A Recipe for SuccessNurturing and Measuring High Quality,

Student-Driven Exploration

Jennifer BransomDirector, Program Accountability

Melissa NelsonManager, Teaching in the Community

Goal and Objectives

Successful students :• Collaborate with others, apply multiple approaches to solving problems,

and produce creative expressions through writing and artmaking,

• Connect with artists and their artmaking processes, and

• Demonstrate a greater depth and breadth of understanding about artists

Behaviors that Indicate Success

Environments where learning, inquiry and creativity regularly occur benefit students AND teachers.• Expectations: Students revise and assess their own and others’ work.

• Sharing, Dialogue, Collaboration: Students offer information, ideas and possibilities to enrich and improve individual and collaborative work.

• Creative Strategies and Choices: Students explore new artistic choices and develop personal and ensemble styles.

• Skills, Technique, Knowledge: Teachers and students work toward excellence by developing both fundamentals and more advanced skills.

Progress in After School

Less than Basic Basic Proficient

Basic Proficient Advanced

Progress with DMA Program

Less than Basic Basic Proficient

Proficient Advanced

Critical Ingredients

Elementary and middle school 6-week program; 4 days a week, 45 minutes per lesson

ProfessionalArt Supplies

Contemporary Art

Project-BasedCurriculum

Staff-Led Tour Museum

Professional Accountability: application process, training before and during program, observations, coaching, and

participant tracking

Program Overview

Themes• Interpretation - ALL

o Interpreting the works of artistso Interpreting the works of peerso Expressing creative ideas and intentions through discussion and writing

• Sensory experiences – Weeks 1-3

o Feeling and describing unseen materials and objectso Listening to verbal descriptions that aid in drawing a mystery objecto Artist connection: Dorothea Tanning

• Making connections and finding relationships – Weeks 4-6

o Exploring multidisciplinary aspects of large-scale sculptureo Considering an ordinary object in a way that is different than its original

purpose or meaningo Artist connection: Mark Handforth

www.creatingquality.org

Lessons Learned

Setting up students and instructors for success during after school hours• Structure is essential for both instructors and students.

• Change it up: Providing structure does not mean rote or monotonous lessons. Vary each afternoon to appeal to different learning styles, strengths, and interests.

• Individual or small-group learning: Opportunities to work on their own or in small groups are better suited to the high energy levels and short attention spans of students during after school hours.

Melissa Nelson, Dallas Museum of ArtMNelson@DallasMuseumofArt.org

Jennifer Bransom, Big ThoughtJennifer.bransom@bigthought.org

www.creatingquality.org