Notes on Milbrandt M. et al (2004)

Notes on: Milbrandt M. et Al (2004). Teaching to Learn: A Constructivist Approach to Shared Responsibility. Art Education, 57 (5), 19-33.

“Student decision-making has undoubtedly been the crux of creative and critical thinking and is central to a humanistic approach to art education (Lowenfeld & Brittain, 1970; Eisner, 1972; Gaitskell & E Hurwitz, 1975). Issues of choice and voice are also central to contemporary art education (Chalmers, 1992; Efland, Freedman, & Stuhr, 1996; Gaudelius & Speirs, 2003; Barakett & Sacca, 2003; Sullivan, 2003, Anderson & Milbrandt, 2004), and are, essential in the processes of analysis, interpretation, and the construction of meaning for students as they look at art (Anderson, 1995; Barrett, 2000).”

“King (1983) suggests that self-determination or choice is a powerful motivational force in learning that simultaneously enhances both achievement and attitudes about learning. Yet with the current emphasis on educational accountability, teachers sometimes find it increasingly difficult to step out of their roles as educational gatekeepers and allow students a greater sense of agency and voice in their own learning.”

Constructing Learning
“…constructivists view knowledge as constructed by the learner in a particular context, and not pre-existent or given from an expert or authority.”

“Yet in the daily lives of teachers in K-12 classrooms where a modernist paradigm typically prevails, a continual emphasis is placed on teacher accountability and on student acquisition of established knowledge.”

What is Constructivist Theory?
“…at the heart of the constructivist approach to education is the understanding that students are in control of their own learning.”

“Phillips (1995) identifies three distinct student roles in constructivism. These roles are described as the active learner, the social learner, and the creative learner.”

“The creation of meaningful artwork involves the student in a construction of identity through purposeful and expressive visual language (Anderson & Milbrandt, 2004).”

“Learning embedded in social interactions in which students discuss, debate, investigate, and explore multiple viewpoints rather than accept the teacher's viewpoint as the only authority offer other powerful avenues for active art learning and connect students to the real world beyond the classroom.”

“From a constructivist viewpoint, knowledge and understanding are created or recreated; it is not enough for the student to be only actively involved in producing artwork. Structuring purpose and meaning should be at the heart of artistic activity.”

“Both Dewey and Piaget suggest that motivation for the construction of knowledge often comes from an experience of cognitive conflict or puzzlement.”

“As creative learners, students often experience a synthesis of personal or established knowledge during problem solving that continually produces a change or shift in cognitive structures. Because knowledge is authentically acquired both in the classroom and beyond, students need to build structures of cognition that accommodate and assimilate fragmented knowledge into previously acquired understandings-a process Efland and others have termed flexible cognition (Efland, 2002).”

“Chandra and Basinger (2000) utilize art history constructivist inquiry methods to engage elementary students in the development of contextual understandings of African artworks.”

“Participation in an in-depth rigorous analysis of artifacts from multiple viewpoints involves students in a more integrated and richer view of the world that more closely simulates realworld problem solving than does traditional classroom instruction (Windschitl, 2000; Scherer, 1999).”

“Through critical discussions about art, students are challenged to consider crucial human questions regarding cultural images of what is true, beautiful, and moral (Scherer, 1999) and to construct or re-construct their own understandings and values.”

“The analysis, interpretation, and production of artworks engages students in many opportunities for decision-making as well as critical and creative thinking (Hamblen, 1984).”

“For many teachers, balancing the increased demands of accountability and high performance standards with student interests and needs for self-determination becomes a high priority (Anderson & Milbrandt, 2004).”

Sharing the Responsibility
“In the spring of 2003, three Atlanta area high school art teachers implemented constructivist lessons to see how students would accept responsibility for their own learning and peer-teaching situations.”

“Led by these teachers, students generated their own lesson objectives and evaluation criteria.”

“Because the students wrote their own objectives, during the duration of the project there was little question about the intended lesson outcomes.”

“Compared to her past printmaking experiences, Abghari observed that these students seemed to work faster during this unit and accomplished more work in fewer periods. The students were more involved and engaged with their learning and worked much more independently.”

“This interaction among students seemed to build greater sensitivity and understanding of each other, as well as greater regard for one another's artwork.”

“The ongoing art historical and art critical discussions created a more holistic learning experience that also facilitated ongoing critical dialogue throughout the production phase of the lesson.”

“Many brought unsolicited related Internet articles to the class discussion and made stylistic and conceptual connections to their artwork-in-progress.”

“One of the major criticisms of constructivist theory and practice is that when students structure their own learning the result is trivial rather than rigorous (Brooks & Grennon Brooks, 1999). Others critics suggest constructivist methods only work with older, very mature students.”

“The teachers agree that as the students became more personally invested and empowered through their work they demonstrated higher levels of critical thinking in their remarks and interactions.”

The Teacher's Role
“These teachers facilitated a framework with components similar to those suggested by Dever and Hobbs (2000) in which students actively engage, investigate, share, and assess their own performance.”

“Within each lesson, teachers prepared a baseline of introductory information, but encouraged students to determine where they wanted the learning to take them and the level of performance they would attain.”

“While constructivist lessons are typically more student-centered than traditional lessons, the role of the teacher-as-facilitator is critical to student success.”

Guidelines for Successful Constructivist Teaching
“Provide students with a variety of tools for research (i.e. Internet sites, digital cameras, books, and maps) so students become the primary research investigators.”

“Frame strategies for several large and small group collaborations to foster peer support and interaction.”

“Develop a flexible classroom climate that encourages student inquiry and discussion.”

“Present numerous opportunities throughout the lesson for students to make individual choices about their artwork.”

“Negotiate lesson objectives and evaluation criteria with students.”

“Encourage students to create real world and cross-disciplinary connections that extend beyond the classroom. Help students construct a vision for their future, a purpose for learning, cross-disciplinary connections, and personal meaning in their work.”

“Act as a participant-facilitator in the teaching-learning process, rather than as an authoritarian who dispenses knowledge.”

“Encourage students to take ownership of their learning, develop expertise, and share their knowledge with others.”

“Rather than planning a lesson in which the teacher directs a classroom of students in one general pre-determined direction, the constructivist approach facilitates the movement of student learning in multiple directions.”

“It is important for teachers to develop a supportive network among other teachers who share a common interest in constructivist teaching and learning.”

“The development of a stronger student voice in learning does not diminish the teacher's role, standards, or outcomes, but rather encourages students to construct their own views, explore their own interests, engage their own passions, and create newly empowered visions of self and learning in a supportive community.”