when they have completed a project and when they come up with an idea to make something on their own after learning skills they've acquired in the space. The use of digital tools in a maker space like environment has been very powerful for my past students being able to realize their creative visions.
My future goals for growth as a teacher include learning about more technologies that can be used for art and media making. Serving as a resource for other educators to bring technology into the art creation process and to teach fellow educators how to use those tools.