Navigating "Too Much Choice" in a Student-Centered Art Room
"It's like I'm a real artist today." (G3 student comment as she made the choice to use an easel to create for the first time.) "Wow, everything is so organized. We should keep it that way." (KG student commenting to his peers as the class took a tour and observed all of the new materials available to use.) "So I can spend the next 9 classes on just ONE artwork if I want to?" (G5 student considering the options available to her as she decides how best to spend her time in the art studio.) "I like it this year, because we used to save all of the good art materials in the store room, and now we get to use them!" (Art Teaching Assistant comment about the variety of materials available at one time for students to create with.) As students begin the new school year and are introduced to our choice-based, student-centered approach in the art studio, their comments say it all. The overall feeling to the start of the year...