In this article, the author describes how her school's art club works. She relates that the art projects made by students at the art club became permanent fixtures at their school. Because of this incentive, students were very eager to contribute to the art club knowing that their art projects will be permanently displayed for all to enjoy in the…

Mali, West Africa, holds many visual treasures for the traveler willing to forfeit the conveniences of modern society and slip into the traditional world of the Bambara people. One such treasure is Bogolan cloth, a traditional textile made with bold geometrical patterns dyed with black mud, brown tree bark, and bleach. This article describes the…

In this article, the author discusses an art adventure with her third, fourth, and fifth grade enrichment kids to the Fort Collins Museum of Contemporary Art in Colorado. The author demonstrates and teaches her students how to use the art tissue paper and oil pastel complementing the creative spirit of the Jaune Quick-to-See Smith work presented…

In this article, the author shares how she develops a curriculum that allows many creative opportunities and builds on the art vocabulary of her fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students. She calls this year-long curriculum "Art A to Z." At the start of the year, she gives a project packet to each student in each class. Each page represents a…

When a student passes away it is difficult for the entire school community. Teachers, students, and staff all feel a sense of loss and the need to do something to mitigate that feeling. Desiring a different kind of memorial, the author wanted her students to learn that they could use art to help others, as well as themselves. The author came up…

Public art takes many forms, including commemorative sculptures, site-specific works, and collaborative murals. Additionally, public art can beautify an urban environment or raise awareness of social issues. Public works of art are a form of discourse and open conversations and dialogue, helping communities work toward unity and empowerment. Using…

This study examines patterns of organized activity and their concurrent association with academic achievement, problem behavior, and perceived adult support in a sample of urban, early adolescent, middle school students (mean age = 13.01; N = 2,495). Cluster analyses yielded six activity profiles: an uninvolved group (n = 775, 31.1%), a multiply…

In this article, the authors relate how they decided to offer their fifth graders a one-day celebration in honor of Diwali, one of the most popular Hindu festivals in India, enjoyed by people of every religion. They combined learning about the tradition with Indian music and film, art-making, special foods, and dance performances. Their students…

It is time for new ideas and models for art education. Current developments in contemporary art, learning theory and in art education itself demand new approaches and provide inspiration and guidance for change. Each area brings particular components to the table but they all have one primary element in common: a call for art education that is…

Instructional strategies make a difference in whether students are engaged in learning and are profiting from their time in class. High schools, technology centers and middle grades schools are encouraging teachers to adopt new teaching techniques and are providing opportunities for teachers to work together to improve their instructional skills…

Throughout history, visual artists have consciously pulled away from the mainstream hustle and bustle to concentrate, be alone and get work done. Many students in traditional school settings do not have the opportunity to experience those work conditions, given the numbers of students in a typical classroom and class period time restrictions. Even…

Research and educational policies have alerted teachers to the importance of multiliteracies. Communication in society today is characterised by rapidly changing and emergent forms of meaning-making in a context of increased cultural and linguistic diversity. This paper responds to these imperatives, releasing key findings of a critical…