"As schools (around
the world) cut time for the arts, they may be losing their ability to produce
not just the artistic creators of the future, but innovative leaders who
improve the world they inherit. And by continuing to focus on the arts' dubious
links to improved test scores, arts advocates are losing their most powerful
weapon: a real grasp of what arts bring to education. It is well established
that intelligence and thinking ability are far more complex than what we choose
to measure on standardized tests. The high-stakes exams we use in our schools,
almost exclusively focused on verbal and quantitative skills, reward children
who have a knack for language and math and who can absorb and regurgitate
information. They reveal little about a student's intellectual depth or desire
to learn, and are poor predictors of eventual success and satisfaction in
life…. While students in art classes learn techniques specific to art, such as
how to draw, how to mix paint, or how to centre (sic) a pot, they're also
taught a remarkable array of mental habits not emphasized elsewhere in school.
Such skills include visual-spatial abilities, reflection, self-criticism, and
the willingness to experiment and learn from mistakes. All are important to
numerous careers, but are widely ignored by today's standardized test. "
- Lois Hetland and Ellen
Winner, Studio Thinking, Boston Globe newspaper,
September 2007
We
are all trying to find ways to further increase the use of higher order
thinking skills into our teaching practice. The strategic goals of the school,
to which we must link our own individual goals, and lots of the professional
development we will be doing this year, emphasis and encourage this. Including
sculpture in our visual arts program is one way to incorporate higher order
thinking skills easily.
Sculpture
makes students think differently to when they are making two dimensional
artworks. The students experience a different creative process having to interpret
the space differently and think about how their artwork will look from all
sides. They have to use different problem solving techniques and use materials
that they may not be as familiar with, as they are with pencils, paints and
paper. Creating large scale projects where students have to work interdependently
encourages team work, co-operation, social skills, negotiation skills and helps
students learn how to value others contributions.
When
participating in creative activities like sculpture, students are utilising
their higher order thinking skills with sculpture activities fulfilling many,
if not all, the ‘Habits of Mind’, they will stretch students thinking through
the upper levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Tony Ryan’s ‘Construction’ Thinker’s key
could be used to encourage students to explore different materials and the
thinking routines from Harvard’s Making Thinking Visible allows students to
communicate their thinking through appreciation of sculptures made by artists
or by their peers.
“The practice of looking at art requires
thoughtful attention to what the artworks have to show and say. And works of
art connect to viewers’ personal and social lives. Thus looking at art “provides
an excellent setting for better thinking, for the cultivation of what might be called
the art of intelligence.”
- David Perkins, Senior Co-director of Harvard University’s
Project Zero at the 2008 Aspen summit.
|
Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy  |
Creating: can the student create new product or point
of view?
|
assemble, Adapt Anticipate Categorize Collaborate
Combine Communicate Compare Compile Compose Construct Contrast Create Design
Develop Devise Express Facilitate Formulate Generate Incorporate Individualize
Initiate Integrate Intervene Invent Make up Model Modify Negotiate Organize
Perform Plan Pretend Produce Progress Propose Rearrange Reconstruct Reinforce
Reorganize Revise Rewrite Structure Substitute Validate
|
Evaluating: can the student justify a stand or decision?
|
appraise,
argue, assess, Compare & Contrast Conclude Criticize Critique. Choose defend,
judge, select, support, value, evaluate Decide Interpret Judge Justify
Predict Prioritize Prove Rank Rate Reframe Select Support
|
|
Analyzing: can the student distinguish between the
different parts?
|
appraise,
criticize, experiment, question, test. Break down Characterize Classify
Compare Contrast Correlate Debate Deduce Diagram Differentiate Discriminate
Distinguish Examine Focus Illustrate Infer Limit Outline Point out Prioritize
Recognize Research Relate Separate Subdivide
|
|
| Applying: can the student use the information in a new way? |
Act
Administer Articulate Assess Change Choose Collect Construct Contribute
Control Demonstrate Determine Develop Discover Draw Employ, Establish Extend
Illustrate Imitate Implement Include Inform Instruct Operate Paint
Participate Predict Prepare Produce Provide Relate Report Schedule Select
Show Solve Transfer Use, Utilize, Write
|
http://acaptein.wikispaces.com/file/view/Habits+of+Mind+Bootcamp.pdf
http://www.pz.harvard.edu/tc/index.cfm
http://www.wellsville.wnyric.org/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=113536
Belinda
