Rhizomatic Learning Communities

1st Graders stencil a radial design floor mural.

Multi-age students help edit an I-Movie with their teacher.

Construction Center contains cardboard attachment menu's and examples of construction art.

3rd Grade boy's construct a block tower.

Children collaborate on a cardboard marble run sculpture.

The metaphor of the rhizome is helpful in describing the dynamic community of choice based art room learners who seek the specialized and personal knowledge of artists. Artists are able to convey and communicate that which does not exist yet. Teachers will observe children learning through self directed means or collaborative events. Children can become classmate experts and teach and learn about artist's thinking skills with one another. The environment of the choice based art room is itself an ever changing source of knowledge as the activity that takes place here provides inspiration and motivation. Children also seek artists's knowledge from secondary sources within the art room, i.e. books, center menu's, internet and exemplars. Students are able to create their own art knowledge and self-discoveries abound daily. Of course there is always the knowledgeable teacher nearby. Creative learning experiences within the rhizome are always different and each daily experience has it's own special character and feeling.

Rhizomatic Curriculum Structure of Choice Based Art Education

Rhizomatic curricular structures look like choice based art education art rooms. They are places where organic learning communities exist. The curriculum is not linear but with multiple entry points and multiple endpoints and a myriad of outcome possibilities.

What is an effective way to access and stimulate children's innate creative capacities?

2nd Graders create a city out of blocks.

My friend and colleague Clark Fralick and I looked at this question for several years. After a period of investigation, observation and consideration, we began to look at curriculum in a new way. After meeting with Kathy, John and Diane in Denver back in '04, it was clear to us what the next step should be. After a period of acclimation and adjustments, we determined, choice based art education works within school settings because the flexible, rhizomatic curriculum structure meets the needs of heterogeneous groups of children. Addressing the paradox between freedom and regulation is what choice based art educators do. Whether providing opportunities for students to design their own art projects, investigating interdisciplinary subject areas or participation in teacher designed learning activities, the affirmation and development of the individual’s unique creative capacities is the heart and soul of choice based art education practice.

A 4th grader prepares her assemblage work for the art show.

When Learning Experience Is Organic

Is the mind a blank slate? An empty vessel to pour information and data into without the consent of the learner? Or is the mind an organic system connected to our emotional and physiological self? Should an individual's psycho-emotional realms be ignored when considering the learning that they are to engage in? Should they be left out of the decision making process central to the learning events they are to engage in? 

Kindergarten boy creates a monster mask.

2nd grade boy draws his toy truck.

Girl adds stencil prints to her painting.

A boy tries out his mask.

Packing material makes a great sculpture material.

Volcanoes rock!

Super-sonic space craft building is hard work!

Education is not just about what we are putting into the brain, it is how it is done. What is happening to the brain while we are involved in the learning process is just as important as the content we are putting into it.

Here's how we incorporate S.T.E.M.

6th Grade boy fine tunes his cardboard glider, experimenting with weight and balance.

6th grade boy corrects a design flaw in his unbalanced cardboard sculpture.

Education is not just about what we are putting into the brain, it is also about how it is done. What is happening to the brain while we are involved in the learning process is just as important as the content we are putting into it.

Observation Drawing with Our New Object!

Our librarian Mrs. Haeberle, brought in a wonderful new addition to our still life object collection and it has been the biggest thing in the art room since we opened the paper mache center.

Pretty good for a 1st grader!!

Do you want to see some STE(A)M?

A third grade girl told me she wanted to be a veterinarian when she grows up. She loves to do observation drawings of  animal pictures from books in our art library.

A sixth grade boy works on solving a structural problem with his cardboard sculpture using a hot glue gun.

STEMa Presentation at AEAI State Conference

Science, technology, engineering, art and math integration in an art room dedicated to learner directed art education experience will be my topic. Am bringing movies, images, student's reflective writing and parent comments to share with the audience. Presentation time is 11:00-11:50 on November 4th at the Clarion Hotel, 2480 Jonathon More Pike, Columbus, Indiana. Here is more info on the State of Indiana's largest art education gathering and professional development conference: AEAI State Conference 2012.

The Important Thing....

I was walking to lunch today when one of our parents stopped me in the hallway, "Are you Mr. Gaw? I want to talk with you." "Yes, I'm Mr. Gaw. How can I help you (Hoping this was going to not be a discussion about paint stained clothing)?" "My son is Johnny Smith, (not his real name) a first grader in Mrs. Johnson's class." "Oh yes, I know Johnny." Johnny's mother was very serious, "I don't know what goes on in your art room but my son has introduced his little sister to a new game at home." "Really?" I wondered aloud. "Yes, it's a game called, 'let's play art class! They spend hours in the play room drawing and making art."

I was so thrilled to hear another story from a parent about the connection between children's home and school art making. I have heard this response from significant numbers of parents of children who attend our art program before. It is a response that is heaven to my ears. It means the joyful approach to learning that we employ here in our choice based art program is doing exactly what we intended. Supporting children's interests and passions while connecting to art education content, and promoting artistic behaviors. The important thing? Ensuring children leave the art room with memorable learning experiences that leaves them wanting to experience art education more. As my friend and colleague Dale Zalmstra reflects: "Making sure children love art and consider themselves artists.(1)" That is the important thing.

(1) The Learner-Directed Classroom: Developing Creative Thinking Skills Through Art, Teachers College Press, "The Important Thing," 2012

Summer Art Camp!

Marble runs are the bomb!

Campers work hard to express personal ideas at the cardboard construction center.

Clark and I just finished up Blocks Paper Scissors Summer Art Camp and now I am gearing up for our June 26th opening of Indy Art Lab at Haughville Park. Looking forward to an art education blast!

Marble Run Action

Another morning with 6th Graders and their building materials.....

Blocks Paper Scissors Summer Camp 2012

Mr. Fralick and Mr. Gaw's summer art camp is back at Post Road Community Park for this Summer!
More info and registration HERE.

Learning should be a fascinating adventure!!

A view of the main exhibition hall at the Hancock County Art Exhibit.

New Palestine Elementary exhibition panels with child directed paintings, drawings and collage.

Inquisitive explorers discover marbles and blocks.

More intrepid explorers and investigators.

Future builders and engineers begin their quest to construct viable marble run structures....

....more builders and engineers join in....

....Mr. T-Rex was our mascot at the marble run-block building center.

Raffle taking place while marble run builders go to town.

More builders!

Cool structures including a marble run catch zone.

I brought a box of custom wooden blocks to the 27th Annual 2012 Hancock County Art Exhibit and a major marble run event took place! My sincerest thanks to the Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation and all the Hancock County art teachers for facilitating this excellent event.

"Learning should be a fascinating adventure!"  Tom Horn, 2012

STE(A)M: "Full Power Gravity!!"

Pictures depicting student construction work with cardboard and paper delta gliders and marble runs of various designs. One group of students could be heard before the release of a marble race," Full power gravity!!"

Wooden Marble Run

 

Sometimes children become emotionally charged during their creative experience and use idiosyncratic language when discussing their work.