Studio Thinking 3: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education

by Kimberly M. Sheridan, Shirley Veenema, Ellen Winner, Lois Hetland, Mario R. Rossero (Foreword by)

Overview

Studio Thinking 3 is a new edition of a now-classic text, a research-based account of teaching and learning in high school studio arts classes. It poses a framework that identifies eight habits of mind taught in visual arts and four studio structures by which they are taught. This expanded, full-color edition includes new material about how the framework has been used since the original study, with new perspectives from artist-teachers who currently apply the Studio Thinking Framework in their own practice. It also reviews how contemporary organizations, educators, and researchers outside the arts have utilized the framework, highlighting its flexibility to inform teaching and learning.

New chapters for Studio Thinking 3:

• Students as Contemporary Artists: Building Agency in the Studio highlights how studio teachers support learner autonomy, including the ability to create increasingly self-directed artworks.
• Artist-Teachers examines how artistic practices and teaching practices intertwine and how the Studio Thinking Framework can nurture the relationship between them.
• Assessment is a Conversation introduces the practical ways that teachers are using Studio Thinking to assess and evaluate students’ work, working processes, and thinking in the arts.
• Studio Thinking discusses how the Studio Thinking Framework has informed teaching and research in visual arts, theater, dance, music, arts integration, STEAM, and other contexts.

The first edition of this bestseller was featured in The New York Times and The Boston Globe for its groundbreaking research on the positive effects of art education on student learning across the curriculum. Studio Thinking 3 will help advocates explain arts education to policymakers, support art teachers in developing and refining their teaching and assessment practices, and assist educators in other disciplines to learn from existing practices in arts education.

Book Features:

• An explanation of “art as thinking” that unpacks and clarifies how teaching art is the process of teaching thinking.
• An account of what Studio Thinking looks like in diverse contemporary settings.
• Models of studio arts instruction that illuminate what educators are doing to support students’ learning in the arts and why they are doing it that way.
• Full-color images with examples of student art throughout the book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807766507
Publisher:	Teachers College Press
Publication date:	06/03/2022
Edition description:	3rd ed.
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	194,389
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Kimberly M. Sheridan is an associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development and the College of Visual and Performing Arts at George Mason University and is co-director of the Mason Arts Research Center. Shirley Veenema is an art teacher (elementary and high school), a researcher at Project Zero from 1987-2007, and a visual artist. Ellen Winner is professor emerita of psychology at Boston College and a senior research associate at Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education. Lois Hetland is professor emerita of art education at Massachusetts College of Art and Design.

Table of Contents

Foreword to the Third Edition Mario R. Rossero ix

Foreword to the First Edition David N. Perkins xi

Preface to the Third Edition xiii

Acknowledgments xv

1 Making the Case for the Arts: Arts Education Is Not Just a Luxury 1

The Framework of Studio Thinking 1

Why a Frame for Studio Teaching and Learning? 2

Conclusion 5

Part I Studio Classrooms: The How of Studio Teaching

2 Elements of Studio Classrooms 13

Creating a Studio Culture 13

Focusing Thinking With Studio Assignments 15

Teaching Through Artworks 15

3 Studio Structures for Learning 18

The Demonstration-Lecture 18

Setting Tasks: African Pottery Project (Example 3.1) 19

Illustrating Concepts: Tile Project (Example 3.2) 20

Modeling Processes, Approaches, and Attitudes: Light and Boxes Project (Example 3.3) 21

Students-at-Work 22

The Critique 23

Variations in Use of the Studio Structures 25

A Fourth Overarching Structure: Exhibition 26

Features of Exhibition 27

What Can Be Learned from Exhibition 27

Part II Introducing The Studio Habits of Mind: A Dispositional View of What the Arts Teach

4 Develop Craft: Technique, Studio Practice 31

Technique 31

Teaching the Theory and Practice of Color: Inventing Colors Project (Example 4.1) 31

Studio Practice 34

Teaching the Practice of Maintaining the Studio: Self-Portraits in Colored Pencil Project (Example 4.2) 34

Teaching the Studio Practice of Keeping a Portfolio: Light and Boxes Project (Example 4.3) 34

Structuring a Class to Focus on Both Technique and Studio Practice 35

Teaching Care of the Wheel and Throwing Technique: Introducing Centering on the Wheel (Example 4.4) 35

5 Engage and Persist: Committing and Following Through 41

Designing in Clay: Completing the Tile Project (Example 5.1) 41

Finishing the Process: Making Puppets Project (Example 5.2) 43

6 Envision: Thinking in Images 48

Places for an Imaginary Creature: Inventing Colors Project (Example 6.1) 48

Designing in Clay: Beginning the Tile Project (Example 6.2) 50

7 Express: Finding Meaning 53

Drawing for Feeling: Figures in Evocative Space Project (Example 7.1) 53

Drawing for Meaning: Imaginary Creatures Project (Example 7.2) 56

8 Observe: Really Seeing, Not Just Looking 59

Seeing with New Eyes: Using the Viewfinder (Example 8.1) 59

Seeing the World and Putting It on Paper: Light and Boxes Project (Example 8.2) 60

9 Reflect: Question and Explain, Evaluate 67

Question and Explain 68

Drawing Yourself as Mythical: Imaginary Creatures Project (Example 9.1) 68

Building Objects in Relation: Coil Sculpture Project (Example 9.2) 68

Evaluate 70

Drawing Values in Color: Self-Portrait in Colored Pencil Project (Example 9.3) 71

10 Stretch and Explore: Taking a Leap 77

Introducing the Medium: Sketching in Clay (Example 10.1) 77

Building Form: Repeating Units Project (Example 10.2) 79

11 Understand Art Worlds: Domain, Communities 84

Domain 85

Considering Representations: Figures in Evocative Space Project (Example 11.1) 85

Drawing Inspiration from Images: African Pottery Project (Example 11.2) 85

Design Inspired by Objects: Ceramic Sets Project (Example 11.3) 86

Structuring a Whole Class to Focus on Domain: Cubism Project (Example 11.4) 87

Communities 90

Creating a Library of Molds: Coil Sculpture Project (Example 11.5) 91

Focusing on Strength and Form: The Egg Drop Project (Example 11.6) 91

Part III Interating Studio Structures of Learning with the Studio Habits of Mind

12 Demonstration-Lecture and the Studio Habits of Mind 97

Fostering Particular Studio Habits of Mind Through Demonstration-Lectures 97

Integrating Studio Habits of Mind in the Demonstration-Lecture 100

Teaching the Theory and Practice of Color: Inventing Colors Project (Example 12.1) 100

Design Inspired by Objects: Ceramic Sets Project (Example 12.2) 101

13 Students-at-Work and the Studio Habits of Mind 104

Studio Habits of Mind Are Taught in Clusters 104

Introducing Throwing: Centering on the Wheel Project (Example 13.1) 104

Connecting Worlds: Secret Ritual Vessels Project (Example 13.2) 105

Individualizing During Students-at-Work Sessions 105

Differentiating for Students of Various Ability/Experience Levels: Abstraction Project (Example 13.3) 106

Individualizing for Multiple Agendas: Creating Hat and Vest Project (Example 13.4) 109

14 Critique and the Studio Habits of Mind 110

Teaching Studio Habits of Mind Through Critique 110

Integrating Studio Habits of Mind Through Critique 111

Comparing Works: Contour Drawing Project (Example 14.1) 112

Critiquing Throughout the Process: Figures in Evocative Space Project (Example 14.2) 113

15 Exhibition and the Studio Habits of Mind 116

Using Exhibition to Teach Studio Habits of Mind 116

Integrating Studio Habits of Mind in the Exhibition 119

A First Show (Example 15.1) 119

A Sophomore Show (Example 15.2) 119

Junior Shows (Example 15.3) 120

A Senior Show (Example 15.4) 120

End-of-Term Exhibitions (Example 15.5) 120

A Senior Show (Example 15.6) 121

Korean Student Show in Korea (Example 15.7) 121

16 Students as Contemporary Artists: Building Agency in the Studio 123

How Teachers Support Student Agency 123

Students Are Contemporary Artists 127

Part IV Studio Thinking in Contemporary Practice

17 Artist-Teachers: Using Studio Thinking to Connect Artistic and Teaching Practices 131

Artistic Practice Informs Teaching 131

Teaching Practice Informs Artistic Practice 131

Two Practices: Nurturing the Relationship 132

About the Artist-Teachers 133

David Ardito: Mistakes as Portals of Discovery 135

Kimberley D'Adamo: Finding a Fit 136

Danielle DeVellis: Making a Room Into a Studio 137

Natalia Dominguez: Words Matter 138

Bryce Johnson: Balancing Craft and Expression 138

Trena Noval: Using the Studio Habits as Process 139

Jaimee Taborda: Nurturing a Community of Artists 140

Seeing Studio Thinking Across the Artist-Teachers' Stories 141

18 Assessment IS a Conversation 143

Assessing Visual Art 143

Assessment Defanged: Learning and Assessment in the Arts as a Form of Conversation With Todd Elkin 145

Assessment Moments That Support individual Development With Kimberley D'Adamo 147

Assessing the Thinking Process With Studio Habits With JoE Douillette 150

Conclusion 154

19 Studio Thinking 155

A Common Language in the Arts 155

Studio Thinking Beyond the Arts 161

Reinventing Studio Thinking 162

Appendix A Project Examples 164

Appendix B Conducting the Research 165

References 167

Index 170

About the Authors 176

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Reading this third edition of Studio Thinking, I am reminded of the power behind the original concepts…As we are all on this journey of continual growth and development, I am happy to see this work evolve and grow. I believe that by employing the ideas outlined herein, we can also ensure that the art room/studio and our practice is designed for inclusivity and equity for our learners and communities.”
—From the Foreword by Mario R. Rossero, executive director, National Art Education Association (NAEA)

“Studio Thinking 3 invites teachers to examine and critically reflect on how and what the arts teach in order to help their students engage with the visual arts in a way that goes beyond mimicry, step-by-step projects, and canned assignments. It invites teachers and their students to examine process over product, and what process actually teaches.”
—Joe Fusaro, visual arts department chair, Nyack Public Schools

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Previous Editions of Studio Thinking―

"Winner and Hetland have set out to show what it means to take education in the arts seriously, in its own right."

― The New York Times

"This book is very educational and would be helpful to art teachers in promoting quality teaching in their classrooms."

― School Arts Magazine

“Studio Thinking is a major contribution to the field."

—Arts & Learning Review

"The research in Studio Thinking is groundbreaking and important because it is anchored in the actual practice of teaching artists …The ideas in Studio Thinking continue to provide a vehicle with which to navigate and understand the complex work in which we are all engaged."

― Teaching Artists Journal

From the Publisher